The birth of Korea

According to myths, 환인 Hwanin was the lord of heaven who had a son, 환웅 Hwanung.

환웅 taught humans various arts, medicine and agriculture. He also instituted laws and moral codes along with his ministers of clouds, rain and wind. 

환인 allowded 환웅 and 3000 followers to descend from heaven to a sandalwood on 박두산 [baekdusan] Baekdu mountain "white-headed mountain", which on the top of it, remains the "heaven lake" 천지 [cheonji]. There, 환웅 created 신시 [sinsi] "city of god", and named himself "Heaven king".

천지, 백두산       Chenji lake, Baekdu mountain [2744 m high]

Near the sandalwood was a cave where used to live a bear and a tiger. Everyday, they prayed to 환웅 to become humans. One day, the Heaven king gave them 20 bulbs of garlic and mugwort. He ordered the two animals to eat those ingredients only during 100 days, and to stay out of the sunlight. The tiger gave up because of hunger, but the bear was transformed into a woman 웅녀 [ungnyeo] "Bear-woman" who honored 환웅 with offerings. 

웅녀 grew up lonely and prayed to her king to have a child. Moved by her prayerd, 환웅 made her his wife and had a son they called 단군 Dangun, a name with two meanings : Altar prince, and sandalwood.

When 단군 ascended to the throne, he built the city of 아사달 Asadal "Morning land" or "Morning mountain" in maybe Manchuria, Hwanghae or Pyeongyang. He built another city also called 아사달 on mount Baegak, and this one was the capital of his kingdom 조선 [고조선/단군조선] Joseon [Gojoseon/Dangun joseon]. 

단군 ruled for 1500 years, until king Wu of Chou dethroned him and placed 기자 [Gija] instead of him. 단군 moved to Changtan-Kyong, returned to 아사달 and became a mountain god. 

단군 Dangun