Today in Korean history

Today in Korean history



Aug. 11

661 -- China's Tang Dynasty (618-907) launches another series of attacks against
Pyongyang, capital of the kingdom of Koguryo established in 37 B.C. and
incorporating territory in what is now North Korea and northeastern China.

Tang forces, under the leadership of Su Dingfang, besieged Koguryo's capital in
the winter of that year. While previous attempts to destroy Koguryo failed at the
border, food and strategic assistance from the southern kingdom of Silla allowed
Tang forces to reach the capital city. Known as the Three Kingdoms period, the
Korean Peninsula during this era was divided by Koguryo in the north, Silla in
the southeast and Baekje in the southwest.
In an effort to unify the peninsula and to aggrandize its territory, Silla formed
an alliance with the Tang Dynasty, destroying Koguryo and brining an end to its
770-year history.
Koguryo's cultural legacy was later adopted by the Koryo Kingdom (918-1392),
which succeeded Silla as ruler of the peninsula and took its name from the
ancient kingdom.

1903 -- The Joseon Dynasty signs a trade agreement with Denmark.

1980 -- Legendary swimmer Cho Oh-ryun, who won four gold medals in the Asian
Games in the 1970s, swims across the strait between the South Korean port city of
Busan and the Japanese island of Tsushima.

1992 -- The nation's first satellite, Wooribyeol I, blasts off from French
Guiana, opening Korea's space age. The satellite was used to conduct scientific
experiments, such as taking photographs of the earth's surface, and broadcasting
a Korean program.
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