This is a timeline of the

history of Korea The Lower Paleolithic era in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago. Christopher J. Norton, "The Current State of Korean Paleoanthropology", (2000), ''Journal of Human Evolution'', 38: 803–825. The earlies ...

. Some dates prior to the 5th century are speculative or approximate.

Early history

*2333 BC: Legendary establishment of

Gojoseon Gojoseon () also called Joseon (), was the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. According to Korean mythology, the kingdom was established by the legendary founder named Dangun. Gojoseon possessed the most advanced culture in the Korean P ...

by Dangun. * : "An extreme manifestation of nationalism and the family cult was the revival of interest in Tangun, the mythical founder of the first Korean state... Most textbooks and professional historians, however, treat him as a myth." * :"Although Kija may have truly existed as a historical figure, Tangun is more problematical." * :"Most orean historianstreat the

angun Angoon (sometimes formerly spelled Angun, tli, Aangóon) is a city on Admiralty Island in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 572; by the 2010 census the population had declined to 459. The ...

myth as a later creation." * : "The Tangun myth became more popular with groups that wanted Korea to be independent; the Kija myth was more useful to those who wanted to show that Korea had a strong affinity to China." * :"If a choice is to be made between them, one is faced with the fact that the Tangun, with his supernatural origin, is more clearly a mythological figure than Kija." *1500 BC: Beginning of the

Mumun pottery period The Mumun pottery period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 1500-300 BC. This period is named after the Korean name for undecorated or plain cooking and storage vessels that form a large part of the potter ...

. *800 BC: Beginning of the Liaoning bronze dagger culture. *400 BC: Beginning of the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

. *300 BC: Establishment of Jin in southern Korean peninsula.

Proto(Before)-Three Kingdoms

*195 BC: Establishment of

Wiman Joseon Wiman Joseon (194–108 BC) was a dynasty of Gojoseon. It began with Wiman's (Wei Man) seizure of the throne from Gija Joseon's King Jun and ended with the death of King Ugeo who was a grandson of Wiman. Apart from archaeological data, the ...

. *108 BC:

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

destroys

, establishing four commanderies in northern Korean Peninsula. *57 BC: Traditional date for the founding of

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms o ...

by Bak Hyeokgeose. *37 BC: Traditional date for the founding of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...

. *18 BC: Traditional date for the founding of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder J ...

by Onjo.

Three Kingdoms

*42: Traditional date for the founding of Gaya by Suro. *53: Goguryeo becomes a centralized kingdom under Taejo's reign. *234: Baekje becomes a centralized kingdom under Goi's reign. *313: Goguryeo destroys

Lelang Commandery The Lelang Commandery was a commandery of the Han dynasty established after it had conquered Wiman Joseon in 108 BC and lasted until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. The Lelang Commandery extended the rule of the Four Commanderies of Han as far so ...

. *356: Silla becomes a centralized kingdom under Naemul's reign. *371: Baekje's King Geunchogo invades Goguryeo and kills King Gogugwon. *372: Under Sosurim, Goguryeo imports

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

from

Former Qin The Former Qin, also called Fu Qin (苻秦), (351–394) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history ruled by the Di ethnicity. Founded by Fu Jian (posthumously Emperor Jingming) who originally served under the Later ...

of China. *384: Chimnyu of Baekje officially adopts Buddhism. *392: Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo begins his reign, expanding Goguryeo into a major regional power. *413: Jangsu of Goguryeo erects the Gwanggaeto Stele. *433: Baekje and Silla form an alliance against Goguryeo's aggression. *475: Goguryeo attacks Baekje and captures Hanseong (modern day

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

). Baekje moves its capital south to Ungjin (modern-day Gongju), and again to Sabi (modern-day

Buyeo Buyeo or Puyŏ ( Korean: 부여; Korean pronunciation: u.jʌ or 扶餘 ''Fúyú''), also rendered as Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It is sometimes considered a Korea ...

