Age II: The Conquerors - The Koreans Showcase

Korean History

Koreans are featured in one scenario in the Battles of Conquerors campaign.

At the same time that Rome fell and the European continent was reduced to the barbaric Dark Ages, the Asian continent was witnessing the growth and prosperity of several empires. In the Korean peninsula, three competing kingdoms struggled for power. The Koguryo lay claim to the north, the Paekche held the southwest, and the Silla controlled the southeast. Of these three, the Silla had the greatest advantage, for it had allied with China. In the 600s, with its bolstered might, Silla conquered its neighbors and established a united Korean empire. It then severed its relationship with China, kicking out its one-time ally. However, its unified rule was short-lived.

In the 9th century, the Silla crown was usurped by the power of local lords. It took the might of the Koryo state to unify the fragmented Korean peninsula in the 10th century. Once again, the Korean empire, which stretched up north to the Amnok River, enjoyed peace. Despite a military coup and transition to military rule in the 12th century, Koryo would not suffer a challenge to its hold on the peninsula until later.

Throughout history, Korea has had to deal with foreign aggression.

In 1231, the Mongols, victorious in their conquest of China, moved into Korea. The war continued for nearly30 years, but when the Mongolian horde finally quelled resistance in China and could bring its full might to bear on the tiny Korean nation, Koryo surrendered in 1258. However, the Mongols, as they had done in most of their other conquests of advanced civilizations, retained local customs and rules in Koryo, and prosperity returned to the once troubled land.

When the Choson kingdom came to power in the 1400s, land reform, the rise of a new bureaucracy, and the move from Buddhism to Confucianism had already taken place. Taking cues from the dynasties of China, the Choson established strong political and cultural leadership in Korea.

Even in 1592, when Japan invaded Korea, the Choson stood their ground, despite seven years of ruinous warfare. The Japanese apparently thought they could march through Korea into China, but they were repelled by the Korean admiral Yi Sun-Shin, who used the Korean turtle ships to disrupt the Japanese supply lines. Due to Yi Sun-Shin's military genius, Choson and Korea maintained their independence and continued rulership into the 20th century.