A History of Korea (115 page)

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Authors: Jinwung Kim

BOOK: A History of Korea
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Pushing such sentiments to their logical extreme leads to calls for reunification at any price, creating a situation where words, such as “the people” and “unification,” have become sacred and inviolable, and no opposition is allowed. North Korea and the pro–North Korean elements in South Korea have gone to this extreme. When a pro–North Korean professor in South Korea claimed, in 2005, that North Korea had initiated the Korean War in order to unify the peninsula, and he omitted the fact that North Korea wanted unification solely on its own ideological terms, the conservative camp fiercely opposed his statement.

On the origin of Korea’s division, both Koreas have had different views. A commonly heard sentiment among South Koreans is that it made sense for Germany to have been divided, because it had fought a war and lost. But what was the justification for dividing Korea? It would have made more sense for Japan to have been divided, as it was also an Axis Power in World War II. Many South Koreans believe that the United States and the Soviet Union are responsible for the division of the Korean peninsula.

In contrast to this prevailing South Korean view, North Korea has placed the blame squarely on the United States, based on its own unique view of history. According to the North Korean view, the division of the Korean people has been the result of the U.S. military occupation of South Korea and its policy
of invasion. The Korean people, who have lived as a homogeneous people for thousands of years, have been divided to this day by U.S. interference in Korean affairs. The issue of reunification is therefore an internal problem for the Korean people and a matter of domestic politics. Korea was not a defeated nation in World War II, and therefore no justification exists for the Korean people’s right of self-determination to be violated by the United States. Such North Korean claims have been particularly effective in provoking anti-American sentiment in South Korea.

The question of reunification, of course, comes down to a choice between two different ideologies. Whereas South Korea advocates liberal democracy, North Korea wants its own juche ideology to be the leading philosophy of a unified Korea. North Korea has attempted to form a unified front in South Korea by emphasizing “the people” and “unification.”

The Unpredictability of Reunification

Several questions arise pertaining to Korean reunification. When will reunification be achieved? What will it look like? Will the transition be relatively smooth, and, if not, what are the potential problems for Korea and its neighboring powers?

On an emotional level, reunification of the two Koreas would be the realization of the Koreans’ long-cherished dream and the healing of wounds inflicted by the long division, as Koreans believe that people in both halves of the Korean peninsula share a common ethnicity. On a practical level, however, reunification of the two Koreas is beyond emotional desire and requires overcoming many barriers. Were unification to occur abruptly, South Korea would be unable to sustain the heavy economic burdens caused by a shattered North Korean economy, and this could lead to the collapse of both Koreas. For this reason, primarily, few South Koreans express wholehearted support for immediate reunification.

Peaceful reunification would be difficult even in the near or distant future. To implement significant changes, particularly the reunification of a divided nation, a sufficient period of time is required. The principle “T + 40” (trauma + 40 years) purports that meaningful changes can only be achieved when the generation stricken by the trauma moves on, leaving a new generation, one not directly traumatized by the dramatic changes, to emerge.
17

Whether reunification comes quickly or is postponed indefinitely, how will it ultimately be achieved? Most likely it will occur through a highly risky process,
perhaps by the sudden collapse of the North Korean regime or a war in which South Korean–U.S. forces are ultimately victorious or peaceful integration of the two Koreas. However it occurs, Korean reunification will decisively shape the future of the new nation. It may bring about a resurgence of Korean nationalism and self-confidence commensurate with the nation’s growing national strength and increased international prestige. A reunified Korea will likely seek greater independence in its overall relationship with neighboring powers and will also undoubtedly reshape the strategic balance in Northeast Asia. Historically, Korea has been surrounded by great powers and still remains “a shrimp among whales.” Almost certainly, the North Korean nuclear issue will finally be resolved only upon reunification.

Since the collapse of the Cold War in the early 1990s, competition between the two Korean states over which political system was superior virtually ended. South Korea deserves its claim to victory, for, in Korea’s long history, no state has had stronger national power than the post-1990s Republic of Korea. While South Korea has prospered as a democracy, its northern neighbor remains at a crossroads, seriously threatened by regime collapse. Under these circumstances, no one can predict how and when Korean reunification will be achieved. Indeed, the time and manner of reunification may be determined by reunification itself. Perhaps reunification of both Koreas will resolve, in a single swoop, many inherent problems in Korea, including North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction issue.

Chronology

Until 1 January 1896, Korea used the lunar calendar. On 9 September 1895, the Chos
ŏ
n kingdom changed the date of 17 November 1895 (by the lunar calendar) to 1 January 1896 (by the solar calendar). All dates since 1391 have been converted to the modern calendar.

