Modern History of Korea
From 1910 to 1945, Korea was perhaps more
Decline of the Choson Dynasty (1860s –
1905)
(1866) An American Merchant ship, the General
Sherman, traveled ipriver toward Pyongyang
without the permission of Choson officials. 20
crewmembers were killed.
- Choson Dynasty founded in 1392 by
General Yi Song-gye;
- Choson establishment were rigidly
opposed to any and all foreign
influences or presences; Its seclusionist
an anti-foreign attitude led to its being
called by Westerners “the Hermit
Kingdom” (ruled by the Taewongun or
Grand Prince from 1864 – 1873)
- Bands of armed men called “tiger
hunters” attacked foreigners and too
part in the efforts to repel the still small-
scale foreign expeditions
- 1860s: a new religious cult arose called
Tonghak or Eastern Learning that was
violently opposed to Western or
“practical” learning and to all foreign
influences; founded by Choe Che-u;
creation of a “new” way
- They remained a Chinese tributary state;
“Talk to my big brother”
(1871) Diplomatic mission by U.S. turned into
armed conflict (US minister to China went to
the mouth of the Han River) over a
misunderstanding, 200 Korean troops and
three Americans were killed
(1876) A Japanese fleet anchored off Inchon
and forced the government to sign an “unequal
treaty” which opened ports of Pusan, Inchon,
and Wonsan to Japanese trade and it declared
Choson an “independent state”
(1882) Li Hongzhang took control of relations
with and for Choson and tried to foster “self-
strengthening” measures there
- Queen Min undid the few feeble efforts
at rational change
(1884) Korean patriots and reformers saw Japan
as the model for development. They welcomed
a larger role for Japan in Korea and when the
Min faction at court blocked their efforts, they
tried to stage a coup (defeated by Yuan Shikai)
(1885) The affair was settled by an agreement,
Li-Ito Convention, between Li Hongzhang and
Ito Hirobumi
(1897) Ioseon (Choson) renamed The Great
Empire of Korea, Emperor Gojong took control
- since 1895, Korea became a Japanese sphere;
Queen Min was murdered
Japanese Rule (1905-1945)
brutally exploited than any colonial country in
the world under a harsh Japanese rule; most
Koreans lived in poverty; resistance to Japanese
rule had been more violent; Korea was stripped
of most of its forests for export to Japan
(timber); Oriental Development Company
controlled a large part of Korea’s rice land
(1905) Japan controlled entire Korean
Peninsula, Korean Empire became
protectorate of Japan
(1909) Japanese Resident General of Korea was
assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean
independence activist
(1910) End of the Choson Dynasty - Japanese
deposed the royal family; officially annexed
Korea to Japan and was named “Province of
Chosen”
(March 1, 1919) A million Koreans held nation-
wide peaceful demonstrations, mostly in Seoul,
which were crushed by Japanese military and
police forces killing 20000 and jailed a similar
number
(1919) Provisional Government of the Republic
of Korea established in Shanghai, China
(1919) Saito Makoto appointed Governor-
General of Korea
(1920) Battle of Qingshanli fought between
Imperial Japanese Army and Korean guerrillas;
considered to be great victory for Korea
(1932) Lee Bong-chang, Korean independence
activist, attempted unsuccessfully to
assassinate Japanese Emperor Hirohito with a
hand grenade
(1932) Japanese forced Koreans to adopt
Japanese names; forbade use of Korean
language, converted Koreans to Shinto religion
(1932) Independence activist, Yun Bong Gil,
bombed Japanese army celebration, two killed,
injured several others; he was arrested at the
scene
(1932) Yun Bong Gil executed for bombing
incident
(1939 - 1945) World War II
(1945) World War II ended; Japan relinquished
control of Korea to U.S. and Soviet Union
(August 1945) Korean Peninsula divided at 38th
parallel, Communist Soviets occupied north
with Pyongyang as capital, Anti-communist U.S.
occupied the south with Seoul as capital
- South (Republic of Korea): Syngman
Rhee was installed head of government
(repressive rule amounting to a police
state
 - North (Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea): Kim Il-sung was installed head of
government by the Russians
Korea since 1945
(1945) People’s Republic of Korea was
established with Yuh Woon-Hyung as leader
(1946) U.S. established United States Army
Military Government; Peoples Republic was
forcibly dissolved; Yuh Woon-Hyung was
murdered
(1946) U.S.-USSR Joint-Commission was
dissolved after impasse on formation of a
Korean Government; Cold War began
(1948) Elections were held; Syngman Rhee (May,
South) and Kim Il-Sung (September, North)
were elected head of states/governments
(1948) The Republic of Korea (south) declared
independence
(June 25, 1950) Korean War began; forces from
Communist North invaded South
- the North was ahead industrially, given
its near monopoly on industrial
resources such as coal, iron, and
hydroelectric power; had stronger
military forces
(1950) President Truman authorized U.S. Air
Force and Navy under General MacArthur to
enter the Korean conflict with the help of UN;
The Russians stayed out of it
- MacArthur made faulty decisions and by Mid-
October, China joined the fighting in support of
the North
- MacArthur defiantly directed his forces
to keep advancing despite orders to
stop at the 38th parallel. In late
November, Chinese and North Korean
attacks drove the UN-US forces south
again
(Summer 1951) Fighting was stalemated
- April: MacArthur was fired by President
Truman, replaced by General Matthew
Ridgeway
(October 1953) Korean Armistice Agreement
ended Korean War; two million lives lost
- not really a peace agreement;
technically still at war
(1960) April Revolution started by student
uprising protesting against election fraud; First
Republic of South Korea overthrown; President
Syngman Rhee stepped down, went into exile;
- South: Had begun to recover from the
war and by 1970s, had begun to leap
economically thru a developmental
state; war left the south paranoid and it
was determined to build its military
strength with American arms aid rather
than develop democracy or civil rights;
- North: economic growth was severely
handicapped by a rigid Communist
ideology and faithfulness to irrational
Maoist policies as China became NK’s
new big brother
- Second Republic of South Korea formed
by new constitution
(1961) Second Republic of South Korea
overthrown by military forces led by General
Park Chung Hee (until 1979) in Military Coup
d'etat
(1963) General Park established Third Republic,
restored some political freedoms, began major
industrial development, transformation to a
developmental state
(1965 - 1973) South Korean troops fought
alongside US forces in Vietnam
(1965) Japan, Republic of South Korea signed
Treaty on Basic Relations
(1968) North Korea commandos attempted
unsuccessful assassination of President Park
Chung Hee; American intelligence-gathering
ship, the Pueblo, was seized by the North
Koreans
(1972) President Park Chung Hee declared
emergency martial law, changed constitution
allowing him to become permanent ruler
(1979) US President Jimmy Carter visited,
threatened to reduce US forces in Korea if
President Park did not stop Nuclear Weapons
Development program
(1979) President Park assassinated by Kim Jae-
kyu, Chief of KCIA; Choi Kyu-hah became
acting president
(1979) In coup d'etat, Major General Chun Doo
Hwan gained military power
(1980) South: Following student
demonstrations, martial law was declared;
army killed over 200 in city of Kwangju;
- North: Kim Jong-il has been named
successor of Kim Il-Song
(1980) Choi Kyu-hah forced to step down, Chun
Doo Hwan had military junta name him
president
(1981) Martial law ended, Chun indirectly
elected to seven-year term as president
(1986) Change in constitution allowed direct
election of president
(1987) Student uprising began June Democracy
Movement; Fifth Republic of South Korean
overthrown;
(1988) President Chun pushed out of office,
succeeded by Roh Tae-woo who granted
greater political liberalization, launched anti-
corruption campaign; Olympic Games held in first woman popularly elected president in East
Seoul Asia