) in 538. *494: Last remains of

absorbed by

. *498: Baekje attacks Tamna (modern-day Jejudo). *512: Silla conquers Usan (modern-day

Ulleungdo Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo; Hangul: , ) is a South Korean island 120 km (75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, formerly known as the Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe. Volcanic in origin, the rock ...

). *527: Silla formally adopts

*553: Silla attacks Baekje, breaking the alliance. *562: Silla completes annexation of Gaya. *598: First of a series of major

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and la ...

attacks in the Goguryeo–Sui War, which ends in 614 in a costly defeat for Sui. *612: Goguryeo repulses second Sui invasion at the Salsu. *645:

First campaign in the Goguryeo–Tang War First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

. *648: Silla establishes alliance with Tang. *660: Baekje falls to the Silla-Tang forces. *668: Goguryeo falls to the Silla-Tang forces.

North–South States Period and Later Three Kingdoms

*676: Silla repels Chinese alliance forces from Korean peninsula, completes unification of much of the Three Kingdoms. *698: The founding of

Balhae Balhae ( ko, 발해, zh, c=渤海, p=Bóhǎi, russian: Бохай, translit=Bokhay, ), also rendered as Bohai, was a multi-ethnic kingdom whose land extends to what is today Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East. It ...

by former Goguryeo general

Dae Joyeong Dae Joyeong (died 719) (; or in Korean) or Da Zuorong (大祚榮, 大祚荣, in Chinese), also known as King Go (; in Korean; Gao in Chinese), established the state of Balhae, reigning from 699 to 719. Life Early life Dae Joyeong wa ...

. *751: Silla, at its cultural peak, constructs Seokguram and Bulguksa. *828:

Jang Bogo Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, H ...

establishes

Cheonghaejin Cheonghaejin (literally "Clear sea headquarters") was a major military headquarters and trading hub located on Wando island, South Jeolla province of South Korea, and established by Korean general Jang Bogo in 828 ACE during the Silla kingdom ...

, a major center of trade with China, Japan, and Vietnam. *892: Silla begins to lose control of parts of the peninsula as the brief Later Three Kingdoms period begins. *900: Hubaekje ("Later Baekje") established in the southwest of the peninsula. *901: Taebong ("Later Goguryeo") established in the northwest of the peninsula. *918: Founding of

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

Taejo of Goryeo Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three ...

. *926: Balhae falls to Khitan forces. *935: Silla formally surrenders to Goryeo. *936: Hubaekje formally surrenders to Goryeo.

Goryeo

*936:

completes the reunification of the Later Three Kingdoms, absorbing the entirety of Hubaekje and parts of former Balhae territory. *956: Emperor Gwangjong forces major land and slavery reforms, and in 958 implements civil service examinations. *993: The first of three Goryeo–Khitan Wars. *1010: The Second Goryeo–Khitan War ravages the northern border. *1018: The Third Goryeo–Khitan War, Khitan successfully repelled. *1033: Goryeo builds the Cheonri Jangseong (lit. "Thousand Li Wall"), a massive wall running along the northern border. *1145: Kim Bu-sik compiles the

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...

, Korea's oldest extant history text. *1170: The military coup. *1231: The

Mongol invasions of Korea A series of campaigns were conducted between 1231 and 1270 by the Mongol Empire against the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. There were seven major campaigns at tremendous cost to civilian lives, the last campaign made Goryeo a vassal state of the ...

begin *1234: Choi Yun-ui's Sangjeong Gogeum Yemun is published, world's first metal-block printed text. *1251: Goryeo completes the

Tripitaka Koreana The (lit. ) or ("Eighty-Thousand ''Tripiṭaka''") is a Korean collection of the (Buddhist scriptures, and the Sanskrit word for "three baskets"), carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. It is the oldest intact vers ...

, the most comprehensive and oldest intact version of the Buddhist canon in Chinese script *1268: Mongol peace treaty is signed which Mongols agree to protect them the best they can. *1270: Goryeo signs a peace treaty with the Mongols, beginning an 80-year period of Yuan overlordship. The Sambyeolcho Rebellion lasts for three more years. *1285:

Il-yeon Il-yeon (or Iryeon; 1206–1289) was a Buddhist monk and All-Enlightened National Preceptor () during the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. His birth name was either Kim Gyeong-myeong () or Jeon Gyeon-myeong (), and his courtesy name was Hoe-yeon (). He ...

compiles the

Samguk Yusa ''Samguk yusa'' () or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, duri ...

, record of history and legends *1388: General Yi Seonggye, ordered to engage China in a border dispute, turns his troops against the Goryeo court.

Joseon

*1392: Yi Seonggye is crowned king, officially beginning the

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

. *1394: Capital moved to Hanyang (modern-day

) *1402: Paper currency initiated *1408: High military service examination system created *1420:

Hall of Worthies The Hall of Worthies, or Jiphyeonjeon (; ), was a royal research institute set up by Sejong the Great of the Korean Joseon Dynasty in March 1420. Set up during the beginning of his reign, King Sejong staffed the Hall of Worthies with talented sc ...

established *1424:

History of Goryeo The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions between ...

compiled *1446: The

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...

alphabet, created 3 years earlier, is promulgated by King Sejong the Great. *1592: The Japanese invasion of Korea begins under the command of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

. Admiral

Yi Sun-sin Admiral Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean admiral and military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Over the course of his career, Admiral Yi foug ...

employs the

Turtle ship A ''Geobukseon'' ( ko, script=Hang, 거북선, ), also known as turtle ship in western descriptions, was a type of large Korean warship that was used intermittently by the Royal Korean Navy during the Joseon dynasty from the early 15th century ...

to repel Japanese naval forces. *1627: The

Later jin invasion of Korea Later may refer to: * Future, the time after the present Television * ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show * '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992 * ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...

*1653: Dutch ship, with Captain

Hendrick Hamel Hendrick Hamel (1630 – 1692) was a Westerner to provide a first hand account of Joseon Korea. After spending thirteen years there, he wrote "Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666," which was subsequently publis ...

, wrecked on Jeju Island. *1791: Persecution of Catholicism begins. *1864: Gojong ascends the throne with his father, Daewongun, as Regent. *1866: French Campaign against Korea. *1871: United States expedition to Korea. *1876: Korean ports are formally opened under the

Treaty of Ganghwa A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

with

Imperial Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. *1882:

Imo Incident The Imo Incident, also sometimes known as the Imo Mutiny, Soldier's riot or Jingo-gunran in Japanese, was a violent uprising and riot in Seoul beginning on July 23, 1882, by soldiers of the Joseon Army who were later joined by disaffected member ...

: Mutiny by Korean soldiers in Seoul against the modernization policies of emperor Gojong *1884:

Kim Okgyun Kim Ok-gyun (김옥균; 金玉均; February 23, 1851 – March 28, 1894) was a reformist (''Gaehwapa'', 개화파) activist during the late Joseon dynasty of Korea. He served under the national civil service under King Gojong, and actively pa ...

leads the

Gapsin Coup The Gapsin Coup, also known as the Gapsin Revolution, was a failed three-day coup d'état that occurred in Korea during 1884. Korean reformers in the Enlightenment Party sought to initiate rapid changes within the country, including eliminatin ...

. In 3 days, Chinese forces are able to overwhelm the Progressives and their Japanese supporters. *1894: Donghak Rebellion prompts the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ...

and

Gabo Reforms The Gabo Reform, also known as the Kabo Reform, describes a series of sweeping reforms suggested to the government of Korea, beginning in 1894 and ending in 1896 during the reign of Gojong of Korea in response to the Donghak Peasant Revolution. ...

. *1895: China recognizes Korean independence in the

Treaty of Shimonoseki The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Firs ...

Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...

was murdered by Japanese assassins. *1896: 11 February. King Gojong flees to the Russian legation in Korea (Seoul).

Korean Empire

*1897: 20 February. King Gojong returns to his palace after 1 year of refuge at the Russian legation. *1905:

Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905, also known as the Eulsa Treaty, Eulsa Unwilling Treaty or Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty, was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1905. Negotiations were concluded on November 17, 19 ...

. Korea became the

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

of Imperial Japan. *1907: June. The Hague Secret Emissary Affair *1907: 18 July. Gojong forced to abdicate in favour of his son, Sunjong by Imperial Japan. *1909: 26 October.

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated samu ...

(

Japanese Resident-General of Korea The Japanese resident-general of Korea ( ja, 韓国統監, Kankokutōkan; ko, 일본의 대 한국통감, Ilbon-ui dae hangugtong-gam) was the leader of Korea under Japanese rule from 1905 to 1910. This post was highly hated among native Korea ...

) is assassinated by Korean independence activist

An Jung-geun Ahn Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Joong-keun (; 2 September 1879 – 26 March 1910; baptismal name: Thomas Ahn ), was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. He is famous for assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first ...

*1910: 29 August. The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910 started the annexation of the Korean Empire by Imperial Japan.

Japanese colonial rule

*1916: The final wave of Uibyeong rebels is defeated by Japanese forces. *1919:

March 1st Movement The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (3-1) Movement (Hangul: 삼일 운동; Hanja: 三一運動), was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan in 1919, and protesting forced assimilation ...

. Spurred by the sudden and mysterious death of Gojong. Declaration of Korean Independence. Nationwide peaceful demonstrations are crushed by Japanese military and police forces after two months. Governor-General Hasegawa resigns. *1919: The establishment of The

Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese co ...

in Shanghai. *1919: Saito Makoto appointed as third Governor-General of Korea. The period of "cultural policy" begins. *1920:

Battle of Cheongsanri The Battle of Qingshanli was fought over six days in October 1920 between the Imperial Japanese Army and Korean armed groups in a densely wooded region of eastern Manchuria called Qīngshānlǐ ( ja, 青山里, ''Seizanri''; ko, 청산리, ''Cheo ...

, Korean independence Army, led by

Kim Jwa-jin Kim Chwa-jin or Kim Jwa-jin (December 16, 1889 – January 24, 1930), sometimes called by his pen name Baegya, was a Korean general, independence activist, and anarchist who played an important role in the early attempts at development of anarch ...

, victory. *1926: June 10th Movement. *1932: Korean independence activist

Lee Bong-chang Lee Bong-chang (August 10, 1900 – October 10, 1932) was a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. In 1932, he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Japanese emperor Hirohito with a hand grenade, which became known ...

fails in his attempt to assassinate Emperor Hirohito in Tokyo. *1932: Korean independence activist Yun Bong-gil bombs Japanese Military gathering in Shanghai. *1938: Governor-General of Korea begins

Sōshi-kaimei Sōshi-kaimei (創氏改名, ko, 일본식 성명 강요) was a policy of pressuring Koreans under Japanese rule to adopt Japanese names. It consisted of two parts. Ordinance No. 19, issued in 1939, required ''sōshi'', literally "creatio ...

(Order to Japanese-style name changes) policy. *1945: The

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of Japan, 1947 constitu ...

surrenders to the Allies. According to the terms of

Potsdam Declaration The Potsdam Declaration, or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman, Uni ...

, Korea becomes independent.

Division of Korea

*1945: After the surrender of Japan, the Korean peninsula is divided between

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

and American occupation forces at the 38th parallel. *1945: South Korea created a franchise to raise money and funds to recover. *1945: 6 September, Establishment of

People's Republic of Korea The People's Republic of Korea (PRK) was a short-lived provisional government that was organized at the time of the surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of World War II. It was proclaimed on 6 September 1945, as Korea was being divided ...

with Lyuh Woon-hyung, but 1946 February, US Army breaks it and Lyuh Woon-hyung is murdered. *1946: US–USSR Joint Commission on the formation of a Korean Government reaches an impasse. The Joint Commission is dissolved as the Cold War begins. *1948: 10 May. UN sponsored elections are held in South Korea. *1948: 15 August. Establishment of the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its ea ...

with Syngman Rhee as President. *1948: 9 September. Establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

as Premier. *1949: The murder of

Kim Gu Kim Gu (, ; August 29, 1876 – June 26, 1949), also known by his pen name Baekbeom (백범; ), was a Korean statesman. He was the sixth, ninth, and president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea; a leader of the Korean indepen ...

. Kim Gu was a Korean independence activist who believed in, and fought for, a unified Korea. He strongly objected to the formation of a separate South Korean state. He was shot in his home by a South Korean Army lieutenant. *1950: 25 June. The

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

begins. *1950: August. UN forces are driven back to the south-east corner of the Korean Peninsula (The Pusan Perimeter). *1950: September. UN Troops make an Amphibious

Landing at Inchon The Battle of Incheon (), also spelled Battle of Inchon, was an amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The operation involved s ...

. *1950: November. Chinese Forces enter the war *1953: The Korean War is halted by the

Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전협정; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United Sta ...

that has remained in force until now. *1960: A student uprising begins the

April Revolution The April Revolution ( ko, 4.19 혁명), also called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, were mass protests in South Korea against President Syngman Rhee and the First Republic from April 11 to 26, 1960 which led to Rhee's resigna ...

which overthrows the autocratic

First Republic of South Korea The first Republic of Korea () was the government of South Korea from August 1948 to April 1960. The first republic was founded on 15 August 1948 after the transfer from the United States Army Military Government that governed South Korea sin ...

. Syngman Rhee resigns and goes into exile. *1961: 16 May. Military forces, headed by General Park Chung-hee, overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea in what is known as the Military Coup d'état of 16 May *1961: 12 November. Summit conference for normalization of Korean-Japanese relations *1962: start of the first

Five-Year Plans of South Korea The Five-Year Economic and Social Development Plans () were an economic development project of South Korea. Background Both North and South Korea had survived the Korean War (1950–53). From the end of World War II, South Korea remained largely ...

*1964: South Korea joined

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

*1965: 22 June. The signing of Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. Earned both much controversy and procurement of budgets for later economic developments. *1967: start of the second Five-year plans of South Korea *1968: 21 January. An unsuccessful attempt of North Korean commandos to assassinate president Park Chung-hee- the Blue House raid. *1968: 1 April. Establishment of the

Pohang Iron and Steel Company POSCO (formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company) is a South Korean steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It had an output of of crude steel in 2015, making it the world's fourth-largest steelmaker by this measure. In 2010, i ...

*1968: 5 December. Proclamation of the National Education Charter *1970: 22 April. Start of the government-operated New Community Movement *1970: Gyeongbu Expressway is completed and opened to traffic. *1972: start of the third Five-year plans of South Korea *1972: 12 August. The first

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

talks between North and South Korea are held. *1972: President Park Chung-hee declares Emergency

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

and changes Constitution in August, which may allow him to become the permanent ruler. This is similar to Gojong of the Korean Empire stating his country's governmental system as '

autocratic Autocracy is a system of government in which absolute power over a state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject neither to external legal restraints nor to regularized mechanisms of popular control (except per ...

' in the constitution- for greater leadership and less opposition. *1974: 15 August. The assassination of first lady

Yuk Young-soo Yuk Young-soo (; 29 November 1925 – 15 August 1974) was the wife of the 3rd South Korean president Park Chung-hee and the mother of the 11th South Korean president Park Geun-hye. She was killed in 1974 during an attempted assassination of ...

by self-proclaimed North Korean Mun Segwang. *1976: 18 August. The

Axe Murder Incident The Korean axe murder incident (, ) was the killing of two US Army officers, Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett, by North Korean soldiers on August 18, 1976, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Korean Demilitarized Zone ...

in Panmunjom,

Joint Security Area The Joint Security Area (JSA, often referred to as the Truce Village or Panmunjom) is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. The JSA is used by the two Koreas for dipl ...

. Triggers former North Korean leader

's first official apology to the South. *1976: 12 October: Discontinuation of rice imports, the accomplishment of total self-sufficiency in rice by the 'Unification Rice' *1977: start of the fourth Five-Year Plans of South Korea *1977: 22 December. Celebration of achievement of 10 billion dollars gained by exports. *1978: 26 October. Detection of the 3rd tunnel. Made by

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

to attack South Korea. *1978: 10 December. Achievement of 1,117 US dollars as

GNP The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total domestic and foreign output claimed by residents of a country, consisting of gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes earned by foreign ...

