Korea and the United States: 160 Years of History Between Two Nations
In November 2025, Korea and the United States signed a strategic investment Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) worth a total of $350 billion. On paper, that is roughly 500 trillion won — and it shows just how far Korea has come: from a country that once received foreign aid to one that now invests in the world. So when and how did these two nations first meet? The beginning goes back more than 160 years, to an incident in the waters off Incheon.
In this article, we walk through the history of Korea–U.S. relations era by era — from the first encounter to today's alliance — and revisit the moments of choice that shaped it. 
1. The First Encounter Was a Clash (1866–1871)
President Lee Jae-myung and President Donald Trump at their first summit at the White House, August 25, 2025 — the starting point of the tariff-and-investment deal (Source: Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, korea.kr)
Korea's first contact with the United States was anything but friendly. In 1866, the American merchant ship General Sherman sailed up the Taedong River without notice and was burned in Pyongyang; five years later, in 1871, a U.S. naval fleet actually fought Korean forces in the Ganghwa Strait — the incident known in Korea as Sinmiyangyo (the 1871 American Campaign).
At the time, Joseon kept its doors closed while the United States sought open trade. The two sides' intentions never aligned, and the first meeting ended in armed conflict. The irony? About a decade later, the two nations would sign a peaceful treaty near the very same waters. 
2. Joseon's First Modern Treaty (1882)
Korean troops defending against attacking U.S. Marines at the stone fortress of Choji-jin on Ganghwa Island — an illustration of the 1871 Sinmiyangyo
In May 1882, at Chemulpo (present-day Incheon), Joseon and the United States signed the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation — the first modern treaty Joseon ever concluded with a Western nation.
It was an equal treaty recognizing each side's sovereignty, built on the principles of commerce and amity. It opened the door to Joseon's era of enlightenment, though some historians also read it as the product of America's pragmatic calculation regarding Japan's expanding influence. One scene in history carries two perspectives.
3. When Schools and Hospitals Opened (1885–1904)
After the treaty, American educators and medical missionaries arrived on the peninsula, laying the foundations of modern institutions. Yeonhui College (the root of Yonsei University), Ewha Haktang (the forerunner of Ewha Womans University), and Severance Hospital all opened in this period. Journalist Homer Hulbert was among those who spoke up for Korean independence to the international community.
It is worth remembering that the history of the schools, hospitals, and newspapers we take for granted today began with this early Korea–U.S. encounter.
4. The First Break — The Pain of 1905 (1905–1945)
Then the relationship fell apart. Under the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905), which ended the Russo-Japanese War, the United States effectively recognized Japan's dominance over the Korean Peninsula; in November of that year, the American legation withdrew and diplomatic relations were severed. The following year Japan stripped Korea of its diplomatic rights, and in 1910 the annexation made Joseon a colony.
The choice of 1905 was long remembered as a wound in Korea–U.S. relations, and it became part of the backdrop for independence activists building overseas bases — in the United States and beyond — for Korea's independence movement.
5. Meeting Again Through War (1950–1953)
The two nations met again — through tragedy. When the Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, the United States joined under U.N. resolutions. The tide turned with the Inchon Landing (September 1950), and an armistice was signed in July 1953. 
Along with the armistice came the Mutual Defense Treaty Between Korea and the United States. Signed in Washington on October 1, 1953 and entering into force in November 1954, it was the first treaty of its kind Korea ever concluded — and remains its only military alliance to this day. It is the legal foundation of today's U.S. Forces Korea and combined exercises.
U.S. artillerymen firing on the frozen front lines in Korea (Source: U.S. Army archive, Army.mil)
U.S. units holding the Pusan Perimeter in the summer of 1950 (Source: U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command, photo SC-347107)
U.S. Marines coming ashore during the Inchon Landing, September 1950 (Source: U.S. Marine Corps official archive)
General MacArthur, U.N. Commander, observing the situation around the Inchon Landing (September 1950, Source: U.S. National Archives, NARA)
6. From Aid to Growth (1954–1980)
U.S. and international aid contributed greatly to rebuilding war-torn Korea. Loans provided under the 1965 Korea–U.S. agreement helped fund the era's key infrastructure — including the Cheonggyecheon overpass and the Gyeongin Expressway.
