South Korea

== History ==
{{Main|History of Korea}}

=== Ancient Korea ===
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| image1 = Front view of Seokguram from front chamber.jpg
| caption1 = [[Seokguram Grotto]] from the [[Silla]] era, a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]
| image2 = History of Korea-Inter-country Age-830 CE.gif
| caption2 = [[Balhae]] (violet) and [[Unified Silla|Silla]] (blue), circa 830 CE
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| image1 = SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMasters1377.jpg
| caption1 = The oldest surviving metal movable type book, the ''[[Jikji]]'', was printed in 1377, and [[Goryeo]] created the world's first metal-based movable type in 1234.<ref name="print_c" />
| image2 = Korea-Haeinsa-Tripitaka Koreana-01.jpg
| caption2 = The ''[[Tripitaka Koreana]]'' — the Buddhist canon (''[[Tripiṭaka]]'') carved onto roughly 80,000 woodblocks and stored (and still remaining) at [[Haeinsa]], also a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]
}}

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the [[Lower Paleolithic]] period.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.rom.on.ca/news/releases/public.php?mediakey=sg1yebpnv8|title=Ancient civilizations|publisher=Royal Ontario Museum|location=Canada|date=12 December 2005|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-date=8 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108064155/http://www.rom.on.ca/news/releases/public.php?mediakey=sg1yebpnv8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opm.go.kr/warp/webapp/content/view?meta_id=english&id=35|title=Prehistoric Korea|website=About Korea|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302014245/http://www.opm.go.kr/warp/webapp/content/view?meta_id=english&id=35|archive-date=2 March 2008|access-date=12 July 2008}}, Office of the Prime Minister.</ref>

According to Korea's [[Civil religion|founding mythology]], the history of Korea begins with the founding of Joseon (also known as "[[Gojoseon]]", or "Old Joseon", to differentiate it with the 14th century dynasty) in 2333 BCE by the legendary [[Dangun]].<ref name="koreashistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/history.htm |title=Korea's History |publisher=Asian Shravan |access-date=17 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128065300/http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/history.htm |archive-date=28 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="DangunGija">*{{cite book|last=Seth|first=Michael J.|title=A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJtMGXyGlUEC&pg=PA443|year=2010|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-0-7425-6717-7|page=443|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005645/https://books.google.com/books?id=WJtMGXyGlUEC&pg=PA443|url-status=live}}
:"An extreme manifestation of nationalism and the family cult was the revival of interest in Tangun, the mythical founder of the first Korean state... Most textbooks and professional historians, however, treat him as a myth."
*{{cite book|last=Stark|first=Miriam T.|title=Archaeology of Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4_bT2SJ-HUC&pg=PA49|year=2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-5303-4|page=49|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005645/https://books.google.com/books?id=z4_bT2SJ-HUC&pg=PA49|url-status=live}}
:"Although Kija may have truly existed as a historical figure, Tangun is more problematical."
*{{cite book|last=Schmid|first=Andre|title=Korea Between Empires|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lVgaAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA269|year=2013|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-50630-4|page=270|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005645/https://books.google.com/books?id=lVgaAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA269|url-status=live}}
:"Most [Korean historians] treat the [Tangun] myth as a later creation."
*{{cite book|last=Peterson|first=Mark|title=Brief History of Korea|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ByIo1D9RY40C&pg=PA5|year=2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-2738-5|page=5|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005701/https://books.google.com/books?id=ByIo1D9RY40C&pg=PA5|url-status=live}}
:"The Tangun myth became more popular with groups that wanted Korea to be independent; the Kija myth was more useful to those who wanted to show that Korea had a strong affinity to China."
*{{cite book|last=Hulbert|first=H. B.|title=The History of Korea|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WdusAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA73|year=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-84941-4|page=73|access-date=1 January 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005646/https://books.google.com/books?id=WdusAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA73|url-status=live}}
:"If a choice is to be made between them, one is faced with the fact that the Tangun, with his supernatural origin, is more clearly a mythological figure than Kija."</ref> Gojoseon was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century.<ref>{{cite book| last1=Peterson|first1=Mark|first2=Phillip|last2=Margulies|title=A Brief History of Korea|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4381-2738-5|page=6}}</ref> Gojoseon expanded until it controlled the northern Korean Peninsula and parts of [[Manchuria]]. [[Gija Joseon]] was purportedly founded in the 12th century BCE, but its existence and role have been controversial in the modern era.<ref name="DangunGija" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Hwang|first= Kyung-moon|title=A History of Korea, An Episodic Narrative|year=2010|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-36453-0|page=4}}</ref> In 108 BCE, the [[Han dynasty]] [[Gojoseon–Han War|defeated]] [[Wiman Joseon]] and installed [[Four Commanderies of Han|four commanderies]] in the northern Korean peninsula. Three of the commanderies fell or retreated westward within a few decades. As [[Lelang Commandery]] was destroyed and rebuilt around this time, the place gradually moved toward Liaodong.{{Clarify|reason=Grammar and wording is a bit unusual; not sure of meaning|date=April 2023}} Thus, its force was diminished and only served as a trade center until it was conquered by Goguryeo in 313.<ref name="Gojoseon">[http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Korea.html Early Korea] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625032709/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Korea.html |date=25 June 2015 }}. Shsu.edu. Retrieved 17 April 2015.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?cid=46620&docId=532555&categoryId=46620|script-title=ko:낙랑군|website=terms.naver.com|access-date=15 July 2019|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523054820/https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?cid=46620&docId=532555&categoryId=46620|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tR0FAQAAQBAJ&q=%EB%82%99%EB%9E%91%EA%B5%B0+%EC%B1%85&pg=PA52|script-title=ko:이야기보따리 삼국시대: 역사친구 004|last=이|first=문영|date=15 July 2011|publisher=Sowadang|via=Google Books|isbn=978-89-93820-14-0|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145154/https://books.google.com/books?id=tR0FAQAAQBAJ&q=%EB%82%99%EB%9E%91%EA%B5%B0+%EC%B1%85&pg=PA52|url-status=live}}</ref>

Beginning around 300 BC, the [[Japonic]]-speaking [[Yayoi people]] from the Korean Peninsula entered the Japanese islands and displaced or intermingled with the original [[Jōmon people|Jōmon]] inhabitants.<ref>{{cite book | surname = Vovin | given = Alexander | author-link = Alexander Vovin | chapter = Origins of the Japanese Language | doi = 10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.277 | doi-access = free | title = Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2017 | isbn = 978-0-19-938465-5}}</ref> The linguistic homeland of Proto-[[Koreans]] is located somewhere in southern [[Siberia]]/[[Manchuria]], such as the [[Liao River]] area or the [[Amur]] River area. Proto-Koreans arrived in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula at around 300 BC, replacing and assimilating Japonic-speakers and likely causing the [[Yayoi period|Yayoi]] migration.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Janhunen|first=Juha|date=2010|title=RReconstructing the Language Map of Prehistorical Northeast Asia|journal=Studia Orientalia|quote=... there are strong indications that the neighbouring Baekje state (in the southwest) was predominantly Japonic-speaking until it was linguistically Koreanized.|number=108}}</ref>

=== Three Kingdoms of Korea ===
During the [[Proto–Three Kingdoms period]], the states of [[Buyeo]], [[Okjeo]], [[Eastern Ye|Dongye]], and [[Samhan]] occupied the whole Korean peninsula and southern Manchuria. From them, the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea]] emerged: [[Goguryeo]], [[Baekje]], and [[Silla]].

