The following is a timeline of early
Korean History. Information presented on this timeline comes from the USC Berkley history
seminar, 1994. It is the product of the research of
Stephen Jungels, Sungnam Kim and Teresa Sanchez.
Ancient Korea
700000 B.C Start of
human habitation
6000 BC-4,000 BC New
stone age in Korean peninsula
2333 BC Founding of old Choson by Tangun
1122 BC Alleged arrival of Kija from Shang China (contentious)
approx. 1000BC Start of bronze working in Liaodong
peninsula (Ex. Pipa-like
bronze daggers)
311 BC
Invasion of Qinkai of Yen, loss of 2000-li
territory
194 BC Wiman usurps the
throne of Chosun's King Jun
108 BC Invasion by Emperor Wudi of Han
dynasty and establishment of Four Commandaries (highly controversial)
82 BC Commandaries Zhenfan and Lindun eliminated
75 BC Xuantu commadary removed from peninsula
"Three Kingdoms" Era
76 BC - 56 AD Formation of various states: Puyo, Chinhan , Mahan, Pyonhan, Okcho, Tongye, etc.
57 B C Founding of Shilla
37 BC Founding of Koguryo
18 BC Founding of Paekche
42 AD Founding of Kaya
49AD First record of contact between Puyo and
China
244 AD Wei invasion of Koguryo
246 AD Paekche take-over of Liaoxi
342 AD Invasion of Koguryo by Murong-huang of Xianb i
369 AD Paekche eliminated Mahan
371 AD Paekche invasion of Koguryo; Koguryo's
king Koguk-won killed
372 AD Koguryo acceptance of Buddhism
384 AD Paekche
importation of
Buddhism
391 AD--409 AD Reign of King Kwanggaet'o
433 AD Paekche-Shilla military
alliance formed
475AD Major Koguryo invasion of Paekche; Pae kche moves capital to Ung-jin (pr esent Kongju)
520 AD Major institutional reforms by Shilla's king Pªp-heung
532 AD Shilla annexation of Great Kaya (Tae Kaya)
538 AD Song-wang moves Paekche
capital to Sabi (present Puyo)
551 AD Shilla breaks pact with Paekche. Takes over Han river area. Paekche's Sªng-wang killed in
battle.
562 AD Complete Shilla annexation of Kaya
612 AD Major Sui invasion o f Koguryo; crushed by Ulchi- mundok and Koguryo
army at Sal-su
642 AD Invasion by Taizong of Tang against Koguryo; routed at Ansi fortress
654 AD
Death of Yonkae- somun
660 AD Shilla-Tang
allied forces conquer Paekche
663 AD Defeat of the Paekche restoration movement
668 AD Fall of Koguryo to Shilla-Tang army
671 AD Shilla drives out Tang army stationed in old Paekche territory
676 AD Shilla
defeats Tang near Mae-cho fortress, complete hegemony over much of the peninsula (present Yong-i
n)
North-South Kingdom Era
681 AD King Shinmun of Shilla conducts major political
purge to reaffirm royal
authority
698 AD Establishment of Jin-kuk (Palhae) by Tae Jo-yong
705 AD Normalization of Tang-Palhae relations: Tang recognition of Palhae
existence
721 AD Shilla builds a long wall on Palhae border
731 AD Successful Palhae occupation of Dengzhou, Shandong
733 AD Shilla-Tang invasion of Palhae. Not successful.
751 AD Construction of Pulguk-sa temple and S?kkuram grotto
780 AD Kim Yangsang murders King Hyegong and usurps throne as King Sungdok; marks beginning of many palace
feuds to follow
818 AD - 830 AD
Reign of King Sun of Palhae; height of Palhae
power
828 AD Chang Bogo establishes Chonghae fortress (present Wando)
835 AD Major palace
coup; Kim Kyun-jong becomes king in one of the bloodiest
palace coup in history. He is in
turn killed by nephew Chae-yung, who becomes King Hung-dok
846 AD Dismantling of Chonghae fortress; Chang Bogo assassinated.
892 AD Establishment of Later Paekche (Hu-Paekche) by Kyon-hwon.
901 AD Establishment of Later Koguryo (Taebong-guk) by Kung-ye
918 AD Establishment of Koryo by Wang-kon
935 AD
End of Shilla