HISTORY OF KOREA
OUTLINE
2 ANCIENT KOREA
Heavy Chinese Influence: Characters, Buddhism, Confucianism, Gov’t.
60% of Korean words today come from Chinese
But actually descended from the Manchu and Mongols in the North
There was heavy Chinese Influence in the Korean Peninsula. These included the use of Chinese characters, Buddhism, and Confucianism. With these, forms of government followed. Today 60% of Korean words have Chinese origins.1 But Koreans actually were probably descendants from the northern Manchu and Mongol regions.
3FORMATION OF THREE KINGDOMS
Most evidence from Chinese records
Goguryeo became strong enough to provide a threat to China
Trade with China through land and sea routes began to grow
Southern parts formed kingdoms as well
Gaya overlooked – fell to Silla in 6th century
Most written history of Korea came from Chinese records. Goguryeo gradually developed into a kingdom by the 1st century CE, enough to provide a threat to the Chinese. Trade with China through sea routes also began to grow. Eventually, the southern parts formed kingdoms. Actually, there were 4 kingdoms in the three kingdoms period. Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Gaya. Gaya is usually overlooked, and it fell to Silla in the 6th century.2
4 BAEKJE
Centralized in 3rd century
Peaked under King Geunchogo – long term alliance with Japan (Buddhism official 384: transmitted Buddhism to Japan)
Drove back Goguryeo, killing king – coup forces him back
Sea Power – Questionable evidence of coastal areas in China
The official beginning of Baekje is listed as 18 BCE, but Baekje kings did not really exert much power before the third century. It enjoyed its peak under King Geunchogo, who centralized the state and militarily drove south to solidify Baekje control. He established the beginning of a long term alliance with the Japanese, and when Buddhism became official in Baekje in 384, this too was transmitted to Japan. Geunchogo then drove northwards and drove back their rivals Goguryeo, killing the Goguryeo king in the process.3 A coup which broke out forced Geunchogo to return to the capital and suppress it, thus ending the Goguryeo campaign prematurely. There is also questionable evidence that he conquered coastal areas in China as well.4
5 GOGURYEO
Really began in 1st century
Losses from Manchurians and Baekje in 4th century
Brief Recovery: Confucian academy, bureaucracy & laws, Buddhism 372
King Gwanggaeto – Defeated a Chinese state, incorporated tribes in North and Baekje/Japan/Silla puppet states
Silla alliance allowed them to learn from Goguryeo
Provided for people through expanded trade
Goguryeo began in 37 BCE, but also didn’t become very centralized until 1st century. It suffered severe losses from the Manchurians in the north and Baekje in the South during the early and middle of the 4th century (remember the king was killed in battle). Goguryeo underwent a brief period of recovery, including the adoption of Buddhism as the official religion, setting up of a Confucian academy, and adopting a Chinese style bureaucracy and code of laws.5 Then, King Gwanggaeto the Great went on several conquests, expanding Goguryeo to its largest. He defeated a Chinese state on its eastern borders, while subjugating tribes to the north, and to the south Baekje and their Japanese allies to puppet states. Silla had an alliance with Goguryeo and learned from their culture. Simultaneously, Gwanggaeto was able to maintain ruthless control domestically and provide for the people through various trades with his puppet states.6
6 GOGURYEO (continued)
Sui 581 – Fighting in Liaodong Peninsula
One time broke through, overextended, UlchiMundok at river
2700 of 300,000 returned
Tang 618 continued to pursue Goguryeo
Sui unified China in 581, and reflexively looked to Goguryeo as a threat on its northern border. Most of the fighting took place in Liaodong peninsula in Manchuria, not on the Korean peninsula, but the Sui broke through one time, closing in on the capital then at Pyongyang.7 GeneralUlchiMundok saw that the Sui had overextended their supplies.8 He waited for the Chinese to get overconfident and lured them to the capital, striking when they were spread thin crossing a river. Some say that only 2,700 of the 300,000 Sui soldiers returned. The Sui eventually disintegrated in 618, but the Tang dynasty continued to pursue Goguryeo in the 600s.7
7 SILLA
Centralized 4th century
Adopted Buddhism later (spread from China south and east)
Hwarang Code – Loyalty to King, Filial Piety to Parents, Trustworthiness to Friends
Silla officially began before Baekje and Goguryeo, but its first centralized king is probably in the 4th century. Silla accepted Buddhism later than Baekje and Goguryeo as Chinese ideas spread south and east. There is also evidence of Confucian ideals in the Hwarang Code, a code of honor for knights which included loyalty to the king, filial piety to parents, and trustworthiness to friends.9
8END TO THREE KINGDOMS
Repulsed six invasions – fell 668
Balance of power broken – Silla-Tang Alliance
Infighting in Goguryeo after YeonGaesomun
Many fled and formed Balhae under DaeJoyoung
Confucian big brother little brother
Tribute trade – Silla culture flourished (stone carvings, temples, etc.)
