2333 B.C.

The ancient Koreans were tribal peoples who probably migrated from Manchuria, northern China and Mongolia. According to legend, a state called Choson was founded in 2333 B.C. by Tangun Wanggom, whose father was a son of God and whose mother was a bear transformed into a woman. Another tradition holds that Choson was created by a member of China's Sh'ang dynasty in 1122 B.C. In 194 B.C., a Chinese leader named Wei Man fled to Choson and formed a state and a capital, Pyongyang, after staging an unsuccessful uprising in China. The Chinese conquered Choson around 100 BC and established four colonies.