title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki started her preparation for the Australian Open at the Auckland Open seeded as No. 1 and advanced to the final, then lost to Venus Williams in three sets. Despite being seeded eighth at the Australian Open, Wozniacki was unfortunate to draw fellow former world number one and two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round, and was defeated in straight sets. After the tournament, she climbed back up to No. 5. Wozniacki then competed at the Dubai Tennis Championships where she made it all the way to the semifinals, then lost to eventual champion Simona Halep in three sets. Wozniacki's next tournament was the Qatar Open where she was seeded second. However, she lost once again to fellow former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals in straight sets, winning just four games. She rebounded at the Malaysian Open, winning the title by defeating Alexandra Dulgheru in the final in three sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's next tournament was the Indian Wells Open where she was seeded fourth. In the second round, she beat Ons Jabeur, then lost in the third round to Belinda Bencic in straight sets. She then competed at the Miami Open beating Madison Brengle in the second round and Kaia Kanepi in the third round. She lost to Venus Williams in the fourth round in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki started her clay season in Stuttgart where she was seeded fourth. In the second round, she beat Lucie Šafářová in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, she dropped just three games against Carla Suárez Navarro to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, she beat Simona Halep in a three-set thriller to reach her first clay court final since 2011. She lost to Angelique Kerber in the final in three sets, despite serving for the match in the third set. Wozniacki's next tournament was the Mutua Madrid Open where she made it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009 beating Jarmila Gajdošová, Christina McHale and Agnieszka Radwańska. She lost in the quarterfinals to Maria Sharapova in three sets. Wozniacki's next tournament was the Italian Open. She lost in the second round to Victoria Azarenka for the third time in straight sets. Wozniacki then played at the French Open as the fifth seed. She beat Karin Knapp in straight sets, then lost to Julia Görges in the second round in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki started the grass-court season at the Aegon International. She beat Jarmila Gajdošová in straight sets and Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals. She beat Andrea Petkovic in straight sets to advance to the semifinals where she faced Belinda Bencic. She retired from the match due to a back injury after losing the first three games. Wozniacki then played at Wimbledon as the fifth seed. She beat Zheng Saisai, Denisa Allertová, and Camila Giorgi to advance to the fourth round and then lost to eventual finalist Garbiñe Muguruza in straight sets. Despite the loss, Wozniacki climbed back up to No. 4.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's summer hard-court season got off to a slow start due to an ankle injury. This injury caused her to lose early at Stanford, Toronto and Cincinnati to Varvara Lepchenko, Belinda Bencic and Victoria Azarenka, respectively. Wozniacki then played at the Connecticut Open. She finally picked up her first win by crushing Alison Riske in the first round. She then beat Roberta Vinci in three sets, saving three match points in the third-set tiebreak, to advance to the quarterfinals. She breezed past Caroline Garcia, then lost in the semifinals to Petra Kvitová in straight sets. Wozniacki then played at the US Open as the fourth seed. She easily beat Jamie Loeb in her opening match to advance to the second round where she was upset by Petra Cetkovská in a close three-set match despite having four match points.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her Asian hard court swing at the Pan Pacific Open. As the top seed, she received a bye in to the second round where she easily beat Ana Konjuh. She then defeated Angelique Kerber in three sets in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she lost to Belinda Bencic for the fourth straight time in straight sets. Wozniacki's next tournament was the Wuhan Open. She lost to Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in the second round in three sets, despite being up a set and a break. Wozniacki's next tournament was the China Open. She beat Bojana Jovanovski in the first round, and won ten games in a row to beat Qiang Wang to advance to the third round. She lost to Angelique Kerber in straight sets. The loss ended Wozniacki's chances to qualify for the WTA Finals.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's next tournament was the Generali Ladies Linz. She beat Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in three sets, then lost to Kirsten Flipkens in the second round in straight sets. Wozniacki failed to qualify for the WTA Finals, but she did qualify for the Elite Trophy where she was drawn into Group D alongside Roberta Vinci and Svetlana Kuznetsova. After retiring in her first match against Svetlana Kuznetsova, Wozniacki withdrew from the tournament. She finished the year ranked at No. 17, her worst year-end ranking since 2007.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her 2016 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she was defending finalist points. She beat Danka Kovinić, Christina McHale, and Alexandra Dulgheru to advance to the semifinals where she lost to eventual champion Sloane Stephens in straight sets. Wozniacki's next tournament was the Australian Open where she lost to Yulia Putintseva in the first round in three sets, marking her worst performance at the tournament.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's next tournament was the St. Petersburg Trophy. She lost to Dominika Cibulková in the second round in straight sets. Wozniacki next played the Qatar Open for which she needed nine match points to beat Ana Konjuh in the first round. She was at one point up by a double break in the third set. In the second round, she faced Daria Gavrilova which she won in straight sets. Wozniacki then played Elena Vesnina in the third round, she fell in a grueling match. Wozniacki played in the Monterrey Open instead of defending her title in Kuala Lumpur. She defeated Olga Govortsova in the first round and Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in the second round; however, she fell in the quarterfinals to the eventual winner Heather Watson. Caroline then played at the BNP Paribas Open and fell in the second round to Zhang Shuai. This match marked the longest match so far in 2016, at 3 hours and 24 minutes. Then in the Miami Open Wozniacki made a promising start, defeating Vania King; however, she fell to 12th seed Elina Svitolina.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was scheduled to play many clay court tournaments, but she injured her ankle during a practice, which put her out for all of the clay-court season. This break saw Wozniacki fall through the rankings from 22 down to 34, the lowest since May 2008. She withdrew from the French Open because her ankle was not 100%.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki played in Nottingham, her first tournament since the Miami Open in March and her first tournament after hiring her new coach David Kotyza. Wozniacki won her first match in 10 weeks defeating Çağla Büyükakçay, but falling in yet another three-set match to Anett Kontaveit in the second round. In her last tournament leading up to Wimbledon, Wozniacki played the Eastbourne International. She showed signs of improvement from her loss of form and injury, dismissing Alizé Cornet and 7th seed Sam Stosur and dropping only seven games in the two matches, then lost in a three-set match to qualifier Monica Puig. In Wimbledon, she went unseeded in the tournament, the first time since 2008 Australian Open, and lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round, resulting in her falling out of the top 50 for the first time since February 2008.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her US hard-court season in Washington, playing the Citi Open she went on to beat Hiroko Kuwata in the first round and retired in her second-round clash with Sam Stosur despite being up a set 7–5 a sharp pain in her left arm forced her to retire. This injury also took her out of The Rogers Cup. She then played the Summer Olympic Games. Dropping four games, she beat Lucie Hradecká but fell to Czech Petra Kvitová in the second round. She failed to win a match in the Connecticut Open as she lost in the first round to young Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. However, Wozniacki's year turned around at the US Open. She slid past Taylor Townsend in three sets, then upset Svetlana Kuznetsova in round two. She then beat Monica Niculescu in two sets to reach the fourth round, in which she upended Madison Keys in two sets to reach the quarterfinals and then beat unseeded Anastasija Sevastova to enter the semifinals. Wozniacki lost the semifinal to then-new No. 1 Angelique Kerber, in two sets, and resulting at the back of the top 30 for the first time since April of this year.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki moved on to the Pan Pacific Open. In the first round, Wozniacki defeated Belinda Bencic, who had defeated her the previous year, in three sets. In the second round, she defeated fourth seed Carla Suárez Navarro, then beat qualifier Magda Linette in straight sets. In the semifinals, Wozniacki defeated defending champion Agnieszka Radwańska, which sent her off to her first final since April of the previous year. In the final, she defeated Japanese player Naomi Osaka to win her 24th WTA title, and her first title since March 2015. This was also Wozniacki's first Premier-level title since 2012.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki continued the Asian swing at the Wuhan Open. There, she had a good start, defeating Samantha Stosur in the first round. In the third round, Wozniacki faced Agnieszka Radwańska again, and this time, Radwańska came out on top. Wozniacki then competed at the China Open. She cruised past her first two matches against CoCo Vandeweghe and Roberta Vinci before going head-to-head with Radwańska for the third time in three weeks. Radwańska emerged victorious again, defeating Wozniacki in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki won her second title of the season and 25th title overall at the Hong Kong Open. She defeated Zheng Saisai, Heather Watson, Wang Qiang, Jelena Janković, and Kristina Mladenovic. This was the first time since 2012 that Wozniacki had won two WTA titles in a single season. With the win, Wozniacki returned to the top 20.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki ended the season with a run at the Luxembourg Open. The No. 2 seed had an easy first-round win against Madison Brengle, and survived a second-round encounter against Sabine Lisicki. She then was forced to retire in the quarterfinals due to sickness. Wozniacki did not play at the WTA Elite Trophy and ended her topsy-turvy season ranked No. 19 (having been as low as No. 74).