After the repulsion of six invasions from two of China’s strongest dynasties, Goguryeo finally fell in 668. Up to that point, if any one of the kingdoms became too powerful, the weaker two would form an alliance and maintain a balance of power. However, with the unification of China, Silla made a decisive move to ally with the Tang Chinese. Tang would assist Silla in conquering Baekje, and Silla would then aid the Tang against Goguryeo. Both Baekje and Goguryeo fell to the two-sided threat of the Silla-Tang Alliance. Goguryeo fell quickly because infighting had developed in Goguryeo after the death of its commanding general, YeonGaesomun, on how they should best deal with foreign threats. Many Goguryeo Koreans fled east and established a separate kingdom, Balhae, under the leadership of DaeJoyoung. Gradually, Silla and Tang established a big-little brother relationship. Both heavily influenced by Confucian ideals, Tang took great pride in being the big brother, while Silla also took pride as the little brother. From this point on, Korea often sent tributes to China, and China in exchange returned gifts, and a “tribute trade” developed between China and Korea.10 The stability with China allowed Silla’s culture to flourish, and there was a wealth of stone carvings, Buddhist temples, tile-roofed architecture, etc.
9 WANG GEON
Silla divide into regions, Later Three Kingdoms
Wang Geon – Rename to Goryeo (tributary status)
Protected Silla & gained respect
Openly accepted aristocracies – official Silla end 935
Inch Northward – Some Balhae people joined
Eventually, Silla began to divide into regions, and a new three kingdoms formed within Silla. In 918, Wang Geon became the king in Hu-goguryeo and renamed the kingdom Goryeo. The Chinese-like name symbolized Korea’s integration into the Chinese system and its growing importance as a tributary state of China. He protected the old Silla kingdom from Balhae and Hu-baekje attack, and gained the respect of many Korean people. He openly accepted the aristocracies of Hu-baekje and Silla. Silla officially ended in 935 with the surrender of the last king, who sought a role in the new Goryeo kingdom. Goryeo also inched northward as many of the Balhae ruling class joined Goryeo for protection from the Khitans in Manchuria.11
10 GORYEO
Trade & Culture – Mongol invasion (Genghis Khan)
Modern Name
Neo-Confucianism
Jikji 1377 – first metal movable type (vs China wooden, Gutenburg 1436)
The Goryeo Dynasty was characterized by flourishing trade and culture, albeit interrupted by the Mongolian invasion of Genghis Khan. Trade was ripe with Manchuria, China, and Japan, and even reached the West to give Korea its modern name. Neo-Confucianism slowly trickled in from “big brother” China towards the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, and it eclipsed Buddhism completely in the next dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty. Goryeo’s greatest cultural achievement is the printing of several books titled Jikji in 1377 using the world’s first metal movable type. China had printing before, but this was wooden movable type, and Gutenburg only invented his metal movable type printing press in 1436.12
11 YI SEONGGYE
Ming rose, Goryeo reversed loyalty to Mongols
1388 ordered attack on Ming – Yi Seonggye reversed troops
4 year puppet king – stability – new Joseon 1392
Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism – Buddhist temples moved, land confiscated
Smooth transition = little social change
With the fall of Mongols and the rise of the Ming Dynasty in China, Goryeo reversed its loyalty to the Mongols. However, older brother Ming was suspicious of Goryeo, and the king of Goryeo ordered an attack on the Ming in 1388. While headed towards China, Yi Seonggye, the general in command, reversed the troops and attacked the Goryeo capital rather than travel on what he considered a suicidal war with Ming. Yi Seonggye established puppet kings for four years to retain stability before declaring the Joseon Dynasty in 1392. He moved the capital to modern day Seoul, and the Civil Service Exam based on Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism became the basis for wealth and power in the Joseon Dynasty. Buddhist temples and landholdings were confiscated and removed to remote mountain regions. However, the smooth transition meant that there was little social change, and the slaves of the aristocrats had no chance to escape their slavery.13
