Korean Empire

Joseon (also transcribed as Chosŏn; Korean: 대조선국; Hanja: 大朝鮮國; lit. Great Joseon) was a Korean dynastic kingdom that lasted for over five centuries. It was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the rivers of Amnok and Tuman through the subjugation of the Jurchens. During its 500-year duration, Joseon encouraged the entrenchment of Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society. Neo-Confucianism was installed as the new state's ideology. Buddhism was accordingly discouraged, and occasionally the practitioners faced persecutions. Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, literature, and science and technology. In the 1590s, the kingdom was severely weakened due to Japanese invasions. Several decades later, Joseon was invaded by the Later Jin dynasty and the Qing dynasty in 1627 and 1636–1637 respectively, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy, for which the country became known as the "hermit kingdom" in Western literature. After the end of these invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace and prosperity, along with cultural and technological development. What power the kingdom recovered during its isolation waned as the 18th century came to a close. Faced with internal strife, power struggles, international pressure, and rebellions at home, the Joseon kingdom declined rapidly in the late 19th century. The Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean culture, etiquette, norms, and societal attitudes toward current issues, along with the modern Korean language and its dialects, derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon. Modern Korean bureaucracy and administrative divisions were also established during the Joseon period.

Yongsan Garrison (Korean: 용산기지; Hanja: 龍山基地), meaning "dragon hill garrison," is an area located in the Yongsan District of central Seoul, South Korea. The site served as the headquarters for U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea, known as United States Forces Korea (USFK), and as United States Army Garrison Yongsan (USAG-Yongsan) until 2018, under the supervision of the U.S. Army's Installation Management Command Pacific Region. From 1910 to 1945 it served as headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Army in Korea.The USFK headquarters relocated to the new $11 billion Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek south of Seoul in 2018, as part of the Yongsan Relocation Plan. By the end of 2019, more than 20,000 U.S. troops and family members will have been relocated to the new Camp Humphreys facility south of Seoul. While most of the land will be returned to the South Korean government, the U.S. will retain a small portion of land in order to keep open the Dragon Hill Lodge military resort hotel and for a future site to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Korean officials are still debating the future use of the land being returned, with some calling for a large park and others calling for more affordable housing.

Itaewon (Korean: 이태원, IPA [itʰɛwʌn]) is the area surrounding Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is served by Seoul Subway Line 6 via Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hanganjin stations. About 22,000 people reside in the district and it is a popular area for residents of Seoul, tourists, expats and U.S. military personnel. It is known as Seoul's International District and is the home of many foreigners in South Korea.

The Korean Provisional Government (KPG), formally the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, was a partially recognized Korean government-in-exile based in Shanghai, China, and later in Chongqing, during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea. On 11 April 1919, a provisional constitution providing for a democratic republic named the "Republic of Korea" was enacted. It introduced a presidential system and three branches (legislative, administrative and judicial) of government. The KPG inherited the territory of the former Korean Empire. The Korean resistance movement actively supported the independence movement under the provisional government, and received economic and military support from the Kuomintang ("Chinese Nationalist Party"), the Soviet Union, and France.After the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945, figures such as Kim Gu returned. On 15 August 1948, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was dissolved. Syngman Rhee, who was the first president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, became the first President of the Republic of Korea in 1948. The current South Korean government claims through the 1987-amended constitution of South Korea that there is continuity between the KPG and the current South Korean state, though this has been criticized by some historians as constituting denialism. The sites of the Provisional Government in Shanghai and Chongqing (Chungking) have been preserved as museums.

Dragon Hill Lodge is a U.S. Department of Defense - owned hotel in Seoul, South Korea. It is co-located with and is a part of the Yongsan Garrison (which means "Dragon Mountain" in Korean) military community. The Lodge is an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) resort hotel and serves thousands of guests each year, all of whom are required to be active or retired military, DOD employees, or their family members. The Lodge was built completely with soldier-dollars with no congressional funding support. Rates are determined by the rank of the guest as well as the guest's reason for visiting. Guests traveling on business are charged a higher rate.

