Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 06:42, 24 November 2007

Korea
Flag
Capital	Seoul, Pyongyang
Largest conurbation (population)	Seoul
Official languages	Korean
Area
• Total	220,186 km (85,014 sq mi)
• Water (%)	2.8
Population
• 2007 estimate	72,326,462
• Density	328.48/km (850.8/sq mi)
Currency	Won (₩) (N/S)
Time zone	UTC+9 (KST)

Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or 조선 in North Korea, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Korea is currently divided into North Korea and South Korea.

Although the borders of historical Korean dynasties fluctuated, the peninsula today is defined as coterminous with the political borders of the two Koreas combined. Thus, the peninsula borders China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, with Japan situated to the southeast across the Korea Strait.

The history of Korea began with the legendary founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE by Dangun. Limited linguistic evidence suggests probable Altaic origins of these people, whose northern Mongolian steppe culture absorbed migration and trade with the peoples of Manchuria and China. The adoption of Buddhism in the 4th century had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Koreans later passed on cultural advances to Japan.

Since the Goryeo Dynasty, Korea was ruled by a single government and maintained political and cultural independence until the nineteenth century, despite the Mongol invasions of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century and Japanese invasions of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. In 1377, Korea produced the Jikji, the world's oldest movable metal print document. In the 15th century, the turtle ships, possibly the world's first ironclad warships, were deployed, and King Sejong the Great promulgated the Korean alphabet han-geul to replace hanja (Chinese characters).

During the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the victim of the colonial designs of Japan and Europe. In 1910, Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan and remained occupied and oppressed until the end of World War II in August 1945.

In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender and disarming of Japanese troops in Korea; the Soviet Union accepting the surrender north of the 38th parallel and the United States taking the surrender south of it. This led to division of Korea by the two great powers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea.

Names of Korea

The name "Korea" derives from the Goryeo period of Korean history, which in turn referred to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. Merchants of the Middle East called it Cauli (from the Chinese pronunciation), which then came to be spelled Corea and Korea. Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea.

In the Korean language, Korea as a whole is referred to as Han-guk (Korean: 한국; Hanja: 韓國; RR: Hanguk; MR: Han'guk) by South Korea, and Chosŏn (Korean: 조선; Hancha: 朝鮮; RR: Joseon; MR: Chosǒn) by North Korea. "The Land of the Morning Calm" is a Western nickname loosely derived from the hanja characters for Joseon, the name derived from the Joseon Dynasty and the earlier Gojoseon. (Chosŏn and Joseon are two Romanizations of the same name.)

History

Part of a series on the
History of Korea
Prehistoric period Palaeolithic 700,000 BC-8000 BC Neolithic 8000 BC–1500 BC * Jeulmun Bronze Age 1500 BC–300 BC * Mumun * Liaoning dagger
Ancient period Gojoseon 2333 BC–108 BC * Dangun * Gija * Wiman Jin 4th–2nd century BC Yemaek
Proto–Three Kingdoms period Takri Dongye Buyeo Eastern Galsa Okjeo Samhan Ma Byeon Jin Goguryeo Tamna Nakrang Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms period Goguryeo 37 BC–668 AD Baekje 18 BC–660 AD Silla 57 BC–935 AD Gaya confederacy 42–562 Tamna (Tributary of Baekje) 498–660 Usan 512–930
Northern and Southern period United Silla (Unified Silla) 668–892 Balhae 698–926 Little Goguryeo 699–820 Tamna (Tributary of Silla) 662–925
Later Three Kingdoms period Later Baekje 892–936 Taebong (Later Goguryeo) 901–918 Unified Silla (Later Silla) 892–935 Later Sabeol 919–927 Dongdan Kingdom 926–936 Later Balhae 927–935 Jeongan 938–986
Dynastic period Goryeo 918–1392 Tamna (Vassal of Goryeo) 938–1105 Heungyo 1029–1030 Joseon 1392–1897 Korean Empire 1897–1910
Colonial period Japanese occupation 1910–1945 Provisional Government 1919–1948
Modern period Military governments 1945–1948 North-South division 1945–present * North 1948–present * South 1948–present
By topic Architecture Art Cuisine Currency Education Geography Historiography Language Military (List · Goguryeo) Monarchs (Family tree) Names (Era names) Naval Newspapers Politics (Joseon · North · South) Religion Buddhism Christianity Islam Science and technology Women World Heritage Sites (North · South)
Timeline
Korea portal
v t e

Prehistory and Gojoseon

The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 10000 BCE, and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BCE. Gojoseon's founding legend describes Dangun, a descendent of heaven, as establishing the kingdom in 2333 BCE. Archaeological and contemporary written records indicate it developed from a federation of walled cities into a centralized kingdom sometime between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE.

