Here is the translation of the given content: "Four Presidents of Korea Combined Biography"

Author: He Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The Modern Joseon Stagnating in the Medieval Society
1. The Different Meanings of "Korea," "Goryeo," and "South Korea"
Korea has long been a mysterious country, and to this day, it remains an object of fascination for many readers seeking answers. To understand this beautiful and noble nation, one must first grasp the distinct meanings of "Korea," "Goryeo," and "South Korea."
The Korean people often praise their vast land with the saying, "Three thousand li of splendid mountains and rivers, fifty thousand years of ancient civilization." The upper line celebrates the expansive territory of the motherland, while the lower line lauds the five thousand years of civilization of the Korean people.
The Korean Peninsula is located in the northeastern part of the Asian continent. To the northeast, it borders Russia; to the north, it adjoins China along the Changbai Mountains; to the southeast, it faces Japan across the Korea Strait; and it is surrounded by the sea on the east, south, and west. The peninsula covers an area of over 220,000 square kilometers. It stretches 360 kilometers (or 900 Korean ri) from east to west and 840 kilometers (or 2,100 Korean ri) from north to south. According to the Korean ri, the sum of these two distances is exactly 3,000 Korean ri. The peninsula is dotted with many picturesque mountains and rivers, earning it the name "Three Thousand Li of Splendid Mountains and Rivers."
The Korean people are believed to be descendants of the Tungusic people who settled along the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula and gradually developed into a single-language and single-culture nation.
The name "Korea" has been in use since as early as the 5th century BC. Legend has it that a mythical figure named Dangun established the ancient kingdom of Gojoseon on this land over 4,000 years ago. To this day, South Korea holds an annual celebration called the "Gwacheonje" on October 3rd to commemorate Dangun's founding of the nation.
From the 1st to the 2nd century AD, three kingdoms—Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla—emerged, marking the era of the "Three Kingdoms." By the 7th century, Silla, with the assistance of the Tang Dynasty's Chinese forces, unified the peninsula in 668 AD and established the Unified Silla Kingdom.
In 900 AD, Jin Xuan founded Later Baekje in the former territory of Baekje. In 904 AD, Kim Gwang-hye established "Maechon" (later renamed "Taebong"). The period of the three rival kingdoms—Unified Silla, Later Baekje, and Taebong—was known as the "Later Three Kingdoms."
In 918 AD, General Wang Geon overthrew Kim Gwang-hye and changed the kingdom's name to "Goryeo," eventually conquering and unifying Unified Silla and Later Baekje. The Korean Peninsula was reunified in 936 AD. Western countries later translated "Goryeo" as "Korea."
In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye of Goryeo overthrew the ruling dynasty and established a new feudal regime—the Yi Dynasty (also known as the Joseon Dynasty)—renaming the kingdom "Korea." Yi Seong-gye established the capital in Seoul.
On August 29, 1897, King Gojong of the Yi Dynasty, the 26th ruler, declared himself emperor and renamed the Yi Kingdom as the "Great Korean Empire" (also known as South Korea), attempting to fully break free from Japanese control and assert independence. However, this new title did not bring him even a fleeting hope.
On July 16, 1907, Japan forced King Gojong to abdicate, and on July 20, he reluctantly stepped down, appointing Lee Won-geun as his successor, who became the last monarch of Korea, known as King Sunjong.
The Treaty of Japan-Korea Annexation, signed on August 22, 1910, formally announced the abdication of the emperor, nominally retaining the royal family but permanently handing over all governance to Japan. Japan also went to great lengths to revert the name "Korea" from "South Korea," thus completely colonizing the Korean Peninsula.
On January 20, 1919, the deposed King Gojong suddenly passed away.