Korea

• Gwandong Palgyeong - "8 Landscapes" - along the east coast of Korea, both North and South

Historically Korea was divided between various kingdoms. At its height, the northernmost Goguryeo kingdom reached into much of what is now north-eastern China. There were three tribes in the southern part of the ancient Korean peninsula: Mahan, Chenhan, and Benhan, collectively known as the Three Hans. At that time, the northern part of the Korean peninsula was the Han four prefectures (Weiman Korea was destroyed by the Han dynasty, and Lelang prefectures, Xuantu prefectures, Zhenfan prefectures and Lintun prefectures were established, which were called Han four prefectures in history).

Apart from Chosŏn, the region of Korea developed into tribal states. To the north, Puyŏ rose in the Sungari River basin of Manchuria (now northeastern China). Qin, which had emerged south of the Han River in the 2nd century BCE, was split into three tribal states—Mahan, Chinhan, and Pyŏnhan. These states formed leagues, or tribal federations, centred on a leading state. The tribal leagues stretched across a wide area from the Sungari basin to the southern Korean peninsula. They evolved into three rival kingdoms: Koguryŏ (Goguryeo), Paekche (Baekje), and Silla. According to legends, Koguryŏ was founded by Chu-mong in 37 BCE, Paekche by Onjo in 18 BCE, and Silla by Pak Hyŏkkŏse in 57 BCE. The actual task of state building, however, was begun for Koguryŏ by King T’aejo (reigned 53–146 CE), for Paekche by King Koi (reigned 234–286), and for Silla by King Naemul (reigned 356–402).

With the support of China, Silla conquered and subjugated Paekche in 660 and Koguryŏ in 668. Not until 676 did Silla drive out the Chinese and gain complete control of the Korean peninsula. The surviving Koguryŏ people in northern Manchuria established Parhae (or Palhae; Bohai in Chinese), under the leadership of Tae Cho-yŏng (Dae Jo-yeong). The state soon came into direct confrontation with Silla. This period may be called an age of separate southern and northern states; it is customary, however, for historians to place the primary focus on Silla because little is known about Parhae, though it grew into a highly civilized state that the Chinese called the "Prosperous Country of the East". After Parhae’s demise its territory fell under the control of the northern nomadic peoples and has not since been a part of Korean history.

Wang Kŏn founded Koryŏ in 918 at Songdo (modern Kaesŏng, North Korea) and in 936 established a unified kingdom on the Korean peninsula. Wang Kŏn went to great lengths to absorb the people of the overthrown states, even accepting the survivors of Parhae, which had been destroyed by the Khitan (Liao). Proclaiming itself the successor of Koguryŏ, Koryŏ launched active campaigns to recover lost territory and clashed frequently with the Khitan in the north. Koryŏ eventually expanded its territory to the Yalu (Korean: Amnok) River.

When the dynasty was established, the territory under its control was named Chosŏn, with the approval of the emperor of China. The Chosŏn dynasty, with 26 monarchs, ruled from 1392 until the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910. Hanyang (now Seoul) was made the capital. The Confucian ethical system was officially adopted and replaced Buddhism, which had become corrupt. Many Confucian institutions of learning were set up. Chosŏn society was dominated by a hereditary aristocratic class, the yangban (literally, "two orders", meaning civil and military officials). Members of the yangban devoted themselves to the study of Neo-Confucian orthodoxy and, through civil service examinations, held public offices, their sole profession. Since they controlled all aspects of Chosŏn society and owned most of the land, the Chosŏn dynasty can be described as a yangban society.

The Korean nation was occupied and annexed by Japan from 1910 until the end of the second world war in 1945. Shortly thereafter it was divided by the allied forces and a devastating civil war, called the Korean War began in 1950 that ended three years later. Since then it has remained divided into the communist North with a hereditary dictatorship, and a capitalist — and since the 1980s, democratic — South.

The two countries have been in a state of "ceasefire" for the past 70 years; however, the relationship has always been strained and risk of another devastating war is always a possibility.

The people of Korea are known as Koreans, and are ethnically homogeneous throughout the peninsula. There are no other ethnic groups historically associated with living here, although since the 1990s, there has been immigration into South Korea from China and South East Asia. Ethnic Korean communities can also be found in neighbouring China, whose border area with North Korea, Yanbian in particular, is home to the largest Korean population outside Korea.

Although culturally the countries share the same heritage, the different paths they have taken in the past 50 years mean that you have to refer to the Wikivoyage pages for South Korea and North Korea to gain a relevant understanding.

There are not many practical examples of the Korean nation as a concept. The two Koreas occasionally team up at the Olympics under a unified flag, and there was a joint industrial zone in the North Korean city of Kaesong (cooperation lasted 15 years until pausing in 2016). South Korea regards all citizens of North Korea as Korean citizens with a right to live in South Korea (as North Korea does with citizens of South Korea), which incidentally is almost identical to the way West Germany treated East German citizens that reached its territory.

In 2024 the North Korean government adopted a more antagonistic stance against the South and has mostly abandoned any previously held aspirations towards peaceful reunification.

In the early 21st century, Korean arts and culture are attracting many enthusiasts around the world. Korea’s cultural and artistic achievements through the ages are now leading many of its young talents to the world’s most prestigious music and dance competitions, while its literary works are being translated into many different languages for global readers. Korean Dansaekhwa (monochrome paintings) have become a focus of the global art world.

The first K-pop song to successfully penetrate Western markets was PSY's Gangnam Style in 2012. The world’s craze for K-pop reached its zenith in August 2020, when the South Korean boy band BTS achieved its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with its first all-English-language single entitled "Dynamite". BTS has become the first all-South Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the first one in Asia since 1963. This outcome reflects the popularity of K-pop throughout the world. Music videos of K-pop stars such as BLACKPINK, a South Korean girl group, have gone viral on YouTube.

The original artistic sensibility of Korean culture reflected in the diverse artifacts and tomb murals of the Three Kingdoms Period became richer and more profound as Korea progressed through the periods of Unified Silla (676–935), Goryeo (918– 1392), and Joseon (1392–1910). This artistic sensibility has been handed down through the generations to today’s Korean people.

South Korea preserves a wealth of priceless cultural heritage, the majority of which have been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List to be protected for future generations. As of 2020, 50 South Korean heritage items are listed either as World Heritage Sites or Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, or included in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

There are a number of palaces in various places in Korea that have been built over the course of several thousand years and several historical monarchies. Many have survived into the present. Some have been destroyed and have since never been rebuilt. And some, such as Gyeongbokgung, have been rebuilt after being destroyed.

Although the palaces of Korea were constructed following ancient Chinese principles, Korea has maintained an independent culture for 2,000 years, thus resulting in various differences. Korean people still preserved the original elements of their architecture that show no similarities to China or Japan.