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HISTORY
OF KOREA
The beginning of Korea dates back to 2333 B.C., when
Dangun, the legendary son of the Heavenly God and a woman from a bear-totem tribe, established the first kingdom. Historians refer to this earliest era of Korean history as the Gojoseon (Ancient
Joseon) period.
Ancient Korea was characterized by clan communities that combined to form small town-states.
The town-states gradually united into tribal leagues with complex political structures, which eventually grew into kingdoms. Among various tribal leagues, Goguryeo (37 B.C. - A.D. 668), situated along the middle course of the Amnokgang River
(Yalu), was the first to mature into a kingdom.
Goguryeo’s aggressive troops conquered neighboring tribes one after another, and in 313, they even occupied China’s Lelang outposts. Baekje (18 B.C. – A.D. 660), which grew out of a town-state located south of the Hangang River in the vicinity of present-day Seoul, was another confederated kingdom similar to
Goguryeo.
During the reign of King Geunchogo (r. 346-375), Baekje developed into a centralized and aristocratic state.
The Silla Kingdom (57 B.C – A.D. 935) was located the furthest south on the peninsula, and was initially the weakest and most underdeveloped of the Three Kingdoms. However, because it was geographically removed from Chinese influence, it was more open to non-Chinese practices and ideas. Its society was markedly class-oriented and later developed the unique Hwarang Flower of Youth) Corps as well as an advanced Buddhist practice.
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