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began the year at the Auckland Open once again. This time, she was the No. 3 seed. She started out strong, breezing past Nicole Gibbs and Varvara Lepchenko, then lost in the quarterfinals to Julia Görges in three sets, despite being up a set and a break. At the Sydney International, Wozniacki was seeded tenth. She played some solid tennis against Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig, winning in three sets. Wozniacki then defeated Yulia Putintseva in straight sets in a rematch of their 2016 Australian Open first-round clash. In the quarterfinals, she was defeated by Barbora Strýcová in three close sets, despite twice being up a break in the final set.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was seeded 17th at the Australian Open. She reached the third round, defeating Arina Rodionova and Donna Vekić, but lost to Johanna Konta in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki played at the Qatar Open sliding past Kiki Bertens and Agnieszka Radwańska in the first two rounds in straight sets. She then saved two set points in the first set to beat Lauren Davis, before dispatching Monica Puig to reach the final. There she fell to the in-form Karolína Plíšková. From there she played at the Dubai Championships, also making the final there by beating Daria Kasatkina, Viktorija Golubic, Kateryna Bondarenko, Catherine Bellis and Anastasija Sevastova respectively before losing to Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the final. Despite runner-up finishes, Wozniacki rose back up to No. 14.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: At the Indian Wells Open, Wozniacki beat Magda Linette, Kateřina Siniaková and Madison Keys, not losing a set, to advance to the quarterfinals where she lost to Kristina Mladenovic. At the Miami Open, she beat Varvara Lepchenko and Sorana Cîrstea in straight sets and then advanced to the quarterfinals with a retirement from Garbiñe Muguruza. In the quarterfinals, she beat Lucie Šafářová in straight sets and in the semifinals, avenged her Doha loss to Karolína Plíšková by beating her in three sets to advance to her first ever final in Miami and her first Premier Mandatory final since 2013. She lost in straight sets to Johanna Konta.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her clay court season at the Charleston Open. She made it to the quarterfinals with straight-set wins over Annika Beck and Anastasia Rodionova. There she lost to Jeļena Ostapenko in straight sets. She next played at the Prague Open, beat Misaki Doi in the first round in straight sets, and lost to Ostapenko again in three sets despite having match point. Wozniacki next played at the Madrid Open. In the first round, she beat Monica Niculescu in three sets, then lost to Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets. In Strasbourg, Wozniacki retired from her first match against Shelby Rogers. Wozniacki then played at the French Open as the 11th seed. She beat Jaimee Fourlis in the first round in three sets, then beat Françoise Abanda without the loss of a game. In the third round, she beat CiCi Bellis in three sets and then went on to beat former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010. She lost to eventual champion Jeļena Ostapenko for the third time in three sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her grass-court season at the Eastbourne International with straight-set wins over Naomi Osaka and Elena Vesnina. In the quarterfinals, she came from a set and a double break down to beat Simona Halep and proceeded to beat Heather Watson in three sets to advance to her fourth final of the year where she lost to Karolína Plíšková in straight sets. She then played at Wimbledon as the fifth seed. She beat Tímea Babos in three sets, recovering from a break down and grass court specialist Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets. She then beat Anett Kontaveit in a come-from-behind three-set win which saw Kontaveit fail to serve for the match twice to advance to the fourth round for the sixth time. She lost to CoCo Vandeweghe in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki competed in the Swedish Open and she made her fifth final of the year, beating Pauline Parmentier, Viktorija Golubic, Kateryna Kozlova and Elise Mertens before falling to Kateřina Siniaková in the final. Wozniacki began her hard-court season in Rogers Cup in Toronto. Here she won her first ever match in Toronto defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova later in the quarterfinals she defeated the current world No. 1 for the first time, overcoming Karolina Plíšková in three sets. Wozniacki eventually made her sixth final of 2017 yet again falling at this stage, this time to Elina Svitolina. This tipped Wozniacki back into the top 5. She then competed in the Cincinnati Open defeating Elena Vesnina and Ashleigh Barty before falling in the quarterfinals to world No. 1 Karolina Plíšková. At the US Open, she defeated Mihaela Buzărnescu, then lost to Ekaterina Makarova in the second round.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: She then played at the Pan Pacific Open, where she successfully defended her title by defeating Shelby Rogers, Dominika Cibulková, Garbiñe Muguruza and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At the Wuhan Open she lost her opening match to Maria Sakkari. At the China Open, she lost in the third round to Petra Kvitová in straight sets. At the Hong Kong Open, she won her first-round match against Eugenie Bouchard but withdrew from her next match.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: At the WTA Finals, Wozniacki beat Elina Svitolina for the first time after losing to her twice in finals. She then defeated the world No. 1, Simona Halep, in straight sets. In her third and final match of round robin play, she was defeated by Caroline Garcia in three sets. Nonetheless, she still made the semifinals. In the semifinals, she beat Karolína Plíšková in straight sets to advance to the final for the first time since 2010, where she finished runner-up. In the final, she beat Venus Williams for the first time to win the biggest title of her career. By virtue of her WTA Finals crown, she moved up to world No. 3 where she would finish the season, her highest year-end ranking since 2011.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her season at the Auckland Open for the fourth straight year. She was the top seed and advanced into the final successfully, but she was defeated by the same opponent she lost to the previous year in the quarterfinals, Julia Görges, in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: At the Australian Open, Wozniacki was seeded second, her highest seeding since 2012. She defeated Mihaela Buzărnescu in straight sets and then Jana Fett in three, after being down 1–5 in the third set and saving two match points. She then beat Kiki Bertens and Magdaléna Rybáriková both in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. Beating Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets, she advanced to her second Australian Open semifinal since 2011. In the semifinals, she defeated Elise Mertens in straight sets to advance to her third Grand Slam final and her first since 2014. She then upset top seed and world No. 1 Simona Halep in three sets, to become the ninth woman to win the title after being match point down. By winning her first Grand Slam title, she regained the world No. 1 ranking on 29 January 2018 after a gap of exactly six years, which bested Serena Williams' previous record of five years 29 days.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Her next tournament was the St. Petersburg' Trophy, which she entered in the second round. She defeated Anastasia Potapova, then lost to Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals. She then played the Qatar Open and reached the semifinals by defeating Carina Witthöft, Monica Niculescu and Angelique Kerber. However, she lost to the eventual champion Petra Kvitová in three sets despite having three match points. With her Qatar performance, Caroline Wozniacki became only the fourth player in WTA history to surpass $30,000,000 in career prize earnings.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki then played the Indian Wells Open, for which she received a bye in the first round. She defeated Lara Arruabarrena and Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets and three sets respectively, then lost to eventual finalist Daria Kasatkina again in the fourth round. A week later, she entered the Miami Open, where she also received a bye in the first round. However, she lost to the Summer Olympics champion Monica Puig in three sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her clay court swing at the İstanbul Cup where she made the quarterfinals defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova and Sara Errani before retiring against Pauline Parmentier. She then played in the Madrid Open where she easily beat Daria Gavrilova and escaping Ashleigh Barty, then lost to the eventual finalist Kiki Bertens in straight sets. Heading to Rome for the first time in three years, Wozniacki made the quarterfinals. There she received a first round bye then defeating Alison Van Uytvanck and Anastasija Sevastova but got defeated by an in form Anett Kontaveit. In the French Open, she made it to the fourth round. However, she lost to Daria Kasatkina in straight sets after the match was interrupted for bad light.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: She played at Eastbourne, where she went one better than last year winning the title; she convincingly beat Camila Giorgi in round two. Next she got her first-ever win over Johanna Konta and then defeated Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals. Wozniacki then went on to save a match point to outlast Angelique Kerber to make her 53rd WTA final. In the final, she beat Aryna Sabalenka in two tight sets to win her 29th title of her career. The final marked her 600th career match-win. At Wimbledon, Wozniacki lost in second round to Ekaterina Makarova, after saving five match points.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was scheduled to start her 2018 US Open Series in Washington, but withdrew due to a right leg injury. Instead, she played in the Canadian Open, where she received a bye in the first round. However, she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets despite having three match points. One week later, in Cincinnati, she retired against Kiki Bertens in her first match of the tournament because of a left knee injury. In the US Open, Wozniacki defeated 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in straight sets, then lost to Lesia Tsurenko in the second round.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Coming into the East Asian season, Wozniacki participated in the Pan Pacific Open as the defending champion, but she lost to Camila Giorgi in three sets in the second round after receiving a bye. Then in Wuhan, Wozniacki was upset by Monica Puig for the second time this season in straight sets in the third round. A week later, in Beijing, Wozniacki won her second China Open title without losing a set. With her performance in China, she became the fifth player to secure Singapore spot.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki entered the WTA Finals as second seed and defending champion, and was drawn in the White Group. She was upset in straight sets in her first round robin match by seventh seed Karolína Plíšková, then defeated fourth seed Petra Kvitová in three sets. She was then defeated in three sets by sixth seed Elina Svitolina, ending her title defense. Shortly after, she revealed she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before the US Open.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki began her season at the Auckland Open for the fifth straight year, but she was upset in the second round by Bianca Andreescu. In Melbourne, she made to the third round but lost to Maria Sharapova in three sets. Due to viral illness, she withdrew from Doha and Dubai, which dropped her out of the top ten.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: In Indian Wells, she lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in three tight sets. In Miami, she made it to the fourth round by beating Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Monica Niculescu, but lost to Hsieh Su-wei in three sets. In April, she began her clay court season by making the final at the Charleston Open, but lost to Madison Keys in two tough sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki ended her season without winning a title for the first time since 2007. On 6 December 2019, Wozniacki announced that she would retire from professional tennis after the 2020 Australian Open in January.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki reached the semifinals of the 2020 Auckland Open, beating Paige Hourigan, Lauren Davis and Julia Görges, before losing to eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. She and good friend Serena Williams, playing doubles together for the only time in their careers, lost in the final to Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Her farewell tournament was the Australian Open. She bowed out in the third round in a loss to Tunisian Ons Jabeur. A special farewell match was decided to be held in May 2020 in the large Royal Arena in Copenhagen, however due to COVID-19 delayed until April 2022.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was a defensive baseliner, known for her counterpunching style of play; upon her retirement in 2020, she was described by "The Guardian" as "one of the most defensive players to ever reach No. 1". As her game was centered around the retrieval of balls with devastating consistency, her greatest assets on court were her movement, speed, court coverage, aggressive footwork, anticipation, balance, and stamina. Due to the fact that her game was based almost solely on defense, she was referred to as a pusher by critics, and was criticised for her reactive playing style, and lack of major weapons. Wozniacki responded to criticism of her defensive playing style by saying: "If I don't have a weapon, then what do the others have? Since I'm No. 1, I must do something right."