Goguryeo, the largest and most powerful among them, was a highly militaristic state<ref>{{cite book|last1=Yi|first1=Ki-baek|title=A New History of Korea|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-61576-2|pages=23–24|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC&pg=PA23|access-date=21 November 2016|year=1984}}</ref> and competed with various Chinese dynasties during its 700 years of history. Goguryeo experienced a golden age under [[Gwanggaeto the Great]] and his son [[Jangsu of Goguryeo|Jangsu]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Yi|first1=Hyŏn-hŭi|last2=Pak|first2=Sŏng-su|last3=Yun|first3=Nae-hyŏn|title=New history of Korea|publisher=Jimoondang|isbn=978-89-88095-85-0|page=201|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KO8MAQAAMAAJ|quote=He launched a military expedition to expand his territory, opening the golden age of Goguryeo.|year=2005|access-date=26 August 2016|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234407/https://books.google.com/books?id=KO8MAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hall|first1=John Whitney|title=The Cambridge History of Japan|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-22352-2|page=362|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A3_6lp8IOK8C&q=%22The+reign+of+King+Kwanggaet%27o+is+thought+of+as+Koguryo%27s+golden+age+of+political+might+and+Buddhist+splendor.%22|access-date=29 July 2016|year=1988|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234405/https://books.google.com/books?id=A3_6lp8IOK8C&q=%22The+reign+of+King+Kwanggaet%27o+is+thought+of+as+Koguryo%27s+golden+age+of+political+might+and+Buddhist+splendor.%22|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Embree|first1=Ainslie Thomas|title=Encyclopedia of Asian history|publisher=Scribner|isbn=978-0-684-18899-7|page=324|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LtwpAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Nevertheless%2C+the+reigns+of+Kwanggaet%27o+and+his+successor+Changsu+%28413-491%29+constituted+the+golden+age+of+Koguryo.%22|access-date=29 July 2016|year=1988|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145304/https://books.google.com/books?id=LtwpAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Nevertheless%2C+the+reigns+of+Kwanggaet%27o+and+his+successor+Changsu+%28413-491%29+constituted+the+golden+age+of+Koguryo.%22|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cohen|first1=Warren I.|title=East Asia at the Center: Four Thousand Years of Engagement with the World|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-50251-1|page=50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Okjd2rDwb8IC&q=%22Koguryo%27s+Golden+Age%22|access-date=29 July 2016|date=20 December 2000|archive-date=4 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204041023/https://books.google.com/books?id=Okjd2rDwb8IC&q=%22Koguryo%27s+Golden+Age%22|url-status=live}}</ref> who both subdued Baekje and Silla during their times, achieving a brief unification of the Three Kingdoms and becoming the most dominant power on the Korean Peninsula.<ref name="Jinwung">{{cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Jinwung|title=A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-00078-1|page=35|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFPsi3IK8gcC&pg=PA35|access-date=11 October 2016|date=5 November 2012|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234408/https://books.google.com/books?id=QFPsi3IK8gcC&pg=PA35|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kings and Queens of Korea |url=http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/archive/program/program_dynasty.htm?no=10039827 |publisher=KBS World Radio |access-date=26 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828051916/http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/archive/program/program_dynasty.htm?no=10039827 |archive-date=28 August 2016}}</ref> In addition to contesting control of the Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo had many [[Military history of Goguryeo|military conflicts]] with various Chinese dynasties, most notably the [[Goguryeo–Sui War]], in which Goguryeo defeated a huge force said to number over a million men.<ref>*{{cite book|last1=White|first1=Matthew|title=Atrocities: The 100 Deadliest Episodes in Human History|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-0-393-08192-3|page=78|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0-fQHlaIpR4C&pg=PA78|access-date=8 November 2016|date=7 November 2011|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234918/https://books.google.com/books?id=0-fQHlaIpR4C&pg=PA78|url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|last1=Grant|first1=Reg G.|title=1001 Battles That Changed the Course of World History|publisher=Universe Pub.|isbn=978-0-7893-2233-3|page=104|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s4njwZGrZg4C&pg=PA104|access-date=8 November 2016|year=2011|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005647/https://books.google.com/books?id=s4njwZGrZg4C&pg=PA104|url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|last1=Bedeski|first1=Robert|title=Human Security and the Chinese State: Historical Transformations and the Modern Quest for Sovereignty|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-12597-5|page=90|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iNl9AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|access-date=8 November 2016|date=12 March 2007|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234920/https://books.google.com/books?id=iNl9AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|last1=Yi|first1=Ki-baek|title=A New History of Korea|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-61576-2|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC&pg=PA47|access-date=29 July 2016|quote=Koguryŏ was the first to open hostilities, with a bold assault across the Liao River against Liao-hsi, in 598. The Sui emperor, Wen Ti, launched a retaliatory attack on Koguryŏ but met with reverses and turned back in mid-course. Yang Ti, the next Sui emperor, proceeded in 612 to mount an invasion of unprecedented magnitude, marshalling a huge force said to number over a million men. And when his armies failed to take Liao-tung Fortress (modern Liao-yang), the anchor of Koguryŏ's first line of defense, he had a nearly a third of his forces, some 300,000 strong, break off the battle there and strike directly at the Koguryŏ capital of P'yŏngyang. But the Sui army was lured into a trap by the famed Koguryŏ commander Ŭlchi Mundŏk, and suffered a calamitous defeat at the Salsu (Ch'ŏngch'ŏn) River. It is said that only 2,700 of the 300,000 Sui soldiers who had crossed the Yalu survived to find their way back, and the Sui emperor now lifted the siege of Liao-tung Fortress and withdrew his forces to China proper. Yang Ti continued to send his armies against Koguryŏ but again without success, and before long his war-weakened empire crumbled.|year=1984|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234931/https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC&pg=PA47|url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|last1=Nahm|first1=Andrew C.|title=A Panorama of 5000 Years: Korean History|date=2005|publisher=Hollym International Corporation|location=Seoul|isbn=978-0-930878-68-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/panoramaof5000ye0000nahm/page/18 18]|edition=Second revised|quote=China, which had been split into many states since the early 3rd century, was reunified by the Sui dynasty at the end of the 6th century. Soon after that, Sui China mobilized a large number of troops and launched war against Koguryŏ. However, the people of Koguryŏ were united and they were able to repel the Chinese aggressors. In 612, Sui troops invaded Korea again, but Koguryŏ forces fought bravely and destroyed Sui troops everywhere. General Ŭlchi Mundŏk of Koguryŏ completely wiped out some 300,000 Sui troops which came across the Yalu River in the battles near the Salsu River (now Ch'ŏngch'ŏn River) with his ingenious military tactics. Only 2,700 Sui troops were able to flee from Korea. The Sui dynasty, which wasted so much energy and manpower in aggressive wars against Koguryŏ, fell in 618.|url=https://archive.org/details/panoramaof5000ye0000nahm/page/18}}</ref>