The original capital may have been at the Manchuria-Korea border, but was later moved to what is today Pyongyang, North Korea. In 108 BCE, the Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed four commanderies in the area of Liaoning and the northern Korean peninsula. Subsequent Chinese immigrations from Yan and Qi brought elements of Chinese culture to the peninsula. By 75 BCE, three of those commanderies had fallen, but the Lelang Commandery remained under successive Chinese control until 313.

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje) dominated the peninsula and parts of Manchuria during the early Common Era. They competed with each other both economically and militarily. Goguryeo united Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye and other states in the former Gojoseon territory, in addition to destroying the last Chinese commandery. Goguryeo was the most dominant power, but was at constant war with the Sui and Tang dynasties of China. Founded around today's Seoul, the southwestern kingdom Baekje expanded far beyond Pyongyang during the peak of its powers in the 4th century. Although later records claim that Silla, in the southeast, was the oldest of the three kingdoms, it is now believed to have been the last kingdom to develop.

Unified Silla and Balhae

In the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries, Silla's power gradually extended across the Korean Peninsula. Silla first annexed the adjacent Gaya confederacy. By the 660s, Silla formed an alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China to conquer Baekje and later Goguryeo. After repelling Chinese forces, Silla partially unified the Peninsula, beginning a period often called Unified Silla.

In the north, former Goguryeo General Dae Joyeong led a group of Goguryeo refugees to the Jilin area in Manchuria and founded Balhae (698 AD - 926 AD) as the successor to Goguryeo. At its height, Balhae's territory extended from northern Manchuria down to the northern provinces of modern-day Korea. Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926.

Unified Silla fell apart in the late 9th century, giving way to the tumultuous Later Three Kingdoms period (892-935). Goryeo unified the Later Three Kingdoms and absorbed Balhae refugees.

Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty was established in 918, and united the Later Three Kingdoms in 935. Two of this period's most notable products are Goryeo pottery — the famous Korean celadon pottery — and the Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka) carved onto roughly 80,000 wooden blocks which have been perfectly preserved. Goryeo also created the world's first metal-based movable type printing press in 1234. Their dynasty was threatened by Mongol invasion from the 1230s into the 1270s, but the dynastic line continued to survive until 1392 since they were kept on Ganghwa Island during the Mongol onslaught.

Joseon dynasty

In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) with a largely bloodless coup. The Joseon Dynasty is believed to have been the longest-lived actively ruling dynasty in East Asia. King Sejong the Great (1418-1450) promulgated Hangul, the Korean written alphabet, and this period saw various other cultural and technological advances, as well as the dominance of neo-Confucianism over the entire peninsula. Between 1592 and 1598, Japan invaded Korea, but was eventually repelled. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral Yi Sun-shin and his "turtle ship" or gobukseon. In the 1620s and 1630s Joseon suffered invasions by the Manchu who eventually also conquered the Chinese Ming Dynasty. After that, the Joseon dynasty swore allegiance to Qing Dynasty. During the Joseon dynasty, Koreans brought Roman Catholicism (and other forms of Christianity in Korea followed shortly thereafter) into Korea, at first in secret.

Japanese occupation

Beginning in the 1870s, Japan began to force Korea to move out of China's sphere of influence into its own. Japan forced Korea to engage in foreign trade through the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1876. In 1895, Empress Myeongseong of Korea was assassinated by the Japanese under Miura Gorō's directive (Kim et al. 1976). In 1909, An Jung-geun assassinated the former Resident-General of Korea, Itō Hirobumi. In 1910, an already militarily occupied Korea was a forced party to the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty. This is a controversial treaty since the treaty was never ratified by the Korean Emperor and the required Korean Imperial seal was absent.

