In the beginning

     The beginning of Korean history is often dated to 2333 B.C. when King Tan-gun, a legendary figure born of the son of Heaven and a woman from a bear-totem tribe, established the first kingdom named "Choson", literally meaning the "Land of the Morning Calm." While the historicity of the Tan-gun myth is disputed among scholars, it is known that ancient Korea was characterized by clan communities which combined to form small city-states. They rose and fell so that by the first century B.C. three kingdoms, Koguryo (37 B.C.-A.D.668), Paekche (18 B.C.-A.D.660) and Shilla (57 B.C.-A.D.935), had emerged on the Korean Peninsula and part of what is now known as Manchuria. Ever since Shilla unified the Peninsula in 668, Korea has been ruled by a single government and has maintained its political independence and cultural and ethnic identity in spite of frequent foreign invasions. Both the Koryo(918- 1392) and Choson (1392-1910) Kingdoms consolidated their dynastic power and flourished culturally, while repelling intruders like the Khitans, Mongols, Manchus and Japanese. In the late 19th century, Korea became the focus of intense competition among imperialist nations, China, Russia and Japan. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea and instituted colonial rule, bringing the Yi Dynasty of Choson to an end and with it, traditional Korea. National liberation occurred in 1945 but was soon followed by territorial division. The Republic of Korea in the south has a democratic government, while the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north is ruled by a Communist regime. "

Modern history ( late 19th century to early 20th century )

     By the end of the 19th century, Korea had become an arena where the interests of major powers brought repeated, sometimes violent confrontations because of the unique geopolitical situation in North-East Asia at that time. After the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, the Japanese seized Taiwan and South Manchuria, and stepped up their aggressive maneuvers involving Korea to formally annex Korea in 1910. In the years before and after Korea fell victim to Japan's imperialism, the Korean people sought to resist the Japanese both inside and outside the country. Their effort culminated in the March First Independence Movement in 1919, which prompted international sympathy and moral support. With this as a turning point, the Provisional Government of Korea was established in Shanghai, China as the nerve center of the independence struggle against Japan.

     The struggle for freedom from Japanese colonialism drew the attention of the world powers to Korea during the closing stages of World War II. The leaders of the United States, Britain and China agreed at the Cairo Conference in 1943 that Korea would become an independent state after the surrender of Japan. That was reaffirmed by the Postdam Declaration in 1945, and subsequently by the Soviet Union, who declared war against Japan. Finally, Korea gained independence on August 15, 1945.