Let me tell you briefly about Korean history

The Spirit of the National Foundation: Devotion to the Welfare of all mankind (Hongik Ingan)

Gojoseon, the first ancient Korean kingdom, was founded upon “Hongik Ingan” as its national ideal, which means changing the world beautifully through love and service instead of violence and war. Prime Minister Kong Bin of Wei dynasty, a powerful state of ancient China neighboring Gojoseon, wrote the following in Dongi Yeoljeon about Gojoseon. “This country is rather large but not arrogant about itself; its army is rather strong but does not invade another country.” Furthermore, he recorded that his ancestor, “Kong Zi (Confucius),” was willing to reside in this country. Republic of Korea now serves the world as the second largest volunteer dispatching nation. Gojoseon’s national spirit of devotion to the welfare of all mankind continues to be demonstrated by the youths of present Korea.

The System of Silla Kingdom: The Establishment of a Thousand Year Kingdom

Silla kingdom is one of the few kingdoms in world history which lasted for more than one thousand years. Queen Seondeok (Reign 632 – 647), the first queen in Korean history, laid the groundwork for the thousand years of Silla rule. Queen Seondeok overcame the stereotypes held by a patriarchal society that woman could not be a good ruler, ascending to the throne, ruling wisely, and selecting fit individuals for higher positions in the government. In the reign of Queen Seondeok, Silla was transformed from the weakest power of the Korean peninsula to a powerful prospering kingdom which at last would unite the peninsula. Modern Korean women are participating in and contributing to many fields including politics, economy, society, and culture. A thousand years of Silla’s system and Queen Seondeok’s spirit have continued to greatly inspire and challenge modern Korean women.

Dream of the Goguryeo Kingdom: An empire of the Son of Heaven, Communicating with the World with pride as the Center of the World

King Gwanggaeto(374-413) the Great of Goguryeo kingdom was one of the most powerful kings in the five thousand years of Korean history; his gravestone is engraved by the record of Goguryeo’s founding father as “the Son of Heaven.” Goguryeo’s pride as an empire of “The Son of Heaven” had brought about a rapid growth of the country as one of the most powerful countries in 5th century East Asia. However, the dream of Goguryeo was not exclusive to others. Instead, the kingdom expanded through communication and collaboration with its neighboring kingdoms. Goguryeo’s dream has continued to inspire the present Republic of Korea whose dream is to become the center of Asia, a gateway to northeast Asia in 21st century, and a country that shares its dream and extends a hand of friendship to people from all over the world.

Baekje’s Culture: Created the Korean Wave in the Ancient World

Centrally located on the Korean peninsula for hundreds of years, the Baekje Kingdom positioned itself as a global city by connecting with China and Japan. It became the hub of cultural exchange in Asia by actively building relationships with many other Asian countries, including Vietnam and India. In the 4th century, Baekje began to spread Chinese literature, Confucianism, astronomy, the calendar, and geographical knowledge to Japan. It also introduced Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century, and contributed to developing Japan’s first Buddhist culture, known as the Asuka culture. Baekje was the forefather of the Korean cultural wave in ancient times. The Korean Wave, Hallyu, is now sweeping across Asia and the world.

Gaya’s Iron: Blooming of the Prosperous Iron Culture in Northeast Asia

Gaya kingdom, located on the important strategic location in the middle of the south coast, Nakdonggang River delta, played a leading role in intermediating trade between China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan. Gaya also formed a unique arts culture with its progressive and open spirit. For example, they produced clay wares and invented the Gayageum, one of the most iconic Korean string instruments. Above all, Gaya developed an outstanding iron manufacturing industry and was renowned as the center of international trade through its production of abundant and high-quality iron. The fame of the ancient Gaya kingdom as a peerless producer of iron in Northeast Asia has continued to be the pride of the Republic of Korea, which can be seen in the manner it has transformed itself by creating one of the world’s best iron and steel manufacturing industries.