12 YI BANGWON
5th son + general
Yi Seonggye chose different crown prince (half-brother)
Killed, established puppet king, stability, take over
Sejong: 3rd son + precocious
Yi Bangwon abdicated early to avoid blood bath
Two older brothers recognized Sejong: 1st acted recklessly, 2nd monk
One of two kings “great”
Although Yi Seonggye did well to establish the dynasty, it was not without problems. His fifth son, Yi Bangwon, worked with his father as a general. However, Yi Seonggye chose a crown prince from his second wife’s son. Yi Bangwon killed his half-brother, installed one of his older brothers as a puppet king, and eventually took over after a degree of stability was reached (much like how his father took over).14 Yi Bangwon’s third son, Sejong, was deemed precocious from an early age. To avoid another blood-bath, Yi Bangwon abdicated early, declaring his eldest son as crown prince. However, Sejong’s two older brothers recognized that Sejong was more capable than they were. His oldest brother deliberately acted recklessly and was exiled, while his second brother wandered out and became a monk. As a result, Sejong became king, and he is only one of two kings in Korean history to be given the title “great”.15
13 SEJONG THE GREAT
Hangul – True Alphabet – Spoken language, increased literacy
Web of underground literature developed
Education, literature & music, scientific inventions – commission Goryeo history
Poems & Literary Works
History of Goryeo Kingdom
Music
•Scientific Inventions
Rain Gauge
Sundial
Water Clock
Sejong’s greatest achievement is the invention of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. The Hangul is a true alphabet, unlike the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana based on syllables, and the Chinese characters which derives from pictography. Sejong created this alphabet for two reasons: 1) Korean spoken language was not compatible with Chinese characters. In this respect, it slowly became a political achievement. 2) Because of the difficulty of Chinese characters, most Koreans could not read or write. After the invention of Hangul, literacy rose and a web of underground literature grew. 16 Other than inventing Hangul, Sejong also promoted education, encouraged the development of literature and music, and sponsored numerous scientific inventions. It was he who also commissioned the writing of a history of the Goryeo Kingdom.17
14 JOSEON & THE WEST
RCath. 18th century (via China) – serious inroads – persecution
Direct contact w. West late 1800s – US first
Reject trade invitations – allowed Japan to eventually invade
Sino-Japanese War – no longer protected by big brother – Korean empire
Japanese colonization – US-USSR trusteeship – Korean War – Split
In the 18th century, Roman Catholicism arrived in Joseon via China. It made serious inroads, and its conflict with Confucianism led to the persecution of many people.18 Direct contact with the West did not actually happen until the late 1800s, first with the US, and then also with France and other nations. Joseon rejected their attempts to open trade beyond China and Japan. This allowed Japan to eventually invade Joseon, creating a Sino-Japanese conflict which ended with Japanese victory. No longer protected by its “big brother”, a Korean Emperor was declared to gain equality with China and Japan, but Japan colonized Korea in 1910 until its defeat in WW2.19 From that point on, the US and USSR established a trusteeship in Korea, which led to the Korean War and the permanent split of Korea into North and South.