Even before formal Japanese colonial rule, the Korean Independence Movement was already in existence. Korean resistance to the brutal Japanese occupation was manifested in the nonviolent March 1st Movement of 1919, where 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and military. The Korean liberation movement also spread to neighboring Manchuria and Siberia.

Over five million Koreans were conscripted for labor beginning in 1939, and tens of thousands of men were forced into Japan's military. Approximately 200,000 girls and women, mostly from Korea and China, were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military. In 1993, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged the terrible injustices faced by these euphemistically named "comfort women".

During Japanese Colonial rule, the Korean language was suppressed in an effort to eradicate Korean nationalism. Koreans were forced to take Japanese surnames, known as Sōshi-kaimei. Traditional Korean culture suffered heavy losses, as numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed or taken to Japan. To this day, valuable Korean artifacts can often be found in Japanese museums or among private collections. One investigation by the South Korean government identified 75,311 cultural assets that were taken from Korea, 34,369 of which are in Japan, and 17,803 of which are in the United States.

Korean War

With the defeat of Japan in 1945, the United Nations developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south. The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea.

During the Korean War (1950-1953), millions of civilians died and the United States waged a bombing campaign over North Korea that effectively destroyed most cities. Around 171,000 POWs were captured and held by the Americans and South Koreans on Geojedo (an island in the south) The war ended in a ceasefire agreement at approximately the same boundary.

Geography

Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in North-East Asia. To the northwest, the Amnok River(Yalu River) separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River(Tumen River) separates Korea from China and Russia. The Yellow Sea is to the west, the East China Sea is to the south, and the East Sea(Sea of Japan) is to the east of Korea. Notable islands include Jeju-do, Ulleung-do, and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo in Korean).

The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Baekdusan (2744 m), through which runs the border with China. The southern extension of Baekdusan is a highland called Gaema Gowon. This highland was mainly raised during the Cenozoic orogeny and partly covered by volcanic matter. To the south of Gaema Gowon, successive high mountains are located along the eastern coast of the peninsula. This mountain range is named Baekdudaegan. Some significant mountains include Sobaeksan (2,184 m), Baeksan (1,724 m), Geumgangsan (1,638 m), Seoraksan (1,708 m), Taebaeksan (1,567 m), and Jirisan (1,915 m). There are several lower, secondary mountain series whose direction is almost perpendicular to that of Baekdudaegan. They are developed along the tectonic line of Mesozoic orogeny and their directions are basically northwest.

Unlike most older mountains on the mainland, many important islands in Korea were formed by volcanic activity in the Cenozoic orogeny. Jeju-do, situated off the southern coast, is a large volcanic island whose main mountain Hallasan (1950 m) is the highest in South Korea. Ulleung-do is a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan, whose composition is more felsic than Jeju-do. The volcanic islands tend to be younger, the more westward.

Because the mountainous region is mostly on the eastern part of the peninsula, the main rivers tend to flow westwards. Two exceptions are the southward-flowing Nakdonggang and Seomjingang . Important rivers running westward include the Amnok (Yalu), the Cheongcheongang, the Daedonggang, the Han River, the Geumgang, and the Yeongsangang. These rivers have vast flood plains and provide an ideal environment for wet-rice cultivation.

The southern and southwestern coastlines of Korea form a well-developed ria coastline, known as Dadohae-jin in Korean. Its convoluted coastline provides mild seas, and the resulting calm environment allows for safe navigation, fishing, and seaweed farming. In addition to the complex coastline, the western coast of the Korean Peninsula has an extremely high tidal amplitude (at Incheon, around the middle of the western coast. It can get as high as 9 m). Vast tidal flats have been developing on the south and west coastlines.

Environment

South Korea can be a downright dirty place. In 1997 South Korea, like most countries, signed the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately, South Korea was classified as a “developing country” and with that, wasn’t required to reduce cardon dioxide emissions. Seoul’s air does not fall within the safety limits for each of the major pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and dangerous levels of suspended particulate matter emitted from vehicles, which lodge deep in the lungs. South Korea is the 12th largest economy in the world, the 10th largest producer of carbon dioxide and the 4th largest producer of the greenhouse gas CFC.

