korea's secret

Korea, peninsula, Asia, divided since 1948 into two political entities: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The following article deals with the history of Korea until its division. For physical description, climate, people, economy, and government, and subsequent history.


Goryo Period

During the 9th century, Silla's monarchy and governing institutions declined, and regional leaders gained strength at the expense of the capital. From 890 to 935 the old three kingdoms re-emerged on the peninsula. This time the northern state, Koryo (the name, which is derived from Koguryo, is reflected in the modern Western name, Korea), accomplished unification. Founded in 918 by an astute warrior and statesman named Wang Kon, Koryo brought Korea's regional leaders under a single central authority and extended the frontiers of the country north to the Yalu River. Here Koryo came into conflict with the Dongbei Khitan (Liao) dynasty. In wars lasting from 993 to 1018, Koryo suffered greatly but maintained its position and in 1022 gained a definitive peace and consolidated its territorial gains.


Choson period

During the 14th century, Koreans were broadly stimulated by Neo-Confucianism, which had been formulated by the Chinese philosopher Zhu Xi. This highly developed value system energized the middle ranks of Koryo officialdom, and their movement for social and political reform inspired the founding of the Yi dynasty (also known as Choson) by Yi Songgye.

Yi's early kings and its Confucianized elite class established a social and political structure that withstood all challenges until 1910, achieving one of the longest dominations by a single dynasty in world history. Although heavily influenced by Chinese culture, Yi dynasty Korea maintained a distinctive identity, as illustrated by its own unique alphabet—Han’gul, invented in 1446 by King Sejong (see Korean Language). Yi's first 200 years were blessed with peace and generally good government, although disruptive divisions within the elite class began in the 16th century. While distracted by these struggles, Yi was invaded in 1592 by the Japanese, who wanted to use Korea as a transit route for the conquest of China. By 1598, however, Yi, with the aid of China's Ming dynasty and the efforts of its own redoubtable naval hero, Yi Sunsin, had repulsed the Japanese. Recovery had still not been achieved when Korea suffered more invasions, this time from the Manchus (1627, 1636), who thus wrenched Yi away from Ming suzerainty. The Manchu conquest of China in 1644 and the advent of the Qing dynasty brought new problems for Yi but also had the effect of stimulating the Koreans, temporarily cut off from Chinese influence, to develop their own culture more creatively.


Shortly before the end of the war in the Pacific, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) agreed to divide Korea at the 38th parallel for the purpose of accepting the surrender of Japanese troops. Both powers, however, used their presence to promote friendly governments. The USSR suppressed the moderate nationalists in the north and gave its support to Kim Il Sung, a Communist who had led anti-Japanese guerrillas in Dongbei. In the south was a well-developed leftist movement, opposed by various groups of right-wing nationalists. Unable to find a congenial moderate who could bring these forces together, the United States ended up suppressing the left and promoting Syngman Rhee, a nationalist who had opposed the Japanese and had lived in exile in the United States. All Koreans looked towards unification, but in the developing Cold War atmosphere, US-Soviet unification conferences (1946, 1947) broke up in mutual distrust. In 1947 both powers began arranging separate governments. US-sponsored elections in 1948, observed by the United Nations, led to the founding of the Republic of Korea in August 1948. The north followed in September 1948 by establishing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). On June 25, 1950, DPRK forces attacked across the 38th parallel, starting the Korean War.


In the present, Korea novella is very popular in the Philippines; one of the famous Korea novellas is JUMONG, jumong characterized Wang Kon who fought dhongbei khitan dynasty (han dynasty) for there freedom.