North Korea Profile
History and Current Characteristics
Throughout most of its history, Korea has been invaded, influenced, and fought over by its larger neighbors. Korea was under Mongolian occupation from 1231 until the early fourteenth century and was plundered by Japanese pirates in 1359 and 1361. The unifier of Japan, Hideyoshi, launched major invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597. When Western powers focused "gunboat" diplomacy on Korea in the mid-nineteenth century, Korea’s rulers adopted a closed-door policy, earning Korea the title of "Hermit Kingdom." Though the Choson dynasty paid tribute to the Chinese court and recognized China’s hegemony in East Asia, Korea was independent until the…