Korea’s two largest consumer electronic manufactures, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, were given poor marks (both 4 out of 10) from Greenpeace because of their total lack of environmental responsibility. More specifically, the companies lack a comprehensive product take back program, recycling program and their galactic usage of toxic materials such as PVC and BFR.

Demographics

Korea is populated by a highly homogeneous ethnic group, the Koreans, who speak the Korean language. The combined population of the Koreas is about 73 million.

The number of foreigners living in Korea has steadily increased over the past several decades. Today, about 1,000,000 foreigners live in South Korea. A minority of ethnic Chinese (about 20,000 by one estimate) live in South Korea and small communities of ethnic Chinese and Japanese live in North Korea. The Chinese are the largest group of foreigners in Korea, and the number may be closer to 750,000. There are also sizeable numbers of Russian, Anglos and South-east Asians, who are largely unwelcomed in Korea. Many Koreans view people of darker skin (such as South-East Asians) as inferior. Koreans commonly use terms, such as “pure blood,” and “mixed-blood,” to refer to their perceived racial superiority.

Language

Korean is the official language of both North and South Korea, and of Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture in China. Worldwide, there are around 80 million Korean speakers, including large groups in the former Soviet Union, China, Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and more recently, the Philippines.

The genealogical classification of Korean is debated. Some linguists place it in the Altaic language family; others consider it to be a language isolate. Korean is agglutinative in its morphology and SOV in its syntax. Like Japanese and Vietnamese, Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from the genetically unrelated Chinese or created vocabulary on Chinese models.

Modern Korean is written almost exclusively in the Hangul script, which was invented in the 15th century. While Hangul may appear logographic, it is actually a phonemic alphabet organized into syllabic blocks. Each block consists of at least two of the 24 Hangul letters (jamo): at least one each of the 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Historically, the alphabet had several additional letters (see obsolete jamo). For a phonological description of the letters, see Korean phonology. Hanja (Chinese characters) and Roman characters are sometimes included within hangul texts, particularly in South Korea.

Culture and arts

In ancient Chinese texts, Korea is referred to as "Rivers and Mountains Embroidered on Silk" (금수강산, 錦繡江山) and "Eastern Nation of Decorum (동방예의지국, 東方禮儀之國)". During the 7th and 8th centuries, the silk road connected Korea to Arabia. In 845, Arab traders wrote, "Beyond China is a land where gold abounds and which is named Silla. The Muslims who have gone there have been charmed by the country and tend to settle there and abandon all idea of leaving."

Korean festivities often showcase vibrant colors, which have been attributed to Mongolian influences: bright red, yellow, and green often mark traditional Korean motifs. These bright colors are sometimes seen in the traditional dress known as hanbok.

One peculiarity of Korean culture is its age reckoning system. Individuals are regarded as one year old when they are born, and their age increments on New Year's Day rather than on the anniversary of their birthday. Accordingly, a Korean person's stated age will be one or two years more than their age expressed in the Western tradition.

Literature

Korean literature written before the end of the Joseon Dynasty is called "Classical" or "Traditional." Literature, written in Chinese characters (hanja), was established at the same time as the Chinese script arrived on the peninsula. Korean scholars were writing poetry in the classical Chinese style as early as the 2nd century BCE, reflecting Korean thoughts and experiences of that time. Classical Korean literature has its roots in traditional folk beliefs and folk tales of the peninsula, strongly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and to some extent Taoism.

Modern literature is often linked with the development of hangul, which helped spread literacy from the aristocracy to the common people and women. Hangul, however, only reached a dominant position in Korean literature in the second half of the 19th century, resulting in a major growth in Korean literature. Sinsoseol, for instance, are novels written in hangul.

The Korean War led to the development of literature centered around the wounds and chaos of war. Much of the post-war literature in South Korea deals with the daily lives of ordinary people, and their struggles with national pain. The collapse of the traditional Korean value system is another common theme of the time.