Baekje was a maritime power,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ebrey|first1=Patricia Buckley|last2=Walthall|first2=Anne|last3=Palais|first3=James B.|title=East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History|year=2006|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|isbn=978-0-618-13384-0|page=123|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0entAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Paekche+was+probably+the+most+important+maritime+nation+in+the+late+fourth+century%22|access-date=12 September 2016|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145155/https://books.google.com/books?id=0entAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Paekche+was+probably+the+most+important+maritime+nation+in+the+late+fourth+century%22|url-status=live}}</ref> which motivates some{{Who|date=April 2023}} to call it the "[[Phoenicia]] of East Asia".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kitagawa |first1=Joseph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9fyzAAAAQBAJ&q=%22the+Phoenicia+of+medieval+East+Asia%22 |title=The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture |date=5 September 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-87590-8 |page=348 |access-date=21 July 2016}}</ref> Its maritime ability was instrumental in the dissemination of [[East Asian Buddhism|Buddhism throughout East Asia]] and spreading continental culture to Japan.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kitagawa|first1=Joseph|title=The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-87590-8|page=348|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9fyzAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Of+vital+importance+for+the+dissemination+of+Buddhism+throughout+East+Asia%2C+however%2C+was+Paekche%27s+nautical+skill%2C+which+made+the+kingdom+the+Phoenicia+of+medieval+East+Asia.%22|access-date=29 July 2016|date=5 September 2013|archive-date=3 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203192409/https://books.google.com/books?id=9fyzAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Of+vital+importance+for+the+dissemination+of+Buddhism+throughout+East+Asia%2C+however%2C+was+Paekche%27s+nautical+skill%2C+which+made+the+kingdom+the+Phoenicia+of+medieval+East+Asia.%22|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Ebrey|first1=Patricia Buckley|last2=Walthall|first2=Anne|last3=Palais|first3=James B.|title=East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Volume I: To 1800|year=2013|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-111-80815-0|page=104|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWE8AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA104|access-date=12 September 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005701/https://books.google.com/books?id=CWE8AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA104|url-status=live}}</ref> Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of [[Geunchogo of Baekje|Geunchogo]],<ref>{{cite book|title=A Brief History of Korea|publisher=Ewha Womans University Press|isbn=978-89-7300-619-9|pages=29–30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-WlUd3cjh0C&pg=PT29|access-date=21 November 2016|date=1 January 2005}}</ref> but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto the Great and declined.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Silla was the smallest and weakest of the three, but used opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually [[Tang dynasty|Tang China]], to its advantage.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Jinwung|title=A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-00024-8|pages=44–45|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s2EVi-MpnUsC&pg=PA44|access-date=12 September 2016|year=2012|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005648/https://books.google.com/books?id=s2EVi-MpnUsC&pg=PA44|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Wells|first1=Kenneth M.|title=Korea: Outline of a Civilisation|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-30005-7|pages=18–19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zoLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|access-date=12 September 2016|date=3 July 2015|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005648/https://books.google.com/books?id=6zoLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA18|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 676, the unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla led to the [[Northern and Southern States period]], in which [[Balhae]] controlled the northern parts of Goguryeo, and much of the Korean Peninsula was controlled by [[Unified Silla|Later Silla]]. Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. Balhae was founded by a [[Go of Balhae|Goguryeo general]] and formed as a successor state to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of the Russian Far East and was called the "Prosperous Country in the East".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Injae|first1=Lee|last2=Miller|first2=Owen|last3=Jinhoon|first3=Park|last4=Hyun-Hae|first4=Yi|title=Korean History in Maps|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-09846-6|pages=64–65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46OTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|access-date=24 February 2017|date=15 December 2014|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005648/https://books.google.com/books?id=46OTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|url-status=live}}</ref>

Later, Silla was a wealthy country,<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacGregor |first1=Neil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r3mUtaSxCncC&pg=PT408 |title=A History of the World in 100 Objects |date=6 October 2011 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-0-14-196683-0 |access-date=30 September 2016}}</ref> and its metropolitan capital of [[Gyeongju]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chŏng |first1=Yang-mo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DnaiYKYmQegC&pg=PA230 |title=Arts of Korea |last2=Smith |first2=Judith G. |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-87099-850-8 |page=230 |access-date=30 September 2016}}</ref> was the fourth largest city in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=International |first1=Rotary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 |title=The Rotarian |date=April 1989 |publisher=Rotary International |page=28 |access-date=30 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bur02Vwn9jgC&pg=PT20 |title=After Pusan |date=17 January 2013 |publisher=Faber & Faber |isbn=978-0-571-29935-5 |access-date=30 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=David A. |title=Gyeongju, Korea's treasure house |url=http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Column/view?articleId=109953 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003092928/http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Column/view?articleId=109953 |archive-date=3 October 2016 |access-date=30 September 2016 |publisher=[[Korean Culture and Information Service]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Edward Ben |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=riLrAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Kyongju+City+became+one+of+the+most+influential+centers+of+Asia+and+fourth+largest+city+in+the+ancient+world+during+this+period%22 |title=Koreaʾs pottery heritage |publisher=Seoul International Pub. House |year=1990 |isbn=9788985113069 |page=53 |access-date=30 September 2016 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145304/https://books.google.com/books?id=riLrAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Kyongju+City+became+one+of+the+most+influential+centers+of+Asia+and+fourth+largest+city+in+the+ancient+world+during+this+period%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> It experienced a golden age of art and culture,<ref>{{cite book|last1=DuBois|first1=Jill|title=Korea|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-1786-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/koreadubo00dubo/page/22 22]|url=https://archive.org/details/koreadubo00dubo|url-access=registration|quote=golden age of art and culture.|access-date=29 July 2016|year=2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Randel|first1=Don Michael|title=The Harvard Dictionary of Music|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-01163-2|page=273|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=02rFSecPhEsC&q=%22golden+age+of+artistic+and+cultural+achievement%22|access-date=29 July 2016|year=2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hopfner|first1=Jonathan|title=Moon Living Abroad in South Korea|publisher=Avalon Travel|isbn=978-1-61238-632-4|page=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MhwXBQAAQBAJ&q=%22cultural+and+political+golden+age%22|access-date=29 July 2016|date=10 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Djun Kil|title=The History of Korea|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-03853-2|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ci_iGuAAqmsC&pg=PA47|access-date=30 September 2016|date=30 January 2005}}</ref> exemplified by [[Hwangnyongsa]], [[Seokguram]], and the [[Bell of King Seongdeok|Emille Bell]]. It also carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje, and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea, and Japan, most notably during the time of [[Jang Bogo]]. In addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the [[Shandong Peninsula]] and the mouth of the [[Yangtze]] River.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gernet|first1=Jacques|title=A History of Chinese Civilization|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-49781-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofchinese00gern/page/291 291]|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofchinese00gern|url-access=registration|quote=Korea held a dominant position in the north-eastern seas.|access-date=21 July 2016|date=31 May 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Reischauer|first1=Edwin Oldfather|title=Ennins Travels in Tang China|publisher=John Wiley & Sons Canada, Limited|isbn=978-0-471-07053-5|pages=276–283|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HXqEAAAACAAJ|access-date=21 July 2016|quote=From what Ennin tells us, it seems that commerce between East China, Korea and Japan was, for the most part, in the hands of men from Silla. Here in the relatively dangerous waters on the eastern fringes of the world, they performed the same functions as did the traders of the placid Mediterranean on the western fringes. This is a historical fact of considerable significance but one which has received virtually no attention in the standard historical compilations of that period or in the modern books based on these sources. ... While there were limits to the influence of the Koreans along the eastern coast of China, there can be no doubt of their dominance over the waters off these shores. ... The days of Korean maritime dominance in the Far East actually were numbered, but in Ennin's time the men of Silla were still the masters of the seas in their part of the world.|date=1 May 1955|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145156/https://books.google.com/books?id=HXqEAAAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Djun Kil|title=The History of Korea, 2nd Edition|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-582-4|page=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IgxvBAAAQBAJ&q=%22Greater+Silla+dominated+the+Yellow+Sea%2C+the+East+China+Sea%2C+and+the+South+%28Korea%29+Sea+with+trade+between+Tang+China+and+Nara-Heian+Japan.%22|access-date=21 July 2016|date=30 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Seth|first1=Michael J.|title=A Concise History of Korea: From the Neolithic Period Through the Nineteenth Century|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-4005-7|page=65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qe4PoOd89XIC&q=%22Koreans+dominated+the+commerce+of+Northeast+Asia+in+the+eighth+and+ninth+centuries%22|access-date=21 July 2016|year=2006}}</ref> However, Silla was later weakened under internal strife and the revival of [[Later Baekje|Baekje]] and [[Taebong|Goguryeo]], which led to the [[Later Three Kingdoms]] period in the late 9th century.

