>>166
Just so you know, I'm not Korean, so I have no bias here.

There's a lot of rich Korean history, I think you're mistaken.
Especially if you're into Japanese culture/history, you should know that a lot of Japanese history/culture is shared with the Korean civilizations that thrived there in the beginning of the last millenium. Japan without Korea would be like England without ancient Scandinavia (that's actually not such a bad comparison).

Political-economics are very important in history, they define the strength of culture in our historical perception. Korea as an imperial state spent most of its history as a tributary state to China, so the poor sucker has got a big neighbor to over-shadow it culturally, as economically, despite the fact that it was the birth-place of some very great technological innovations and cultural developments.

• Things like metal moveable type, the Hwa'cha (like the first rocket loncher), the first armored war ship, and other stuff.
• 1,500+ years of rich art history some of which is quite distinct, like Korean celadon pottery, Silla Jewelry, Goguryo murals that are very unique.
• Unique musical tradition, clothing, language, writing system, tea ceremony, tang soo do...etc. etc.

I guess in recent years in the later periods of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea really stagnated as a state and was very economically poor, and likewise, made a small impression on the western (and Eastern) colonial powers. For them, Korea was just a quaint, socially-backwards little peninsula stuck in the middle of the great imperial interests of its mighty neighbors on at least three sides.