Religion

Confucian tradition has dominated Korean thought, along with contributions by Buddhism, Taoism, and Korean Shamanism. Since the middle of the 20th century, however, Christianity has competed with Buddhism in South Korea, while religious practice has been suppressed in North Korea.

According to 2003 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46% of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 27.3% of the population and Buddhists 25.3%.

Koreans valued scholarship and rewarded education and study of Chinese classic texts; Yangban boys were highly educated in Hanja. In Silla, the bone rank system defined a person's social status, and a similar system persisted through the end of the Joseon Dynasty. In addition, the gwageo civil service examination provided paths of upward mobility.

Cuisine

Korean cuisine is probably best known for kimchi, which uses a distinctive fermentation process of preserving vegetables. Chili peppers are also commonly used, often as chili powder, earning the cuisine a reputation for being spicy.

Bulgogi (roasted marinated meat, usually beef), galbi (ribs), and samgyeopsal (pork fatback) are popular meat entrees. Meals are usually accompanied by a soup or stew, such as galbitang (stewed ribs) and doenjang jjigae (fermentated bean paste stew). The center of the table is filled with a shared collection of sidedishes called banchan.

Other popular dishes include bibimbap (mixed rice) and naengmyeon (cold noodles).

Gaegogi literally means "dog meat" in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. Though proponents claim that dogs used for food are a special breed, the soup may be made from any breed of dog. Lean dog meat is preferred for bosintang compared to fatty one, such as Siberian husky, while the latter is also suitable for Gaesoju (개소주), Korean medicinal dog wine. The distaste felt by dog lovers, particularly from the West, with respect to eating dog has made this dish controversial in recent years. About two to three million dogs are consumed in South Korea every year that corresponds to more than one trillion South Korean won ($1 billion at a rate of 1 USD per 1000 KRW).

The consumption of dog meat can be traced back many years. Dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. One of the wall paintings in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwangghae Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site which dates from 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse.

Popular cuisine

• bosintang - dog stew including dog meat as its primary ingredient.
• gaejangguk - dog meat soup.
• gaesuyuk - boiled dog meat.
• gaesoju - a fermented drink that is distilled by cooking the dog in a double boiler. Dog’s penis used to be added as a medicine to supplement energy.
• duruchigi - pan-fried dog meat with gravy and vegetables.
• jeongol - hot pot.
• dog burger, dog meat cutlet, dog meatball, etc.

Controversy

Use of dogs for meat and the methods of slaughter used have generated friction between dog lovers, both Western and Korean, and people who eat dogs; the conflict occasionally breaks out as headline news. During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea's capital city, the South Korean government asked its citizens not to consume dog meat to avoid bad publicity during the games. The controversy surfaced again in 2001 when the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The organizer of the games, under pressure from animal rights groups such as PETA, demanded that the Korean government re-address the issue, but little changed. Another part of the controversy stems from the methods of slaughter, which include beating to death by clubs (common in the countryside) and hanging (offenses in Korea under the Animal Protection Act 1991 although it does not include dogs as animals for human consumption), in order to get more adrenaline into the flesh to make it taste better. However, such methods are no longer common in industry, where generally instant electrocution is employed because of economic reasons. In 2007, a South Korean online dog meat retailer opened in April but closed in July due to a flood of demands to the local officials to "shut down the site for selling illegal (dog) meat." A government official said, "Under the food sanitation law, animals that are not examined according to livestock processing regulations are not allowed to be sold as food... However, we will not be taking strong measures to regulate the practice since we have a tradition and culture of eating dog meat and many people enjoy it."

Today in Korea, a segment of the population enjoy bosintang (literally "invigorating soup") for its supposed "medicinal" properties. Dog meat is also widely believed to keep one cool during the intense Korean summer. Dog meat is also believed to improve male virility, although there is no medical evidence to support these claims. Many Korean Buddhists consider eating meat an offense, which includes dog meat. Unlike beef, pork, or poultry, dog meat has no legal status as food in South Korea, which has caused the industry to go underground, with no official guidelines to address concerns over hygiene and animal welfare. Some in South Korea and abroad believe that dog meat should be legalized so that only authorized preparers can deal with the meat in more humane and sanitary ways, while others think that the practice should be banned by law. During the FIFA World Cup, in the face of foreign pressure to ban the sale of dog meat, a group of prominent South Koreans wrote an open letter in support of dog-eating. South Korea's top soccer official said that FIFA had no business interfering in his country's eating habits. Supporters of dog-eating held rallies against FIFA and launched a campaign to promote dog meat.

