Ancient Korea

Presentation created by Robert L. MartinezPrimary Content Source: Prentice Hall World HistoryImages as cited. zlatni.org

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Korea is located on a peninsula that juts south from the Asian mainland with its

tip pointing toward Japan. At the northern end of the peninsula, mountains and the Yalu River separate Korea from

China.

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Low but steep mountains cover nearly 70 percent of the Korean peninsula. The

most prominent range is the T’aebaek. It runs from the north to the south along the eastern coast, with smaller chains

branching off to form hilly areas.

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Because farming is difficult on the mountains, most people live along the western coastal plains, Korea’s

major farming region.

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Korea has a 5400 mile coastline with hundreds of good harbors. Since

early times, Koreans have depended on seafood for most of the protein in

their diet.

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Korea’s location on China’s doorstep has played a key role in its development. From its powerful mainland neighbor,

Korea received many cultural and

technological influences.

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At various times in history, China extended political control over the Korean peninsula. Throughout its

history, Korea served as a cultural bridge linking China and Japan.

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Despite strong ties, the Korean language is not related to Chinese. The earliest Koreans probably migrated eastward from Siberia and northern Manchuria

during the Stone Age.

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They evolved their own way of life before the first wave of Chinese influence

reached the peninsula during the Han dynasty. In 108 B.C.E., the Han emperor

Wudi invaded Korea and set up a military

colony there.

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Confucian traditions and Chinese writing and farming methods spread in Korea.

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Between 300 C.E. and 600 C.E., powerful local rulers forged separate kingdoms: Koguryo in the north, Paekche in the

southwest, Shilla in the southeast, and

Kaya in the south.

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Although they shared the same language and cultural background, the kingdoms often warred with one another or with

China. Still, Chinese influences continued to arrive (i.e. Buddhism.)

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In 668, with the support of the Tang empress Wu Zhao, the Shilla kingdom united the Korean

peninsula.

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Under the Shilla dynasty, Korea became a tributary state, acknowledging Chinese

supervision but preserving its

independence.

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Over the centuries, Korea came to see its relationship to China in Confucian terms,

as that of a younger brother who owed respect and loyalty to an older brother.

Koreans adopted the Confucian emphasis on the family as the foundation

of the state.

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Confucian ideas affected the rights of women. Early on, Korean women had the right to inherit property. Some upper-class women held public roles. Over time, as Confucian views took root,

women’s rights became restricted. Women could no longer inherit property, and a

woman’s position within the family became

more subordinate.

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At the same time, Koreans adapted and modified Chinese ideas. For example, they

adapted the Chinese civil service examination to reflect their own system of inherited ranks. In China, even a peasant could win political

influence by passing the exam. In Korea, only

aristocrats were permitted to take the test.

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During the Koryo age, Buddhism reached its greatest influence in Korea. Korean

scholars wrote histories and poems based on Chinese models, and artists created landscape paintings following

Chinese principles.

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Koreans used woodblock painting from China to produce a flood of

Buddhist texts. Later, Korean inventors made movable metal type

to print large numbers of books.

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They learned to make porcelain from China, but then perfected techniques of

making celadon, a porcelain with an unusual blue-green glaze. Koran celadon

vases and jars were prized throughout Asia.

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The Mongols occupied Korea until the 1350s. In 1392, the brilliant Korean general Yi Song-gye

set up the Choson dynasty. Yi reduced Buddhist influence and set up a government based upon Confucian principles. With a few generations, Confucianism had made a deep

impact on Korean life.

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Despite Chinese influence, Korea preserved its distinct identity. In 1443, Korea’s most

celebrated ruler, King Sejong decided to replace the complex Chinese system of writing.

Sejong had experts develop hangul, an alphabet using symbols to represent the

sounds of spoken Korean.

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Although Confucian scholars rejected hangul at the outset, its use quickly

spread. Hangul was easier for Koreans to use than the thousands of characters in Chinese. Its use led to an extremely high

literacy rate.

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In the 1590s, an ambitious Japanese ruler decided to invade China by way of Korea.

Japanese armies landed and for years,

looted and burned across the peninsula.

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To stop the invaders at sea, the Korean admiral Yi Sun-shin used metal-plated

“turtle-boats.” After six years, the Japanese armies withdrew from Korea.

As they left, they carried off many Korean artisans to introduce their skills to Japan.

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