Korea, a peninsula of rugged mountains, lush
valleys of green rice fields, and rocky
coastlines, arches outward between China (to the
west and north) and Japan (to the east),
extending about 600 miles into the Yellow Sea.
Named after the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) and
meaning "high and clear," the Korean peninsula
has long served as a cultural bridge between
China and Japan. Throughout the centuries,
Korean artists frequently borrowed ideas from
China and Japan, but also in turn inspired their
neighbors with outstanding artistic
achievements. Korean ceramics and lacquer wares
have been particularly celebrated throughout the
world.
For hundreds of years, Confucian rules of
conduct, Taoist mystical thought, and Buddhist
religious ideals — all belief systems and values
imported from China — were expressed throughout
Korean culture. At times, however, contact with
neighboring countries was aggressive and
militant. The Japanese and Manchurians invaded
Korea sporadically for centuries, until Japan
annexed Korea in 1910; its occupation lasted
through the end of World War II. Since 1948, the
Korean peninsula has been divided into two
nations: North Korea, governed by a communist
regime, and South Korea,
a republic with an elected government.
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