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Koguryo

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Largest of the three kingdoms into which ancient Korea was divided until 668.

Tradition sets its founding at 37 BC, but modern historians believe the tribal state was formed in the 2nd century BC. Eventually the northern half of the Korean peninsula, the Liaodong Peninsula, and much of Manchuria were under Koguryo's rule. Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism all influenced the kingdom, which fell to the allied forces of China's Tang dynasty and the southern Korean kingdom of Silla in 668. Numerous surviving tomb paintings give a good picture of the life, ideology, and character of Koguryo's forceful, horse-riding northern people. See also Parhae.

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More from Britannica on "Koguryo"...
44 Encyclopędia Britannica articles, from the full 32 volume encyclopedia
> Koguryo
the largest of the three kingdoms into which ancient Korea was divided until 668. Koguryo is traditionally said to have been founded in 37 BC in the Tongge River basin of northern Korea by Chu-mong, leader of one of the Puyo tribes native to the area, but modern historians believe it is more likely that the tribal state was formed in the 2nd century BC.
> Koguryo style
Korean visual-arts style characteristic of the Koguryo kingdom (37 BC–AD 668) of the Three Kingdoms period. The Koguryo were a horse-riding northern people, and their art was powered by the forceful spirit of a hunter-warrior tribe. Their fresco paintings on the walls of tombs are characterized by movement and emotion rather than formal beauty and decorative visual ...
> Three Kingdoms period
 in Korean history, the period (from c. 57 BC to AD 668) when the country was divided into the kingdoms of Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche (qq.v.).
> Literature of the Three Kingdoms: 57 – 668
    from the Korean literature article
In contrast to the literature of the earliest ages, which is characterized by collective artistic activity, that of later ages shows the effects of political, economic, and cultural changes as the peninsula increased in wealth and widened its contacts with other areas. The introduction of Buddhism and Chinese characters to the Three Kingdoms enriched their literature and ...
> The Three Kingdoms
    from the Korea, history of article
Apart from Choson, the region of Korea developed into tribal states. To the north, Puyo rose in the Sungari River basin of Manchuria. Chin, which had emerged south of the Han River in the 2nd century BC, was split into three tribal states—Mahan, Chinhan, and Pyonhan. These states formed leagues, or tribal federations, centred on a leading state. The tribal leagues ...

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3 Student Encyclopedia Britannica articles, specially written for elementary and high school students
History
    from the Korea article
Archaeological evidence indicates that people lived in southwestern Korea well before 10,000 BC. Later, Korea was inhabited by at least two distinct groups of people who migrated from the north. One group consisted of fishermen and shellfish gatherers, who settled along the rivers and the seacoast about the 3rd millennium BC. They produced an earthenware that is known as ...
The Fine Arts
    from the Korea article
Korea's artists have been strongly influenced by the cultures of neighboring nations. Nevertheless, they have always produced sculptures, paintings, and pottery that are peculiarly their own.
Early Literature
    from the Korean literature article
Traditional Korean literature was mainly poetic, accompanied by music and folk dancing. Ancient Korean songs dealt with religious ceremonies, praise of nature, and peasant life.