Buddhism flourished during this time, and many [[Korean Buddhism|Korean Buddhists]] gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mun|first1=Chanju|last2=Green|first2=Ronald S.|title=Buddhist Exploration of Peace and Justice|publisher=Blue Pine Books|isbn=978-0-9777553-0-1|page=147|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=au1oD1kKv94C&q=%22Korean+Buddhist+monks+such+as+Woncheuk%2C+Wonhyo+and+Uisang+enjoyed+a+very+high+fame+among+Chinese+Buddhists%22|access-date=29 July 2016|year=2006}}</ref> and contributed to [[Chinese Buddhism]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=McIntire|first1=Suzanne|last2=Burns|first2=William E.|title=Speeches in World History|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-2680-7|page=87|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L-6ghsWDMTAC&q=%22Korean+thinkers+made+reciprocal+contributions+to+Chinese+Buddhism%22|access-date=29 July 2016|date=25 June 2010}}</ref> Examples of significant Korean Buddhists from this period include [[Woncheuk]], [[Wonhyo]], [[Uisang]], [[Kim Hwasang|Musang]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Buswell|first1=Robert E. Jr.|last2=Lopez|first2=Donald S. Jr.|title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-4805-8|page=187|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXN2AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA187|access-date=29 July 2016|date=24 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Poceski|first1=Mario|title=Ordinary Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-804320-1|page=24|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fwRXrVPh-cC&pg=PA24|access-date=29 July 2016|date=13 April 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Wu|first1=Jiang|last2=Chia|first2=Lucille|title=Spreading Buddha's Word in East Asia: The Formation and Transformation of the Chinese Buddhist Canon|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-54019-3|page=155|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IX7ICgAAQBAJ&pg=PA155|access-date=29 July 2016|date=15 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Wright|first1=Dale S.|title=The Zen Canon: Understanding the Classic Texts|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-988218-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JfHQCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT124|access-date=29 July 2016|date=25 March 2004}}</ref> and [[Kim Gyo-gak]]. Kim was a Silla prince whose influence made [[Mount Jiuhua]] one of the Four [[Sacred Mountains of China|Sacred Mountains]] of Chinese Buddhism.<ref>*{{cite book|last1=Su-il|first1=Jeong|title=The Silk Road Encyclopedia|publisher=Seoul Selection|isbn=978-1-62412-076-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UgOwDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT668|access-date=29 July 2016|date=18 July 2016}}
*{{cite book|last1=Nikaido|first1=Yoshihiro|title=Asian Folk Religion and Cultural Interaction|publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht|isbn=978-3-8470-0485-1|page=137|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TozUCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA137|access-date=29 July 2016|date=28 October 2015}}
*{{cite book|last1=Leffman|first1=David|last2=Lewis|first2=Simon|last3=Atiyah|first3=Jeremy|title=China|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-84353-019-0|page=519|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dA_QbQiZkB4C&pg=PA519|access-date=29 July 2016|year=2003}}
*{{cite book|last1=Leffman|first1=David|title=The Rough Guide to China|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-241-01037-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FjqJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT509|access-date=29 July 2016|date=2 June 2014}}
*{{cite book|last1=Su-il|first1=Jeong|title=The Silk Road Encyclopedia|publisher=Seoul Selection|isbn=978-1-62412-076-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UgOwDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT668|access-date=29 July 2016|date=18 July 2016}}
</ref>