15 NORTH KOREA
Kim Il-Sung – DPRK – Neither – Stalinist (cult, purges)
Sino-Soviet Split
Chinese Cultural Revolution & Isolation
Kim Il Sung emerged as the leader of North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, the country was neither democratic nor a republic, and Kim Il-Sung employed extreme Stalinist measures including purges and a massive cult of personality. When Sino-Soviet relations became strained in the 1950s, Kim played on their divide to gain aid from both Communist powers. As Stalin died and the Soviet Union softened its stance, Kim threw his weight with the Chinese, but the Chinese were occupied with their own Cultural Revolution, leaving North Korea isolated.20
16 NORTH KOREA (continued)
1994 Kim Jong-Il
Clinton & Agreed Framework against Nuclear Development
Bush, “crack down”, “not honored”, China’s role, 2003 Six Party Talks
Border Conflicts – Mar10 Cheonan Coastal Guard 46, Nov10 Yeonpyeong
In 1994, Kim Il-Sung’s son, Kim Jong-Il, took over. Clinton visited Pyeongyang and signed the Agreed Framework against nuclear development. When conservative Bush became president, his administration was eager to crack down on North Korea and criticized that appeasement was not an option. North Korea retaliated that the US had not honored the 1994 agreement. Eventually, China played a major role in bringing North Korea back to the table in the 2003 Six Party Talks among the US, China, the two Koreas, Japan, and Russia.20 There has also been numerous border conflicts since the stalemate was agreed in 1953. Most recently, North Korea was suspected of sinking the South Korean ship, the Cheonan coastal guard, which killed 46 men in March 2010. North Korea denied claims and threatened “all out war” if South Korea retaliated.21 Then, in November 2010, a major crisis occurred when North Korea fired on a border South Korean island, Yeonpyeong. It was rumored that the conflict had to do with the issue of succession, and in late 2011, Kim Jong Il died, and his son Kim Jong Un did take over.22
17 SOUTH KOREA
Long road to stable democracy
5 Republics starting with Yi Seungman
Dictatorial president Park Chung-hee assassinated
Sixth Republic: Direct elections, 1 term of 5 years
Today: Two-party dominated but many influential third parties
Roh Moo-Hyun put under impeachment, not convicted, suicide amidst bribery
After the end of the war, South Korea faced a long road to stable democracy. It went through 5 Republics beginning with Yi Seungman, an intermittent period of near dictatorship under Park Chung-hee, the assassination of Park, a return to direct elections, and the limiting of the president to 1 term of 5 years. Today, Korean politics is also two-party dominated, but there are many third parties that tend to become involved in the elections and play an important role. The last Korean president, Roh Moo-Hyun, was put under impeachment trial but not convicted. However, a year after his term ended in 2008, he committed suicide amidst bribery controversies.23
18 SOUTH KOREA (continued)
1997 IMF Crisis began in Thailand – No choice but to accept IMF loan & policies
Actually helped Korea recover quickly (heavy losses in 98, recovered in 99)
Today: Lee MyungBak – economically oriented (despite 2007)
Brought Korea into the Global Scene – G20
Favorable relationship with Obama
Elections this year for 2013-2018 presidency: Park Geun-hye
In 1997, an Asian Financial Crisis began in Thailand. South Korea was heavily affected, and the president had no choice but to accept IMF’s loan and free trade policies. IMF involvement actually helped Korea recover quickly, although one of Korea’s major wealthy company, Daewoo, went bankrupt. Its automobile section was sold to GM. In 1998, Korea faced heavy economic losses, but by 1999, it resumed its role as one of the fastest growing economies in the world.24 Today, Lee MyungBak has led Korea to economic stability despite the 2007 Financial Crisis. He is most noted for bringing South Korea into the global scene, especially with South Korea’s entry into the G20. The G20 is a collection of the world’s 20 biggest and fastest growing economies in the world. Furthermore, Lee has been able to build a favorable relationship with President Obama. Obama is in office for another four years, but Korea has its own elections coming up this year, with Park Geun-hye in the lead for the incumbent party. Park Geun-hye is the daughter of former president Park Chung-hee who was eventually assassinated and would become the first female president of Korea if she wins.