Historical findings have shown that the first settlers on the Korean Peninsular arrived here more than 700,000 years ago. However, a Korean legend says that it was Dangun, a mythical creature, which founded the first kingdom of Korea. The Three Kingdom Dynasty was one of the most important periods in Korean history. It began in 57 BC and ended in 676 AD and saw the struggle for rule between three rival kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje.