Although you may not believe the heavenly origins of Korea, what remains a fact on which archaeologists seem in agreement is that several of the seeds of whar will become later Korea were effectively sown around the date of 2333 B.C.; moreover, ancient chinese texts refer to tribal states on the peninsula during the 2nd millenium BC.

Around 3000 B.C.: the first traces of a distinctive pottery Neolithic Korean culture appear; it is followed by agriculture and domestication firmly established one millennium later.

1000B.C. : both bronze's and copper's use were widely adopted. During this period, the people who had settled in the Korean peninsula became a homogenous people and culture, within which society was divided in clans.

1122 B.C.: a former Chinese minister of state, Ki-ja, fleeing the war in northern China, organised a confederation of clans and towns known as Old Choson, which became the most prosperous of the peninsula.

108 B.C.: Old Choson surrendered to the Empire of China. Some people fled south forming there the Samhan states, developing later into the three Kingdoms of Koguryo, Paekche and Silla, while Choson was divided into four commanderies. This time is marked by the great influence of Chinese culture over the Korean people. The Chinese script is adopted, allowing access to the Chinese classics, the "contemporary standard for civilised living".

350-668 A.D.: period known as the Three Kingdoms. For a time, there was a tributary relationship established between those kingdoms and China: the political stability and the contacts with Chinese advanced culture allowed them to start a period of development and restructuring. Koguryo was the first to emerge as a regional power, until one of its two rivals, Silla, untied with the Tang Emperor Gao Zong, resulting in the destruction of Koguryo, which nonetheless gave its name to modern Korea until the Japanese annexation of 1910. It is also in Koguryo that Buddhism was first instituted as the state religion in 372

688-918 A.D.: The Peninsula is dominated by Silla which united Korea south of Pyongyang. It is a period of great achievements, both in terms of religious and secular arts. However, the glory of Silla will be short-lived both for inner tensions and wars among the Later Three Kingdoms

918-1392 A.D.: Revolts in Silla bring to the forth Kyonhwon, and his rival in the north, Wang Kon. The latter created the Koryo dynasty and submitted Silla in 936. Meanwhile, Paekche was conquered by the nomads Khitan from Manchuria and renamed Liao. Soon, another northern people, the Jin, conquered most of northern China, and seized Liao in 1125. It was soon to be followed by a major invasion by the Mongols. They invaded Korea in 1215 and some 25 years later, the royal family surrendered. They stayed on the throne, but where little more than puppets of the Mongolians. Buddhism is at its zenith.

1392-1910 A.D.: this long period that ended only with Japan's brutal occupation in 1910 is known as Choson. It started in 1392 when a Korean general, Yi Song-gye, was sent to fight against the Ming dynasty in China, but joined forces with the latter instead and, back home, overthrew the king and started a new dynasty, known as Choson. It resisted against Japan's invasion in 1592-1597. After that event, Korea became increasingly isolationist.

Lee, Ki-Baik, "A New History of Korea", Harvard-Yenching Institute Publications