Kochoseon  Koguryo  Silla  Paekjae  Kaya  Palhae  Koryo  Chosun dynasty  Japan Occupation  DPR Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 1945-present

Days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the country was effectively split into two occupation zones. As post-war optimism was replaced by the mutual mistrust of the Cold War, the two Koreas developed into vastly different countries. By 1948, political and social polarization had made reunification effectively impossible. Founder of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army, Comrade Kim Il-sung led the armed struggle against the Japanese invaders to victory, and liberated the country and rose to prominence in the Korean Communist party and became Prime Minister in 1948.

The fatherland liberation war began a process of militarization which culminated in 1950 with the aim of "liberating" South Korea and reunifying the country. After the war president Kim Il-sung switched away from orthodox Marxist-communism to his own self-scripted doctrine of "Juche", which essentially calls for self-sufficiency in all aspects of life. This was followed by the war which devastated large parts of the country and virtually flattened Pyongyang and most other areas of Korea. Since then, the country has been busy in its task of national reconstruction, especially in heavy industrial growth and enjoyed a period of relative prosperity through the 1960s and 70s.  In 1968 ? 1969, U.S. intelligence-gathering vessel seized by Korean gunboats and US reconnaissance plane shot down.

In the 1980s however, the country began to falter. While other communist countries attempted economic reform. The collapse of communism in Europe and Russia saw Korea lose many of the few trading partners it had.  In 1991 the country join the United Nations. By the mid 1990s, a series of droughts and floods coupled with continued economic mismanagement triggered severe food shortages.

A short period of rapprochement with South Korea and the United States followed, culminating in an unprecedented summit between Chairman Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in 2000, another summit meeting between chairman Kim jong-il and South Korean president Noh Muhyun in 2007.

Welcome Ceremony

Car parade

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performed a groundbreaking concert in Pyongyang , February 26,2008, a move seen as an act of cultural diplomacy. Korea is preparing to become a member of the world community and the Korean people are trying to build bridges to share friendships, peace and dreams with people from all around the world.

Welcoming Maestro Maazel

Koreans and Americans are together

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