The Lower Paleolithic era on the Korean Peninsula and in Manchuria

began roughly half a million years ago.[1][2][3] The earliest known

Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period
began after 6000 BC, followed by the Bronze Age by 2000 BC,[4][5][6]
and the Iron Age around 700 BC.Similarly, according to The History of
Korea, supervised by Kim Yang-ki and edited by Kang Deoksang, Jung
Sanae, and Nakayama Kiyotaka, the Paleolithic people are not the
direct ancestors of the present Korean (Chosun) people, but their
direct ancestors are estimated to be the Neolithic People of about
2000 BC.[7]According to the mythic account recounted in the Samguk
Yusa (1280s), the Gojoseon (Old Joseon) kingdom was founded in
northern Korea and southern Manchuria in 2333 BC.[8][9][10] In the
12th century BC Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty of China,
purportedly founded Gija Joseon.[11][12] The first written historical
record on Gojoseon can be found from the text Guanzi.[13][14][15]
The Jin state was formed in southern Korea by the 3rd century BC. In
the 2nd century BC, Gija Joseon was replaced by Wiman Joseon,
which fell to the Han dynasty of China near the end of the century.
This resulted in the fall of Gojoseon and led to succeeding warring
states, the Proto–Three Kingdoms period that spanned the later Iron
Age.From the 1st century, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control
the peninsula and Manchuria as the Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 BC–
668 AD), until unification by Silla in 676. In 698, King Go established
the Balhae in old territories of Goguryeo,[16][17] which led to the
Northern and Southern States period (698–926) of Balhae and Silla
coexisting.In the late 9th century, Silla was divided into the Later
Three Kingdoms (892–936), which ended with the unification by Wang
Geon's Goryeo dynasty. Meanwhile, Balhae fell after invasions by the
Khitan-led Liao dynasty and the refugees including the last crown
prince emigrated to Goryeo, where the crown prince was warmly
welcomed and included into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus
unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo.[18][19] During the
Goryeo period, laws were codified, a civil service system was
introduced, and culture influenced by Buddhism flourished. However,
Mongol invasions in the 13th century brought Goryeo under the
influence of the Mongol Empire in Mongolia and the Yuan dynasty of
China until the mid-14th century.[20][21]In 1392, General Yi Seong-
gye established the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) after a coup d'état
that overthrew the Goryeo dynasty in 1388. King Sejong the Great
(1418–1450) implemented numerous administrative, social, scientific,
and economic reforms, established royal authority in the early years
of the dynasty, and personally created Hangul, the Korean
alphabet.After enjoying a period of peace for nearly two centuries,
the Joseon dynasty faced foreign invasions and internal factional
strife from 1592 to 1637. Most notable of these invasions is the
Japanese invasions of Korea, which marked the end of the Joseon
dynasty's early period. The combined force of Ming dynasty of China
and the Joseon dynasty repelled these Japanese invasions, but at a
cost to the countries. Henceforth, Joseon gradually became more and
more isolationist and stagnant. By the mid 19th century, with the
country unwilling to modernize, and under encroachment of
European powers, Joseon Korea was forced to sign unequal treaties
with foreign powers. After the assassination of Empress Myeongseong
in 1895, the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the Gabo Reforms of
1894 to 1896, the Korean Empire (1897–1910) came into existence,
heralding a brief but rapid period of social reform and modernization.
However, in 1905, the Korean Empire signed a protectorate treaty and
in 1910, Japan annexed the Korean Empire. Korea then became a
Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.Korean resistance manifested in
the widespread March 1st Movement of 1919. Thereafter the
resistance movements, coordinated by the Provisional Government of
the Republic of Korea in exile, became largely active in neighboring
Manchuria, China proper, and Siberia, influenced by Korea's peaceful
demonstrations. Figures from these exile organizations would become
important in post-WWII Korea.After the end of World War II in 1945,
the Allies divided the country into a northern area (protected by the
Soviets) and a southern area (protected primarily by the United
States). In 1948, when the powers failed to agree on the formation of
a single government, this partition became the modern states of
North and South Korea. The peninsula was divided at the 38th
Parallel: the "Republic of Korea" was created in the south, with the
backing of the US and Western Europe, and the "Democratic People's
Republic of Korea" in the north, with the backing of the Soviets and
the communist People's Republic of China. The new premier of North
Korea, Kim Il-sung, launched the Korean War in 1950 in an attempt to
reunify the country under Communist rule. After immense material
and human destruction, the conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953.
In 1991, both states were accepted into the United Nations. In 2018,
the two nations agreed to work toward a final settlement to formally
end the Korean War.While both countries were essentially under
military rule after the war, South Korea eventually liberalized. Since
1987 it has had a competitive electoral system. The South Korean
economy has prospered, and the country is now considered to be fully
developed, with a similar capital economic standing to Western
Europe, Japan, and the United States.North Korea has maintained
totalitarian militarized rule, with a personality cult constructed
around the Kim family. Economically, North Korea has remained
heavily dependent on foreign aid. Following the end of the Soviet
Union, that aid collapsed precipitously. The country's economic situa