Noksapyeong Station is a subway station on the Seoul Subway Line 6. It is located on the eastern end of the Yongsan Garrison, and the western end of Itaewon. It is the main station servicing the Haebangchon and Hoenamu-gil communities, which are known for having significant foreign populations. This station has low ridership due to its location, but is noted for its impressive interior design. It has five underground levels, and a glass dome on top of the building lets in sunlight which permeates throughout the station. In addition to being featured in Korean movies and dramas, weddings could be held there at no cost for a few years after opening. The embassy of the Philippines in South Korea is close to this station. Namsan lies just to the north, a 20-minute walk from the station.

Seoul American High School often abbreviated as SAHS was a secondary school in Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, South Korea operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA). The school was part of the Pacific West District of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) until 2019 when the school closed.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND, Korean: 국방부) is a department within the government of South Korea (ROK) and responsible for the military branches of South Korea.

USS Erben (DD-631), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Henry Erben (1832–1909). Erben (DD-631) was launched 21 March 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. C. B. G. Gaillard, daughter of Rear Admiral Erben; and commissioned 28 May 1943.

The War Memorial of Korea is a museum located in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the Korean War and for the hoped for peaceful reunification of North and South Korea. The memorial building has six indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition centre displaying war memorabilia and military equipment from China, South Korea and the United States.

The Statue of Brothers (Korean: 형제의 상; RR: Hyeongje-ui sang) is a symbol of the Korean War at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul. Its English text reads as follows : "The Statue of Brothers is an 18 meter wide and 11-meter high symbol of the Korean War. It consists of the upper part, lower part and inner part. The upper part of the statue depicts a scene where a family's older brother, an ROK officer, and his younger brother, a North Korean soldier, meet in a battlefield and express reconciliation, love, and forgiveness. The lower tomb-shaped dome was built with pieces of granite collected from nationwide locations symbolizing the sacrifices made by our patriots. The crack in the dome stands for the division of Korea and the hope for reunification. Objects inside the dome include a mosaic wall painting that expresses the spirit of the Korean people to overcome the national tragedy and a map plate of the 16 UN Allied Nations that dispatched troops to the war. The links of iron chain on the ceiling signify the unbreakable bonds of a unified Korea."The statue is located in the south-west corner of the exterior exhibit area.

Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda (Korean: 경천사십층석탑) is National Treasure of Korea No. 86. It was designated by the South Korean government on December 20, 1962. An inscription on the first story of the pagoda states that it was erected in the fourth year of King Chungmok in 1348. The pagoda was first placed at the now-lost Gyeongcheonsa Temple which sat at the foot of Mt. Buso in Gwangdeok-myeon, Gaepung-gun, Gyeonggi-do Province. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, in 1907 the pagoda was taken to Japan. In 1918, the pagoda was returned and placed on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Today, the pagoda stands in one of the main halls of the National Museum of Korea. The pagoda stands 13.5 m in height and is ten storeys tall. However, because of the three-tiered foundation, it is a common mistake to believe that the pagoda has thirteen storeys. Unlike most Goryeo-era pagodas, this pagoda is made from marble. The preferred material of Korean sculptors was generally granite. The later Joseon-era Wongaksa Pagoda is stylistically very similar and is believed to have been heavily influenced by the Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda. Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda sits on a three-tiered foundation which projects in four directions like a cross. The first three storeys of the pagoda share the same shape as the foundation. Each panel of this tiered foundation is carved with Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, flowers, and arabesque patterns. The remaining storeys are square in shape and share intricate detailing which tries to create the illusion that the marble pagoda is made from wood. Each remaining storey has railings, a hip-and-gabled roof, eaves, and carvings made to suggest that each roof is tiled. This pagoda is very valuable because it preserves the Goryeo-era wooden architectural style that has been mostly lost. According to the South Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, this pagoda is one of the finest examples of Korean stone work and is of high artistic value.