Korea in the first millenium was fought over by three kingdoms: Gorguryeo, Silla & Baekje. By the end of the first millenium, Gorguryeo defeated the other two kingdoms and unified the Korean peninsula. In fact, the name Korea comes from an abbreviation of Gorguryeo, that is, Goryeo.

It's been unified as such since then - that is for a millennium - even during the time when it was a vassal state of Japan which annexed it in August 1910 after the first Sino-Japan war and was ruled by them until the end of WWII when the Soviet & USA forces defeated the Japanese. This left Korea partitioned on the 38th parallel.

Hence, the situation is very much like the partition of Germany at the end of WWII rather than the situation of China which underwent a Marxist revolution and a civil war.

Given the long history of a unified Korea - a millenium - it's worth thinking of Korea as culturally unified. Hence, whilst neither North or South Korea officially recognise each other and both claim to be the legitimate sovereign government of a unified Korea, there have been ongoing talks since 2000, the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration and which was reaffirmed by the Panjunom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity & Unification of the Korean Peninsula in 2018.

Given this history, it's not really correct to think that one is the province of the other, or not; and nor that they are provinces of a unified Korea - the situation is more complex and fluid than that.

Korea in the first millenium was fought over by three kingdoms: Gorguryeo, Silla & Baekje. By the end of the first millenium, Gorguryeo defeated the other two kingdoms and unified the Korean peninsula. In fact, the name Korea comes from an abbreviation of Gorguryeo, that is, Goryeo.

It's been unified as such since then - that is for a millennium - even during the time when it was a vassal state of Japan which annexed it in August 1910 after the first Sino-Japan war and was ruled by them until the end of WWII when the Soviet & USA forces defeated the Japanese. This left Korea partitioned on the 38th parallel.

Hence, the situation is very much like the partition of Germany at the end of WWII rather than the situation of China which underwent a Marxist revolution and a civil war.

Given the long history of a unified Korea - a millenium - and this is much longer than how long the united kingdom has been unified, or indeed the united states of america - it's worth thinking of Korea as culturally unified. Moreover, whilst neither North or South Korea officially recognise each other and both claim to be the legitimate sovereign government of a unified Korea, there have been ongoing talks since 2000, the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration and which was reaffirmed by the Panjunom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity & Unification of the Korean Peninsula in 2018.

Given this history, it's not really correct to think that one is the province of the other, or not; and nor that they are provinces of a unified Korea - the situation is more complex and fluid than that.

Korea in the first millenium was fought over by three kingdoms: Gorguryeo, Silla & Baekje. By the end of the first millenium, Gorguryeo defeated the other two kingdoms and unified the Korean peninsula. In fact, the name Korea comes from an abbreviation of Gorguryeo, that is, Goryeo.

It's been unified as such since then - that is for a millenia - even during the time when it was a vassal state of Japan which annexed it in August 1910 after the first Sino-Japan war and was ruled by them until the end of WWII when the Soviet & USA forces defeated the Japanese. This left Korea partitioned on the 38th parallel.

Hence, the situation is very much like the partition of Germany at the end of WWII rather than the situation of China which underwent a Marxist revolution and a civil war.

Given the long history of a unified Korea - a millenia - it's worth thinking of Korea as culturally unified. Hence, whilst neither North or South Korea officially recognise each other and both claim to be the legitimate sovereign government of a unified Korea, there have been ongoing talks since 2000, the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration and which was reaffirmed by the Panjunom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity & Unification of the Korean Peninsula in 2018.

Given this history, it's not really correct to think that one is the province of the other, or not; and nor that they are provinces of a unified Korea - the situation is more complex and fluid than that.

Korea in the first millenium was fought over by three kingdoms: Gorguryeo, Silla & Baekje. By the end of the first millenium, Gorguryeo defeated the other two kingdoms and unified the Korean peninsula. In fact, the name Korea comes from an abbreviation of Gorguryeo, that is, Goryeo.

It's been unified as such since then - that is for a millennium - even during the time when it was a vassal state of Japan which annexed it in August 1910 after the first Sino-Japan war and was ruled by them until the end of WWII when the Soviet & USA forces defeated the Japanese. This left Korea partitioned on the 38th parallel.

Hence, the situation is very much like the partition of Germany at the end of WWII rather than the situation of China which underwent a Marxist revolution and a civil war.

Given the long history of a unified Korea - a millenium - it's worth thinking of Korea as culturally unified. Hence, whilst neither North or South Korea officially recognise each other and both claim to be the legitimate sovereign government of a unified Korea, there have been ongoing talks since 2000, the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration and which was reaffirmed by the Panjunom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity & Unification of the Korean Peninsula in 2018.

Given this history, it's not really correct to think that one is the province of the other, or not; and nor that they are provinces of a unified Korea - the situation is more complex and fluid than that.