Korea also deployed some 310,000 troops (cumulative) to Vietnam between 1964 and 1973, of whom more than 5,000 were killed. The deployment brought large-scale economic aid and a foothold in overseas construction markets — one engine of the growth later called the "Miracle on the Han River."
7. Coming of Age of the Alliance (1980–2000)
As Korea achieved economic growth and democratization, the Korea–U.S. relationship changed with it. This was the era when ties expanded beyond security into trade, investment, education, and culture. The 1988 Seoul Olympics raised Korea's international standing, and in the 1990s two-way trade grew rapidly, making the two countries important economic partners for each other.
On the economic front, however, disputes over trade imbalances and market-opening pressure repeated, and the 1997 Asian financial crisis — and the international bailout that came with it — left a deep imprint on Korean society. Through it all, the relationship evolved into what would later be called a "values alliance," beyond a security alliance.
8. The Alliance in the 21st Century (2000–Present)
| Period | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | KORUS FTA enters into force | First U.S. free trade agreement with an Asian nation |
| 2018–19 | USFK relocates to Pyeongtaek | Camp Humphreys, the largest overseas U.S. military base |
| 2022 | President Biden visits Korea | First stop in Asia on his first presidential trip abroad |
| 2023 | Washington Declaration | Launch of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) |
| 2025 | Strategic investment MOU | $350 billion ($200B investment + $150B shipbuilding) |
The 2025 agreement is especially symbolic. With Korean companies investing in the U.S. across semiconductors, secondary batteries, and shipbuilding, the alliance is expanding from a military one into an industrial and technological partnership. 
9. Frequently Asked Questions
The two leaders discussing shipbuilding cooperation and investment in the U.S. (Source: Korea.net, the official portal of the Republic of Korea)
Q1. When did Korea and the U.S. establish diplomatic relations?
In 1882, with the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation. Note, however, that relations were severed from 1905 until just before the outbreak of war in 1950.
Q2. What is the Mutual Defense Treaty?
A military alliance treaty signed in 1953, committing both nations to a joint response to armed attack on the Korean Peninsula. It is Korea's only alliance treaty.
Q3. Why did the U.S. help Korea?
Historians explain it as the combined result of Cold War strategy — containing the spread of a rival bloc — and a value-based commitment to allied democracies.
Q4. What is the 2025 $350 billion agreement?
A strategic investment framework under which Korea will invest $350 billion (about 500 trillion won) in the U.S. — $200 billion in general investment plus $150 billion tied to shipbuilding cooperation.
10. Closing — An Alliance That Is Made, Not Born
The 160 years of Korea–U.S. relations did not begin in friendship. They began in conflict, broke apart, and met again through war. Today, that relationship moves the world's economy and security together.
What this history shows is that an alliance is not born overnight — it is made, defined anew through every trial. What the Korea–U.S. relationship becomes next depends on the choices ahead. Which moment in these 160 years do you consider the most decisive turning point?
References
- U.S. National Archives, "Korean War": archives.gov/research/military/korean-war
- U.S. Army, "The Korean War": army.mil/koreanwar
- Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, "R.O.K.–U.S. Sign MOU on $350B Strategic Investment" (Nov 2025): korea.kr
- JoongAng Ilbo, "Korea, U.S. Sign Strategic Investment MOU": joongang.co.kr
Photo credits: U.S. National Archives (NARA) and official U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps archives (public domain); official photos from the Republic of Korea Policy Briefing (korea.kr) and Korea.net (Korea Open Government License); one illustration created by this blog.
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