The Goguryeo controversies refers to the disputes between China and Korea on the history of Goguryeo, an ancient kingdom located mostly in the present day Northeast China and North Korea. Korea (Korean: 한국 or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... Goguryeo was an ancient kingdom located in the northern Korean Peninsula[1][2][3][4] and southern Manchuria claimed by both Koreas and China as part of their respective heritages [5][6][7]. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Baekje and Silla and was the... Approximate extent Northeast China (Simplified Chinese: 东北; Traditional Chinese: 東北; pinyin: Dōngběi; literally east-north), historically known as Manchuria, is the name of a region (ca. ...

Background

Goguryeo has been conventionally viewed as a Korean state, more specifically as one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Traditional Chinese histories have also identified Goguryeo with Goryeo, a Korean dynasty that took its name from Goguryeo and ruled Korea for centuries. The Three Kingdoms of Korea were Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. The Three Kingdoms period in Korea is usually considered to run from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until Sillas triumph over... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian...

Starting from the 1980's, the People's Republic of China began to re-identify Goguryeo^{[citation needed]}, especially the first half of Goguryeo's history before it moved its capital to the Korean peninsula, as a part of the regional history of China rather than of Korea. More recently, this effort has been called the Northeast Project. The rationales for the project includes: The Northeast Project (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ), which is short for the Northeast Borderland History and the Chain of Events Research Project (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ), is a 20-billion-yuan (2. ...

• that Goguryeo was established in Northeast China, now a part of China;
• that Goguryeo actively sought a tributary relationship with successive Chinese empires ^[1]
• that after the end of Goguryeo, a substantial portion of its people were assimilated into Han Chinese ^[2]
• the claim that the Goryeo Dynasty and hence, the Korean nation, descends from Samhan and Silla, not Goguryeo; and that Goryeo appropriated the name from Goguryeo when in fact the two were established by different ethnicities.^{[citation needed]}

By contrast, Korean historians dispute the legitimacy of the Northeast Project, generally making these arguments:^[3] Languages Chinese languages, Indian languages, Hebrew Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian... During the Samhan period, the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan dominated the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Silla (also spelled Shilla, traditional dates 57 BCE - 935 CE) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. ...

• A state established in what is now China does not necessarily mean it is Chinese.
• Goguryeo's second capital was located at Pyongyang, North Korea. Before the capital city was moved, Goguryeo territory comprised what is today North Korea and parts of Manchuria.
• Goguryeo lasted about 900 years while no Chinese Dynasty concurrent with Goguryeo's rule lasted for more than 400.
• That large numbers of Goguryeo people were assimilated into China does not make Goguryeo Chinese.
• Only Southern Koreans from the Jeolla and Kyongsang regions were descendants of Samhan, which is south of the Geum River. There are more Koreans descended from inhabitants outside Samhan and Silla, i.e., north of Geum River. North Koreans are descendants of Goguryeo^{[citation needed]}, and North Korean shares the same languange and culture with the South Koreans.
• Many cultures in Asia had a tributory relationship with Chinese Dynasties for political reasons including Yamato Japan, and yet the Chinese are not claiming Japan as Chinese territory.

The Northeast Project also involved rewriting history textbooks and restoring important Goguryeo sites in China, which many historians and political analysts question the motives thereof, believing the Northeast Project to be an attempt to establish historical justification for possible takeover of North Korea.^{[citation needed]} There are also many others who believe this is a defensive policy by China, preparing for possible land disputes with a unified Korea. In 2004 this dispute threatened to lead to diplomatic disputes between the China and the Republic of Korea, although all governments involved seem to exhibit no desire to see the issue damage relations.^{[citation needed]} Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... The Geum River is a river in South Korea. ... During the Samhan period, the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan dominated the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Silla (also spelled Shilla, traditional dates 57 BCE - 935 CE) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. ... The Geum River is a river in South Korea. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Yamato (大和) may refer to: // Yamato people, the dominant ethnic group of ancient Japan Yamato period, which is the period of Japanese history when the Japanese Imperial court ruled from Yamato Province Yamato Takeru, a legendary Japanese prince of the Yamato dynasty Yamato (music), a Japanese musical group which performs Taiko... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The PRC's revision to Goguryeo history has received international criticisms came from numerous scholars from other countries such as the United States, Russia, Mongolia, and Australia^[4], including prominent Goguryeo experts such as Mark Byington of Harvard University Korea Institute^[5], and R. Sh. Djarylgashinova of Russian Academy of Science Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography.^[6]

The Northeast Project is not universally accepted in the PRC. In 2006, a senior scholar of Beijing University, one of the most prestigious universities in the People's Republic of China, affirmed Goguryeo as a part of Korean history and denied Chinese connections.^[7] He has expressed disagreements with the CASS institute, the PRC government institution running the Northeast Project, and indirectly criticized the project on behalf of the Peking University Department of History.^[8] Peking University 博学审问慎思明辨 Peking University or Beijing University (pinyin Běijīng Dàxué), colloquially Beida (北大, pinyin běidà), is one of the most prestigious universities in China. ... The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Simplified Chinese: 中国社会科学院; Traditional Chinese: 中國社會科學院; pinyin: Zhōngguó Shèhuì KÄ“xuéyuàn) is the national academy of the Peoples Republic of China for the social sciences. ...

See also

• South Korea-China Relations

South Korea-China relations refers to the international relations between Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Peoples Republic of China. ...

Notes