{"id":88,"date":"2009-04-20T03:47:59","date_gmt":"2009-04-20T07:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/?p=88"},"modified":"2014-08-27T17:39:12","modified_gmt":"2014-08-27T17:39:12","slug":"the-three-kingdoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/the-three-kingdoms\/","title":{"rendered":"The Three Kingdoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that before there ever was a South and North Korea, there were three large kingdoms in what is now present day Korea?\u00a0 It’s true.\u00a0 Long before the Korean nation, Korea was nothing more than a conglomerate of three strong powers.\u00a0 This period is called the shikgukshide (\uc0bc\uad6d\uc2dc\ub300<\/strong>) or the Three Kingdoms Period.<\/p>\n

The largest of the three “states” was Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>).\u00a0 The territory of Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>) extended into Russia, China, all of North Korea and bits of South Korea.\u00a0 Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>) had amassed its territories through constant warfare.\u00a0 Although this strategy allowed Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>) to be feared among the other kingdoms, this came at the price of a lack of artistic development and culture.\u00a0 There are some cave wall paintings still left to this day, but nothing as culturally refined as the other kingdoms.\u00a0 Eventually Goguryo’s (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>) downfall was acclerated by a depletion of supplies and constant warring.<\/p>\n

The next\u00a0kingdom\u00a0is Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>).\u00a0 Although Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>) is tiny when compared to Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>), at its height it controlled parts of North Korea and the south western part of present day South Korea.\u00a0 Unlike Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>), the Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>) were more culturally advanced.\u00a0 They had knowledge of processing iron into weapons and created beautiful works of art and architecture.\u00a0 In fact the crowns of Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>) kings and queens are made of the finest craftsmanship for that period of time.\u00a0 The Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>) had trade relations with Japan.\u00a0 Japan’s Buddhist origins can be traced to its relations with the Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Last but not least is Silla (\uc2e0\ub77c<\/strong>).\u00a0 Silla (\uc2e0\ub77c<\/strong>) occupied the southeastern part of present day South Korea.\u00a0 Silla (\uc2e0\ub77c<\/strong>) had extensive relations with China’s Tang\u00a0(\ud0d5<\/strong>)\u00a0dynasty.\u00a0 Together with China, it was able to push into Goguryo (\uace0\uad6c\ub824<\/strong>) and Bekje (\ubc31\uc81c<\/strong>) territory.\u00a0 Silla was also a advanced society.\u00a0 There are burial remains of fine silk, porcelain, and gold jewelry.\u00a0 The picture on the left is a Silla (\uc2e0\ub77c<\/strong>) crown.\u00a0 The upper crust of Silla society was divided into two lineages.\u00a0 The king and the royal family belonged to the sacred bone lineage (\uc131\uace8<\/strong>), while the nobles were designated into the true bone (\uc9c4\uace8<\/strong>) lineage.\u00a0 Like all great societies, the Silla (\uc2e0\ub77c<\/strong>) civilization declined because of a conflict within these two lineages, but it left behind some great works of art that we can still see and enjoy today.<\/p>\n

So that’s a wrap up of the Three Kingdoms Period.\u00a0 It’s not here anymore, but it still continues to be a rich part of Korean history.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that before there ever was a South and North Korea, there were three large kingdoms in what is now present day Korea?\u00a0 It’s true.\u00a0 Long before the Korean nation, Korea was nothing more than a conglomerate of three strong powers.\u00a0 This period is called the shikgukshide (\uc0bc\uad6d\uc2dc\ub300) or the Three Kingdoms Period…<\/p>\n

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