=== Unified dynasties ===
[[File:창덕궁 전경 (2014) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Changdeokgung|Changdeok Palace]], pictured in 2014, one of the Five Grand Palaces of Seoul built during the Joseon Dynasty and a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]]|216x216px]]
[[File:Janganmun 2017.jpg|thumb|[[Hwaseong Fortress]], [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]]|216x216px]]
In 936, the Later Three Kingdoms were united by [[Taejo of Goryeo|Wang Geon]], a descendant of Goguryeo nobility,<ref>{{cite book|last1=박|first1=종기|script-title=ko:고려사의 재발견: 한반도 역사상 가장 개방적이고 역동적인 500년 고려 역사를 만나다|publisher=휴머니스트|isbn=978-89-5862-902-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn6TCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT59|access-date=27 October 2016|language=ko|date=24 August 2015|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234928/https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn6TCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT59|url-status=live}}</ref> who established [[Goryeo]] as the successor state of Goguryeo.<ref name="Koryo1" /><ref name="Koryo2" /><ref name="Koryo3">{{cite book|last1=Kim|first1=Djun Kil|title=The History of Korea|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-03853-2|page=57|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ci_iGuAAqmsC&pg=PA57|access-date=8 November 2016|date=30 January 2005|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234927/https://books.google.com/books?id=ci_iGuAAqmsC&pg=PA57|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Koryo4">{{cite book|last1=Grayson|first1=James H.|title=Korea – A Religious History|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-86925-9|page=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LU78AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79|access-date=8 November 2016|date=5 November 2013|archive-date=14 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114234958/https://books.google.com/books?id=LU78AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79|url-status=live}}</ref> Balhae had fallen to the [[Khitan Empire]] in 926, and a decade later the [[Dae Gwang-hyeon|last crown prince of Balhae]] fled south to Goryeo, where he was warmly welcomed and included in the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor nations of Goguryeo.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Ki-Baik|title=A New History of Korea|date=1984|publisher=Harvard University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-674-61576-2|page=103|quote=When Parhae perished at the hands of the Khitan around this same time, much of its ruling class, who were of Koguryŏ descent, fled to Koryŏ. Wang Kŏn warmly welcomed them and generously gave them land. Along with bestowing the name Wang Kye ("Successor of the Royal Wang") on the Parhae crown prince, Tae Kwang-hyŏn, Wang Kŏn entered his name in the royal household register, thus clearly conveying the idea that they belonged to the same lineage, and also had rituals performed in honor of his progenitor. Thus Koryŏ achieved a true national unification that embraced not only the Later Three Kingdoms but even survivors of Koguryŏ lineage from the Parhae kingdom.}}</ref> Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state, and invented the metal movable type [[printing press]].<ref name="print_c">{{cite web |title=Korea, 1000–1400 A.D. {{!}} Chronology {{!}} Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/eak.html |publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |access-date=19 August 2016 |archive-date=18 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818174906/http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/eak.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After defeating the Khitan Empire, which was the most powerful empire of its time,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bulliet|first1=Richard|last2=Crossley|first2=Pamela|last3=Headrick|first3=Daniel|last4=Hirsch|first4=Steven|last5=Johnson|first5=Lyman|title=The Earth and Its Peoples, Brief: A Global History|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-285-44551-9|page=264|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9sbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA264|access-date=12 September 2016|date=1 January 2014|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010152/https://books.google.com/books?id=E9sbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA264|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cohen|first1=Warren I.|title=East Asia at the Center: Four Thousand Years of Engagement with the World|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-50251-1|page=107|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Okjd2rDwb8IC&pg=PA107|access-date=12 September 2016|date=20 December 2000|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010157/https://books.google.com/books?id=Okjd2rDwb8IC&pg=PA107|url-status=live}}</ref> in the [[Goryeo–Khitan War]], Goryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which the [[Tripitaka Koreana]] was completed and significant developments in printing and publishing occurred. This promoted education and the dispersion of knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science. By 1100, there were 12 universities that produced notable scholars.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Kenneth B.|title=Korea and East Asia: The Story of a Phoenix|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95823-7|page=61|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA61|access-date=28 July 2016|year=1997|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010152/https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA61|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Bowman|first1=John|title=Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=978-0-231-50004-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/columbiachronolo00john/page/202 202]|url=https://archive.org/details/columbiachronolo00john|url-access=registration|quote=The Mongolian-Khitan invasions of the late tenth century challenge the stability of the Koryo government, but a period of prosperity follows the defeat of the Khitan in 1018..|access-date=1 August 2016|date=5 September 2000}}</ref>

However, the [[Mongol invasions of Korea|Mongol invasions]] in the 13th century greatly weakened the kingdom. Goryeo was never conquered by the Mongols, but exhausted after three decades of fighting, the Korean court sent its [[Wonjong of Goryeo|crown prince]] to the [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] capital to swear allegiance to [[Kublai Khan]], who accepted and married one of his daughters to the Korean crown prince.<ref name="Mongols">{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Kenneth B.|title=Korea and East Asia: The Story of a Phoenix|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95823-7|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA72|access-date=12 November 2016|year=1997|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010152/https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA72|url-status=live}}</ref> Henceforth, Goryeo continued to rule Korea, though as a tributary ally to the Mongols for the next 86 years. During this period, the two nations became intertwined as all subsequent Korean kings married Mongol princesses,<ref name="Mongols" /> and the [[Empress Gi|last empress]] of the Yuan dynasty was a Korean princess. In the mid-14th century, Goryeo drove out the Mongols to regain its northern territories, briefly conquered [[Liaoyang]], and defeated invasions by the [[Red Turbans invasions of Goryeo|Red Turbans]]. However, in 1392, General [[Taejo of Joseon|Yi Seong-gye]], who had been ordered to attack China, turned his army around and staged a coup.

Yi Seong-gye declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Hanseong (one of the old names of [[Seoul]]).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Yi|first1=Ki-baek|title=A New History of Korea|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-61576-2|page=165|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC&q=%22Yi+Song-gye+named+his+dynasty+Choson%22|access-date=19 November 2016|year=1984|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010157/https://books.google.com/books?id=g2mdVwXpMzwC&q=%22Yi+Song-gye+named+his+dynasty+Choson%22|url-status=live}}</ref> The first 200 years of the [[Joseon]] dynasty were marked by peace and saw great advancements in science<ref>{{cite book|last1=Selin|first1=Helaine|title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-94-017-1416-7|pages=505–506|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GzjpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA505|access-date=27 July 2016|date=11 November 2013|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010157/https://books.google.com/books?id=GzjpCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA505|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Haralambous|first1=Yannis|last2=Horne|first2=P. Scott|title=Fonts & Encodings|publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc.|isbn=978-0-596-10242-5|page=155|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qrElYgVLDwYC&pg=PA155|access-date=8 November 2016|date=28 November 2007|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010158/https://books.google.com/books?id=qrElYgVLDwYC&pg=PA155|url-status=live}}</ref> and education,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Kenneth B.|title=Korea and East Asia: The Story of a Phoenix|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95823-7|page=86|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA86|access-date=27 July 2016|year=1997|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010158/https://books.google.com/books?id=XrZQs-6KswMC&pg=PA86|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the creation of [[Hangul]] by [[Sejong the Great]] to promote literacy among the common people.<ref name="Hangul">{{cite book|last1=Koerner|first1=E.F.K.|last2=Asher|first2=R. E.|title=Concise History of the Language Sciences: From the Sumerians to the Cognitivists|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-1-4832-9754-5|page=54|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VCqLBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54|access-date=8 November 2016|date=28 June 2014|archive-date=15 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115045316/https://books.google.com/books?id=VCqLBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54|url-status=live}}</ref> The prevailing ideology of the time was [[Korean Confucianism|Neo-Confucianism]], which was epitomized by the [[seonbi]] class: nobles who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity. Between 1592 and 1598, Japan under [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] launched [[Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)|invasions of Korea]], but the advance was halted by Korean forces (most notably the [[Joseon Navy]] led by Admiral [[Yi Sun-sin]] and his renowned "[[turtle ship]]") with assistance from [[righteous army]] militias formed by Korean civilians, and [[Ming dynasty]] Chinese troops.<ref name="Perez 2013 140–141">{{cite book|title= Japan At War: An Encyclopedia|last= Perez|first= Louis|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=RHXG0JV9zEkC|year= 2013|publisher= ABC-CLIO|location= Santa Barbara, CA|pages= 140–141|isbn= 978-1-59884-741-3|access-date= 19 June 2015|archive-date= 28 March 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145412/https://books.google.com/books?id=RHXG0JV9zEkC|url-status= live}}"Yi's successes gave Korea complete control of the sea lanes around the peninsula, and the Korean navy was able to intercept most of the supplies and communications between Japan and Korea"</ref> Through a series of successful battles of attrition, the Japanese forces were eventually forced to withdraw, and relations between all parties became normalized. However, the [[Manchu people|Manchus]] took advantage of Joseon's war-weakened state and [[Manchu invasion of Korea|invaded in 1627 and 1637]] and then [[Transition from Ming to Qing|went on to conquer]] the destabilized Ming dynasty. After normalizing relations with the new [[Qing dynasty]], Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. Kings [[Yeongjo of Joseon|Yeongjo]] and [[Jeongjo of Joseon|Jeongjo]] particularly led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty during the 18th century.<ref>{{cite book|last1=신형식|title=A Brief History of Korea|publisher=Ewha Womans University Press|isbn=978-89-7300-619-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o-WlUd3cjh0C&pg=PT98|access-date=8 November 2016|date=January 2005|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010158/https://books.google.com/books?id=o-WlUd3cjh0C&pg=PT98|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Beirne|first1=Paul|title=Su-un and His World of Symbols: The Founder of Korea's First Indigenous Religion|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-04749-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8OPeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT38|access-date=8 November 2016|date=April 2016|archive-date=24 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124010159/https://books.google.com/books?id=8OPeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT38|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 19th century, Joseon began experiencing economic difficulties and widespread uprisings, including the [[Donghak Peasant Revolution]]. The royal in-law families had gained control of the government, leading to mass corruption and weakening of the state.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} In addition, the strict isolationism of the Joseon government that earned it "the [[hermit kingdom]]" became increasing ineffective due to increasing encroachment from powers such as Japan, Russia, and the United States. This is exemplified by the [[Joseon–United States Treaty of 1882]], in which it was compelled to open its borders.

