Korea

The Koreas: North and south

1. A divided peninsula
a. Ancient Korea
i. The ancestors of the modern Koreans came from Manchuria
ii. Over the centuries many clams controlled the area
iii. In 100b.c., china controlled the north of the peninsula
iv. After this, they won back their territory
v. By 300, the three kingdoms formed on the peninsula
vi. In the 660s, the kingdoms were unified by the stronger kingdom
vii. The Japanese took over the area in 1910, and lost it after WWII
b. The Two Koreas: Best Korea and South Korea
i. After WWII the north was controlled by the USSR
ii. After 1950, northern troops invaded the south, starting the Korean War.
iii. The war ended in 1953, with a treaty that divided Korea into the communist and democratic countries we know today
2. Influences on Korean Culture
a. The Chinese Influence
i. Confucianism was adopted by the Koreans
ii. Buddhism also influenced Korea
b. Other cultural differences
i. Since WWII Communism has had a major influence on the north, while the south has been mostly westernized
3. Moving toward unity
a. An armed society
i. After WWII both countries developed huge armies: South with 600,000 troops, and the north with well over a million.
ii. The north is thought to have chemical weapons, and has tested nuclear ones
b. A single flag
i. In 2000, the two countries had a sumit where they declared their hopes to reunite the countries
ii. After this, tensions along the borders decreased
iii. At the Olympics, they came together under one flag
iv. Despite this, there is still tension, where in a South Korean ship may or may not have been torpedoed by the North
4. Economic and human resources
a. Economic patterns
i. If they were to reunite, korea would be a power house
ii. The north would be able to supply many resources, and the south could make stuff with it.
iii. The south is one of the strongest trading nations in the world
b. Population patterns
i. South Korea has 45% land area of the peninsula, and 66% population
ii. Seoul is the largest city in the south with a population with 10 million
iii. Pyongyang is the largest in the north, with 2.5 million
5. Summary
a. This section went over the cultural differences of North and South Korea. It talked about the Effects of the west on the south, and communism on the north. It taught about their hopes of reunification, and the steps towards it.