History of South Korea

Part of a series on the
History of Korea
Prehistoric period Jeulmun 8000 BC–1500 BC Mumun 1500 BC–300 BC
Ancient period Gojoseon 2333 BC–108 BC * Dangun * Gija * Wiman Jin 4th–2nd century BC Yemaek
Proto–Three Kingdoms period Takri Dongye Buyeo Eastern Galsa Okjeo Samhan Ma Byeon Jin Goguryeo Tamna Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms period Goguryeo 37 BC–668 AD Baekje 18 BC–660 AD Silla 57 BC–935 AD Gaya confederacy 42–562
Northern and Southern period United Silla (Unified Silla) 668–935 Balhae 698–926
Later Three Kingdoms period Later Baekje 892–936 Taebong (Later Goguryeo) 901–918 Unified Silla (Later Silla) 668–935
Dynastic period Goryeo 918–1392 Joseon 1392–1897 Korean Empire 1897–1910
Colonial period Japanese rule 1910–1945 Provisional Government 1919–1948
Modern period Military governments 1945–1948 North-South division 1945–present * North 1948–present * South 1948–present
By topic Architecture Art Cuisine Currency Education Geography Historiography Language Military (List · Goguryeo) Monarchs (Family tree) Names (Era names) Naval Newspapers Politics (Joseon · North · South) Religion Buddhism Christianity Islam Science and technology Women World Heritage Sites (North · South)
Timeline
Korea portal
v t e

Part of a series on the
History of South Korea
Preludes to Division 1910–48 Japanese rule 1910–45 Korean Provisional Government 1919–48 People's Republic of Korea 1945–46 USAMGIK 1945–48
First Republic 1948–60 Korean War 1950–53 Syngman Rhee government 1948–60 April Revolution 1960
Second Republic 1960–63 Yun Posun government 1960 Chang Myon cabinet 1960–61 May 16 coup 1961 Supreme Council for National Reconstruction 1961–63
Third Republic 1963–72 Park Chung-hee government 1963–79 Yushin Constitution 1972
Fourth Republic 1972–81 Assassination of Park Chung-hee 1979 December 12 coup 1979 May 17 coup 1980 Gwangju Uprising 1980
Fifth Republic 1981–87 Chun Doo-hwan government 1981–87 June Democracy Movement 1987
Sixth Republic 1987–present Roh Tae-woo government 1988–93 Kim Young-sam government 1993–98 1997 Asian financial crisis 1997–2001 Kim Dae-jung government 1998–2003 Roh Moo-hyun government 2003–08 Lee Myung-bak government 2008–13 Park Geun-hye government 2013–17 Moon Jae-in government 2017–22 Yoon Seok-yeol government 2022–present
By topic Culture Economy Education Foreign relations Military Politics Presidents (List) Science and technology
South Korea portal
v t e

The history of South Korea begins with the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945. At that time, South Korea and North Korea were divided, despite being the same people and on the same peninsula. In 1950, the Korean War broke out. North Korea overran South Korea until US-lead UN forces intervened. At the end of the war in 1953, the border between South and North remained largely similar. Tensions between the two sides continued. South Korea alternated between dictatorship and liberal democracy. It underwent substantial economic development.