Besides the international criticism, in August 2007, Mohan Prashad Bharadwaj, a New Delhi city councilor where tens of thousands of stray dogs live in the city that become a problem, revealed his idea that "maybe we can send all the stray dogs of Delhi" to Korea where dog meat is widely consumed.

Many younger generations of Koreans are starting to abhor the practice of eating dog meat, and instead are treating dogs as pets rather than a source of food. According to a 2006 survey, among 1025 South Koreans, 81% of those in their fifties, 67% of those in their forties, 64% of those in their sixties, 59% of those in their thirties, 60% of teens, 46% of those in their twenties, and 55% on average have ever eaten dog meat. 64% eat dog meat 1 to 3 times per year, 17% 4 to 6 times, and 11% 7 to 10 times. This amounts to an average of 4.6 times per year, at 300 grams per incident. 75% think dog meat should not be banned, and many demand the improvement of the sanitary conditions rather than animal welfare.

Many Korean people including politicians consider their dog meat cuisine as a symbol of Korean nationalism, and believe that campaigns against dog meat are "an invasion of Western imperialism on Korean tradition."

Education

The modern Korean school system consists of 6 years in elementary school, 3 years in middle school, and 3 years in high school. Most public middle school and high school students have to wear uniforms. Although South Korean students often rank high on international comparative tests, the education system is sometimes criticized for its emphasis on passive learning and memorization. In stark contrast to the quality of the primary education, Korean universities are ranked poorly in international rankings. Korea's top university, Seoul National University, was ranked a mere 164th in the world by Jiao Tong University for 2007. Because of the lack of higher level education, studying abroad has become the norm. For every foreign student who comes to Korea for university, 18 Koreans leave to study abroad.

Science and technology

One of the best known artifacts of Korea's history of science and technology is Cheomseongdae, a 9.4-meter high observatory built in 634. It is considered to be one of the world's oldest surviving astronomical observatories.

The world's first metal movable type printing was developed in Korea in 1232 by Choe Yun-ui during the Goryeo Dynasty, modeled after widespread Chinese clay (Bi Sheng in 1041), before Johann Gutenberg developed his metal letterset type (Cumings 1997: 65). Though the block printing was used much earlier, metal movable type printing press marked a significant development in printing allowing the same tools to be used for more diverse printings. The Jikji is the world's earliest remaining movable metal printed book, printed in Korea in 1377. The world's earliest known surviving example of woodblock printing is the Mugujeonggwang Great Dharani Sutra. It is believed to have been printed in Korea in 750-751 AD which, if correct, would make it older than the Diamond Sutra. Goryeo silk was highly regarded by China, and Korean pottery made with blue-green celadon was of the highest quality in the world and sought after by even Arabian merchants. Goryeo had a bustling economy with a capital that was frequented by merchants from all over the known world.

During the Joseon period the earliest ironclad warships, the Geobukseon (Turtle Ship) were invented, as well as other weapons such as the Bigyeokjincheolloe (비격진천뢰, 飛擊震天雷) and the hwacha.

The Korean alphabet Hangul was also invented during this time. The Jikji is the world's oldest book published by printing press.

See also

• List of Rulers of Korea
• Famous Korean people
• Korean name
• National treasures of North Korea
• National treasures of South Korea
• Inter-Korean Summit
• List of divided nations