. *1979: American president

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

visits Korea. Threatens Park by stating he would reduce the US forces in Korea if he does not stop the ongoing Nuclear Weapons Development project. *1979: 26 October, President Park Chung-hee is assassinated by the chief of

KCIA The National Intelligence Service (NIS; Korean language, Korean: 국가정보원, 국정원) is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA; Korea ...

, Kim Jae-gyu (

Assassination of Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee, the third President of South Korea, was assassinated on October 26, 1979, during a dinner at the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) safehouse inside the Blue House presidential compound in Jongno District, Seoul, Sout ...

). *1979:

Coup d'état of December Twelfth The Coup d'état of December Twelfth (Hangul: 12.12 군사반란; Hanja: 12.12 軍事叛亂) or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979, in South Korea. Republic of Korea Army Major Gen ...

Chun Doo-hwan Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah as president of South Korea from 1980 to 198 ...

gets military power *1980:

Gwangju Uprising The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...

. Martial law is declared throughout the nation. The city of Gwangju becomes a battleground between dissenters and the Armed Forces (18–27 May). The official death toll was set at 200 people but some reports claim over 1000 casualties. *1987: A student uprising begins the

June Democracy Movement The June Democratic Struggle (), also known as the June Democracy Movement and June Democratic Uprising, was a nationwide pro-democracy movement in South Korea that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations force ...

, which overthrows the autocratic

Fifth Republic of South Korea The fifth Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from March 1981 to December 1987. The fifth republic was established in March 1981 by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of long-time president and dictator Park Chung-hee, aft ...

. The ruling party of Fifth Republic,

Democratic Justice Party The Democratic Justice Party (; DJP) was the ruling party of South Korea from 1981 to 1988. History Chun had become the country's de facto leader after leading a military coup in December 1979, and was elected president in his own right in ...

, declares democratic elections. *1988: 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul *1990: 11 September: South Korea and the USSR established diplomatic relations. *1991: 17 September: North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) join the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

(UN). *1991: 26 December: The end of the Cold War as the Soviet Union ceased to exist and North Korea loses military and economic aid. *1992: 11 August: South Korea's first satellite,

KITSAT-1 KITSAT-1 or KITSAT-A (Korean Institute of Technology Satellite) is the first satellite to be launched for the South Korea. Once launched, the satellite was given the nickname "Our Star" ( 우리별). The KITSAT-1 is a low Earth orbit (LEO) sate ...

, a.k.a. 우리별 (Uri Byol) is successfully launched from

Guiana Space Centre The Guiana Space Centre (french: links=no, Centre spatial guyanais; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximatel ...

. *1992: 24 August: South Korea and the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

(PRC) establish diplomatic relations. *1993: Test of Rodong-1, a single-stage, mobile liquid propellant medium-range

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...

by the

DPRK North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

. *1994: Kim Jong-il takes control of

upon the death of his father Kim Il-sung. Start of the Arduous March. *1997:

Asian Financial Crisis The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998– ...

(or "IMF Crisis" as it was called in Korea) shakes Korea *1998: Taepodong-1, a two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile is developed and tested by the DPRK. End of the Arduous March. It is possible that up to 3.5 million people did not survive the 'march'. *1999: The DPRK promises to freeze long-range missile tests. *2002: The

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea an ...

jointly held by Korea & Japan.

South Korea national football team The South Korea national football team (; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international football and is governed by the Korea Football Association. South Korea has emerged as a major football power in Asia ...

reaches the semi-finals for the first time in Korean football history. The DPRK pledges to extend moratorium on missile tests beyond 2003. *2004: The DPRK reaffirms moratorium. *2005: The DPRK fires short-range missile into the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, i ...