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's greatest weapon was her two-handed backhand, which she used to turn defence into offence. Her backhand was hit flat, and was noted for its consistent depth, pace, and penetration; she was known for her backhand down-the-line. Throughout her career, Wozniacki's weakest shot was her forehand, which was noted for its lack of depth, power, and speed. Her forehand showed no significant improvements throughout her career; this was attributed to her stubborn refusal to drop her father, Piotr Woźniacki, as her coach. To compensate for her forehand's relative weakness, she frequently utilised the moonball, a slow, high-looping shot, to push opponents far behind the baseline, and to allow her to create opportunities to attack with her aggressive backhand. Her use of the moonball was noted by tennis journalist Tumaini Carayol, who stated that she "ushered in the return" of this shot.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was known for her powerful first serve, which was recorded as high as ; this allowed her to serve aces, and dictate play from the first stroke of a point. This was considered incongruous with her weak forehand; as noted in the Guardian, "people questioned why her serve could scale 118mph and yet her forehand could not crack open an egg". Her second serve was notably weaker, and was frequently attacked by aggressive returners. Wozniacki was known for her return game, neutralising powerful first serves and attacking weak second serves; this allowed her to dominate play from a defensive position. Throughout her career, Wozniacki would typically approach the net only to retrieve short balls, and would rarely choose to finish points at the net. Alongside her defensive skills, further strengths included her mental fortitude, determination, and competitive spirit. Wozniacki stated that she preferred hard and grass courts; she liked hard courts due to the regularity of the bounce, whereas the fast pace of grass courts allowed her to defend effectively. She disliked clay courts, as she found sliding awkward, and felt that the slow pace inhibited her movement. She experienced her greatest success on hard courts, where she won 24 of her 30 singles titles.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's father, Piotr, was her primary coach since she was 14. Throughout the years, she was coached by Sven Groeneveld through the Adidas Player Development Program. She was briefly coached by Ricardo Sanchez and Thomas Johansson. In October 2013, she hired Thomas Högstedt, but parted ways in January 2014. In the same month, she hired Michael Mortensen, but cut ties with him in March 2014. Since then, Wozniacki decided to be coached again by her father Piotr for the rest of her career.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: In 2007, Wozniacki signed an endorsement deal with Adidas, who sponsored her for clothing, footwear, and apparel throughout her career; she previously wore Nike clothing and footwear. In 2009, she became an endorser for the line of tennis apparel designed by Stella McCartney for Adidas. She wore her first 'Adidas by Stella McCartney' tennis dress at the 2009 US Open, and would go on to wear McCartney's designs throughout the rest of her career. For the majority of her career, Wozniacki was endorsed by Babolat for racquets, using the Pure Aero racquet on court. From 2011 to 2013, she signed an endorsement deal with Yonex for racquets, using the Yonex VCORE racquet. From 2014, Wozniacki began to use the Babolat Pure Aero again. On 20 December 2010, she signed a three-year deal to endorse Turkish Airlines' business class service. In 2012, Wozniacki became an endorser of Compeed BlisterPatch. In 2015, Wozniacki became an endorser of Godiva Chocolatier. In 2018, she entered into a partnership with Lympo, a healthy lifestyle motivation app. Other sponsorship partners included Rolex, USANA, The Players' Tribune and Mundipharma.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: According to the June 2011 edition of SportsPro, Wozniacki was the world's ninth-most marketable athlete. According to "Forbes" in 2011, Wozniacki was the second-highest-earning female athlete in the world. In 2018, "Forbes" ranked her Number 8 in their "Most Powerful Women in International Sports" list.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki's best friend is fellow Danish tennis player Malou Ejdesgaard, who was her doubles partner in five tournaments. Wozniacki is also close friends with Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwańska, and Angelique Kerber. Wozniacki is a keen football fan and an avid supporter of Liverpool F.C.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki was in a relationship with Northern Irish professional golfer Rory McIlroy from 2011 until 2014. She announced their engagement via Twitter on 1 January 2014. On 21 May 2014, it was announced that McIlroy had ended the engagement: "The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails. I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we've had." Wozniacki later revealed that McIlroy had ended the relationship through a brief phone call and had not contacted her since.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: On 14 February 2017, Valentine's Day, Wozniacki revealed on her social media accounts that she was in a relationship with former NBA basketball player David Lee, later being confirmed by her family. The couple got engaged on 2 November 2017. Wozniacki married Lee on 16 June 2019 at the luxury resort of Castiglion del Bosco, which is near Montalcino in Tuscany. Serena Williams was one of her bridesmaids and Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwańska, and Urszula Radwańska were among the guests. Also in attendance at the ceremony were Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, basketball players Pau Gasol and Harrison Barnes, and football player Jesse Palmer.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: On February 10, 2021, Wozniacki announced on her Instagram account that she is expecting her first child, a girl, in June. On 11 June 2021, Wozniacki gave birth to a daughter, Olivia Wozniacki Lee.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: On June 19, 2022, Wozniacki announced on her Instagram account that she is expecting her second child. On October 24, 2022, they welcomed their son, James Wozniacki Lee.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: In October 2018, Wozniacki announced that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and that she would like to become a role model for people who have the condition. She was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease before the 2018 US Open, but was able to play through it. Wozniacki did suffer a drop in results after her diagnosis, until bouncing back by winning the 2018 China Open in Beijing without dropping a single set.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki and Serena Williams have met 11 times with Williams leading the head-to-head 10–1. Williams leads 2–0 in Grand Slams, 8–1 on hard courts, and 1–0 on both clay and grass. Both held the No. 1 ranking at different times between November 2009 and January 2012.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: They first met at the 2009 Medibank International Sydney with Williams winning in three tight sets saving match points. Wozniacki's only win over Williams came at the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open where she won in straight sets. In 2014 the rivalry reached its peak with the pair meeting four times and Williams winning all of them. Three of their four meetings went to three sets with Williams coming from a set down in each to win. At the Rogers Cup Wozniacki led by a set and a break before Williams came back to win it. They met a week later at the Western & Southern Open where Williams again came from a set down to win. They faced off against each other in the final at the US Open where Williams won in straight sets to claim her 18th Grand Slam title. Their most recent meeting at the WTA Finals was an epic with Wozniacki winning the first set before Williams came back to win the second set. At 4–4 Wozniacki broke Williams to serve for the match and Williams broke back. At 6–5 Wozniacki saved match point with an incredible volley and held serve to take the set to a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Wozniacki was up 4–1 before Williams came back and eventually prevailed.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Despite being rivals, the two maintain a strong friendship off court. Wozniacki visited Williams during her recovery from injury in 2011. In 2014, it was announced that McIlroy had ended his engagement with Wozniacki just days prior to the French Open. Wozniacki received a call from her best friend Williams then in time of need. After they both lost early at the French Open, they went on vacation in Miami. They attended a Mariah Carey concert the night before their semifinal match at the WTA Finals. Williams was present during Wozniacki's run at the 2014 New York City Marathon. They also went on a mini tour around New York City. Wozniacki attended Williams' wedding in 2017. Williams served as a bridesmaid at Wozniacki's wedding in 2019. In 2018, Williams posted an Instagram story during US Open with the caption "Auntie Caro" as her daughter Olympia watches her match against Stosur.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwańska have met 17 times with Wozniacki leading the head-to-head 11–6. Wozniacki leads 9–6 on hard courts and 2–0 on clay.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: They first met at the 2007 Nordea Nordic Light Open with Radwańska taking the victory in straight sets. After that win, Wozniacki won the next five matches before the streak snapped at the 2012 Apia International Sydney where she lost in three sets. Radwańska then won the next two matches before that streak was snapped at the 2014 Western & Southern Open where she lost in straight sets. After this event, Wozniacki took another four consecutive wins, then she lost at the 2016 Wuhan Open in straight sets. A week later, she lost again at the 2016 China Open in straight sets. Their next two meetings were at the 2017 Qatar Total Open and the 2017 Rogers Cup. Wozniacki won both matches in straight sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova have met 11 times with Sharapova leading the head-to-head 7–4. Wozniacki leads 2–1 in Grand Slams with two wins at the US Open and one loss at the Australian Open. They are tied at 4–4 on hard courts, while Sharapova leads 3–0 on clay.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: The pair first met at the 2008 Qatar Total Open where Sharapova won in straight sets and then again at the 2008 Rome Masters. Wozniacki then won the next two meetings to tie the head-to-head. Sharapova then won the next three meetings including their only meeting in a final at the 2013 BNP Paribas Open. Wozniacki snapped the losing streak by beating Sharapova in three sets at the 2014 US Open and would go on to the reach the final. They met again at the 2014 WTA Finals where Wozniacki won in three sets in a marathon match that lasted over three hours. Their most recent meeting was at the 2019 Australian Open where Sharapova won in three sets.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: Wozniacki and Simona Halep have met seven times with Wozniacki leading the head-to-head 5–2. Wozniacki leads 3–2 on hard courts, 1–0 on both clay and grass courts and 1–0 in the Grand Slams.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: They first met at the 2012 Dubai Tennis Championships with Wozniacki winning in straight sets. Then, Halep won the next two matches, one at the 2013 New Haven Open at Yale in straight sets and another one at the 2015 Dubai Tennis Championships in three sets. Wozniacki then took a four-match winning streak over Halep, beginning at the 2015 Stuttgart Open and including their most recent meeting at the 2018 Australian Open in the final, where she defeated Halep in three sets to win her first Grand Slam title and snatch the world No. 1 position from Halep.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: The pair have met ten times in their career, with Wozniacki holding a 6–4 advantage over Pliskova, Wozniacki leads 6–3 on hard courts, Pliskova leading 1–0 on grass. They never met at Grand Slam level.


