During the height of power, the Balhae kingdom became so powerful that it managed to rule some parts of northern and eastern China. The Goryeo Dynasty followed the Balhae’s who quickly declared Buddhism that state religion. They also played a big part in influencing the country’s culture and tradition. Much of this tradition has lived on through the ages, despite the kingdom’s defeat in the 14th century. The Joeson Dynasty followed the Goryeo Dynasty and introduced Confucianism to the masses. It was during this period that Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, was developed and used. The country prospered, but this was not for long. Continued attacks by foreign parties unfortunately brought the dynasty to a rapid decline and the Japanese gained control. Meanwhile, North Korea formed the Provisional’s People’s Committee for North Korea and remained independent from the south. Two year later, communist North Korea (with the support of Russia and China) invaded South Korea in an attempt to unite the two factions. International support was however overwhelming and with more than 16 nations supporting South Korea, North Korea were forced to retreat and sign a peace treaty. Much of South Korea was destroyed and tensions ran high between the north and the south. After the attack by its northern counterpart, South Korea began to struggle with its internal politics. The new Rhee Syngman government collapsed, the President Par Chung-hee was assassinated and there were continued protests against further governments. These political problems luckily had a minor bearing on the country’s economic status. The economy and development of South Korea were rapidly improving. | 
