The correct answer is "Japanese Imperialism".
The Korean territory has been subject to numerous foreign interventions throughout the years. China has controlled that region for numerous centuries until the end of the 19th century, with the defeat of China at the hands of the Japanese Empire in the Sino-Japanese War. This began the era of Japanese control in Korea from 1910 until 1935. Foreign intervention would not stop there, as, after the Second World War, the country was divided into 2 politically opposed states.
All of these historical events have led Korea to be labeled as "A shrimp among whales".
