http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWTjGI3uXPg&feature=player_embedded
I substitute my explanation with this video.
I've no hard feelings on Japan, but I believe it's true that Japan was quite cruel to Korea under their colonization. But it seems that Japanese people have no sense of apology to Korea. Japan has always been evading their responsibility and denied their wrongdoings on Korea in the past.
I've once read a book about German education, and the biggest surprise was that German students start from learning Hitler and Holocaust, their most shameful history. They learn by their heart German had made a huge mistake and that sort of thing should never happen again.
Japanese are never educated that way. Instead, they're intentionally educated to glorify their history---though it's pretty much the same with Koreans. They don't know what they should feel sorry for. I think it's a huge mistake itself.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
My Point Of View on China's Northeast Project
The territory of Goguryeo Kingdom in 5C.
Goguryeo's the surely a poweful, influncial country that took a huge terriotory ranging from todasy's China and Korea. It's also the country that Koreans are proud about the most, and firmly believe to be their ancestor country.
But the thing is China has launched its Northeast Project in 2000s, claiming that Goguryeo was one of Chinese' minority governments and supposed to included in Chinese history. Of course Koreans got furious at this.
These are some main arguments on the issue.
Chinese claims that Goguryeo was found in today's Chinese territory and always stayed at it. And where Goguryeo was at belonged to Han, the Chinese government, territory.
Korean objects that Goguryeo conflicted with Han and eventually expelled Han government from their land.
Chinese claims that Goguryeo paid a tribute to China, proving that the country was subordinate to China.
Korea objects that tribute was a token gesture and there are plenty of evidences Goguryeo had its pride as an independent nation. Korea also argues that other independent nations at that time also paid a tribute to China and it's nonsense to say only Goguryeo was a subordinate.
China claims that Su and Tang had a war with Goguryeo to unite China.
Korea claims that Goguryeo fought off Su and Tang to protect their independence.
The absulute truth is that history's always on the winner's side. The powerful country writes history to show off their glory and greatness. And they reads the history favorable to them, to add to their fame and powefulness. Today China's in a superior state than Korea in a global world, so it tries to make Goguryeo history to make their history look good---it's rather political than to explore the historical truth. I heard China also wish Goguryeo (and Balhae) to be their history, in case North and South Korea's united and claim Gando territory which used to be theirs.
Perhaps Goguryeo's neither China nor Korea. There's been some evidences on this, first Goguryeo lied at Liaodong peninsula, which initially was neither Chinese or Korean territory. Its language wasn't same as Chinese or Korean; it had its uniqueness instead. Historically Goguryeo had not been dominated by China, Korea, or Japan. Its culture didn't look much like China or Korea. (I sort of agree with this, Goguryeo relics queit look different than the countries that existed at the same time...) So Goguryeo's not China nor Korea, it's just "Liaodong Nation"!
Of course I want Goguryeo to be part Korea's history. But I guess I have to be neutral at history to see every posibility and examine every basis, to have my own point of view.
Goguryeo's the surely a poweful, influncial country that took a huge terriotory ranging from todasy's China and Korea. It's also the country that Koreans are proud about the most, and firmly believe to be their ancestor country.
But the thing is China has launched its Northeast Project in 2000s, claiming that Goguryeo was one of Chinese' minority governments and supposed to included in Chinese history. Of course Koreans got furious at this.
These are some main arguments on the issue.
Chinese claims that Goguryeo was found in today's Chinese territory and always stayed at it. And where Goguryeo was at belonged to Han, the Chinese government, territory.
Korean objects that Goguryeo conflicted with Han and eventually expelled Han government from their land.
Chinese claims that Goguryeo paid a tribute to China, proving that the country was subordinate to China.
Korea objects that tribute was a token gesture and there are plenty of evidences Goguryeo had its pride as an independent nation. Korea also argues that other independent nations at that time also paid a tribute to China and it's nonsense to say only Goguryeo was a subordinate.
China claims that Su and Tang had a war with Goguryeo to unite China.
Korea claims that Goguryeo fought off Su and Tang to protect their independence.
The absulute truth is that history's always on the winner's side. The powerful country writes history to show off their glory and greatness. And they reads the history favorable to them, to add to their fame and powefulness. Today China's in a superior state than Korea in a global world, so it tries to make Goguryeo history to make their history look good---it's rather political than to explore the historical truth. I heard China also wish Goguryeo (and Balhae) to be their history, in case North and South Korea's united and claim Gando territory which used to be theirs.
Perhaps Goguryeo's neither China nor Korea. There's been some evidences on this, first Goguryeo lied at Liaodong peninsula, which initially was neither Chinese or Korean territory. Its language wasn't same as Chinese or Korean; it had its uniqueness instead. Historically Goguryeo had not been dominated by China, Korea, or Japan. Its culture didn't look much like China or Korea. (I sort of agree with this, Goguryeo relics queit look different than the countries that existed at the same time...) So Goguryeo's not China nor Korea, it's just "Liaodong Nation"!
Of course I want Goguryeo to be part Korea's history. But I guess I have to be neutral at history to see every posibility and examine every basis, to have my own point of view.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Gojoseon, Myth or Real?
It's actually "Joseon," not "Gojoseon." But we call it Gojoseon to tell it apart from Joseon dynasty which was found by Lee in 1392.
Gojoseon's known as a first kingdom of Korea which started on 2333 B.C., but the world doesn't recognize the country as a "real existed" one. Especially Japanese histrorians say Gojoseon's merely a myth. They have their reason of saying so, because it's the country that existed long time ago and there aren't many data left to tell us what the country was like.
But there are some clues to show that Gojoseon's not a myth to us. For example, the dolmen's been found many places around today's Chinese and North Korean territory. (c.f. 70% of world's dolmen's on Korea.) And it's been widely known that the relic's highly related to the territory of Gojoseon.
No one can say for sure an ancient country really existed or not---because they wasn't there. I also believe the birth myth of Gojoseon's somewhat unrealistic and they just lack of historical records on it. (And it's true that Korean government goes patriotic when explaining Gojoseon.) But there ARE some evidences to prove its existences and that is something. And the countries that's denying Gojoseon as part of Korean history has their political & diplomatic reasons on back---like China may not like the idea of Gojoseon, because on this historical basis Korean government might claim the land north to Korea.
What's interesting about this dolmens is that it has this mysterious holes on them. The studies have shown that the holes on the stones signify the constellation. If that account is ture, Gojoseon dolmens are the oldest astronomical chart, which is pretty awesome!
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