A short history of Korea: from Gojoseon to the modern era
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Korea's written history covers some two thousand years, and its traditional history reaches further back still. This is a brief, neutral overview of the main periods, the kind of background that makes palaces, museums, historical dramas and modern Korea easier to understand. Dates for the earliest periods come partly from tradition and are debated by historians.
Gojoseon
Korean tradition dates the founding of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, to 2333 BC by the legendary founder Dangun. That date comes from a 13th-century text and has no archaeological confirmation; historians generally see Gojoseon developing into a significant state later, in the first millennium BC. It fell to China's Han dynasty in 108 BC, after a war that began the previous year. National Foundation Day in South Korea (3 October) commemorates the founding legend.
The Three Kingdoms
In the following centuries three kingdoms dominated the peninsula and parts of Manchuria, each with its own court, culture and shifting alliances:
- Goguryeo in the north, a powerful military state reaching into Manchuria
- Baekje in the south-west, known for its refined art and links with Japan
- Silla in the south-east
Buddhism arrived from China during this period and shaped art, architecture and politics. A small confederacy, Gaya, also existed in the south until it was absorbed by Silla.
Unified Silla and Balhae
Allied with Tang China, Silla defeated Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. It then pushed Tang forces out of most of the peninsula by 676, which is why histories date unification to either year. Unified Silla, with its capital at Gyeongju, produced famous Buddhist works including Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto. In the north, the kingdom of Balhae emerged as a successor to Goguryeo.
Goryeo (918–1392)
As Silla weakened, the peninsula split again until Wang Geon founded Goryeo in 918; Silla submitted to it in 935. The English name "Korea" comes from Goryeo. The period is known for celadon ceramics, the carving of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, and early movable metal type printing. In the 13th century Goryeo endured Mongol invasions and decades of Mongol dominance.
Joseon (1392–1897)
General Yi Seong-gye founded Joseon in 1392, with its capital at Hanyang (today's Seoul). Neo-Confucianism became the state ideology, shaping government, family life and education.
- King Sejong led the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet, completed in 1443 and promulgated in 1446 in the document Hunminjeongeum. Hangul Day on 9 October marks it.
- Joseon survived the Japanese invasions of the 1590s and the Manchu invasions of the 1600s.
- In the 19th century it faced growing pressure from foreign powers. In 1897 the state was renamed the Korean Empire.
Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945)
Japan made Korea a protectorate in 1905 and annexed it in 1910. Colonial rule lasted until Japan's defeat in 1945, and the period included economic exploitation, policies suppressing Korean language and identity, forced labour and mobilisation during the war, and an independence movement at home and abroad, including the March First Movement of 1919. Liberation Day is 15 August.
Division and the Korean War
After 1945 the peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel, with Soviet forces in the north and American forces in the south. In 1948 two states were established: the Republic of Korea in the south on 15 August and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north in September.
On 25 June 1950 North Korean forces invaded the South, beginning the Korean War. United Nations forces led by the United States supported the South and Chinese forces joined the North. Fighting ended with an armistice on 27 July 1953. No peace treaty has been signed, and the peninsula remains divided along the Demilitarised Zone.
Industrialisation and democratisation
From the 1960s South Korea underwent rapid industrialisation, moving from a war-damaged, largely agricultural economy to a major exporter of ships, steel, cars and electronics, under governments that were often authoritarian. Pro-democracy movements grew, including the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. The nationwide June Democratic Struggle of 1987 led the government to accept a direct presidential election, held in December 1987, and the constitution of that year remains in force today.
North Korea followed a separate path as a single-party state.
Where to learn more
- The National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul
- Gyeongju for Silla sites, and Seoul's Joseon palaces
- The War Memorial of Korea in Seoul
Which period would you like to read more about? Ask questions or recommend books and museums in the comments.