Modern day Koreans are believed to be descendents of several Mongol tribes who migrated from central Asia during the Neolithic Age (5000-1000 B.C.) and the Bronze Age. (1000-300 B.C.) However, Korean myth dates their existence to 2333 B.C. when Dangun, a mythical half divine and half human being founded their nation and people. Either way, the Korean people were not unified until 57 B.C. when the Silla Kingdom united them politically.
The Silla Era (57 B.C.-918 A.D.), which unified the Goguryeo, Baekje, and the Silla, saw great advancements in religion, commerce and education. The Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) introduced Buddhism as a prevalent feature in the Koreans culture. This is also a time when Korean arts were at their best, making its famous blue-green inlaid celadon pottery which some argue to be the finest in the world. Following the Goryeo Dynasty was the Josean Dynasty (1392-1910) led by King Taejo from 1392-1398. In 1394, Taejo moved the capitol from Songak (Gaeseong) to Hanyang (Seoul). Eventually Confucianism replaced Buddhism and a hierarchal social system took over the kingdom for five centuries.
Already weakened by its inefficient government, Korea was eventually annexed by Japan. After World War II, Korea formed separate states, the Republic of Korea (South) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North). The whole of Korea was divided into North and South using the 38th parallel, until 1950 when North Korea launched an attack on the Republic of Korea triggering the Korean War. The Korean Conflict lasted until 1953 when an armistice agreement established the Demilitarized Zone, which still divides the two states today.
All Koreans speak the same language, Hanguel, which was developed at the request of King Sejong the Great. It consists of 10 vowels and 14 consonants that are combined to form syllabic groupings. There are several dialects of Hanguel, but they are so similar to each other that the speakers have little trouble understanding each other.
The Koreans are largely an agricultural society having four distinct seasons and moderate rainfall. However 70% of the land in Korea is mountainous which makes farming more difficult. Staples of the Korean diet include rice, barley, wheat, beans and Indian millet. Secondary foods are things like kimchee, chilly paste, soybean paste and pickled fish. Hunting animals was done only when it became absolutely necessary for nutritional gain.
http://www.sogang.ac.kr/~burns/cultindex.html
http://www.koreanculture.org/history.htm
Written By: Joe Gillson