 

700000
BC

Early Paleolithic culture emerges

100000
BC

Middle Paleolithic culture emerges

40000
BC

Late Paleolithic culture emerges

6000
BC

Neolithic culture emerges

2333
BC

Mythological founding of Old Chos
ŏ
n by Tan’gun

1122
BC

Mythological founding of Kija Chos
ŏ
n

1000
BC

Bronze Age emerges

451
BC

Puy
ŏ
founded

431
BC

State of Chin established

300
BC

Iron Age emerges

194
BC

Wiman Chos
ŏ
n established

108
BC

Wiman Chos
ŏ
n falls to Chinese Han empire

108-107
BC

Chinese Han empire creates four commanderies (Nangnang, Imdun, Chinb
ŏ
n, and Hy
ŏ
ndo) in northern Korea and southern Manchuria

75
BC

Kogury
ŏ
people expel Hy
ŏ
ndo Commandery to northwestern Manchuria

57
BC

State of Saro (S
ŏ
rab
ŏ
l, later Silla) founded

37
BC

“New Kogury
ŏ
” emerges

18
BC

Paekche emerges

AD
3

Kogury
ŏ
moves capital from Cholbon (Hwanin) to Kungnae-s
ŏ
ng

42

Six Kaya confederated kingdoms emerge

205

Chinese Gongsun clan takes control of Liadong region, establishes the Taebang Commandery south of Nangnang

244

Kogury
ŏ
invaded by Chinese Wei forces led by Guanqiu Jian

260

King Koi of Paekche shapes national institution by appointing six ministries; creates 16 official ranks and prescribes official colors for attire

313

Kogury
ŏ
drives out Nangnang Commandery from northern Korea and takes control of the former domain of Old Chos
ŏ
n

314

Kogury
ŏ
occupies Chinese commandery of Taebang.

369

KingKŏnch’ogo of Paekche destroys Mahan federation, acquiring its territory

371

Paekche strikes Kogury
ŏ
, killing its king, Kogukw
ŏ
n

372

Kogury
ŏ
adopts Buddhism, establishes the T’aehak

373

Kogury
ŏ
promulgates yuly
ŏ
ng

375

Koh
ŭ
ng of Paekche compiles
S
ŏ
gi,
a history of Paekche

384

Buddhism adopted in Paekche

400

Kogury
ŏ
under King Kwanggaet’o crushes an allied force of Paekche, Kaya, and Wae Japanese, and rescues Silla

427

King Changsu of Kogury
ŏ
moves capital from Kungnae-s
ŏ
ng to Pyongyang

433

Paekche and Silla forge marital alliance against Kogury
ŏ

475

Kogury
ŏ
seizes Paekcke capital of Hans
ŏ
ng, killing its king Kaero

475

King Munju of Paekche moves capital to Ungjin

494

Puy
ŏ
surrenders to Kogury
ŏ

503

Saro renamed Silla

512

Silla general Isabu conquers “state” of Usan on Ull
ŭ
ng-do in the East Sea

520

Silla king P
ŏ
phŏng promulgates yuly
ŏ
ng and institutes proper attire for officialdom

527

Buddhism officially adopted in Silla

532

Silla king P
ŏ
phŏng conquers Kumgwan Kaya

538

King S
ŏ
ng of Paekche moves capital from Ungjin to Sabi; Paekche introduces Buddhism to Japan

545

K
ŏ
ch’ilbu of Silla compiles
Kuksa,
a history of Silla

551

King S
ŏ
ng of Paekche repossesses lower reaches of the Han River

553

King Chinhŏng of Silla drives Paekche out of the lower Han region, securing the Han River basin

554

King Chinhŏng kills Paekche king S
ŏ
ng at Kwansan-s
ŏ
ng

562

King Chinhŏng destroys Tae Kaya, completing Silla’s acquisition of the Naktong River basin

600

Yi Mun-jin of Kogury
ŏ
compiles
Sinjip,
a history of Kogury
ŏ

612

Massive Chinese Sui forces invade Kogury
ŏ
but suffer defeat

642

King
Ŭ
ija of Paekche captures Silla’s Taeya-s
ŏ
ng; Y
ŏ
n Kae-somun stages coup and emerges as a military strongman in Kogury
ŏ

643

Paekche occupies Tanghang-s
ŏ
ng, Silla’s outlet to China

645

Massive Chinese Tang forces invade Kogury
ŏ
but suffer defeat.

660

Paekche destroyed by forces of Silla and Tang China

668

Kogury
ŏ
destroyed by Silla and Tang.

