Johnzl Mae R.

Magbago VIII - Del Pilar

Assignment in English:

Korea
Korea, called Hanguk (Korean: 한국; Hanja: 韓國) or Daehan (Korean: 대한; Hanja: 大
韓) in South Korea and Chosŏn (Korean: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮) in North Korea, is an East
Asian territory that is divided into two distinct sovereign states, North Korea (also known
as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK) and South Korea (also known
as the Republic of Korea, or ROK). Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered
by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. It is separated from Japan to the
east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
Korea emerged as a singular political entity after centuries of conflict among the Three
Kingdoms of Korea, which were unified asSilla (57 BC – AD 935) and Balhae (AD 698 –
926). The united Silla was eventually succeeded by Goryeo in 935 at the end of theLater
Three Kingdoms period. Goryeo, which gave name to the modern exonym "Korea", was
a highly cultured state and created theJikji in the 14th century. The invasions by
the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation, which
forced it into vassalage. After the Yuan dynasty's collapse, severe political strife followed.
Goryeo eventually fell to an uprising led by General Yi Seong-gye, who
established Joseon in 1388.
The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of
the Korean alphabet by King Sejong the Greatin the 14th century and the increasing
influence of Confucianism. During the later part of the dynasty, however, Korea's
isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname of the "Hermit kingdom". By the late
19th century, the country became the object of imperial design by the Empire of Japan.
Despite attempts at modernization by the Korean Empire, in 1910, Korea was annexed by
Japan and remained a part of Imperial Japan until the end of World War II in August
1945.
In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender of Japanese
forces in Korea in the aftermath of World War II, leaving Korea partitioned along the 38th
parallel, with the North under Soviet occupation and the south under U.S. occupation.
These circumstances soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the
two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean
independence. The Communist-inspired government in the North received backing from
the Soviet Union in opposition to the pro-Western government in the South, leading to
Korea's division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea. This eventually
led to war in 1950, which became the Korean War. The war did not produce a formalized
peace treaty, a factor that contributes to the high tensions which continue to divide the
peninsula.

Traditional Korean
MODERN KOREAN