=== Japanese occupation and World War II ===
{{Main|Korea under Japanese rule}}
In the late 19th century, Japan became a significant regional power after winning the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] against Qing China and the [[Russo-Japanese War]] against the [[Russian Empire]]. In 1897, King Gojong, the [[List of monarchs of Korea|last king of Korea]], proclaimed Joseon as the [[Korean Empire]]. However, Japan [[Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905|compelled Korea to become its protectorate]] in 1905 and [[Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910|formally annexed it]] in 1910. What followed was a period of forced assimilation, in which Korean language, culture, and history were suppressed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Korea – Korea under Japanese rule {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea/Korea-under-Japanese-rule |access-date=27 April 2022 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=27 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427013718/https://www.britannica.com/place/Korea/Korea-under-Japanese-rule |url-status=live }}</ref> This led to the [[March 1st Movement]] protests in 1919 and the subsequent foundation of resistance groups in exile, primarily in China. Among the resistance groups was [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea]].<ref>"Korean-Provisional-Government". ''Encyclopedia Britannica''. 8 August 2023.</ref>

Towards the end of [[World War II]], the U.S. proposed dividing the Korean peninsula into two occupation zones: a [[United States Army Military Government in Korea|U.S. zone]] and a [[Soviet Civil Administration|Soviet zone]]. [[Dean Rusk]] and [[Charles H. Bonesteel III]] suggested the [[38th parallel north|38th parallel]] as the dividing line, as it placed Seoul under U.S. control. To the surprise of Rusk and Bonesteel, the Soviets accepted their proposal and agreed to divide Korea.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fry |first1=Michael |title=National Geographic, Korea, and the 38th Parallel |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/130805-korean-war-dmz-armistice-38-parallel-geography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225074751/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/130805-korean-war-dmz-armistice-38-parallel-geography |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 February 2021 |publisher=National Geographic |access-date=15 May 2021 |language=en |date=5 August 2013}}</ref>

=== Modern history ===
{{Main|History of South Korea}}
[[File:War Memorial of Korea main building.JPG|thumb|left|The [[War Memorial of Korea]], built in remembrance of the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953)]]
[[File:South Korea's GDP (PPP) growth from 1911 to 2008.png|thumb|left|Between 1962 and 1994, the [[Economy of South Korea|South Korean economy]] grew at an average of 10% annually, fueled by annual export growth of 20%,<ref name="worldbank.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/korea/overview |title=Republic of Korea |work=worldbank.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502130240/http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/korea/overview |archive-date=2 May 2014}}</ref> in a period called the [[Miracle on the Han River]].]]

Despite intentions to liberate a unified peninsula in the [[1943 Cairo Declaration]], escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the [[division of Korea]] into two political entities in 1948: North Korea and South Korea.

In the South, the United States appointed and supported the former head of the Korean Provisional Government [[Syngman Rhee]] as leader. Rhee won the first presidential elections of the newly declared Republic of Korea in May 1948. In the North, the Soviets backed a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist, [[Kim Il Sung|Kim Il-sung]], who was appointed premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in September.<ref>Malkasian, Carter (2001). ''The Korean War 1950–1953''. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 13. [[ISBN (identifier)|ISBN]] [[Special:BookSources/978-1-57958-364-4|<bdi>978-1-57958-364-4</bdi>]].</ref>

In October, the Soviet Union declared Kim Il-sung's government as sovereign over both the north and south. The UN declared Rhee's government as "a lawful government having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the UN Temporary Commission on Korea was able to observe and consult" and the government "based on elections which was observed by the Temporary Commission" in addition to a statement that "this is the only such government in Korea."<ref name="UN195">[http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/66/IMG/NR004366.pdf?OpenElement "195 (III) The problem of the independence of Korea"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061108/http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/66/IMG/NR004366.pdf?OpenElement |date=23 October 2013 }}, 12 December 1948, ''Resolutions Adopted by the General Assembly During its Third Session'', p. 25.</ref> Both leaders engaged in authoritarian repression of political opponents.<ref>Regarding Syngman Rhee (South Korea):{{bulleted list|{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Gil-sang |title=Korea through the Ages |date=2005 |publisher=Center for Information on Korean Culture, the Academy of Korean Studies |location=Seongnam |pages=166–181}}|{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Hyun-hee |last2=Park |first2=Sung-soo |last3=Yoon |first3=Nae-hyun |title=New History of Korea |date=2005 |publisher=Jimoondang |location=Paju |pages=584–590}}}}Regarding Kim Il-sung (North Korea):{{bulleted list|{{cite book| title = The Making of Modern Korea | last = Buzo | first = Adrian | year = 2002| publisher = Routledge|  location = London | isbn = 978-0-415-23749-9 |pages=71–91}}}}</ref> South Korea requested military support from the United States but was denied,<ref>{{cite book |last=Appleman |first=Roy E. |title=South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |year=1998 |orig-year=1961 |page=17 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |isbn=978-0160019180 |archive-date=7 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207235336/http://www.history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/toc.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and North Korea's military was heavily reinforced by the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite book |last=Millett |first=Allan R. |series=The Essential Bibliography Series |title=The Korean War: The Essential Bibliography |year=2007 |publisher=Potomac Books Inc. |location=Dulles, VA |isbn=978-1574889765 |page=14}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Stuecker|first=William|date=2004|title=Korean War: World History|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=102–103}}</ref>

==== Korean War ====
On 25 June 1950, [[Operation Pokpung|North Korea invaded]] South Korea, sparking the [[Korean War]], the [[Cold War]]'s first major conflict, which continued until 1953. At the time, the Soviet Union had boycotted the UN, thus forfeiting [[United Nations Security Council veto power|their veto rights]]. This allowed the UN to intervene in a civil war when it became apparent that the superior North Korean forces would unify the entire country. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of [[People's Volunteer Army|Chinese troops]]. After an ebb and flow that saw both sides facing defeat with massive losses among Korean civilians in both the north and the south, the war eventually reached a stalemate. During the war, Rhee's party promoted the [[Ilminism|One-People Principle]], an effort to build an obedient citizenry through ethnic homogeneity and authoritarian appeals to [[nationalism]].<ref name="Hwang93">Su-kyoung Hwang, ''Korea's Grievous War.'' Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016; pg. 90–95.</ref>