title: Caroline Wozniacki

text: The rivalry between Wozniacki and Karolína Plíšková didn't seem to brew very fast at the beginning of their meetings. The first three meetings occurred in 2013 and 2014 and all three meetings went the way of Wozniacki, all of which happening in three sets. Their rivalry really picked up in 2017 where the pair met six times, in this year their head-to-head record was 3–3 and each meeting would alternate the winner. The first meeting came in the final stage of 2017 Qatar Total Open, Pliskova winning is straight sets. A month later in the semifinals of 2017 Miami Open, Wozniacki took victory in three sets. Later, on the grass Pliskova took the 2017 Aegon International Eastbourne title beating Wozniacki in straight sets. Their fourth meeting was arguably the match of the year, in the 2017 Rogers Cup quarterfinals, where Wozniacki stormed back from 1–5 down in the first set and break down in the third set to take the victory. One week later, the pair met in the 2017 Western & Southern Open quarterfinals where Pliskova dispatched a tired Wozniacki from making the final of Toronto the previous week. At the semifinal stage of the 2017 WTA Finals, Wozniacki won a marathon first set propelling her to a straight sets victory over Pliskova, and eventually lifting the title. The last meeting in 2018 occurred at the round robin of the 2018 WTA Finals where Wozniacki was upset in straight sets.


title: History of Korea

text: The Lower Paleolithic era in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began after 6000 BC, followed by the Bronze Age by 2000 BC, and the Iron Age around 700 BC.


title: History of Korea

text: Similarly, according to "The History of Korea", supervised by Kim Yang-ki and edited by Kang Deoksang, Jung Sanae, and Nakayama Kiyotaka, the Paleolithic people are not the direct ancestors of the present Korean (Chosun) people, but their direct ancestors are estimated to be the Neolithic People of about 2000 BC.


title: History of Korea

text: According to the mythic account recounted in the "Samguk Yusa" (1280s), the Gojoseon (Old Joseon) kingdom was founded in northern Korea and southern Manchuria in 2333 BC. In the 12th century BC Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty of China, purportedly founded Gija Joseon. The first written historical record on Gojoseon can be found from the text "Guanzi". The Jin state was formed in southern Korea by the 3rd century BC. In the 2nd century BC, Gija Joseon was replaced by Wiman Joseon, which fell to the Han dynasty of China near the end of the century. This resulted in the fall of Gojoseon and led to succeeding warring states, the Proto–Three Kingdoms period that spanned the later Iron Age.


title: History of Korea

text: From the 1st century, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula and Manchuria as the Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 BC–668 AD), until unification by Silla in 676. In 698, King Go established the Balhae in old territories of Goguryeo, which led to the Northern and Southern States period (698–926) of Balhae and Silla coexisting.


title: History of Korea

text: In the late 9th century, Silla was divided into the Later Three Kingdoms (892–936), which ended with the unification by Wang Geon's Goryeo dynasty. Meanwhile, Balhae fell after invasions by the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and the refugees including the last crown prince emigrated to Goryeo, where the crown prince was warmly welcomed and included into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo. During the Goryeo period, laws were codified, a civil service system was introduced, and culture influenced by Buddhism flourished. However, Mongol invasions in the 13th century brought Goryeo under the influence of the Mongol Empire and the Yuan dynasty until the mid-14th century.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) after a coup d'état that overthrew the Goryeo dynasty in 1388. King Sejong the Great (1418–1450) implemented numerous administrative, social, scientific, and economic reforms, established royal authority in the early years of the dynasty, and personally created Hangul, the Korean alphabet.


title: History of Korea

text: After enjoying a period of peace for nearly two centuries, the Joseon dynasty faced foreign invasions and internal factional strife from 1592 to 1637. Most notable of these invasions is the Japanese invasions of Korea, which marked the end of the Joseon dynasty's early period. The combined force of Ming dynasty of China and the Joseon dynasty repelled these Japanese invasions, but at a cost to the countries. Henceforth, Joseon gradually became more and more isolationist and stagnant. By the mid 19th century, with the country unwilling to modernize, and under encroachment of European powers, Joseon Korea was forced to sign unequal treaties with foreign powers. After the assassination of Empress Myeongseong in 1895, the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the Gabo Reforms of 1894 to 1896, the Korean Empire (1897–1910) came into existence, heralding a brief but rapid period of social reform and modernization. However, in 1905, the Korean Empire signed a protectorate treaty and in 1910, Japan annexed the Korean Empire. Korea then became a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.


title: History of Korea

text: Korean resistance manifested in the widespread March 1st Movement of 1919. Thereafter the resistance movements, coordinated by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in exile, became largely active in neighboring Manchuria, China proper, and Siberia, influenced by Korea's peaceful demonstrations. Figures from these exile organizations would become important in post-WWII Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: After the end of World War II in 1945, the Allies divided the country into a northern area (protected by the Soviets) and a southern area (protected primarily by the United States). In 1948, when the powers failed to agree on the formation of a single government, this partition became the modern states of North and South Korea. The peninsula was divided at the 38th Parallel: the "Republic of Korea" was created in the south, with the backing of the US and Western Europe, and the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in the north, with the backing of the Soviets and the communist People's Republic of China. The new premier of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, launched the Korean War in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the country under Communist rule. After immense material and human destruction, the conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953. In 1991, both states were accepted into the United Nations. In 2018, the two nations agreed to work toward a final settlement to formally end the Korean War.


title: History of Korea

text: While both countries were essentially under military rule after the war, South Korea eventually liberalized. Since 1987 it has had a competitive electoral system. The South Korean economy has prospered, and the country is now considered to be fully developed, with a similar capital economic standing to Western Europe, Japan, and the United States.


title: History of Korea

text: North Korea has maintained totalitarian militarized rule, with a personality cult constructed around the Kim family. Economically, North Korea has remained heavily dependent on foreign aid. Following the end of the Soviet Union, that aid collapsed precipitously. The country's economic situation has been quite marginal since.


title: History of Korea

text: No fossil proven to be Homo erectus has been found in the Korean Peninsula, though a candidate has been reported. Tool-making artifacts from the Paleolithic period have been found in present-day North Hamgyong, South Pyongan, Gyeonggi, and north and south Chungcheong provinces, which dates the Paleolithic Age to half a million years ago, though it may have begun as late as 400,000 years ago or as early as 600,000–700,000 years ago.


title: History of Korea

text: The earliest known Korean pottery dates back to around 8000 BC, and evidence of Mesolithic Pit–Comb Ware culture (or Yunggimun pottery) is found throughout the peninsula, such as in Jeju Island. Jeulmun pottery, or "comb-pattern pottery", is found after 7000 BC, and is concentrated at sites in west-central regions of the Korean Peninsula, where a number of prehistoric settlements, such as Amsa-dong, existed. Jeulmun pottery bears basic design and form similarities to that of Mongolia, the Amur and Songhua river basins of Manchuria, the Jōmon culture in Japan, and the Baiyue in Southern China and Southeast Asia.


title: History of Korea

text: Archaeological evidence demonstrates that agricultural societies and the earliest forms of social-political complexity emerged in the Mumun pottery period (c. 1500–300 BC).


title: History of Korea

text: People in southern Korea adopted intensive dry-field and paddy-field agriculture with a multitude of crops in the Early Mumun Period (1500–850 BC). The first societies led by big-men or chiefs emerged in the Middle Mumun (850–550 BC), and the first ostentatious elite burials can be traced to the Late Mumun (c. 550–300 BC). Bronze production began in the Middle Mumun and became increasingly important in ceremonial and political society after 700 BC. Archeological evidence from Songguk-ri, Daepyeong, Igeum-dong, and elsewhere indicate that the Mumun era was the first in which chiefdoms rose, expanded, and collapsed. The increasing presence of long-distance trade, an increase in local conflicts, and the introduction of bronze and iron metallurgy are trends denoting the end of the Mumun around 300 BC.


title: History of Korea

text: In addition, 73 tombs similar to the ones found in Japan, estimated to date back to Gojoseon (100 BC), have been found in the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, and the discovery of jar burials, suggest a close relationship with Japan, and Gojoseon, proving that Gojoseon and Yayoi period Japan maintained close relations with one another even during the ancient times.


title: History of Korea

text: The Bronze Age is often held to have begun around 900–800 BC in Korea, though the transition to the Bronze Age may have begun as far back as 2300 BC. Bronze daggers, mirrors, jewelry, and weaponry have been found, as well as evidence of walled-town polities. Rice, red beans, soybeans and millet were cultivated, and rectangular pit-houses and increasingly larger dolmen burial sites are found throughout the peninsula. Contemporaneous records suggest that Gojoseon transitioned from a feudal federation of walled cities into a centralised kingdom at least before the 4th-century BC. It is believed that by the 4th century BC, iron culture was developing in Korea by northern influence via today's Russia's Maritime Province.


title: History of Korea

text: Gojoseon was the first Korean kingdom, located in the north of the peninsula and Manchuria, later alongside the state of Jin in the south of the peninsula. The historical Gojoseon kingdom was first mentioned in the Chinese record in a text called "Guanzi". By about the 4th century BC, Gojoseon had developed to the point where its existence was well known in China, and around this time, its capital moved to Pyongyang.


title: History of Korea

text: The founding legend of Gojoseon, which is recorded in the "Samguk Yusa" (1281) and other medieval Korean books, states that the country was established in 2333 BC by Dangun, said to be descended from heaven. While no evidence has been found that supports whatever facts may lie beneath this, the account has played an important role in developing Korean national identity.


title: History of Korea

text: In the 12th century BC, Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty of China, purportedly founded Gija Joseon. In pre-modern Korea, Gija represented the authenticating presence of Chinese civilization, and until the 12th century, Koreans commonly believed that Dangun bestowed upon Korea its people and basic culture, while Gija gave Korea its high culture—and presumably, standing as a legitimate civilization. However, due to contradicting historical and archaeological evidence, its existence was challenged in the 20th century, and today no longer forms the mainstream understanding of this period.


title: History of Korea

text: In 194 BC, Gija Joseon was overthrown by Wi Man (also known as Wei Man), a Chinese refugee from the Han vassal state of Yan. Wi Man then established Wiman Joseon.