671-676

Silla and Tang forces clash on Korean peninsula

676

Silla unifies Korean peninsula south of the Taedong River and W
ŏ
nsan Bay

698

Tae Cho-y
ŏ
ng, a former Kogury
ŏ
general, establishes Chin (later Parhae) in Manchuria

713

Chin renamed Parhae

751

Pulguk-sa temple, S
ŏ
kkuram grotto, and Tabo-t’ap and S
ŏ
kka-t’ap pagodas built in unified Silla

768

Kim Tae-gong plots against King Hyegong of unified Silla, heralding the beginning of a fierce power struggle among the true-bone aristocracy

828

Chang Po-go of unified Silla establishes the Ch’
ŏ
nghae-jin garrison on Wan-do, controlling and monopolizing international trade with China and Japan

846

Chang Po-go assassinated

851

Unified Silla abolishes Ch’
ŏ
nghae-jin

889

First peasant rebellion in unified Silla

892

Ky
ŏ
nhw
ŏ
n revolts against Silla; proclaims himself king

900

Ky
ŏ
nhw
ŏ
n founds Later Paekche

901

Kungye establishes Later Kogury
ŏ

904

Later Kogury
ŏ
renamed Majin

911

Majin renamed T’aebong

918

Kungye’s T’aebong overthrown, and Wang K
ŏ
n’s Kory
ŏ
founded

926

Parhae falls to Qidan Liao

935

Silla’s last king, Ky
ŏ
ngsun, surrenders to Kory
ŏ

936

Kory
ŏ
destroys Later Paekche, ending the Later Three Kingdoms period and unifying Korean peninsula again

958

King Kwangjong establishes civil service examination system

976

King Ky
ŏ
ngjong institutes Ch
ŏ
nsikwa as a land reform

983

King S
ŏ
ngjong dispatches central officials to head the provincial administrative units, mok, for the first time in Kory
ŏ

993

First Liao invasion; Kory
ŏ
overcomes the crisis through S
ŏ
Hui’s diplomatic maneuvers

1010

Second Liao invasion; Kory
ŏ
suffers initial losses but wins some battles

1018

Third Liao invasion

1019

Kory
ŏ
forces, led by Kang Kam-ch’an, almost annihilate Liao forces

1076

Ch
ŏ
nsikwa is finally completed.

1087

First set of wooden block print editions of Tripitaka completed

1107-1108

Kory
ŏ
forces, led by Yun Kwan, carry out a massive assault against Nuzhens and construct nine forts in the occupied Hamh
ŭ
ng plain

1109

Kory
ŏ
returns region of the nine forts to Nuzhens

February 1126

Yi Cha-gy
ŏ
m revolts against King Injong

March 1126

Kory
ŏ
enters into new suzerain-subject relationship with the Nuzhen Jin empire

1135

Myoch’
ŏ
ng rebels at Pyongyang

1136

Myoch’
ŏ
ng rebellion suppressed by government forces

1145

Kim Pu-sik compiles
Samguk sagi,
History of the Three Kingdoms.

1170

Military revolt, led by military officer Ch
ŏ
ng Chung-bu, erupts

1172

First popular uprising under military rule

1196

Ch’oe Ch’ung-h
ŏ
n seizes power, establishes military dictatorship

1200

Chogye School founded by Buddhist monk Chinul

1219

Ch’oe U succeeds his father, Ch’oe Ch’ung-h
ŏ
n

1231

First Mongol invasion

1232

Kory
ŏ
moves capital from Kaes
ŏ
ng to Kanghwa-do

1251

Second set of 81,137 wooden blocks of Tripitaka completed

March 1258

Kim Chun and Yu Ky
ŏ
ng assassinate Ch’oe
Ŭ
i, last ruler of Ch’oe house

December 1258

Mongols establish the Ssangs
ŏ
ng ch’onggwan-bu to administer the territory north of Ch’
ŏ
l-ly
ŏ
ng pass

1259

Peace concluded with Mongols; Kory
ŏ
accepts Mongol domination

1268

Im Y
ŏ
n kills Kim Chun, seizes power

February 1270

Im Yu-mu succeeds his father, Im Y
ŏ
n; Mongols establish Tongny
ŏ
ng-bu to govern area north of Chabiry
ŏ
ng pass

May 1270

Im Yu-mu executed, ending military rule

June 1270

Rebellion of the Sam-by
ŏ
lch’o begins

February 1273

Sam-by
ŏ
lch’o rebellion ends

June 1273

Mongols establish T’amna ch’onggwan-bu to direct livestock raising on Cheju-do

1274

First Mongol expedition to Japan

1280

Mongols establish Ch
ŏ
ngdong haengs
ŏ
ng in Kory
ŏ
to launch second military campaign against Japan

1281

Second Mongol expedition to Japan

1285

Buddhist monk Iry
ŏ
n compiles
Samguk yusa

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