(East Sea). *2006: Test of

Taepodong-2 The Taepodong-2 (TD-2, also spelled as Taep'o-dong 2)
Federation of American Scientists, May 30, 2008 ( ko, � ...

by DPRK, a successor of Taepodong-1. There is a nuclear test in the DPRK. US officials assert it might have been a misfire. *2007: The second summit between DPRK and ROK leaders is held, with

Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (; ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea between 2003 and 2008. Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...

representing the south and Kim Jong-il the north. The DPRK fires short-range missile into the Sea of Japan. *2009: North Korea launches a rocket ( Unha), supposedly for space exploration. This move affects relationships with Japan, the United States and South Korea. The DPRK conducts another nuclear test. *2010: North Korea launches missile and attacks Korean , ROKS Cheonan. 46 Korean soldiers die because of the attack. At November, North Korean army rains artillery fire on Yeon-Pyeong-Do island. *2011: Kim Jong-il dies, Kim Jong-un takes over as the Supreme Leader of North Korea. The National Intelligence Service accuses pro-unification lawmakers of being spies. One of the members was a former Democratic Party representative. In a move indicative of the heavy-handedness of the Park regime, the party is outlawed and key party members are imprisoned. *2012: 13 April: The Kim Regime of the DPRK tested a rocket, officially called "

Unha-3 The Unha or Eunha ( ko, 은하, 銀河, "Galaxy") is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which partially utilizes the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 orbital launch system. History North Korea's first orbital space launch attemp ...

", an expendable launch system developed from the Soviet Scud rockets. The rocket was to send a satellite, called "

Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 () was a North Korean Earth observation satellite which, according to the DPRK, was for weather forecast purposes, and whose launch was widely portrayed in the West to be a veiled ballistic missile test. The satellite was l ...

", into orbit. The rocket failed to launch the satellite and fell into the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour ter ...

. The mission ultimately ended in complete failure. *2012: 12 December: DPRK has successful launch of

Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 or Gwangmyeongseong-3 ho 2-hogi (; English: Bright Star-3 Unit 2 or Lodestar-3 Unit 2) is the first satellite successfully launched from North Korea, an Earth observation spacecraft that was launched on 12 December 2012 ...

it was launched from the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground. A South Korean military official cited 3 stage success. DPRK confirmed. *2012: 19 December:

Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; often in English ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was impeached and convicted on related corruption charges. Park was the fi ...

, a daughter of Park Chung-hee, is elected as first female and the 11th president of South Korea. *2013: 8 December:

Jang Song-thaek Jang Song-thaek (January or February 1946 – 12 December 2013) was a leading figure in the government of North Korea. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of North Korean Premier Kim Il-sung and his first wife Kim Jong-suk, and on ...

, uncle of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, was ousted from all powerful posts on various charges. The official Korean Central News Agency said the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea stripped Jang of all posts, depriving him of all titles and expelling him and removing his name from the party. *2013: 12 December: North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, executes his Uncle,

, as a "traitor for all ages." Jang Song-thaek's execution was said to be set up by his own wife, Kim Kyong-hui, Late Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il's sister. Jang Song-thaek was considered to be the most powerful official in the DPRK Regime. *2016: 9 December: The impeachment vote of President Park Geun-hye took place, whilst 234 members in the 300-member National Assembly voting in favor of the impeachment and temporary suspension of her presidential powers and duties. Hwang Kyo-ahn, then prime minister, became acting president while the Constitutional Court of Korea was due to determine whether to accept the impeachment. *2017: 10 March: The court upheld the impeachment in a unanimous 8–0 decision, removing Park from the office. *2017: 10 May: Moon Jae-In swore into office immediately after official votes were counted on 10 May, replacing Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn.

Gallery

File:History of Korea-108 BC.png, Korea 108 BC File:Hyondo-rom.png, The

Four Commanderies of Han The Four Commanderies of Han (; ) were Chinese commanderies located in the north of the Korean Peninsula and part of the Liaodong Peninsula from around the end of the second century BC through the early 4th AD, for the longest lasting. The comma ...