Notes

1. "Yayoi Period History Summary," BookRags.com; Jared Diamond, "Japanese Roots," Discover 19:6 (June 1998); Thayer Watkins, "The Genetic Origins of the Japanese"; "Shinto - History to 1900," Encyclopædia Britannica; "The Yayoi period (c. 250 BC–c. AD 250)," Encyclopædia Britannica.
2. "Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism," Seoul Times, June 18, 2006; "Buddhist Art of Korea & Japan," Asia Society Museum; "Kanji," JapanGuide.com; "Pottery," MSN Encarta; "History of Japan," JapanVisitor.com.
3. Delmer M. Brown (ed.), ed. (1993). The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press. pp. 140–149. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help); George Sansom, A History of Japan to 1334, Stanford University Press, 1958. p. 47. ISBN 0-8047-0523-2
4. From Paekche to Origin of Yamato
5. World's oldest printed Doc
6. Go-Choson
7. Koguryo
8. Murder of Empress Myeongseong
9. "서울대이태진교수의동경대생들에게들려준한국사 : 메이지일본의한국침략사", Yi Tae-jin (2005) ISBN 89-7626-999-3
10. http://www.bartleby.com/67/2488.html
11. http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557519_2/Korea.html
12. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/GC10Dh01.html
13. March 1st Movement
14. http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.CHAP3.HTM
15. 山脇 啓造 Yamawaki, Keizo. 近代日本と外国人労働者―1890年代後半と1920年代前半における中国人・朝鮮人労働者問題 Modern Japan and Foreign Laborers: Chinese and Korean Laborers in the late 1890s and early 1920s, 明石書店 Akashi-shoten, 1994, et al. ISBN 9784750305684
16. Yoshimi Yoshiaki, Comfort Women. Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military During World War II. Translated by Suzanne O'Brien. Columbia University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-231-12032-X, originally published by 岩波書店, 1995. ISBN 978-4004303848
17. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/03/29/japan.comfort.women.02/
18. Comfort-Women.org
19. http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/women/fund/state9308.html
20. http://www.han.org/a/fukuoka96a.html
21. http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/66
22. Newsweek.com. Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?
23. Newsweek.com. Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?
25. (Cumings 1997: 298)
26. Korean Map, The People's Korea, 1998.
27. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2880973
28. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2876231
29. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2876231
30. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2880973
31. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/env_cfc_con_percap-environment-cfc-consumption-per-capita
32. http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/green-guide-to-electronics-se.pdf
33. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html
34. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html
35. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2877453
36. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2880037
37. "대한민국의 국호". Naver Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
38. http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-EPT/hyghe.htm
39. http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/kcostumes.htm
40. Template:Ko icon ""개소주용으로 쓰려고…" 시베리안 허스키 훔쳐", Nocut news/CBS (Christian Broadcasting System), 2007-10-05. "이 씨는 경찰 조사에서 "시베리안 허스키는 기름이 많아 식용으로는 가치가 떨어지지만 덩치가 크고 개소주로 사용하기에 좋아 훔쳤다"고 털어놓았다."
41. ^ Lee Eun-joo, "How much is that doggy on the menu?", JoongAng Ilbo, August 10, 2007.
42. Template:Ko icon "대법원 “개소주 ‘의약품’ 판단, 성분·효과따라 달라”", The Hankyoreh, 2004.07.28.
43. Patrick Goodenough, "Bush Urged To Intervene In Korean 'Canine Cuisine' Dispute", CNSNews.com, January 16, 2002.
44. ^ Template:Ko icon `연간 개고기 200만 마리, 1조4천억 소비`, JoongAng Ilbo, 2006.10.24.
45. ^ Stefan Gates, "Stefan's diary: South Korea", Cooking in the Danger Zone, BBC Two, 1 May 2007.
46. "Fifa warns S Korea over dog meat". BBC News Asia-Pacific. 2001-11-06. Retrieved 2006-12-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
47. ^ "S Korea dog meat row deepens". BBC News Asia-Pacific. 2001-11-12. Retrieved 2006-12-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
48. "South Korean Dogs and Cats: Tortured and Boiled Alive", PETA.
49. Animal Protection Act, Republic of KOREA, LEX-FAOC050859, Food and Agriculture Organization, 09 February 2004.
50. ^ Cerralbo, Yoav (2005-04-25). "Dog meat's new tale". CBC News. Retrieved 2006-12-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
51. "Netizens in Uproar Over Online Dog Meat Seller", Chosun Ilbo, July 4, 2007.
52. "Call to legalise dog meat". BBC News. 28 December 2001. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
53. Brian Carnell (2 January 2002). "South Korea May Legalize Sale of Dog Meat". animalrights.net. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
54. "South Koreans hire 'Dr Dogmeat' to woo World Cup fans - Telegraph". Retrieved 2007-10-16.
55. "South Korea's dog eaters bite back". BBC News. 11 january 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
56. Caroline Gluck (13 January 2002). "South Korea promotes dog meat". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
57. Caroline Gluck (25 January 2002). "Koreans unbowed by dog meat row". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
58. Brian Carnell (1 May 2002). "Korean Restaurants May Offer Dog Meat Samples to World Cup Tourists". animalrights.net. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
59. Indian Politician: Ship Stray Dogs to Korea, Associated Press/Fox News Channel, August 16, 2007.
60. "Dog Days Never End At Seoul Cafe". NPR. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
61. "S. Korean Dogs Improve Their Lot". Chicago Sun-Times. 17 November 2001. Retrieved 2007-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
62. Han Ying, Shirley (2006-08-03). "S. Korea's dogs find new champions". CNN. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
63. Lee, Wha Rang (1999-05-22). "Dogs and Korean Nationalism" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-09-08.
64. http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/ranking.htm
65. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2880672
66. http://www.cha.go.kr/english/search_plaza/ECulresult_Db_View.jsp?VdkVgwKey=11,01260000,37
67. First Ironclad Warships