(1990) South Korea, USSR established (December 2016) Park Geun-hye was
diplomatic relations impeached for a political scandal involving
interventions to the presidency from her aide
(1991) North Korea, South Korea joined United
Nations (May 2017) Moo Jae-in won elections as the
next president
(1992) South Korea, People's Republic of China
established diplomatic relations

(1993) In first free parliamentary elections,

President Roh succeeded by Kim Young-sam,
the first civilian president

(1994) US, Japan and South Korea agreed to

seek punitive steps against North Korea over
nuclear program

- North: By July, Kim Jong-il succeeded

Kim Il-song after his sudden death

(1995) Former presidents Roh Tae-woo and

Chun Doo-hwan charged with corruption and
treason

(1996) Former President Chun Doo-wan

sentenced to death, Roh Tae-woo sentenced to
22.5 years in prison

(1996) South Korea joined Organization for

Economic Cooperation and Development

(1997) South Korea reached agreement with

International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $60
billion bailout for faltering economy due to the
Asian Financial Crisis

(1997) In presidential elections, former dissident

Kim Dae-jung won

(December 1997 – 1998) President Kim Dae-

jung pursued "sunshine policy" of economic
and humanitarian aid to North Korea

- He won the Nobel peace prize in 2000

for sending badly needed food supplies
to the North in the wake of a famine

(June 2000) Kim Dae-jung met with Kim Jong-

il in Pyongyang which spread hope that this
might be a prelude to long-awaited
reunification after years of artificial division

(July 2002) Kim Dae-jung appointed a woman

as prime minister

- December: Roh Moo-hyun succeeded

Kim Dae-jung

(2005) China negotiated an agreement with

Pyongyang to abandon nuclear program in
exchange for a US agreement not to attack NK
and for SK to provide electric power and food

(2008) Lee Myung-bak succeeded Roh Moo-

hyun

(December 2011) In North Korea, Kim Jong-un

succeeded Kim Jong-il as supreme leader

(2013) Park Geun-hye succeeded Lee Myung-

bak, first woman president of South Korea and