History History

Human presence on the territory since the Paleolithic period. In 1964, not far from the town of Gongju, an American researcher and his team discovered human bones and cut stones. The remains were dated at between -50,000 and -20,000.

Like many countries, Korea has its founding myth: Hwanung, son of the King of Heaven, was in search of entertainment. He came down to earth on Mount Baektu, on the border between China and North Korea. There he met a tigress and a bear, both of whom had a common desire to take human form. In order to decide between them, he offered them a test. They were to spend a hundred days in a cave with only garlic cloves and medicinal herbs to eat. The challenge was too difficult for the feline, who de facto left the victory to the bear. The bear was transformed into a woman and took the name Ungnyeo. Every morning, she prayed at the foot of a sacred birch tree in order to have children. Hwann-ung, touched by these prayers, decided to join her and gave birth to the Great Ancestor of Korea Dangun, the birch prince. In 2333 B.C.E. the kingdom of Go-Jeoson (literally meaning Morning Calm) was founded. This legend took on the features of a founding myth from 1910, during the Japanese colonization. We find in this evolution the genesis of nationalism; in order to resist ideologically against the Japanese invader. This myth of Dangun is really the high point of Korean identity. Even today, shamanic rites still celebrate it throughout the country. The national holiday known as "the opening of the sky" takes place every November 3rd.

The coming to power of the Chinese Han dynasty will seal the fate of this first kingdom of Go-Jeoson. It will become a vassal region of China. Three leagues of Han then emerged: the Mahan (southern Han), the Jinhan (eastern Han) and the Byeonhan (brilliant Han). Around the 1st century BC, the respective evolution of these clans saw the birth on the peninsula of the period of the Three Kingdoms: Goguryo, Baekje and Silla. This period was rich in conquests and battles of extensions both internal and external to the country.

Foundation of the Kingdom of Silla by Park Hyeokgeose.

Foundation of the Goguryo kingdom by Jumong.

Foundation of the Kingdom of Baekje by Onjo.

The kingdom of Goguryo was the first to recognize Buddhism as a state religion.

The kingdom of Silla, which was the weakest at the beginning, managed to emerge as the great winner of this war between the three empires. Silla now had a monopoly and managed to unify with the other two kingdoms. The Chinese Tang Dynasty helped in this victory, and logically its system had a great influence on the kingdom of Silla. It was at this time that Buddhism began to flourish. The city of Gyeongju, the former capital of the kingdom, still houses Buddhist treasures today. One can admire the Bulguk, the "Buddha's domain", but above all the Seogkuram cave where a giant Buddha made of white granite nests. The decline of the Tang will have repercussions on the unity that Silla was able to establish.

This period marks the return of the Three Kingdoms, which are now called "late".

Wang Geon, also called Taejo, son of a rich merchant from Silla, founded the Goryeo dynasty. He designated his nation no longer as a kingdom but as an empire. The name of its capital Hwangdo means "imperial capital". The peaceful relations maintained with Arabia gave rise to the term "Corea". It was their way of pronouncing the name Goryeo. Its main purpose was to recover the provinces taken by China. The various military militias were brought together to form a national army.

After taking over China, the Mongols are intensely eyeing the peninsula. Invasions orchestrating on Korean soil have simply ravaged the country. Even after the decline of the Mongolian dynasty, anarchy and misery cannot be overcome. Multiple internal tensions appear.

Successful creation of the Triptitaka Koreana. This national treasure consists of 81,340 engraved plates constituting a collection of sacred Buddhist texts.

Following a coup by Lee Seong-Gye, Korea finally regained its serenity. It was decided to revive the first Korean kingdom by giving the name of Joseon to the new empire. It was during this period that the Korean scholars adopted the teachings of Confucianism, which were quickly rallied by the Crown as a precautionary measure. This sounded the dark hours of Buddhism, which was to be reformed and brought into line. But for the country as a whole this kingdom of Joseon was a sign of peace and prosperity.

The capital is established in Hanyang, future Seoul.

He is the Great Hero of the country, innovative and wise in his way of governing. Development, opulence and balance became the characteristics of his monarchy. The bronze statue of him near the Gyongbokgung Palace and his presence on the 10,000 Won banknotes are strong evidence of the importance of this "Father of the Nation".

But among the great works that marked the reign of King Sejon, there is one that shines more brightly than the others: the invention of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. On October 9, 1446, the 훈민정음 Hunminjeongeum, "Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People" was published. This new writing system was intended to be easy and accessible to all, unlike the Chinese ideograms.

The Japanese invasions will be repulsed following a series of naval battles in which Admiral Yi Sun-Sin will perform prowess. On August 14, 1592, a large part of the Japanese fleet will be destroyed. A year later, the Chinese intervened in the conflict and the Japanese retreated, but only for a few years. Indeed, after fruitless negotiations between China and Japan on the fate of Korea, they returned to the attack but were stopped again.

Korea will be prosperous again, internal trade is flourishing. There is a new social dynamic and a wave of cultural creativity. This "king of reforms" was a follower of the Confucianist Silhak movement. Practical studies and encyclopaedias were emphasized. In line with this quest for knowledge, the royal library appeared. In addition, agriculture was modernized and the banking system was created. But this king died suddenly due to illness. Korea then starts again in days of degradation with economic and political crises.

This is the date of the so-called Ganghwa Island incident. A Japanese ship was sailing near this island and fired a few cannon shots at the fortress. The Koreans later responded to the cannon fire. The Japanese decreed that they were victims of aggression and demanded the signing of a treaty. The Treaty of Ganghwa, the first in a long series of unequal treaties with Korea, opened up Japanese trade at three ports: Busan, Incheon and Wonsan.

