Korean Peninsula
Divided peninsula with ancient kingdoms and modern global influence.
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The Korean Peninsula is a region in East Asia that includes the peninsula itself, Jeju Island, and numerous smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in Asia in 1945, it has been politically divided near the 38th parallel into two sovereign states: North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and South Korea (the Republic of Korea), both of which declared independence in 1948. The two countries fought the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended in a stalemate without a peace treaty, leaving a demilitarized zone that approximates the original partition. The peninsula is bordered by China to the north and Russia to the northeast, across the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) rivers, and is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait.
Human habitation of the peninsula dates to around 40,000 BC. The kingdom of Gojoseon, traditionally founded in 2333 BC, fell to the Han dynasty in 108 BC, followed by the Three Kingdoms period of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. In 668 AD, Silla unified most of the peninsula with Tang dynasty aid, forming Unified Silla, while Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. Unified Silla collapsed in the late 9th century, leading to the Later Three Kingdoms period.
In 918, Goryeo—from which the modern name “Korea” derives—achieved a true national unification, incorporating both the Later Three Kingdoms and the ruling class of Balhae. Goryeo became a vassal of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century but later overthrew Mongol rule, only to fall to a coup by General Yi Seong-gye, who established the Joseon dynasty in 1392. Joseon’s first 200 years were peaceful, marked by the creation of Hangul and the rise of Confucianism, but Japanese and Qing invasions brought devastation and isolation.
Korean Empire
After nearly 200 more years of peace and development, Japan forced Joseon to open up in the late 19th century, leading to turmoil. Following Japan’s victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a Japanese protectorate in 1905 and was formally annexed in 1910.
Japanese annexation and occupation of Korea
Japanese rule brought industrialization and modernization but also brutal suppression of Korean culture and the independence movement, exemplified by the 1919 March First Movement. During World War II, millions of Koreans were forcibly mobilized.
Background
The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the northeastern Asian mainland, bordered to the north by China and to the northeast by Russia, separated by the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) rivers. To the southeast, the Korea Strait separates it from Japan. The region includes the peninsula itself, Jeju Island, and numerous smaller islands. Politically, the peninsula is divided near the 38th parallel into two sovereign states: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) in the north and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the south, a division established after World War II in 1945 and solidified by the Korean War (1950–1953), which ended in an armistice without a peace treaty.
A demilitarized zone now approximates the original partition line. The peninsula’s defining characteristic is this ongoing political division, which sustains high tensions; South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire region. Human habitation dates to around 40,000 BC. Historically, the peninsula was unified under various dynasties, including Gojoseon, the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla), Unified Silla, and Goryeo—whose name evolved into the modern exonym "Korea"—followed by the Joseon dynasty, which lasted centuries until its replacement by the Korean Empire in 1897.
Japan annexed the peninsula in 1910, ruling until 1945, a period marked by industrialization, economic exploitation, and suppression of Korean culture and independence movements, including the 1919 March First Movement. Today, South Korea is a developed regional power with a strong economy and globally influential pop culture (K-pop, cinema), while North Korea follows a "military first" policy, possesses nuclear weapons, and is noted for having the world’s highest number of military personnel per capita and a widely condemned human rights record.
Did You Know?
- South Korea's economy is ranked as the world's fourteenth-largest by GDP (PPP), and its armed forces include the world's second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel.
- North Korea has the highest number of military personnel of any country, with approximately 30% of its population in active, reserve, or paramilitary roles.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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