Introduction

Background

The earliest documented kingdom on the Korean Peninsula, known as Choson, is believed to have existed around 2300 B.C. Throughout the following centuries, three primary kingdoms were established: Kogoryo, Baekche, and Silla. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo had risen to prominence, exerting influence over a large portion of the Peninsula as well as parts of Manchuria (present-day northeastern China). Nevertheless, Silla formed an alliance with the Chinese, resulting in the establishment of the first unified Korean state in 688. After Silla's decline in the 9th century, Korea achieved unity under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Korea became a focal point of fierce imperial competition among the Chinese (its historical patron), Japanese, and Russian empires. Following the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea fell under the occupation of Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan officially annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its sovereignty after Japan's defeat in 1945 during World War II. A US-backed democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was established in the southern region of the Peninsula, while a communist-style regime supported by the Soviet Union was formed in the north (North Korea, also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US and UN forces collaborated with ROK troops to defend South Korea against an invasion from North Korea, which had backing from communist China and the Soviet Union. Following the armistice in 1953, a demilitarized zone was established to separate the two Koreas.

Syngman RHEE served as the first president of the country from 1948 until 1960. PARK Chung-hee seized control in a coup in 1961. Under his contentious administration (1961-79), South Korea experienced rapid economic advancement, with per capita income increasing to about 17 times that of North Korea by 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, leading to years of political instability and continued military governance as the pro-democracy movement gained momentum. South Korea conducted its inaugural free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, which resulted in a narrow victory for former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic period. KIM Dae-jung, serving from 1998 to 2003, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts in advancing South Korean democracy and his "Sunshine Policy" aimed at engaging with North Korea. In 2013, PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former President PARK Chung-hee, became the first female leader of South Korea. In 2016, the National Assembly initiated an impeachment motion against PARK due to her alleged involvement in a scandal related to corruption and influence-peddling, leading to an early presidential election in 2017, which MOON Jae-in won. In 2022, political newcomer and long-time prosecutor YOON Suk Yeol secured the presidency by the narrowest margin in the history of South Korea.

Inter-Korean relations have been characterized by discord and tensions, marked by military provocations, missile tests, and nuclear activities from North Korea. Despite a brief thaw in relations during 2018-2019, highlighted by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and significant diplomatic engagements, including landmark US-North Korea summits, strains persisted. In 2024, North Korea declared it would cease all economic collaboration with South Korea, following earlier announcements to abandon a 2018 military agreement intended to reduce tensions along their militarized border, renouncing its long-standing aspiration for peaceful unification with South Korea, and labeling the South as its "principal enemy."