Sergeant Major Charles R. Winder and the lessons of war

Korea has been a land of turmoil and tumultuous changes ever since people began to inhabit the peninsula. (Figure 1.1) The earliest written accounts of Korea are found in Chinese records of the historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien. These trace the origins of Korea to Kija. a member of the Shang family. When exiled from China in 1122 B.C. he and his 5000 followers invaded Korea. Kija named his new kingdom Chosen, which means morning calm. For hundreds of years, Korea remained under Chinese influence. One constant that is found throughout Korean myths and history is the pervasive presence of Chinese influence.