Although invasions by the marauding armies of North and Central Asia have characterized a great deal of Korea's history, the Korean people have managed to retain their distinct political and cultural identity. At one point, Korea was the staging area for the export of Chinese culture and ideas to Japan and in the process, the Koreans have borrowed many attributes of the Chinese civilization.

Archaeological sites suggest that humans have inhabited the Korean peninsula since Neolithic times (circa 4,270 BC). The Three Kingdoms Period refers to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD when a number of different tribal peoples were able to consolidate power under three confederations. Tribal warfare and Chinese invasions followed for hundreds of years until the last of the major kingdoms, led by the Silla confederation, consolidated much of the Korean peninsula and obtained sovereignty from the Chinese in the early 8th century. The effects of this unification and sense of nationhood continued to exist up until the division of North and South Korea in 1945.

Buddhism flourished during the Silla reign. The lavish funding of Buddhist temples and images was perceived as bringing good fortune to the nation (not unlike recent times where the Buddha's tooth was presented to Korea as a gift from India). In the mid-8th century the Pulguk-sa temple complex was built, representing the zenith of Korean culture and piety. Struggles and invasions characterize the next few centuries: the Mongols began incursions in the early 11th century and repeatedly invaded during the Koryo Dynasty. Mongol domination has had a profound cultural impact on the Korean people including knowledge of medicine, astrology and artistic techniques.

The end of the 14th century marks the transition to the mighty Yi Dynasty which was to last 500 years adopting Confucian doctrines as norms for daily life. The spread of Confucianism wiped out much Buddhist ritual and teachings, replacing it with the authoritarian and patriarchal systems of Confucianism. The 19th century was a time of social unrest and turbulence within the nation as well as the military incursions of her neighbors and western seafaring armies. By the mid-1800's, Korea was seen as the battleground for competing international powers in the global arena.

One hundred years later, we see the same game being played: Korea is divided at the 38th Parallel in 1945 and the subsequent Korean War was a costly struggle involving the world's superpowers. The modern history of political alignment predicts the evolution of North and South, economically as well as socially. South Korea's democratic path has fostered an environment of opportunity and creativity while the people of the North continue to endure widespread drought and authoritarian domination over resources and freedoms. In the summer of 1988, Seoul hosted one of the most successful Summer Olympics to date.

Korean food is at once bold and subtle and demands active discernment among flavors, aromas and textures. Exotic kimchi , a highly-spiced pickled vegetable side dish, has made Korean food famous throughout the world. According to tradition, the prepared vegetable is buried in large earthenware pots to keep it from fermenting during the winter months. Exotic herbs and plants also make up a healthy part of the Korean diet: plants such as fern bracken, wild aster and broad bell flowers as well as numerous varieties of fungi, raw greens and seaweed are used in certain dishes for their medicinal effects. Finally, perhaps most familiar to Westerners is pulgogi , Korean barbecue with marinated strips of beef grilled over a charcoal brazier.

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