The Lower Paleolithic era on the Korean Peninsula and in Manchuria began roughly half a

million years ago.[1][2][3] The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC,
and the Neolithic period began after 6000 BC, followed by the Bronze Age by 2000 BC,[4]
[5][6] and the Iron Age around 700 BC.
Similarly, according to The History of Korea, supervised by Kim Yang-ki and edited by Kang
Deoksang, Jung Sanae, and Nakayama Kiyotaka, the Paleolithic people are not the direct
ancestors of the present Korean (Chosun) people, but their direct ancestors are estimated
to be the Neolithic People of about 2000 BC.[7]
According to the mythic account recounted in the Samguk Yusa (1280s), the Gojoseon (Old
Joseon) kingdom was founded in northern Korea and southern Manchuria in 2333 BC.[8]
[9][10] In the 12th century BC Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty of China, purportedly
founded Gija Joseon.[11][12] The first written historical record on Gojoseon can be found
from the text Guanzi.[13][14][15] The Jin state was formed in southern Korea by the 3rd
century BC. In the 2nd century BC, Gija Joseon was replaced by Wiman Joseon, which fell
to the Han dynasty of China near the end of the century. This resulted in the fall of Gojoseon
and led to succeeding warring states, the Proto–Three Kingdoms period that spanned the
later Iron Age.
From the 1st century, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula and
Manchuria as the Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 BC–668 AD), until unification by Silla in
676. In 698, King Go established the Balhae in old territories of Goguryeo,[16][17] which
led to the Northern and Southern States period (698–926) of Balhae and Silla coexisting.
In the late 9th century, Silla was divided into the Later Three Kingdoms (892–936), which
ended with the unification by Wang Geon's Goryeo dynasty. Meanwhile, Balhae fell after
invasions by the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and the refugees including the last crown
prince emigrated to Goryeo, where the crown prince was warmly welcomed and included
into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo.
[18][19] During the Goryeo period, laws were codified, a civil service system was
introduced, and culture influenced by Buddhism flourished. However, Mongol invasions in
the 13th century brought Goryeo under the influence of the Mongol Empire in Mongolia
and the Yuan dynasty of China until the mid-14th century.[20][21]
In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) after a coup
d'état that overthrew the Goryeo dynasty in 1388. King Sejong the Great (1418–1450)
implemented numerous administrative, social, scientific, and economic reforms,
established royal authority in the early years of the dynasty, and personally
created Hangul, the Korean alphabet.
After enjoying a period of peace for nearly two centuries, the Joseon dynasty faced foreign
invasions and internal factional strife from 1592 to 1637. Most notable of these invasions is
the Japanese invasions of Korea, which marked the end of the Joseon dynasty's early
period. The combined force of Ming dynasty of China and the Joseon dynasty repelled these
Japanese invasions, but at a cost to the countries. Henceforth, Joseon gradually became
more and more isolationist and stagnant. By the mid 19th century, with the
country unwilling to modernize, and under encroachment of European powers, Joseon
Korea was forced to sign unequal treaties with foreign powers. After the assassination
of Empress Myeongseong in 1895, the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the Gabo Reforms
of 1894 to 1896, the Korean Empire (1897–1910) came into existence, heralding a brief but
rapid period of social reform and modernization. However, in 1905, the Korean Empire
signed a protectorate treaty and in 1910, Japan annexed the Korean Empire. Korea then
became a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.
Korean resistance manifested in the widespread March 1st Movement of 1919. Thereafter
the resistance movements, coordinated by the Provisional Government of the Republic of
Korea in exile, became largely active in neighboring Manchuria, China proper, and Siberia,
influenced by Korea's peaceful demonstrations. Figures from these exile organizations
would become important in post-WWII Korea.
After the end of World War II in 1945, the Allies divided the country into a northern
area (protected by the Soviets) and a southern area (protected primarily by the United
States). In 1948, when the powers failed to agree on the formation of a single government,
this partition became the modern states of North and South Korea. The peninsula was
divided at the 38th Parallel: the "Republic of Korea" was created in the south, with the
backing of the US and Western Europe, and the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in
the north, with the backing of the Soviets and the communist People's Republic of China.
The new premier of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, launched the Korean War in 1950 in an
attempt to reunify the country under Communist rule. After immense material and human
destruction, the conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953. In 1991, both states were accepted
into the United Nations. In 2018, the two nations agreed to work toward a final
settlement to formally end the Korean War.
While both countries were essentially under military rule after the war, South
Korea eventually liberalized. Since 1987 it has had a competitive electoral system. The
South Korean economy has prospered, and the country is now considered to be fully
developed, with a similar capital economic standing to Western Europe, Japan, and the
United States.
North Korea has maintained totalitarian militarized rule, with a personality
cult constructed around the Kim family. Economically, North Korea has remained heavily
dependent on foreign aid. Following the end of the Soviet Union, that aid collapsed
precipitously. The country's economic situation has been quite marginal since.