title: History of Korea

text: In 128 BC, Nan Lü (南閭), a leader of Ye who was receiving pressure from Wiman Joseon, surrendered to the Han dynasty and became the Canghai Commandery.


title: History of Korea

text: In 108 BC, the Chinese Han dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed four commanderies in the northern Korean peninsula. Three of the commanderies fell or retreated westward within a few decades, but the Lelang Commandery remained as a center of cultural and economic exchange with successive Chinese dynasties for four centuries, until it was conquered by Goguryeo in 313 AD.


title: History of Korea

text: Around 300 BC, a state called Jin arose in the southern part of the Korean peninsula. Very little is known about Jin, but it established relations with Han China and exported artifacts to the Yayoi of Japan. Around 100 BC, Jin evolved into the Samhan confederacies.


title: History of Korea

text: Many smaller states sprang from the former territory of Gojoseon such as Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, Goguryeo, and Baekje. The Three Kingdoms refer to Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, although Buyeo and the Gaya confederacy existed into the 5th and 6th centuries respectively.


title: History of Korea

text: The Proto-Three Kingdoms period, sometimes called the Several States Period (열국시대), is the time before the rise of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which included Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, and occurred after the fall of Gojoseon. This time period consisted of numerous states that sprang up from the former territories of Gojoseon. Among these states, the largest and most influential were Eastern Buyeo and Northern Buyeo.


title: History of Korea

text: After the fall of Gojoseon, Buyeo arose in today's North Korea and southern Manchuria, from about the 2nd century BC to 494 AD. Its remnants were absorbed by Goguryeo in 494, and both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor.


title: History of Korea

text: Although records are sparse and contradictory, it is thought that in 86 BC, Dongbuyeo (Eastern Buyeo) branched out, after which the original Buyeo is sometimes referred to as Bukbuyeo (Northern Buyeo). Jolbon Buyeo was the predecessor to Goguryeo, and in 538, Baekje renamed itself "Nambuyeo" (Southern Buyeo).


title: History of Korea

text: Okjeo was a tribal-state that was located in the northern Korean Peninsula, and was established after the fall of Gojoseon. Okjeo had been a part of Gojoseon before its fall. It never became a fully developed kingdom due to the intervention of its neighboring kingdoms. Okjeo became a tributary of Goguryeo, and was eventually annexed into Goguryeo by Gwanggaeto the Great in the 5th century.


title: History of Korea

text: Dongye (Eastern Ye) was another small kingdom that was situated in the northern Korean Peninsula. Dongye bordered Okjeo, and the two kingdoms faced the same fate of becoming tributaries of the growing empire of Goguryeo. Dongye was also a former part of Gojoseon before its fall.


title: History of Korea

text: Sam-han (삼한, 三韓) refers to the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. The Samhan were located in the southern region of the Korean Peninsula. The Samhan countries were strictly governed by law, with religion playing an important role. Mahan was the largest, consisting of 54 states, and assumed political, economic, and cultural dominance. Byeonhan and Jinhan both consisted of 12 states, bringing a total of 78 states within the Samhan. The Samhan were eventually conquered by Baekje, Silla, and Gaya in the 4th century.


title: History of Korea

text: Goguryeo was founded in 37 BC by Jumong (posthumously titled as Dongmyeongseong, a royal given title). Later, King Taejo centralized the government. Goguryeo was the first Korean kingdom to adopt Buddhism as the state religion in 372, in King Sosurim's reign.


title: History of Korea

text: Goguryeo (also spelled as "Koguryŏ") was also known as Goryeo (also spelled as "Koryŏ"), and it eventually became the source of the modern name of Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: The 3rd and 4th centuries were characterized by territorial competition with the Chinese and Xianbei, resulting in both losses and gains. Goguryeo initiated the Goguryeo–Wei War by attacking a Chinese fortress in 242 in an attempt to cut off Chinese access to its territories in Korea. Cao Wei of the Three Kingdoms of China retaliated by invading and destroying Hwando in 244. This forced the king to flee with Cao Wei in pursuit and broke Goguryeo's rule over the Okjeo and Ye, damaging its economy. The king eventually settled in a new capital, and Goguryeo focused on rebuilding and regaining control. In the early 4th century Goguryeo once again attacked the Chinese (now Sima Jin) to cut off their access to Korea and this time succeeded, and soon afterward conquered Lelang and Daifang ending the Chinese presence in Korea. However Goguryeo's expansion led to confrontation with the rising Xianbeis. The Xianbeis devastated Goguryeo's capital in the mid 4th century and the king retreated. Goguryeo eventually regrouped and began striking back in the late 4th century by King Gogukyang, culminating with the conquests of Gwanggaeto the Great.


title: History of Korea

text: Goguryeo reached its zenith in the 5th century, becoming a powerful empire and one of the great powers in East Asia, when Gwanggaeto the Great and his son, Jangsu, expanded the country into almost all of Manchuria, parts of Inner Mongolia, parts of Russia, and took the present-day city of Seoul from Baekje. Goguryeo experienced a golden age under Gwanggaeto and Jangsu, who both subdued Baekje and Silla during their times, achieving a brief unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and becoming the most dominant power of the Korean peninsula. Jangsu's long reign of 79 years saw the perfecting of Goguryeo's political, economic and other institutional arrangements.


title: History of Korea

text: Goguryeo was a highly militaristic state; in addition to contesting for control of the Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo had many military conflicts with various Chinese dynasties, most notably the Goguryeo–Sui War, in which Goguryeo defeated a huge force traditionally said to number over a million men, and contributed to the Sui dynasty's fall.


title: History of Korea

text: In 642, the powerful general Yeon Gaesomun led a coup and gained complete control over Goguryeo. In response, Emperor Taizong of Tang China led a campaign against Goguryeo, but was defeated and retreated. After the death of Taizong, his son Gaozong allied with the Korean kingdom of Silla and invaded Goguryeo again, but was unable to overcome Goguryeo's stalwart defenses and was defeated in 662. However, Yeon Gaesomun died of a natural cause in 666 and Goguryeo was thrown into chaos and weakened by a succession struggle among his sons and younger brother, with his eldest son defecting to Tang and his younger brother defecting to Silla. The Tang–Silla alliance mounted a fresh invasion in 667, aided by the defector Yeon Namsaeng, and was finally able to conquer Goguryeo in 668.


title: History of Korea

text: After the collapse of Goguryeo, Tang and Silla ended their alliance and fought over control of the Korean Peninsula. Silla succeeded in gaining control over most of the Korean Peninsula, while Tang gained control over Goguryeo's northern territories. However, 30 years after the fall of Goguryeo, a Goguryeo general by the name of Dae Jo-yeong founded the Korean-Mohe state of Balhae and successfully expelled the Tang presence from much of the former Goguryeo territories.


title: History of Korea

text: Baekje was founded by Onjo, a Goguryeo prince and the third son of the founder of Goguryeo, in 18 BC. Baekje and Goguryeo shared founding myths and originated from Buyeo. The Records of the Three Kingdoms mentions Baekje as a member of the Mahan confederacy in the Han River basin (near present-day Seoul). It expanded into the southwest (Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces) of the peninsula and became a significant political and military power. In the process, Baekje came into fierce confrontation with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanderies in the vicinity of its territorial ambitions.


title: History of Korea

text: At its peak in the 4th century during the reign of King Geunchogo, Baekje absorbed all of the Mahan states and subjugated most of the western Korean peninsula (including the modern provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla, as well as part of Hwanghae and Gangwon) to a centralized government. Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through maritime contacts with the Southern dynasties during the expansion of its territory.


title: History of Korea

text: Baekje was a great maritime power; its nautical skill, which made it the Phoenicia of East Asia, was instrumental in the dissemination of Buddhism throughout East Asia and continental culture to Japan. Baekje played a fundamental role in transmitting cultural developments, such as Chinese characters, Buddhism, iron-making, advanced pottery, and ceremonial burial to ancient Japan. Other aspects of culture were also transmitted when the Baekje court retreated to Japan after Baekje was conquered by the Silla–Tang alliance.


title: History of Korea

text: Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of Geunchogo, but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto the Great and declined. Ultimately, Baekje was defeated by a coalition of Silla and Tang forces in 660.


title: History of Korea

text: According to legend, the kingdom of Silla began with the unification of six chiefdoms of the Jinhan confederacy by Park Hyeokgeose in 57 BC, in the southeastern area of Korea. Its territory included the present-day port city of Busan, and Silla later emerged as a sea power responsible for destroying Japanese pirates, especially during the Unified Silla period.


title: History of Korea

text: Silla artifacts, including unique gold metalwork, show influence from the northern nomadic steppes and Iranian peoples and especially Persians, with less Chinese influence than are shown by Goguryeo and Baekje. Silla expanded rapidly by occupying the Nakdong River basin and uniting the city-states.


title: History of Korea

text: By the 2nd century, Silla was a large state, occupying and influencing nearby city-states. Silla gained further power when it annexed the Gaya confederacy in 562. Silla often faced pressure from Goguryeo, Baekje and Japan, and at various times allied and warred with Baekje and Goguryeo.


title: History of Korea

text: Silla was the smallest and weakest of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, but it used cunning diplomatic means to make opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually Tang China, to its great advantage.


title: History of Korea

text: In 660, King Muyeol of Silla ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-shin, aided by Tang forces, conquered Baekje. In 661, Silla and Tang moved on Goguryeo but were repelled. King Munmu, son of Muyeol and nephew of Kim, launched another campaign in 667 and Goguryeo fell in the following year.


title: History of Korea

text: Gaya was a confederacy of small kingdoms in the Nakdong River valley of southern Korea since AD 42, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period. Gaya's plains were rich in iron, so export of iron tools was possible and agriculture flourished. In the early centuries, the Confederacy was led by Geumgwan Gaya in the Gimhae region. However, its leading power changed to Daegaya in the Goryeong region after the 5th century.


