A brief overlook of modern day Korean history.

1. Austin Messer
Brandon Merrill
Fred Saulog

2. • Japan ruled directly from the military for the first ten years
• In 1919, Korea demonstrated a nationwide protest
against Japanese colonialism that earned Koreans the
freedoms of expressions.

3. • Rapid Urban Growth
• Expansion of Commerce
• Mass Culture, ie: radio and cinema
• Industrial Development-by 1945 Korea was the 2nd most
industrialized nation in Asia

4. • Japanese wartime mobilization during 1937-1945 forced
many Koreans into work in factories or sent as soldiers
on the front.
• Tens of thousands of young Korean women were forced
to become “Comfort Women” for Japanese soldiers.

5. • Koreans were forced to change their names to Japanese
• 80 percent of Koreans followed these orders

6. • WWII ends in 1945
• The United States and the Soviet Union could not agree
on a unified Korean government
• In 1948, Korea was split into two separate governments.
• The Republic of Korea-South-American Zone
• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-North-Soviet
Zone

7. • June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invade the South.
• American send help to aid South Korea
• China sends forces to help North Korea

8. • The Korean War ends in 1953 with much bloodshed
• Casualties:
• 3 million Koreans
• 1 million Chinese
• 54 thousand Americans