, 107 BC File:History of Korea-001.png, Korea in 1 AD File:History of Korea-204.png, Korea 204 AD File:History of Korea-300.png, Korea in 300 AD File:History of Korea-315.png, Korea in 315 AD File:History of Korea-375.png, Korea in 375 AD File:History of Korea-410.png, Korea in 410 AD File:History of Korea-476.PNG, Korea in 476 AD File:History of Korea-576.png, Korea in 576 AD File:598 Goguryeo-Sui war.png, Goguryeo–Sui War in 598 AD File:612 Sui-Goguryeo war.png, Goguryeo–Sui War in 612 AD File:Tang-Korean wars.png,

Goguryeo–Tang War The Goguryeo–Tang War occurred from 645 to 668 and was fought between Goguryeo and the Tang dynasty. During the course of the war, the two sides allied with various other states. Goguryeo successfully repulsed the invading Tang armies dur ...

(645–668) File:672 Silla Tang war.png,

Silla–Tang War The Silla–Tang War (670–676) occurred between Silla (joined by Goguryeo and Baekje loyalists) and the Tang dynasty. It began in the geopolitical context immediately following the conquest of Goguryeo and Baekje by the joint forces of Silla a ...

(672–676) File:Little Goguryeo.svg,

Little Goguryeo Little Goguryeo (; ko, 소고구려; alternatively Lesser Goguryeo, Little Gaogouli or Lesser Gaogouli) is the name of a state thought to have existed on the Liaodong Peninsula, proposed by the Japanese scholar Kaizaburo Hino ( :ja:日野開三 ...

(699–820) File:Unified Silla and Balhae (8th Century) (4261052261).jpg,

Unified Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

and

in the 8th century AD File:Balhae Kingdom.png,

in 800 AD File:BalhaeHeight.png, Balhae in 830 AD File:Goguryeo Silla Baekje War.png, Fall of

and

, 901-936 AD File:History of Korea-Later three Kingdoms Period-915 CE.gif, Korea in 915 AD File:Liao circuits.png,

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan language, Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that exi ...

(907–1125) File:993 Khitan Goryeo invasion.png, First conflict in the Goryeo–Khitan War (993 AD) File:1010 Khitan Goryeo invasion.png, Second conflict in the Goryeo–Khitan War (1010 AD) File:1018 Goryeo Khitan invasion.png, Third conflict in the Goryeo–Khitan War (1018 AD) File:1231 mongol invasion of korea.png, 1231 Mongol invasion of Goryeo File:1232 mongol invasion of korea.png, 1232 Mongol invasion of Goryeo File:1235 mongol invasion of korea.png, 1235 Mongol invasion of Goryeo File:1253 Mongol invasion of Korea.png, 1253 Mongol invasion of Goryeo File:Koryo map.png,

in 1374 File:Joseon (15th Century) (4261814162).jpg, Joseon (15th century) File:Eight provinces of Korea-en.svg, The

Eight Provinces of Korea During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces ('' do''; ; ). The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for about 480 years from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today ...

File:History of Korea-1592-1597.svg,

Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diasp ...

File:1627 invasion of Joseon.png,

Later Jin invasion of Joseon The Later Jin invasion of Joseon occurred in early 1627 when the Later Jin prince Amin led an invasion of the Joseon Dynasty. The war ended after three months with the Later Jin establishing itself as sovereign tributary overlord over Joseon. ...

in 1627 File:1636 invasion of Korea.png,

Qing invasion of Joseon The Qing invasion of Joseon (Korean: Byeongja Horan) occurred in the winter of 1636 when the newly-established Qing dynasty invaded the Joseon dynasty, establishing the former's status as the hegemon in the Imperial Chinese Tributary System and ...

(1636–1637) File:First Sino-Japanese War.svg,

(25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) File:Japanese Empire (orthographic projection).svg,

(1868–1947) File:Korean war 5.50.jpg, Korean War May 1950 File:Korean war 9.50.png, Korean War September 1950 File:Korean war 11.50.png, Korean War November 1950 File:Korean war 1.51.png, Korean War January 1951 File:Korean war 7.53.png, Korean War July 1953

References

External links

*

* * * * {{Years in South Korea Korea-related lists *

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Years in Korea