History of Korea

Legends also contribute to present-day knowledge of Koreas early history, but reliable historical accounts start with the story of Ki Tse, a Chinese nobleman in the service of the Shang Dynasty emperor who fled China at the start of the Chou Dynasty. Ki Tse established the Chosen Kingdom in the northern part of Korea. He introduced the Chinese political and social institutions as well as Chinese writing and arts; he improved Korean agriculture, construction methods, and other industrial technology. The Koreans lived peacefully then, but during the Han Dynasty, the Chinese occupied their territory. When the Chinese withdrew, three kingdoms developed. The Koguryo Kingdom, which includes present-day North Korea and some parts of Manchuria, the Paeckche Kingdom in the western part of Korea, and Silla Kingdom in the eastern part. For six hundred years, the three kingdoms vied for territory and power. With Chinese help, the Silla Kingdom crushed the combined forces of the Koguryo and Paeckche Kingdoms. The northern part fell under Chinese administration once more, while in the south the Silla Kingdom reigned. The kingdom relied heavily on Chinese aid. It was also at this time that Chinese influences adopted by the Koreans. The Koreans studied Buddhism, the Chinese form of education, literature, writing, arts, and culture. They absorbed Chinese culture so well that there were several Koreans who occupied positions in the Chinese imperial court. The fall of the Tang Dynasty resulted in widespread anarchy not only in China but in Korea as well. From the descendants of the rulers of the Chosen Kingdom, Wang

Kien united Korea after defeating the Silla Kingdom in the south and established the Kingdom of Koryu. For the first time, the peninsula was united; the people enjoyed a long and peaceful reign, which lasted for more than four hundred years. Chinese culture proved beneficial to the Koreans. When the Mongolians ruled China during the Yuan Dynasty, they also took over Korea. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the Koreans once more regained their independence and established the Choson Dynasty, which ruled Korea until 1910. Hanyang(now Seoul) was made the capital of the kingdom, the Confucian ethical system was made official, and Confucian centers of learning were set up. One of the greatest emperors of the Choson Dynasty was Sejong the Great. Publications in the field of agriculture, medicine, astronomy, geography, and history were produced during his reign. Chiphyonjon, a great center of learning where studies and research were encouraged, was established. The Korean system of writing, Hangul, was completed and implemented throughout the kingdom. Laws were codified and the country was divided into eight administrative provinces administered by officials had to pass the civil service examinations.

Briefly in 1592 and 1597, the Japanese, under the leadership of the Tokugawa Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, attempted to colonize Korea. For six years, a bitter war was in the peninsula, but the combined Korean and Chinese forces finally drove the Japanese out of the country.

During the period of isolation, Koreans rebuilt their country from the widespread devastation and destruction brought about by the Japanese invasion. Changes in agriculture, like new methods in rice planting and irrigation, increased farm output; cultivation of other crops, like tobacco and ginseng, was encouraged. Coins were minted, payment of rent was in cash, and markets were set up all over the country. In the field of education, studies, research, and publications were done in the field of Korean history, geography and language. The output became the basis for studying in the following generations. In the field of arts and letters, mass-oriented literary production, drama and opera, and art works became the favorite of the masses. These works are written in Hangul and mirrored the popular sentiment, thus their appeal to the masses. Ordinary activities like farming, wrestling, blacksmiths at work, and landscapes of the countryside were among themes of artworks