Korean history overview

Korea has a long and rich history dating back to prehistoric times. It is believed that the Korean peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period, with the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon, founded in 2333 BCE by the legendary figure Dangun. Over the centuries, Korea was divided and reunified several times, with various dynasties and kingdoms rising and falling. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Korea was colonized by Japan, which ruled the peninsula until the end of World War II. After Japan's surrender, Korea was divided into two zones of occupation, with the Soviet Union occupying the north and the United States occupying the south. In 1950, the Korean War broke out as the North, aided by the Soviet Union, invaded the South. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, but no formal peace treaty was signed, and the two Koreas have remained technically at war ever since. In the decades following the Korean War, the North and South developed along very different paths. The North became a communist state, while the South became a democracy. In the 1990s, North and South Korea began to engage in a series of talks aimed at reconciliation and reunification, but progress has been slow. Today, the two Koreas are still divided by the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which runs along the 38th parallel. Korea has a long and fascinating history. The Korean peninsula has been inhabited for millennia, with the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon, founded according to Korean legend in 2333 BCE by the mythical figure Dangun. Over the centuries, various dynasties and kingdoms rose and fell in Korea, with the most recent being the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from 1392 to 1910. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan, and it remained under Japanese rule until the end of World War II in 1945. After the war, the peninsula was divided into two, with the Soviet Union occupying the north and the United States occupying the south. This led to the establishment of the two Koreas: North Korea and South Korea. In the 1950s, the Korean War broke out, with the two Koreas and their respective allies fighting each other. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice, but no peace treaty was signed, technically leaving the two Koreas at war to this day. In the decades since the war, North Korea has developed into a repressive, authoritarian state, while South Korea has become a prosperous democracy.