title: History of Korea

text: Constantly engaged in war with the three kingdoms surrounding it, Gaya was not developed to form a unified state, and was ultimately absorbed into Silla in 562.


title: History of Korea

text: The term North-South States refers to Unified Silla and Balhae, during the time when Silla controlled the majority of the Korean peninsula while Balhae expanded into Manchuria. During this time, culture and technology significantly advanced, especially in Unified Silla.


title: History of Korea

text: After the unification wars, the Tang dynasty established outposts in the former Goguryeo, and began to establish and administer communities in Baekje. Silla attacked Tang forces in Baekje and northern Korea in 671. Tang then invaded Silla in 674 but Silla drove the Tang forces out of the peninsula by 676 to achieve unification of most of the Korean peninsula.


title: History of Korea

text: Unified Silla was a golden age of art and culture. During this period, long-distance trade between Unified Silla and the Abbasid Caliphate was documented by Persian geographer Ibn Khordadbeh in the "Book of Roads and Kingdoms". Buddhist monasteries such as the World Heritage Sites Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto are examples of advanced Korean architecture and Buddhist influence. Other state-sponsored art and architecture from this period include Hwangnyongsa Temple and Bunhwangsa Temple. Persian chronics described Silla as located at the eastern end of China and reads 'In this beautiful country Silla, there is much gold, majestetic cities and hardworking people. Their culture is comparable with Persia'.


title: History of Korea

text: Unified Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje, which acted like the Phoenicia of medieval East Asia, and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River. Unified Silla was a prosperous and wealthy country, and its metropolitan capital of Gyeongju was the fourth largest city in the world.


title: History of Korea

text: Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists and contributed to Chinese Buddhism, including: Woncheuk, Wonhyo, Uisang, Musang, and Kim Gyo-gak, a Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism.


title: History of Korea

text: Silla began to experience political troubles in late 8th century. This severely weakened Silla and soon thereafter, descendants of the former Baekje established Later Baekje. In the north, rebels revived Goguryeo, beginning the Later Three Kingdoms period.


title: History of Korea

text: Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until King Gyeongsun surrendered the country to Goryeo in 935, after 992 years and 56 monarchs.


title: History of Korea

text: Balhae was founded only thirty years after Goguryeo had fallen, in 698. It was founded in the northern part of former lands of Goguryeo by Dae Jo-yeong, a former Goguryeo general or chief of Sumo Mohe. Balhae controlled the northern areas of the Korean Peninsula, much of Manchuria (though it didn't occupy Liaodong Peninsula for much of history), and expanded into present-day Russian Primorsky Krai. It also adopted the culture of Tang dynasty, such as the government structure and geopolitical system.


title: History of Korea

text: In a time of relative peace and stability in the region, Balhae flourished, especially during the reigns of King Mun and King Seon. Balhae was called the "Prosperous Country in the East". However, Balhae was severely weakened and eventually conquered by the Khitan-led Liao dynasty in 926. Large numbers of refugees, including Dae Gwang-hyeon, the last crown prince of Balhae, were welcomed by Goryeo. Dae Gwang-hyeon was included in the imperial family of Wang Geon, bringing a national unification between the two successor nations of Goguryeo.


title: History of Korea

text: No historical records from Balhae have survived, and the Liao left no histories of Balhae. While Goryeo absorbed some Balhae territory and received Balhae refugees, it compiled no known histories of Balhae either. The Samguk Sagi ("History of the Three Kingdoms"), for instance, includes passages on Balhae, but does not include a dynastic history of Balhae. The 18th century Joseon dynasty historian Yu Deuk-gong advocated the proper study of Balhae as part of Korean history, and coined the term "North and South States Period" to refer to this era.


title: History of Korea

text: The Later Three Kingdoms period (892–936) consisted of Unified Silla and the revival of Baekje and Goguryeo, known historiographically as "Later Baekje" and "Later Goguryeo". During the late 9th century, as Silla declined in power and exorbitant taxes were imposed on the people, rebellions erupted nationwide and powerful regional lords rose up against the waning kingdom.


title: History of Korea

text: Later Baekje was founded by the general Gyeon Hwon in 892, and its capital was established in Wansanju (modern Jeonju). The kingdom was based in the southwestern regions in the former territories of Baekje. In 927, Later Baekje attacked Gyeongju, the capital of Unified Silla, and placed a puppet on the throne. Eventually, Gyeon Hwon was ousted by his sons due to a succession dispute and escaped to Goryeo, where he served as a general in the conquest of the kingdom he personally founded.


title: History of Korea

text: Later Goguryeo was founded by the Buddhist monk Gung Ye in 901, and its original capital was established in Songak (modern Kaesong). The kingdom was based in the northern regions, which were the strongholds of Goguryeo refugees. Later Goguryeo's name was changed to Majin in 904, and Taebong in 911. In 918, Wang Geon, a prominent general of Goguryeo descent, deposed the increasingly despotic and paranoid Gung Ye, and established Goryeo. By 936, Goryeo conquered its rivals and achieved the unification of the Later Three Kingdoms.


title: History of Korea

text: Goryeo was founded by Wang Geon in 918 and became the ruling dynasty of Korea by 936. It was named "Goryeo" because Wang Geon, a descendant of Goguryeo nobility, deemed the nation as the successor of Goguryeo. Wang Geon made his hometown Kaesong (in present-day North Korea) the capital. The dynasty lasted until 1392, although the government was controlled by military regime leaders between 1170 and 1270. Goryeo (also spelled as Koryŏ) is the source of the English name "Korea".


title: History of Korea

text: During this period, laws were codified and a civil service system was introduced. Buddhism flourished and spread throughout the peninsula. The development of celadon pottery flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. The production of the Tripitaka Koreana onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks, and the invention of the metal movable type attest to Goryeo's cultural achievements.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1018, the Liao dynasty, which was the most powerful empire of its time, invaded Goryeo but was defeated by General Gang Gam-chan at the Battle of Kuju to end the Goryeo–Khitan War. After defeating the Khitan Empire, Goryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which the Tripitaka Koreana was completed, and there were great developments in printing and publishing, promoting learning and dispersing knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science; by 1100, there were 12 universities that produced famous scholars and scientists.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1231, the Mongols began their invasions of Korea during seven major campaigns and 39 years of struggle, but were unable to conquer Korea. Exhausted after decades of fighting, Goryeo sent its crown prince to the Dadu to swear allegiance to the Yuan dynasty; Kublai Khan accepted, and married one of his daughters to the Korean crown prince, and for the following 80 years Goryeo existed under the overlordship of the Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty in China. The two nations became intertwined for 80 years as all subsequent Korean kings married Mongol princesses, and the last empress of the Yuan dynasty was a Korean woman.


title: History of Korea

text: In the 1350s, the Yuan dynasty declined rapidly due to internal struggles, enabling King Gongmin to reform the Goryeo government. Gongmin had various problems that needed to be dealt with, including the removal of pro-Yuan aristocrats and military officials, the question of land holding, and quelling the growing animosity between the Buddhists and Confucian scholars. During this tumultuous period, Goryeo momentarily conquered Liaoyang in 1356, repulsed two large invasions by the Red Turbans in 1359 and 1360, and defeated the final attempt by the Yuan to dominate Goryeo when General Choe Yeong defeated an invading Yuan tumen in 1364. During the 1380s, Goryeo turned its attention to the Wokou menace and used naval artillery created by Choe Mu-seon to annihilate hundreds of pirate ships.


title: History of Korea

text: The Goryeo dynasty would last until 1392. Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon dynasty, took power in a coup in 1388 and after serving as the power behind the throne for two monarchs, established the Joseon dynasty in 1392.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1392, the general Lee Seong-gye, later known as Taejo, established the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), named in honor of the ancient kingdom Gojoseon, and based on idealistic Confucianism-based ideology. The prevailing philosophy throughout the Joseon dynasty was Neo-Confucianism, which was epitomized by the seonbi class, scholars who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity.


title: History of Korea

text: Taejo moved the capital to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) and built Gyeongbok Palace. In 1394 he adopted Neo-Confucianism as the country's official religion, and pursued the creation of a strong bureaucratic state. His son and grandson, King Taejong and Sejong the Great, implemented numerous administrative, social, and economic reforms and established royal authority in the early years of the dynasty.


title: History of Korea

text: During the 15th and 16th centuries, Joseon enjoyed many benevolent rulers who promoted education and science. Most notable among them was Sejong the Great (r. 1418–50), who personally created and promulgated Hangul, the Korean alphabet. This golden age saw great cultural and scientific advancements, including in printing, meteorological observation, astronomy, calendar science, ceramics, military technology, geography, cartography, medicine, and agricultural technology, some of which were unrivaled elsewhere.


title: History of Korea

text: Internal conflicts within the royal court, civil unrest and other political struggles plagued the nation in the years that followed, worsened by the Japanese invasion of Korea between 1592 and 1598. Toyotomi Hideyoshi marshalled his forces and tried to invade the Asian continent through Korea, but was eventually repelled by the Korean military, with the assistance of the righteous armies and Chinese Ming dynasty. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral Lee Sun-sin with the turtle ship. As Korea was rebuilding, it had to repel invasions by the Manchu in 1627 and 1636. Internal politics were bitterly divided and settled by violence. Historian JaHyun Kim Haboush, in the summary by her editor William Haboush in 2016, interpreted the decisive impact of the victories against the Japanese and Manchu invaders:


title: History of Korea

text: After the second Manchu invasion and stabilized relations with the new Qing dynasty, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of external peace. However internally, the bitter and violent factional battles raged on. In the 18th century, King Yeongjo (r. 1724–76) and his grandson King Jeongjo (r. 1776–1800) led a new renaissance. Yeongjo and Jeongjo reformed the tax system which grew the revenue stream into the treasury, strengthened the military and sponsored a revival of learning. The printing press was rejuvenated by using movable metal type; the number and quality of publications sharply increased. Jeongjo sponsored scholars from various factions to work in the Kyujanggak, or Inner Royal Library, established in 1776.


