Korea-Russia join hands to fight Chinas history distortions 상세내용
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Korea-Russia join hands to fight Chinas history distortions
date
2006-11-04 00:00:00
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The academic circles in Korea and Russia are increasingly coming together to tackle Chinas attempt to distort the regional history under the name of Northeast Project. The scholars of both nations gathered in Moscow last Thursday (Oct. 26) for special seminar that discussed on the links of Korean past from ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo (37 B.C. &8211; 668 A.D.) to Balhae (668 &8211; 935) and even the matter of East Sea currently referred as Sea of Japan. Over 100 scholars attended the meeting including professor Roza Dzharylgasinova, top expert on Korean studies in all Europe. This is the first time Goguryeo-related academic meeting took place in Russia.
Goguryeo: the history of endless war with China
In the seminar held at Lenin State Library hosted by International Center for Korean Studies (ICKS) in Moscow, Professor Roza Dzharylgasinova, female, 74, doctor of ethnology at institute of Ethnography and Technology of the Russian Academy of Science criticized China for claiming the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo as theirs. She pointed out that all Chinese ancient history books recorded Goguryeo as Korean history and just a glance at the inion written in the tomb of Emperor Gwanggaeto (375-413) the Great that expresses the big dream of becoming a ruler of all Korean Peninsula region proves the kingdom belongs to Korea.
Dzharylgasinova decided on Korean studies in 1949 when curriculum on Korean history first opened in Moscow State University the same year. She first wanted to study Chinese history but changed her mind after falling in love with the unique beauty found in mural paintings of Goguryeo times. She studied Korean, Chinese and Goguryeo history and published books on ancient Goguryeo people in 1972, revealing for the first time in Soviet , one of Koreas ancient kingdoms. In 1979 she again published a book on the origin of Koreans and history reflected in epigraphy translated by herself. She even mentioned during her speech that son of Emperor Gwanggaeto was named Jang-soo (394-491) meaning longevity and like his name, he did enjoyed long years of life.
Professor Seo Gil-soo of Seokyeong University said that China has already gone beyond concluding Goguryeo as theirs in academic circle and currently spreading the distorted fact to the general public. Even Russia as one of the four major powers keenly related to Korean Peninsula issue cannot be entirely free from the logic of Chinas Northeast Project, he warned.
This is because China, with its logic of unified multinational people has re-established Chinas territory centering on the times of Ching Dynasty (16361912) which in this case indicates Chinese ownership of many regions in Far East from Republic of Tuva at northern Mongolian region to bulk of lands in Russia.
Russia has not fully grasped the implication of Chinas scheme, professor Seo said and called for Korea and Russia to go hand in hand to deal with Northeast Project.
Yuri V. Vanin, at Institute of Oriental Studies and er head of the department of Korea and Mongolia explained that China is using its Northeast Project in preparation for the time of Koreas reunification when the country is likely to demand its old territory in northern region including Gando to be returned from China. Other reasons for China to go as far as insisting Balhae to belong to them is to stretch the range of Chinas history all the way to Far East region of Russia.
Mikhail N. Pak, the honored professor of Moscow State University and doctor of history too emphasized there is no way Goguryeo which fought so long with Chinese dynasties of Sui (581618) and Tang (618-907) for decades be part of China.
Old Russian records needed to resolve Dokdo issue
Choi Seo-kyeon the honorary professor at Myongji University said in relations to the ownership of the Dokdo island located between Korea and Japan that not a single old record in Japan stipulates Dokdo as Japanese territory. Japans claim of Dokdo stems from purely militaristic and economic background by scholars well versed in international law but not historical background. Since it was the old Russia Empire (Russia before the revolution in 1917) that first made geographical measurement of Dokdo it is important to discover Russias old records concerning the island in order to resolve the matter, he added.
Glushkov, deputy director of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology said in relations to the naming of East Sea that back in 17-18 century the said-region was generally described as East Sea or Sea of Korea by map makers but after Japan colonized Korea in 1910 it was decided the region to be re-named Sea of Japan in 1929 by international hydrographic organization in Monaco.
Of the 763 maps made from 1500-1900, 440 of them describe the sea region in relations with Korea. Only 123 of them implied the region related to Japan. The deion of East Sea is certainly overwhelming Sea of Japan in number and it is customary to name the sea after the name of a country located in the left, he explained.
In the latest seminar both the scholars from Korea and Russia largely agreed that records held by Russia would be much help to resolving the controversial issues of Goguryeo, Dokdo and East Sea.
Russia to watch out for China/Japan hegemonies
The Far East Siberian regions of Russia that include Vladivostok and Khavarovsk also appear in Chinas Northeast project. The territory originally belonged to China in the past but after the Opium War (1840-42), Russia took advantage of Ching Dynastys ignorance of international relations and took over the land four times the size of Japan (1.61 million km) as their through five unfair treaties including the Treaty of Aihun in 1858.
The rise in number of illegal immigration from China along with Chinese capital and products Russia has become quite sensitive towards China-lization of the region. The country is already surprised at the counterparts audacity to declare history of neighboring nations as theirs to build up its hegemonies.
On the other hand Russia too has its own painful history of ceasing its right to South Sakhalin region after being defeated in Russo-Japanese wars (1904-1905) and is currently disputing with Japan over the Kuril islands. Lately since North Koreas nuclear experimentation is also concerned about Japan using the opportunity to re-arm itself.
Dr. Dzharylgasinova once more underlined the need for Korea and Russia to come into close cooperation to prevent distortion of history and territorial ownership between the countries.
