According to the Koreans, the first of their kin was born in 2333 BC. Less aesthetically-minded scientists believe Korea was first inhabited around 30,000 BC, when tribes from central and northern Asia stumbled on the peninsula. Under constant pressure from China, these tribes banded together to found a kingdom in the 1st century AD.
By 700 AD the Silla Kingdom of Korea was hitting its cultural stride, littering the country with palaces, pagodas and pleasure gardens and influencing the development of Japan's culture.
Shilla was replaced by the Kingdom of Koryo in 935 AD. It crumbled when the Mongols invaded and occupied the country for 130 years. When the Mongol Empire collapsed, the Choson Dynasty took over and a Korean script was developed.
They were driven
out in 1392 by Gen Yi Song Gye who made Seoul the national capital and
founded the dynasty that ruled Korea until 1910, despite repeated
invasions by the Japanese and Manchus.
The country was formally annexed by the Japanese in 1910 and known as Choson until it was liberated in 1945. After the war, the USA occupied the south of the peninsula, while the USSR took over the north. In 1948, the peninsula was divided into two: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. An uneasy peace existed until 1950 when war broke out. Elections to decide the fate of the country were held only in the south, and when the south declared its independence, the north invaded. The ensuing war lasted until 1953 (or is still continuing, if you count MASH re-runs). An armistice was signed in 1953 readjusting the division along the 38th parallel.
By the time the war ended, two million people had died and the country had been officially divided. After a few years of semi-democracy in the South, martial law was declared in 1972. The next 15 years rollercoastered between democracy and repressive martial law, hitting a stomach-heaving low in 1980 when 200 student protesters were killed in the Kwangju massacre. By the late 1980s the country was at flashpoint - student protests were convulsing the country and workers all over Korea were walking off the job to join them. Among the demands were democratic elections, freedom of the press and the release of political prisoners. The government wasn't budging and civil war looked imminent until, to everyone's jaw-dropping surprise, President Chun suddenly decided that everything the protesters were asking for was alright by him.
In 1988 - the year Seoul hosted the Olympic Games - elections were held and Roh Tae-woo, another military figure, was elected president. Student protests continued apace, but, contrary to expectations, Roh significantly freed up the political system. Relations were re-established with China and the Soviet Union. In 1992, Roh was replaced by Kim Young-sam and his Democratic Liberal Party. Kim's hobby horse was corruption, and during his term of office several politicians were prosecuted for abusing the system. Most notably, ex-presidents Chun and Roh were brought to book for their role in the Kwangju massacre. Roh was sentenced to 22 years, Chun to death, but it's expected that both will eventually be pardoned.
1997 was a very bad year for South Korea's economy, with the won taking a tumble and tourism dropping dramatically. In February 1998, former dissident Kim Dae-jung became president, the first time a non-conservative had headed the country in its 50 years of independence. Kim promised to introduce economic and democratic reforms and improve relations with North Korea. By mid-1998 the South Korean economy was actually shrinking - something that hadn't occurred for nearly two decades. Rising bankruptcies and soaring unemployment led to large-scale labour unrest, but the economy is now on the move again. Making good on promises of more neighbourly relations with North Korea, Kim made an historic visit to shake the hand of reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, in June 2000. As a sign of good faith he allowed the North Korean government to arrange for his security.