title: History of Korea

text: Corruption in government and social unrest prevailed after 1776. The government attempted sweeping reforms in the late 19th century, but adhered to a strict isolationist policy, earning Korea the nickname "Hermit Kingdom". The policy had been established primarily for protection against Western imperialism, but soon the Joseon dynasty was forced to open trade, beginning an era leading into Japanese rule.


title: History of Korea

text: The destabilization of the Korean nation may be said to have begun in the period of "Sedo Jeongchi" () whereby, on the death of King Jeongjo of Joseon (r. 1776–1800), the 10-year-old Sunjo of Joseon (r. 1800–34) ascended the Korean throne, with the true power of the administration residing with his regent, Kim Jo-sun, as a representative of the Andong Kim clan. As a result, the disarray and blatant corruption in the Korean government, particularly in the three main areas of revenues – land tax, military service, and the state granary system – heaped additional hardship on the peasantry. Of special note is the corruption of the local functionaries ("Hyangni"), who could purchase an appointment as an administrator and so cloak their predations on the farmers with an aura of officialdom. Yangban families, formerly well-respected for their status as a noble class and being powerful both "socially and politically", were increasingly seen as little more than commoners unwilling to meet their responsibilities to their communities. Faced with increasing corruption in the government, brigandage of the disenfranchised (such as the mounted fire brigands, or "Hwajok", and the boat-borne water brigands or "Sujok") and exploited by the elite, many poor village folk sought to pool their resources, such as land, tools, and production, to survive. Despite the government effort in bringing an end to the practice of owning slaves in 1801, slavery in Korea remained legal until 1894.


title: History of Korea

text: At this time, Catholic and Protestant missions were well tolerated among the nobles, most notably in and around the area of Seoul. Animus and persecution by more conservative elements, the Pungyang Jo clan, took the lives of priests and followers, known as the Korean Martyrs, dissuading membership by the upper class. The peasants continued to be drawn to Christian egalitarianism, though mainly in urban and suburban areas. Arguably of greater influence were the religious teachings of Choe Je-u, (최제우, 崔濟愚, 1824–64) called "Donghak", which literally means "Eastern Learning", and the religion became especially popular in rural areas. Themes of exclusionism (from foreign influences), nationalism, salvation and social consciousness were set to music, allowing illiterate farmers to understand and accept them more readily. Along with many other Koreans, Choe was alarmed by the intrusion of Christianity and the Anglo-French occupation of Beijing during the Second Opium War. He believed the best way to counter foreign influence in Korea was to introduce democratic and human rights reforms internally. Nationalism and social reform struck a chord among peasant guerrillas, and Donghak spread all across Korea. Progressive revolutionaries organized the peasants into a cohesive structure. Arrested in 1863 following the Jinju uprising led by Yu Kye-chun, Choe was charged with "misleading the people and sowing discord in society". Choe was executed in 1864, sending many of his followers into hiding in the mountains.


title: History of Korea

text: Gojong of Korea (r. 1864–1907), enthroned at the age of 12, succeeded Cheoljong of Joseon (r. 1849–63). King Gojong's father, Heungseon Daewongun (Yi Ha-ung; 1820–98), ruled as the de facto regent and inaugurated far-ranging reforms to strengthen the central administration. Of special note was the decision to rebuild palace buildings and finance the project through additional levies on the population. Further inherited rule by a few elite ruling families was challenged by the adoption of a merit system for official appointments. In addition, "Sowon" – private academies – which threatened to develop a parallel system to the corrupt government and enjoyed special privileges and large landholdings, were taxed and repressed despite bitter opposition from Confucian scholars. Lastly, a policy of steadfast isolationism was enforced to staunch the increasing intrusion of Western thought and technology. He was impeached in 1873 and forced into retirement by the supporters of Empress Myeongseong, also called "Queen Min".


title: History of Korea

text: Korea's culture was based on the philosophy of Neo-Confucianism, which emphasizes morality, righteousness, and practical ethics. Wide interest in scholarly study resulted in the establishment of private academies and educational institutions. Many documents were written about history, geography, medicine, and Confucian principles. The arts flourished in painting, calligraphy, music, dance, and ceramics.


title: History of Korea

text: The most notable cultural event of this era is the creation and promulgation of the Korean alphabet "Hunmin jeongeom" (later called "Hangul") by Sejong the Great in 1446. This period also saw various other cultural, scientific and technological advances.


title: History of Korea

text: During Joseon dynasty, a social hierarchy system existed that greatly affected Korea's social development. The king and the royal family were atop the hereditary system, with the next tier being a class of civil or military officials and landowners known as "yangban", who worked for the government and lived off the efforts of tenant farmers and slaves.


title: History of Korea

text: A middle class, "jungin", were technical specialists such as scribes, medical officers, technicians in science-related fields, artists and musicians. Commoners, "sangmin", constituted the largest class in Korea. They had obligations to pay taxes, provide labor, and serve in the military. By paying land taxes to the state, they were allowed to cultivate land and farm. The lowest class, "cheonmin", included tenant farmers, slaves, entertainers, craftsmen, prostitutes, laborers, shamans, vagabonds, outcasts, and criminals. Although slave status was hereditary, they could be sold or freed at officially set prices, and the mistreatment of slaves was forbidden.


title: History of Korea

text: This "yangban" focused system started to change in the late 17th century as political, economic and social changes came into place. By the 19th century, new commercial groups emerged, and the active social mobility caused the "yangban" class to expand, resulting in the weakening of the old class system. The Korea government ordered the freedom of government slaves in 1801. The class system of Korea was completely banned in 1894.


title: History of Korea

text: Korea dealt with a pair of Japanese invasions from 1592 to 1598 ("Imjin War" or the "Seven Years' War"). Prior to the war, Korea sent two ambassadors to scout for signs of Japan's intentions of invading Korea. However, they came back with two different reports, and while the politicians split into sides, few proactive measures were taken.


title: History of Korea

text: This conflict brought prominence to Admiral Yi Sun-sin as he contributed to eventually repelling the Japanese forces with the innovative use of his turtle ship, a massive, yet swift, ramming/cannon ship fitted with iron spikes. The use of the hwacha was also highly effective in repelling the Japanese invaders from the land.


title: History of Korea

text: Subsequently, Korea was invaded in 1627 and again in 1636 by the Manchus, who went on to conquer China and establish the Qing dynasty, after which the Joseon dynasty recognized Qing suzerainty. Though Joseon respected its traditional tributary position to China, there was persistent loyalty for the perished Ming China and disdain for the Manchus, who were regarded as barbarians.


title: History of Korea

text: During the 19th century, Joseon tried to control foreign influence by closing its borders to all nations. In 1853 the USS South America, an American gunboat, visited Busan for 10 days and had amiable contact with local officials. Several Americans shipwrecked on Korea in 1855 and 1865 were also treated well and sent to China for repatriation. The Joseon court was aware of the foreign invasions and treaties involving Qing China, as well as the First and Second Opium Wars, and followed a cautious policy of slow exchange with the West.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1866, reacting to greater numbers of Korean converts to Catholicism despite several waves of persecutions, the Joseon court clamped down on them, massacring French Catholic missionaries and Korean converts alike. In response France invaded and occupied portions of Ganghwa Island. The French army occupied Ganghwa Island, an island near Seoul, and tried to advance to Seoul, but failed due to strong resistance from the Korean army, and then withdrew from the island.


title: History of Korea

text: The "General Sherman", an American-owned armed merchant marine sidewheel schooner, attempted to open Korea to trade in 1866. After an initial miscommunication, the ship sailed upriver and became stranded near Pyongyang. After being ordered to leave by the Korean officials, the American crewmen killed four Korean inhabitants, kidnapped a military officer and engaged in sporadic fighting that continued for four days. After two efforts to destroy the ship failed, she was finally set aflame by Korean fireships laden with explosives.


title: History of Korea

text: Conflict between the conservative court and a reforming faction led to the Gapsin Coup in 1884. The reformers sought to reform Korea's institutionalized social inequality, by proclaiming social equality and the elimination of the privileges of the yangban class. The reformers were backed by Japan, and were thwarted by the arrival of Qing troops, invited by the conservative Queen Min. The Chinese troops departed but the leading general Yuan Shikai remained in Korea from 1885–1894 as Resident, directing Korean affairs.


title: History of Korea

text: Korea became linked by telegraph to China in 1888 with Chinese controlled telegraphs. China permitted Korea to establish embassies with Russia (1884), Italy (1885), France (1886), the United States, and Japan. China attempted to block the exchange of embassies in Western countries, but not with Tokyo. The Qing government provided loans. China promoted its trade in an attempt to block Japanese merchants, which led to Chinese favour in Korean trade. Anti-Chinese riots broke out in 1888 and 1889 and Chinese shops were torched. Japan remained the largest foreign community and largest trading partner.


title: History of Korea

text: A rapidly modernizing Meiji Japan successfully challenged China in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), forcing it to abandon its long-standing claims to deference by Korea. Modernization began in Korea when Japan forced it to open its ports in 1876. However, the forces of modernization met strong opposition not only from the traditionalism of the ruling Korean elite but from the population at large, which supported the traditional Confucian system of government by gentlemen. Japan used modernization movements to gain more and more control over Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1895, the Japanese were involved in the murder of Empress Myeongseong, who had sought Russian help, and the Russians were forced to retreat from Korea for the time.


