History of Asian Nations

1. Korea-Enclave of Christianity in
East Asia
Presented by
Young, Jin, Month, Benz, Shunko

2. Two Koreas
Today
 South Korea
 Land Area
100,210 km²
 Population 48,846,823
 Capital City “ Seoul”
 North Korea
 Land Area
120,540 km²
 Population 23,113,019
 Capital City “Pyong Yang”

3. Geography

4. Land and People
 Korea is romantically known as “ Land of the
Morning Calm” (Chosun)
 The country is almost completely covered by
mountain ranges.
 The climate is temperate, with cold winters and
hot summers.

5. Early History
 According to myth, a centralized
Gojoseon kingdom was founded by a
hero named Dangun in 2333 BC.
 It was him who gave name Chosun.
 His capital was in present-day
Pyongyang.
 Then China occupied the northwest area
of Korea until 313 AD.

6. Meanwhile…

7. Three independent kingdoms
ruled Korea…

8. Shilla(668 to 935 AD)
 During their supremacy, new arts and
sciences flourished.
 From China Buddhism influenced their
cultures.

9. Koryo(935 to 1392)
 Koryo destroyed Shilla rule.
 It gave the country modern name “Koryo”.
 Koryo fought against Mongol invasion and
kept independence of the country.

10. Kokuryo
 Destroyed the last Chinese command and
became the dominant power.
 Kokuryo expanded their territories into
Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and south Korea.
 It was constantly at war with China’s Thang
dynasty.

11. Hermit Kingdom(1644-1876)
 At the end of the 16th century, the Japanese
shogun Hideyoshi invaded Korea but failed.
 Korea enjoyed nearly 200 years of peace
and seclusion as “the Hermit Kingdom”.

12. Japanese Rule
 Japan gained control of Korea as a result of
war with China and Russia.
 The Japanese annexation of Korea lasted for
fifty years until 1945.
 Koreans suffered greatly in the hands of the
Japanese.
 During the First and Second World Wars, Rhee
and his compatriots fought against Japanese
and Korea was set to be free again.

13. South Korean History
 October, 1945
 Syngman Rhee
returned to South
Korea from the US
 Welcomed as a
nationalist
resistance leader
by US leadership.

14. North Korean History
 October, 1945
 Kim Il Sung
returns to North
Korea from
Manchuria
 Welcomed by
Soviets as a
nationalist
resistance leader

15. WW II in Korean History
 August 6, 1945, Atom bomb on Hiroshima
 August 8, 1945, Russians enter the war
against Japan, fulfilling their Yalta Conference
agreement
 August 9, 1945, Atom bomb on Nagasaki
 August 10/11, 1945 (about midnight), young
colonels, Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel,
under orders from Gen. McArthur, draw a
division line at the 38th parallel, keeping the
capital city, Seoul, in the American area.
 August 15, 1945, Japan Surrenders.

16. Divided Korea
 After WW2, Korea was divided by two Allied
armies that liberated it- the Russian and other
Allied forces.
 The cold war worsened relations between the
two superpowers, and the two parts of Korea
got involved and became permanently divided.
 In 1948 The Republic of Korea was born.
 Meanwhile in North Korea, a separate
government was installed- Communism.

17.  Both allied and Russian armies withdrew from
Korea.
 However, the Russians left behind a powerful
and well-equipped North Korean army and
advisor.

18. Korean War
 On June 25, 1950, the north Korean army
launched a surprise attack in south Korea.
 UN security Council declared the invasion as
a “ruthless act of aggression”.
 Korean bonds with Filipinos are strong, due
to Christianity, and dating to the time of the
Korean War.

19. Korean War Ends
 Cease Fire July 27, 1953
 Neither Korea Signed Armistice
 State of war continues
 Both Koreas considered themeslves
the only legitimate authority
 Both Koreas had aurhoritarian
dictatorships at least through 1987

20. Christianity in Korea
 Revolves around two of its largest branches, Protestantism and
Catholicism, accounting for 8.6 million and 5.3 million
members respectively.
 Roman Catholicism was first introduced during the late Joseon
Dynasty period.
 In 1603, Yi Gwang-jeong, Korean diplomat, returned from
Beijing carrying several theological books written by Matteo
Ricci, a Jesuit missionary to China.
 He began disseminating the information in the books and the
first seeds of Christianity were sown. In 1758 King Yeongjo of
Joseon officially outlawed Catholicism as an evil practice.
Roman Catholicism was again introduced in 1785 by Yi Seung-
hun. Korean Christians were subject to persecution.

21. Two Koreas
 Republic of Korea
(South)
 Syngman Rhee’s
Government 1948-
1960
 Pro-American
 Capitalist
 Anti-communist
 Pro Christian
 Authoritarian
 Corrupt
 Inept
 Democratic
People’s Republic
of Korea (North)
 Kim Il Sung’s
Government 1948-
1994
 Pro-Soviet / Pro-
Chinese
 Anti-American
 Communist
 Becomes anti-religion
 Authoritarian
 Isolationist

22. South Korean History
 Park Chung Hee
leads South Korea
 Military Dictator
 Harsh discipline
 Anti-communist
 Economic
development for
national security
 Fantastic economic
growth
 Terrible human
rights

23. North Korean History
 Kim Il Sung in North
Korea
 Juche Ideology
 National
independence
 Aligned with USSR and
China
 Plays them off against
each other until 1991
 Standard pattern of
brinksmanship to get
what he wants

24. Relevant History
 Kim Il Sung dies in 1994
 Kim Jong Il succeeds his
father and continues his
father’s government
patterns
 US and most experts
expected North Korea to
collapse under economic
strains and leadership
transition.

25. Quiz
 What is difference between North and South
Korea?
 What is Chosun mean?