The [[Korean Armistice Agreement|1953 armistice]], never signed by South Korea, split the peninsula along the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone|demilitarized zone]] near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was ever signed, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. Approximately 3 million people died in the Korean War, with a higher proportional civilian death toll than [[World War II]] or the [[Vietnam War]], making it one of the deadliest conflicts of the Cold War era.<ref name="Kim p.45">{{cite book|last=Kim|first=Samuel S.|chapter=The Evolving Asian System|title=International Relations of Asia|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4422-2641-8|page=45|quote=With three of the four major Cold War fault lines—divided Germany, divided Korea, divided China, and divided Vietnam—East Asia acquired the dubious distinction of having engendered the largest number of armed conflicts resulting in higher fatalities between 1945 and 1994 than any other region or sub-region. Even in Asia, while Central and South Asia produced a regional total of 2.8 million in human fatalities, East Asia's regional total is 10.4 million including the [[Chinese Civil War]] (1 million), the Korean War (3 million), the [[Vietnam War]] (2 million), and the [[Pol Pot]] [[Cambodian genocide|genocide]] in Cambodia (1 to 2 million).}}</ref><ref name="Cumings p. 35">{{cite book|last=Cumings|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Cumings|title=The Korean War: A History|publisher=[[Modern Library]]|year=2011|isbn=978-0-8129-7896-4|page=35|quote=Various encyclopedias state that the countries involved in the three-year conflict suffered a total of more than 4 million casualties, of which at least 2 million were civilians—a higher percentage than in World War II or Vietnam. A total of 36,940 Americans lost their lives in the Korean theater; of these, 33,665 were killed in action, while 3,275 died there of nonhostile causes. Some 92,134 Americans were wounded in action, and decades later, 8,176 were still reported as missing. South Korea sustained 1,312,836 casualties, including 415,004 dead. Casualties among other UN allies totaled 16,532, including 3,094 dead. Estimated North Korean casualties numbered 2 million, including about one million civilians and 520,000 soldiers. An estimated 900,000 Chinese soldiers lost their lives in combat.}}</ref> In addition, virtually all of Korea's major cities were destroyed by the war.<ref name="Lewy pp. 450-453">{{cite book|last=Lewy|first=Guenter|author-link=Guenter Lewy|title=America in Vietnam|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1980|isbn=978-0-19-987423-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/americainvietnam00lewy/page/450 450]–453|quote=The total number of Korean civilians who died in the fighting, which left almost every major city in North and South Korea in ruins, has been estimated at between 2 and 3 million. This adds up to almost 1 million military deaths and a possible 2.5 million civilians who were killed or died as a result of this extremely destructive conflict.|title-link=America in Vietnam}}</ref>

==== Post-Korean War (1960–1990) ====
[[File:Park Chung-hee.jpg|thumb|President [[Park Chung Hee]] played a pivotal role in rapidly developing South Korea's economy through [[export-oriented industrialization]].]]In 1960, a student uprising (the "[[April Revolution]]") led to the resignation of the autocratic President Syngman Rhee. This was followed by 13 months of political instability as South Korea was led by a weak and ineffectual government. This instability was broken by the [[May 16 coup|16 May 1961 coup]] led by General [[Park Chung Hee]]. As president, Park oversaw a period of rapid [[Export-oriented industrialization|export-led economic growth]] enforced by [[Political repression in South Korea|political repression]]. Under Park, South Korea [[South Korea in the Vietnam War|took an active role]] in the Vietnam War.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Griffiths |first=James |title=The 'forgotten' My Lai: South Korea's Vietnam War massacres |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/23/asia/south-korea-vietnam-massacre-intl/index.html |date=23 February 2018 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612151022/https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/23/asia/south-korea-vietnam-massacre-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Park was heavily criticized as a ruthless military dictator, who in 1972 extended his rule by creating a [[Yusin Constitution|new constitution]], which gave the president sweeping (almost dictatorial) powers and permitted him to run for an unlimited number of six-year terms. The [[Economy of South Korea|Korean economy]] developed significantly during Park's tenure. The government developed the [[Expressways in South Korea|nationwide expressway system]], the [[Seoul Metropolitan Subway|Seoul subway system]], and laid the foundation for economic development during his 17-year tenure, which ended with [[Assassination of Park Chung Hee|his assassination]] in 1979.

The years after Park's assassination were marked again by political turmoil, as the previously suppressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1979, General [[Chun Doo-hwan]] led the [[coup d'état of December Twelfth]]. Following the coup d'état, Chun planned to rise to power through several measures. On May 17, Chun forced the Cabinet to expand martial law to the whole nation, which had previously not applied to the island of [[Jejudo]]. The expanded martial law closed universities, banned political activities, and further curtailed the press. Chun's assumption of the presidency through the events of May 17 triggered nationwide protests demanding democracy; these protests were particularly focused in the city of [[Gwangju]], to which Chun sent special forces to violently suppress the [[Gwangju Uprising|Gwangju Democratization Movement]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/752055.stm Flashback: The Kwangju massacre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907135824/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/752055.stm |date=7 September 2011 }}, 17 May 2000.</ref>