Balhae’s Historical Identity: Succeeded Goguryeo and Established Independence

After the fall of Goguryeo in 668, its territory and culture were lost and Goguryeo refugees were dispersed over a wide area. However, a sense of their historical identity remained strong enough to establish Balhae. Balhae declared that it had recovered the former Goguryeo territory and had inherited traditions from Buyeo, a precursor to Goguryeo. It established a relationship with Tang China, the dominant power of the time, on an equal basis. Balhae’s strong sense of historical identity was revived to create a spirit of resistance and independence during the Japanese Occupation (1910-1945). During the 35 years of harsh Japanese colonial rule, the Korean people suffered from various forms of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Despite these challenges, Koreans never stopped their efforts to recover their independence through such activities as establishing the Korean provisional government in Shanghai, and creating the Korean Liberation Army. All of these were possible due to the strong historical identity that had been passed down from our Balhae ancestors.

Goryeo’s Technology: Invented the World’s First Movable Metal Type

Renowned international news media, including Life Magazine, named movable metal type as one of the greatest inventions that changed the world in the past millennium. The invention of movable metal type marked a turning point in history by ending the monopolization of knowledge and information by the privileged elite. Goryeo was the first in the world to invent movable metal type printing. Its advanced metal type printing technology is evident in Jikji, which is the world’s oldest extant book, printed in 1377 using movable metal type. This technology continued to evolve during the Joseon Dynasty, and was spread to Japan and other regions. As a result, it made a profound impact on the history of Eastern printing. Such creativity is the foundation of Korea’s creative technologies, enabling Korea to lead the IT and smart revolutions in the 21st century.

Joseon’s Political Philosophy: The Basis of a Nation is its People

The political philosophy during the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty was “Minbon” politics, which values the people the most. Joseon’s kings believed that their power was given to them by heaven and the people, and thus all policy decisions should be made on the basis of the best interest of the people. Sejong the Great (1397– 1450) was a ruler who best embodied Minbon politics during Joseon. With this people-oriented politics, Sejong invented an alphabet for the people, which is an unprecedented accomplishment for any ruler in history. His care for the people motivated him to work hard, and led to significant advancements in all areas of society, including politics, economy, culture, and national defense. The basic idea of this centuries old philosophy is that a ruler exists to serve the people, not the other way around. This philosophy enabled Korea to achieve democratization in the 20th century, taking the shortest period of time in world history.

Spirit of Independence: Korea becomes the light of Asia that brings hope to the world.

After thousands of years of independence, Korea was invaded and occupied by Imperial Japan. During the Japanese Occupation, Korea’s human and material resources were thoroughly exploited, and its language and culture were also significantly damaged. The Korean people fought tenaciously for independence. Particularly, over two million Koreans participated in the March 1st Independence Movement and cast the light of hope on many other Asian countries that were suffering from a similar fate. This movement led to the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government in 1919, which represented the Korean nation and played a central role in the Korean independence movement. The Japanese Occupation Period was the darkest moment in Korean history. However, Korea still shined brightly with the spirit of the Korean people to save their country and protect freedom and peace. By following in the footsteps of their ancestors, Koreans brought harmony to the world by successfully hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympics during the Cold War era. In 1997, Korea was faced with a severe economic crisis. By overcoming that challenge, Korea has again become the hope of the world.

Korean Unification: Korea will become the seed of world peace, prosperity, and sharing.

After the Japanese Occupation Period, the Republic of Korea was established in 1948. Korea was divided along ideological lines, and millions of Koreans became victims of the Korean War. After the war, all of Korea was devastated, and the Korean people were separated into the South and the North. However, Korea overcame poverty and hardship and transformed itself into one of the world’s top 10 economies. It also achieved democratization. Now, Korea has a new vision for its future. That is the unification of Korea. Korean unification does not simply mean resolving the division of its territory and creating one Korea. Korean unification will bring peace to the world by eliminating military tensions between the two Koreas and North Korean nuclear threats, and bring prosperity to the world by connecting the economies of Northeast Asia and the world. We will also make a further contribution to the world through the sharing of our experience of creating peace and prosperity. In the 21st century, a unified Korea will serve as the hub of Asia, the gateway to Northeast Asia, and a country of friendship that shares its dreams and visions with people from all around the world. We will inspire the world by leading in peace, prosperity, and a culture of sharing.