title: History of Korea

text: As a result of the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki was concluded between China and Japan. It stipulated the abolition of subordinate relationships Korea had with China, in which Korea was a client state of China since the Imo Incident in 1882.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1897, Joseon was renamed the Korean Empire, and King Gojong became Emperor Gojong. The imperial government aimed to become a strong and independent nation by implementing domestic reforms, strengthening military forces, developing commerce and industry, and surveying land ownership. Organizations like the Independence Club also rallied to assert the rights of the Joseon people, but clashed with the government which proclaimed absolute monarchy and power.


title: History of Korea

text: Russian influence was strong in the Empire until being defeated by Japan in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Korean Empire effectively became a protectorate of Japan on 17 November 1905, the 1905 Protectorate Treaty having been promulgated without Emperor Gojong's required seal or commission.


title: History of Korea

text: Following the signing of the treaty, many intellectuals and scholars set up various organizations and associations, embarking on movements for independence. In 1907, Gojong was forced to abdicate after Japan learned that he sent secret envoys to the Second Hague Conventions to protest against the protectorate treaty, leading to the accession of Gojong's son, Emperor Sunjong. In 1909, independence activist An Jung-geun assassinated Itō Hirobumi, former Resident-General of Korea, for Ito's intrusions on the Korean politics. This prompted the Japanese to ban all political organizations and proceed with plans for annexation.


title: History of Korea

text: In 1910, the Empire of Japan effectively annexed Korea through the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty. Along with all other previously signed treaties between Korea and Japan, the annexation treaty was confirmed to be null and void in 1965. While Japan asserted that the treaty was concluded legally, Korea disputed the legality of the treaty, because the treaty was not signed by the Emperor of Korea as required and it violated the international convention on external pressures regarding treaties. Many Koreans formed the Righteous army to fight against Japanese rule.


title: History of Korea

text: Korea was controlled by Japan under a Governor-General of Chōsen from 1910 until Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces on 15 August 1945. "De jure" sovereignty was deemed to have passed from the Joseon dynasty to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: After the annexation, Japan set out to suppress many traditional Korean customs, including eventually even the Korean language itself. Economic policies were implemented primarily for Japanese benefit. European-styled transport and communication networks were constructed across the nation in order to extract resources and exploit labor. However, much of the built infrastructure was later destroyed during the devastating Korean War. The banking system was consolidated and the Korean currency abolished.


title: History of Korea

text: The Japanese removed the Joseon hierarchy and gave the census register to the "baekjeong" and "nobi" who were not allowed to have the census register during Joseon period, The Gyeongbok Palace was mostly destroyed, and replaced with the office building of the Governor-General.


title: History of Korea

text: After Emperor Gojong died in January 1919, with rumors of poisoning, independence rallies against the Japanese colonizers took place nationwide on 1 March 1919 (the March 1st Movement). This movement was suppressed by force and about 7,000 persons were killed by Japanese soldiers and police. An estimated 2 million people took part in peaceful, pro-liberation rallies, although Japanese records claim participation of less than half million. This movement was partly inspired by United States President Woodrow Wilson's speech of 1919, declaring support for right of self-determination and an end to colonial rule after World War I.


title: History of Korea

text: The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in Shanghai, China, in the aftermath of the March 1 Movement, which coordinated the liberation effort and resistance against Japanese rule. Some of the achievements of the Provisional Government included the Battle of Chingshanli of 1920 and the ambush of Japanese military leadership in China in 1932. The Provisional Government is considered to be the "de jure" government of the Korean people between 1919 and 1948. The legitimacy of the provisional government is enshrined into the preamble of the constitution of the Republic of Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: So far as primary and secondary education in Korea were classified as being for “those habitually using the Korean language”, and for “those habitually using the Japanese language”. Thus, the ethnic Koreans could attend the schools primarily for Japanese, and vice versa.


title: History of Korea

text: As of 1926, the Korean language was taught for 4 hours a week for the first and second year of a common school having a six-year course, 3 for the rest of the course. Both Japanese and Koreans paid school-fees, without exception. The average fee in a common school was about 25 cents a month. The educational assessment levied by District educational bodies, paid by the ethnic Koreans, averaged about 20 cents in 1923, per capita of the Korean population, that levied by school associations, paid by the ethnic Japanese, averaged about 3.30 dollars per capita of the Japanese population comprised within all the school associations in Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: The literacy rate of Korea reached 22% in 1945. The school curriculum was radically modified to eliminate teaching of the Korean language and history. The Korean language was banned, and Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese names, and newspapers were prohibited from publishing in Korean. Numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed or taken to Japan. According to an investigation by the South Korean government, 75,311 cultural assets were taken from Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: Some Koreans left the Korean Peninsula for exile in China, the United States, and elsewhere. Koreans in Manchuria formed resistance groups known as Dongnipgun (Liberation Army); they would travel in and out of the Sino-Korean border, fighting guerrilla warfare with Japanese forces. Some of them would group together in the 1940s as the Korean Liberation Army, which took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. Tens of thousands of Koreans also joined the People's Liberation Army and the National Revolutionary Army.


title: History of Korea

text: The expulsion of the Japanese in 1945 removed practically all administrative and technical expertise. While the Japanese only comprised 2.6 percent of the population in 1944, they were an urban elite. The largest 50 cities contained 71 percent of the Japanese but only 12 percent of the Koreans. They largely dominated the ranks of the well-educated occupations. Meanwhile, 71 percent of the Koreans worked on farms.


title: History of Korea

text: At the Cairo Conference on November 22, 1943, the US, UK, and China agreed that "in due course Korea shall become free and independent"; at a later meeting in Yalta in February 1945, the Allies agreed to establish a four-power trusteeship over Korea. On August 14, 1945, Soviet forces entered Korea by amphibious landings, enabling them to secure control in the north. Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces on August 15, 1945.


title: History of Korea

text: The unconditional surrender of Japan, combined with fundamental shifts in global politics and ideology, led to the division of Korea into two occupation zones, effectively starting on September 8, 1945. The United States administered the southern half of the peninsula and the Soviet Union took over the area north of the 38th parallel. The Provisional Government was ignored, mainly due to American belief that it was too aligned with the communists. This division was meant to be temporary and was intended to return a unified Korea back to its people after the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Republic of China could arrange a single government.


title: History of Korea

text: In December 1945, a conference convened in Moscow to discuss the future of Korea. A 5-year trusteeship was discussed, and a joint Soviet-American commission was established. The commission met intermittently in Seoul but members deadlocked over the issue of establishing a national government. In September 1947, with no solution in sight, the United States submitted the Korean question to the United Nations General Assembly. On December 12, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations recognised the Republic of Korea as the sole legal government of Korea.


title: History of Korea

text: On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out when North Korea breached the 38th parallel line to invade the South, ending any hope of a peaceful reunification for the time being. After the war, the 1954 Geneva conference failed to adopt a solution for a unified Korea. Approximately 3 million people died in the Korean War, with a higher proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War, making it perhaps the deadliest conflict of the Cold War-era. In addition, virtually all of Korea's major cities were destroyed by the war.


title: History of Korea

text: Beginning with Syngman Rhee in 1948, a series of autocratic governments took power in South Korea with American support and influence.


title: History of Korea

text: With the coup of Park Chung-hee in 1961, a new economic policy began. In order to promote economic development, a policy of export-oriented industrialization was applied. President Park developed the South Korean economy through a series of highly successful Five-Year Plans. South Korea's economic development was spearheaded by the chaebol, family conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai, SK Group and LG Corporation. The chaebol received state-backing via tax breaks and cheap loans, and took advantage of South Korea's inexpensive labor to produce exportable products. The government made education a very high priority to create a well-educated populace capable of productively contributing to the economy. Despite occasional political instability, the Korean economy subsequently saw enormous growth for nearly forty years, in a period known as the Miracle on the Han River. The unparalleled economic miracle brought South Korea from one of the poorest states in the world after the Korean War into a fully developed country within a generation.


title: History of Korea

text: South Korea eventually transitioned into a market-oriented democracy in 1987 largely due to popular demand for political reform, and then hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics, the second Summer Olympic Games to be held on the Asian continent, in the following year.


title: History of Korea

text: Moving on from cheap, lower-value light industry exports, the South Korean economy eventually moved onto more capital-intensive, higher-value industries, such as information technology, shipbuilding, auto manufacturing, and petroleum refining. Today, South Korea is a leading economy and a technological powerhouse, rivaling even countries such as the United States in information and communications technology. South Korean pop culture has also boomed abroad in recent years, in a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave.


title: History of Korea

text: Due to Soviet Influence, North Korea established a communist government with a hereditary succession of leadership, with ties to China and the Soviet Union. Kim Il-sung became the supreme leader until his death in 1994, after which his son, Kim Jong-il took power. Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, is the current leader, taking power after his father's death in 2011. After the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, the North Korean economy went on a path of steep decline, and it is currently heavily reliant on international food aid and trade with China.


title: El Capitan

text: El Capitan (; "the Captain" or "the Chief") is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about from base to summit along its tallest face and is a popular objective for rock climbers.


title: El Capitan

text: The formation was named "El Capitan" by the Mariposa Battalion when they explored the valley in 1851. "El Capitán" ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native American name for the cliff, “Tutokanula” or "Rock Chief" (the exact spelling of Tutokanula varies in different accounts as it is a phonetic transcription of the Miwok language).


title: El Capitan

text: The "Rock Chief" etymology is based on the written account of Mariposa Battalion doctor Lafayette Bunnell in his 1892 book. Bunnell reports that Ahwahneechee Chief Tenaya explained to him, forty-one years earlier, in 1851, that the massive formation, called Tutokanula, could be translated as "Rock Chief" because the face of the cliff looks like a giant rock Chief. In Bunnell's account, however, he notes that this translation may be wrong, stating: “I am not etymologist enough to understand just how the word has been constructed… [If] I am found in error, I shall be most willing to acknowledge it, for few things appear more uncertain, or more difficult to obtain, than a complete understanding of the soul of an Indian language.”