朝鲜

朝鲜(Korea)

朝鲜语作Choson

亚洲大陆东岸朝鲜半岛上的历史王国。1948年分裂为两个共和国：北韩和南韩。根据传说，西元前第三千纪时可能由来自中国北方的民族建立了朝鲜古王国。西元前108年被中国征服，後来发展为三个王国：新罗、高句丽和百济。新罗於西元7世纪时征服其他两国，一直统治到935年，当时高丽王朝势力开始突起。1231年蒙古人侵略高丽。1392～1910年建立了朝鲜王国，首都在汉城，由李朝统治（参阅Yi Song-gye）。1637年实施锁国政策，不与外人接触，但在1876年被迫对日本开放港口。为了争夺朝鲜，引发了日俄战争，战後朝鲜成为日本的保护国。1910年正式被日本并吞，1945年才脱离日本控制。第二次世界大战後，被划分为两个占领区，俄国占据北方，美国占据南方。1948年各自成立共和国。亦请参阅Korean War。

English version：

Korea

Former kingdom, a peninsula (Korean Peninsula) on the eastern coast of Asia. In 1948 it was partitioned into two republics, North Korea and South Korea. According to tradition, the ancient kingdom of Choson was established in the northern part of the peninsula probably by peoples from northern China in the 3rd millennium BC. Conquered by China in 108 BC, it later developed into the Three Kingdoms of Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche. Silla conquered the other two in the 7th century AD, and ruled until 935, when the Paekche dynasty became prominent. Invaded by the Mongols in 1231, the Kingdom of Choson, with its capital at Seoul, was ruled by the Yi dynasty (see Yi Song-gye) from 1392 to 1910. From c. 1637 it shut out foreign contacts, but was forced in 1876 to open ports to Japan. Rivalry over Korea brought on the Russo-Japanese War, after which Korea became a Japanese protectorate. Formally annexed to Japan in 1910, it was freed from Japanese control in 1945. After World War II, it was divided into two zones of occupation, Russian in the north and U.S. in the south. In 1948 the two republics were established. For Korea's later history, see North Korea and South Korea; see also Korean War.