Chun subsequently created the National Defense Emergency Policy Committee and took the presidency according to his political plan. Chun and his government held South Korea under a despotic rule until 1987, when a [[Seoul National University]] student, [[Park Jong-chul]], was tortured to death.<ref>[http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/184219.html "20 years later, father still seeks truth in son's death"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173203/http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/184219.html |date=3 March 2016 }}, ''The Hankyoreh'', 15 January 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2010.</ref> On {{Nowrap|June 10}}, the [[Catholic Priests Association for Justice]] revealed the incident, igniting the [[June Democratic Struggle]] across the country. Eventually, Chun's party, the [[Democratic Justice Party]], and its leader, [[Roh Tae-woo]], announced the [[June 29 Declaration]], which included the direct election of the president. Roh went on to win the election by a narrow margin against the two main opposition leaders, [[Kim Dae-jung]] and [[Kim Young-sam]]. Seoul hosted the [[1988 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games in 1988]], widely regarded as successful and a significant boost for South Korea's global image and economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/229_12790.html |title=Two Decedes After Seoul Olympics |date=30 October 2007 |newspaper=[[The Korea Times]] |access-date=12 March 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025132245/http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/229_12790.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[United Nations Security Council Resolution 702|South Korea was formally invited]] to become a member of the United Nations in 1991. The transition of Korea from autocracy to modern democracy was marked in 1997 by the election of Kim Dae-jung, who was sworn in as the eighth president of South Korea on 25 February 1998. His election was significant given that he had in earlier years been a political prisoner sentenced to death (later commuted to exile). He won against the backdrop of the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]], where he took [[IMF]] advice to restructure the economy and the nation soon recovered its economic growth, albeit at a slower pace.<ref name="The Guardian-2009">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/18/obituary-kim-dae-jung |title=Kim Dae-jung |date=18 August 2009 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=12 March 2018 |archive-date=10 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010123345/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/18/obituary-kim-dae-jung |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Contemporary history ====
[[File:Kim Dae-jung presidential portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|President [[Kim Dae-jung]], the 2000 [[Nobel Peace Prize]] recipient for advancing democracy and human rights in South Korea and East Asia and for reconciliation with North Korea, was sometimes called the "[[Nelson Mandela]] of Asia".<ref name="The Guardian-2009" />]]
In June 2000, as part of President Kim Dae-jung's "[[Sunshine Policy]]" of engagement, a [[Inter-Korean summit|North–South summit]] took place in [[Pyongyang]], the capital of North Korea.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=North and South Korean leaders meet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/13/northkorea1 |work=the Guardian |date=13 June 2000 |language=en |access-date=31 October 2022 |archive-date=14 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214015818/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/13/northkorea1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later that year, Kim received the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] "for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2000/index.html |title= The Nobel Peace Prize 2000 |publisher= The Nobel Foundation |year= 2000 |access-date= 17 February 2009 |archive-date= 3 February 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120203175049/http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2000/index.html |url-status= live }}</ref> However, because of discontent among the population for fruitless approaches to the North under the previous administrations and, amid North Korean provocations, a conservative government was elected in 2007 led by President [[Lee Myung-bak]], former [[mayor of Seoul]].<ref>{{cite news |title=South Korea's New President Sworn In – DW – 02/25/2008 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/south-koreas-new-president-sworn-in/a-5213894 |work=dw.com |language=en |access-date=31 October 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031125726/https://www.dw.com/en/south-koreas-new-president-sworn-in/a-5213894 |url-status=live }}</ref> Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan jointly co-hosted the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |title=FIFA World Cup: When South Korea created history in 2002 {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/fifa-world-cup-2002-south-korea-history-semifinal/blt7b0eedc7838c3dc9 |work=www.goal.com |access-date=1 November 2022 |archive-date=1 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101084318/https://www.goal.com/en/news/fifa-world-cup-2002-south-korea-history-semifinal/blt7b0eedc7838c3dc9 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, [[Japan–Korea relations|South Korean and Japanese relations]] later [[Japan–Korea disputes|soured]] because of conflicting claims of sovereignty over the [[Liancourt Rocks dispute|Liancourt Rocks]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Rocky relations between Japan and South Korea over disputed islands |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/18/japan-south-korea-disputed-islands |work=the Guardian |date=18 August 2010 |language=en |access-date=1 November 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316055633/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/18/japan-south-korea-disputed-islands |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:2010 G-20 Seoul summit.jpg|thumb|South Korea became the first non-[[G7]] chair of the [[G-20]] when it hosted the [[2010 G-20 Seoul summit|2010 Seoul summit]].<ref>Oliver, Christian. "Seoul: S Korea looks forward to its own party", ''Financial Times'' (UK). 25 June 2010.</ref>]]

In 2010, there was an [[List of border incidents involving North and South Korea|escalation in attacks]] by North Korea. In March 2010 the South Korean warship [[ROKS Cheonan sinking|ROKS ''Cheonan'' was sunk]] killing 46 South Korean sailors, allegedly by a North Korean submarine. In November 2010 [[Yeonpyeongdo|Yeonpyeong Island]] [[Bombardment of Yeonpyeong|was attacked]] by a significant North Korean artillery barrage, with 4 people dying. The lack of a strong response to these attacks from both South Korea and the international community (the official UN report declined to explicitly name North Korea as the perpetrator for the ''Cheonan'' sinking) caused significant anger with the South Korean public.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/201104SnyderandByun.pdf|title=Cheonan and Yeonpyeong. The Northeast Asian Response to North Korea's Provocations|date=1 May 2011|publisher=[[Asia Foundation]]|access-date=13 March 2018|archive-date=14 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314174320/https://www.asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/201104SnyderandByun.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

South Korea saw another milestone in 2012 with the first ever female President [[Park Geun-hye]] [[2012 South Korean presidential election|elected]] and assuming office. The daughter of former President Park Chung Hee, she carried on a conservative brand of politics.<ref>{{cite news |title=Park Geun-hye sworn in as South Korea president |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21570512 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 February 2013 |access-date=31 October 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031121124/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21570512 |url-status=live }}</ref> President Park Geun-hye's administration was formally accused of corruption, bribery, and influence-peddling for the involvement of close friend [[Choi Soon-sil]] in state affairs. There followed a series of [[2016–2017 South Korean protests|massive public demonstrations]] from November 2016,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://asiatimes.com/article/long-will-south-koreas-protests-remain-peaceful/|title=How long will Seoul protests remain peaceful?|last=Langan|first=Peter|date=28 November 2016|publisher=[[Asia Times]]|access-date=2 December 2016|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328145415/https://asiatimes.com/2016/11/long-will-south-koreas-protests-remain-peaceful/|url-status=live}}</ref> and she was removed from office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-park-impeach-2017-story.html|title=South Korea's president is removed from office as court upholds her impeachment|date=10 March 2017|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=10 March 2017|archive-date=9 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309190803/http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-park-impeach-2017-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After the fallout of Park's impeachment and dismissal, elections were held and [[Moon Jae-in]] of the [[Democratic Party of Korea|Democratic Party]] won the presidency, assuming office on 10 May 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Korean president willing to work with North – DW – 05/10/2017 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/new-south-korean-president-moon-sworn-in-and-willing-to-visit-north-korea/a-38779018 |work=dw.com |language=en |access-date=31 October 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031121333/https://www.dw.com/en/new-south-korean-president-moon-sworn-in-and-willing-to-visit-north-korea/a-38779018 |url-status=live }}</ref> His tenure saw an improving political relationship with North Korea, some increasing divergence in the military alliance with the United States, and the successful hosting of [[2018 Winter Olympics|the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/02/11/south-koreas-moon-may-be-on-brink-of-legacy-defining-moment/110314864/|title=South Korea's Moon may be on brink of legacy-defining moment|date=11 February 2018|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613051923/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/02/11/south-koreas-moon-may-be-on-brink-of-legacy-defining-moment/110314864/|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2018, Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in jail because of abuse of power and corruption.<ref>{{cite news |title=Park Geun-hye: South Korea's ex-leader jailed for 24 years for corruption |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43666134 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=6 April 2018 |access-date=31 October 2022 |archive-date=1 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101144853/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43666134 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea|The COVID-19 pandemic]] has affected the nation since 2020. That same year, South Korea recorded more deaths than births, resulting in a population decline for the first time on record.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/asia/south-korea-population.html|title=As Birthrate Falls, South Korea's Population Declines, Posing Threat to Economy|last=Gladstone|first=Rick|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=4 January 2021|access-date=5 January 2021|archive-date=4 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104222029/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/world/asia/south-korea-population.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2022, [[Yoon Suk Yeol]], the candidate of conservative opposition [[People Power Party (South Korea)|People Power Party]], won a close [[2022 South Korean presidential election|election]] over the Democratic Party candidate by the narrowest margin ever. Yoon was sworn in on 10 May 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is South Korea's new president Yoon Suk Yeol? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220510-who-is-south-korea-s-new-president-yoon-suk-yeol |work=France 24 |date=10 May 2022 |language=en |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923202013/https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220510-who-is-south-korea-s-new-president-yoon-suk-yeol |url-status=live }}</ref>