What is the brief history of Korea?

Answer 1

Though the founding date is debated by historians, the recorded history of Korea began under the kingdom of Gojoseon. Gojoseon suffered defeat by the Han dynasty of China, and became divided into many different states. After a series of conquest and wars, the Three Kingdoms of Korea emerged (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla). Though Goguryeo emerged successful in several wars with the Chinese, Silla (allied with the Tang of China) conquered Baekje and Goguryeo and divided Goguryeo's territory with Tang China. Silla's unification of Korea was short-lived and was soon replaced with the kingdom of Goryeo. Despite being small in size, Goryeo managed to repel the invading Liao kingdom and the Jurchen Jin dynasty but was defeated by the Mongols. Though not conquered, the kings of Goryeo from then on were puppets of the Mongols. It was because of this fact that Goryeo was overthrown and replaced by the kingdom of Joseon. Joseon, unlike its predecessors was not warlike and instead embraced art and literature. Despite this Joseon still managed to soundly defeat the invading Japanese in 1592-1598. However, Joseon shunned Western ideas and technologies, a stance that led to Japanese annexation. After Korea's liberation from Japan, the Communist North invaded the South resulting in the Korean War. As a result of this war, Korea became divided into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).