South Korea
In the early seventh century BC, Chinese records noted Gojoseon as the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. This ancient polity expanded to control much of the northern peninsula and parts of Manchuria before falling to the Han dynasty in 108 BC. Three centuries later, three rival kingdoms emerged: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Goguryeo became the most powerful state, engaging in massive wars against Chinese dynasties that sometimes involved over a million soldiers. Under rulers like Gwanggaeto the Great and his son Jangsu, Goguryeo briefly unified the peninsula during its golden age. Meanwhile, Baekje served as a maritime power known as the Phoenicia of East Asia, spreading Buddhism throughout the region. Silla remained the smallest but used strategic alliances with Tang China to eventually defeat its rivals. In 676 AD, Silla achieved unification of most of the peninsula for the first time. The capital city of Gyeongju grew into the fourth largest city in the world by the late period. Monuments like Seokguram Grotto and Hwangnyongsa temple stand today as UNESCO World Heritage Sites from this era. Later, Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north, controlling territory across Manchuria and the Russian Far East.
Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910 after compelling it to become a protectorate in 1905. This thirty-five year occupation suppressed Korean language, culture, and history through forced assimilation policies. The March First Movement protests erupted in 1919 as resistance against Japanese colonial rule. Resistance groups formed in exile, primarily in China, including the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. World War II ended Japanese rule when Japan surrendered in 1945. The United States and Soviet Union then divided the Korean Peninsula along the 38th parallel. Dean Rusk and Charles H. Bonesteel III proposed this dividing line which placed Seoul under American control. To their surprise, the Soviets accepted the proposal immediately. In August 1948, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea while the northern zone became the Democratic People's Republic of Korea the following month. Syngman Rhee won the first presidential elections in May 1948 with support from the United States. Kim Il Sung was appointed premier of North Korea in September 1948 backed by the Soviet Union. Both leaders engaged in authoritarian repression of political opponents during these early years.
North Korea invaded South Korea on the 25th of June 1950, sparking the Korean War that lasted until 1953. Approximately three million people died during this conflict, creating a higher proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War. The war left the economy in ruins with virtually all major cities destroyed. An armistice split the peninsula along the demilitarized zone near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was ever signed, so the two countries remain technically at war today. Following the war, General Park Chung Hee led a coup d'état on the 16th of May 1961 to end political instability. As president, Park oversaw rapid export-led economic growth enforced by political repression. Under his seventeen-year tenure, the government developed the nationwide expressway system and Seoul subway system. Between 1962 and 1994, the South Korean economy grew at an average of ten percent annually. This period became known as the Miracle on the Han River due to annual export growth reaching twenty percent. Park's rule ended with his assassination on the 26th of October 1979. The years following his death saw renewed political turmoil as opposition leaders campaigned for presidency.
A student uprising called the April Revolution led to President Syngman Rhee's resignation in 1960. General Chun Doo-hwan led another coup d'état on December Twelfth 1979 before expanding martial law nationwide on the 17th of May 1980. Chun sent special forces to violently suppress protests in Gwangju between May 18 and 27, costing probably five hundred to two thousand civilian lives. In 1987, Catholic Priests Association for Justice revealed that student Park Jong-chul had been tortured to death. This incident ignited the June Democratic Struggle across the country demanding democracy. Roh Tae-woo announced the June 29 Declaration promising a democratic election of the president. Kim Dae-jung won the 1987 election by a narrow margin against two main opposition leaders. Seoul hosted the Olympic Games in 1988 which boosted South Korea's global image and economy. Kim Dae-jung was sworn in as eighth president on the 25th of February 1998 after winning elections during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He received the Nobel Peace Prize later that year for his work advancing democracy and reconciliation with North Korea. His Sunshine Policy included a historic North-South summit in Pyongyang in June 2000.
South Korea maintains close relations with the United States through a Mutual Defense Treaty signed following the Korean War Armistice. Approximately twenty-eight thousand five hundred U.S. military personnel are stationed in South Korea at installations like Osan and Camp Humphreys. The United States assumes control of South Korean armed forces if war escalates suddenly between the two Koreas. China became South Korea's largest trading partner sending twenty-six percent of exports worth one hundred twenty-four billion dollars in 2016. South Korea re-established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China on the 24th of August 1992 after decades of severed ties. Japan remains South Korea's third largest trading partner despite longstanding issues over Japanese war crimes and territorial disputes. The Liancourt Rocks dispute continues to trouble Korean-Japanese relations since Japan claims them as Takeshima while Korea calls them Dokdo. In March 2010, the South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan was sunk killing forty-six sailors allegedly by a North Korean submarine. November 2010 saw Yeonpyeongdo attacked by significant North Korean artillery barrage resulting in four deaths. These attacks caused significant anger among the South Korean public due to lack of strong international response.
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Common questions
When did Gojoseon fall to the Han dynasty?
Gojoseon fell to the Han dynasty in 108 BC. This ancient polity expanded to control much of the northern peninsula and parts of Manchuria before its collapse.
Who divided the Korean Peninsula along the 38th parallel after World War II?
Dean Rusk and Charles H. Bonesteel III proposed the dividing line that placed Seoul under American control. The United States and Soviet Union then divided the Korean Peninsula along this line following Japan's surrender in 1945.
What happened during the March First Movement protests in 1919?
The March First Movement protests erupted in 1919 as resistance against Japanese colonial rule. This event occurred after Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910 and compelled it to become a protectorate in 1905.
How long did the South Korean economy grow at an average rate between 1962 and 1994?
Between 1962 and 1994, the South Korean economy grew at an average of ten percent annually. This period became known as the Miracle on the Han River due to annual export growth reaching twenty percent.
When was Kim Dae-jung sworn in as eighth president of South Korea?
Kim Dae-jung was sworn in as eighth president on the 25th of February 1998 after winning elections during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He received the Nobel Peace Prize later that year for his work advancing democracy and reconciliation with North Korea.