The country adopts its flag, the Taegeukgi.

The Donghak peasant rebellion will seal Korea's fate. This uprising was against the government and its feudal system. China and Japan saw this as a golden opportunity to lay their hands on Korea once and for all. They sent in their respective forces. The Sino-Japanese war was won by Japan. At first only a protectorate was established.

Following the protectorate, the Japanese empire was finally able to take full control of the Korean peninsula as it had dreamed. The ensuing domination remained implacable, cruel and fierce. The Korean capital was crushed to make way for Japanese capital. The Koreans were forced to join the imperial army. The Japanese despised the Koreans, exploited their wealth and denigrated their culture. The hard work, poor living conditions and ghostly care decimated the population. The supreme affront was the Korean teenage girls who had to take on the role of "comfort women" to the Japanese soldiers.

The most famous protest movement was that of the Samil. The Samil was a peace movement prepared by a small group of intellectuals and clerics to show the Japanese that the Koreans would not allow themselves to be taken advantage of. Through unauthorized newspapers, the declaration of independence and instructions for resistance were circulated to everyone. Thousands of people gathered afterwards, singing their national anthem to the full and fervently proclaiming their desire for independence. The Japanese response? Imprisonments, torture and executions. This colonization left a gaping wound in the hearts of the Koreans and a strong resentment in particular, because the Japanese never acknowledged their actions.

End of World War II, Japan surrenders. As secretly established in Yalta, the United States and the USSR go to Korea and administratively separate the peninsula. Stalin's communists north of the 38th parallel and Roosevelt/Truman's capitalists to the south. On paper, it was necessary to dismantle the Japanese empire and ensure their departure from the peninsula. But we see the premises of the Cold War ideological conflict taking shape. American policy was based on stopping the spread of communism. Numerous talks and negotiations took place with a view to reunification, but nothing very convincing resulted. The UN decided to set up elections, headed by a foreign commission. These elections will take place only in the southern part because Moscow is denying this commission access to its Korean territory.

The elections were held in the South and Lee Syng-Man will be officially brought to the presidency.

Established in the north of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The North and the South then had opposite functions, the country became plural.

The Korean War breaks out and the American-Soviet quarrels are revealed. Korea was simply used as an excuse. On Sunday, June 25, 1950, Kim Il Sung's troops attacked the south. Seoul collapsed in only three days.

Harry Truman today called the United Nations together and established an international coalition to restore peace on the peninsula.

General MacArthur with 75,000 men landed from the west at Incheon and very quickly Seoul was free again. The next stage was to be a "murderous ping-pong" with the 38th parallel as a net. After the liberation of Seoul, the southern troops advanced north and took the capital Pyongyang.

This time they are joined by nearly half a million Chinese volunteers and together they pass through the southern gates. The UN is retreating because it cannot cope. The somewhat extreme General MacArthur wanted to create a radioactive barrier between China and North Korea. Fortunately, he was replaced by the more reasonable Matthew Ridgway. Truman opted for negotiations and a return to the status quo ante bellum at the now famous 38th parallel. Diplomatic exchanges for appeasement are very difficult and fighting continues to rage.

A few months after Stalin's death, a ceasefire will be signed at Panmunjeom. It will also be decided to create a demilitarised zone, 4 km long and at the very level of the 38th parallel. However, no peace treaty was signed and so technically even 66 years later, the enemy sisters are still at war. The human toll was disastrous. The UN announced nearly 2,500,000 deaths. Cities were devastated. The former united country is now dismembered and partitioned. In the immediate aftermath of this useless and murderous war the north and its "dynastic communism" will be far more economically successful than the south. South Korea will be one of the poorest countries in the world. The urban jungle that is Seoul nowadays seems fascinating and unreal.

From that year on, the Republic of Korea developed economically on a capitalist model. But the general climate of the country cannot be said to be synonymous with peace. Rhee's regime is overthrown. But the Second Republic will be unable to reorganize this still traumatized country.

Following a putsch, General Park Chung-Hee takes the place of head of state.

Murder of Park Chung-Hee. Chun Doo Hwan is now the leader of the country. The country is once again ruled by a military dictatorship which, even though it is economically improving the situation of the country, remains very authoritarian and unequal towards the people.

Many revolts took place in order to repress abuses of power and to establish democracy. One of the most famous of these was the Gwangju Uprising. The people are deeply angered by the illegal seizure of power. They therefore decided to make their multiple challenges heard. Hundreds of citizens, many of them students, lost their lives when they faced the military who pointed their weapons at them and did not hesitate to use them. At first this revolt was perceived as orchestrated by North Korea, but a few years later it was recognized as a movement for democracy.

The democratic movement started in Gwangju will be completed with the election of the first civilian president Kim Young-Sam.

She's the daughter of former dictator Park Chung-hee. She is the first woman president of South Korea (2013-2016/2017) but has less glittering actions to her credit. She was convicted of many dirty money scandals, corruption and abuse of power. For two months, the Korean people held a candle in their hands every week to protest against her and her actions. This "candle revolution" was rewarded when she was deposed from office. Once again, as often in their history, the Korean people are rallying together and are united against all forms of illegal, or in this case immoral, authority.

Election of the current President Moon Jae-In, a fervent defender of human rights.

Parasite, by Bong Joon-ho, has won four Oscars, including Best Picture.

Former President Park Geun-hye is sentenced to 35 years in prison.

South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party succeeds former president Moon Jae-in.

159 people lose their lives in a stampede during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon district.

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is stabbed during an assassination attempt in Busan.