Korea
Subject
Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
Scope Note: Historical country on the Korean Penninsula in East Asia; was divided into North Korea and South Korea in the mid-20th century. From the mid-7th century CE to the mid-20th century it had a history of racial and cultural homogeneity and of political unity, fostering the evolution of a distinctive language and culture. It had a unique geographical position between two powerful neighbors, China and Japan, exposing it to invasion and occupation by both sides; it was a cultural conduit between the two. From 1392 to 1910 it flourished under the Chosŭn Dynasty (also known as the Yi Dynasty). In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and under Japanese control until Japan's defeat in World War II, in 1945.