References

• Cumings, Bruce. Korea's Place in the Sun, Norton, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31681-5
• Kim, et al. Women of Korea: A History from Ancient Times to 1945, Ewha Womans University Press, 1976. ISBN 89-7300-116-7.
• Asian Info website
• Park's Associates
• http://www.diamond-dilemma.com/kor/doc/TariqHussain_KoreaHerald_5Mar2007.pdf

Further reading

• Chun, Tuk Chu. "Korea in the Pacific Community." Social Education 52 (March 1988), 182. EJ 368 177.
• Cumings, Bruce. The Two Koreas. New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1984.
• Focus On Asian Studies. Special Issue: "Korea: A Teacher's Guide." No. 1, Fall 1986.
• Gi-Wook Shin/Michael Robinson (Ed.). Colonial modernity in Korea, Cambridge, Mass.  : Harvard University, Asia Center; Distributed by Harvard Univ. Press 1999, ISBN 0-674-14255-1
• Joe, W.J. & Choe, H.A. Traditional Korea: A Cultural History, Seoul: Hollym, 1997.
• Joungwon, A.K. Divided Korea: The Politics of Development, Harvard University Press, 1975.
• Lee Ki-baik. A New History Of Korea. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.
• Lee Sang-sup. "The Arts and Literature of Korea." The Social Studies 79 (July-August 1988): 153-60. EJ 376 894.
• Tae-Jin, Y. "The Illegality of the Forced Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of the Great Han Empire," In the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Vol. 36, No. 4, 1996.
• Dennis Hart, From Tradition to Consumption: Construction of a Capitalist Culture in South Korea. Seoul:Jimoondang Pub. 2003.

External links

Korea, an external wiki

• The official website of Korea
• The official tourism guide of Korea Tourism Organizaton
• Korean Food Glossary
• The Architecture and Skyscraper Community of Korea (English Translated)
• Korea information for backpackers from a Seoulite
• CIA World Factbook Entry for South Korea
• CIA World Factbook Entry for North Korea
• Country study South Korea
• Country study North Korea
• Korean language and culture
• Teaching Kimchi, guide to foreign life in Korea, with focus on foreign teachers
• Account of a voyage of discovery to the west coast of Corea, and the great Loo-Choo island; with an appendix, containing charts, and various hydrogrammatical and scientific notices. By Captain Basil Hall ... And a vocabulary of the Loo-Choo languages, by H. J. Clifford, 1818. (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)
• Corea; or, Cho-sen, the land of the morning calm, with numerous illustrations from drawings made by the author: A. Henry Savage-Landor, 1895. (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)
• Template:Dmoz

38°19′N 127°14′E / 38.317°N 127.233°E / 38.317; 127.233

• Asia
• East Asia
• Korea
• Disputed territories in Asia
• Divided regions