Published by HIFCO

www.hifco.or.kr
The organization do not claim any right for pictures used in the magazine.
Publisher: Do Eon Lee, Ye Yun Lee, Soon Myeong Yoon

HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 1-48 2010-12-14 오전 12:56:06

 목차 Contents

4-5 Neglected but True Name, East Sea 6-7 8-9 Dokdo Gando

10-13 The Northeast Project 14-15 Nanta

16-17 Talchum, Satire in Motion

18-22 History of Joseon Dynasty’s Five Palaces

24 The Gyeongju Historic Areas with the 1000-year-old History of Shilla Dynasty
25 Korea, the Kingdom of Dolmens 26 Suwon Hwasung 27 Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
28 29-30
Korean History Breifing: Gaya The Last Roman in Northeast Asia

31 32
First Impressions of Joseon Resistance against Mongolia

33 34-35 Learn from the Past Five Kings of Joseon

36-37 Party Politics Now and Then

38 39 Korean Diaspora Passion of Korean

40 What It Takes to Make People Care

41 Historical Crisis, Korean Crisis

42-43 South Korea Seen Through the Eyes of a German

44-45 The Oldest and the Best

46 Final Remarks

HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 2 2010-12-14 오전 12:56:20

 Foreword
There was a typical high school student.

She was neither special nor especially talented, but she had the courage to ask one question: “Would you like to
correct the Korean history with me?”

That was the beginning of HIFCO, now with about 450 members worldwide.

Greetings to everyone. My name is Do Eon Lee, the founder and current president of HIFCO, which stands for
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization.

I was rather skeptical when I started HIFCO in the summer of 2009. No matter how important our history is, I
wondered how many students who are busy with college prep would care for an optional course, the history of
Korea. That summer, I only dared hope that a dozen students would like to join.But today more than 400 Korean
students throughout the world are members of HIFCO. At first, it was mainly high school students who joined the
organization; now the members range from elementary to college students. I have realized my worries were need-
less and have gained hope that things will be better.

Already six years have passed since I started to correct historical fallacies through email in VANK. It was not easy
to correct what was already mistaken. Foreigners did not know Korea properly, and worse, the world did not know
Korea very well.

Few years ago, many Koreans talked about this joke: when Koreans go abroad, foreigners first ask us “Are you
Japanese?” If we answer no, they ask again, “Then are you Chinese?” If we reply no again, they would finally ask, “Then
where are you from?”

Although Korea has world-famous corporations, the fact that many foreigners are uninformed of Korea was
heartbreaking. Moreover, such little acknowledgement of us would surely be a weakness of us in a global society. So
we decided to make a publication that properly informs people about Korea.

In this publication, we are going to describe Korea’s history and the cultural heritage that beautifully enrich our
country. Our goal is to inform more people about Korea, where six to seven millions of foreign tourists come every
year. We believe we should not only correct our mistaken history but also actively inform foreigners about us.

Just as I bravely asked the question that established HIFCO, I now bravely announce these words: I wish more
people would have interest in Korea. I wish more would notice the beauty of the millennia-old Korea and view this
land as a country they must visit during their lifetime.

HIFCO’s current goal is to correct Korea’s history, but our final goal is to work with all students worldwide to es-
tablish the truth of history.

Just as people can truly respect themselves after establishing their identities, people can love their country and
others after establishing their true history. We believe that truly established history is the way we can live with re-
spect toward one another.

History is not just a simple fact of the past. History is our present and the driving force to the future. Every mo-
ment will also become another part of history that will maintain our future someday. From now on, we would like
to show you the past and present of Korea, which will introduce more about us. Let us start our story even though
it is not enough to include all of Korea.

Thank you.

Do Eon Lee

HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 3 2010-12-14 오전 12:56:20

 Neglected but True Name,
the East Sea
By Suk Joon Jang
D o you know the name of the sea between the
Korean peninsula and Japan? Japanese will an-
swer “the Sea of Japan”, and Koreans will answer “the
East Sea”. Two nations are still are in confrontation with
each other with the right name for this Sea. Japan holds
that many people are already using the name “the Sea of
Japan”, while Korea claims that “the East Sea” has been
used more in history, and adds that this term may be jus-
tified by the fact that this sea is situated at the east end
of the continent.
What is right? :
The East Sea,
not the Sea of Japan
Korea and Japan’s conflict is mainly on what they should
call the sea between them. Japan insists “the Sea of Ja-
pan”. They claim that it’s been used since the late 18th
century. Furthermore, they say refutations about the
name, on the first place, are incorrect.
However, they are mistaken. According to various
historical materials, we can see the term “East Sea” has
been used for a long time. King Kwang Kae To’s grave
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
stone erected in the period of the Three States, Sin
Jeung Dong Kuk Yeo Ji Seoung Lam’s( Joesun Dynasty’s
anthropogeographic book written in 1530) map of the
entire eight provinces, map of Yeongnam region made in
1740, map on North-East made in the mid-18th century,
Korean overall map of Yeo Ji do(a map going over gen-
eral information) made in the late 18th century all wrote
“the East Sea” between the two countries. In contrary,
“the Sea of Japan” was first seen on Kunyu Wanguo
Quantu which was made in 1602. In addition, the Society
for East Sea Research opened an international seminar
on the name of the East Sea at Shanghai, China. They
have reviewed 407 western old maps throughout the
16th century to the 20th century, and as a result, 298 of
these maps (73.2%) marked “East Sea”, while only 109
(26.8%) were marked “the Sea of Japan”. “The East Sea”
was used much more longer and widely than “the Sea of
Japan”.
4
Considering international customs, the “East Sea” has
5 more validity. Presently, names of seas are decided by
the nearby country. Then how should it be named? The
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 4
North Sea is a case in point. For the English and Ger-
man, the sea is situated south, but for the general north
Europe, it is situated north. Because the sea is placed
north of the continent the “North Sea” was selected.
In 1902, Japan claimed the used of “the Sea of Japan” at
the IHB(International Hydrographic Bureau). If we ap-
ply this case, naming the sea, located in the east of the
Continent, the “East Sea” is appropriate. Some insist the
‘sea of Corea”, which is seen in many western historical
maps, but as well considering international customs, this
is also not suitable. Therefore, not by the view of certain
nations, but by the view of the Continent of Asia, “East
Sea” is the proper name.
Then why does the world call the East sea the Sea
of Japan? The powers tried to invade Joseon preceding
imperialism. Among the powers, Japan had the hold on
Joseon in 1910, and Korea has suffered from the fall of
becoming Japan’s colony till 1945. During the Japanese
colonial period, Japan made a public statement about
the name of the Sea as the Sea of Japan. And today
IHO(International Hydrographic Organization) an-
nounces a rule of deciding names of oceans issuing a
publication “Limits of Oceans and Seas”. However this is
a unilateral declaration of Japan disregarding the fact that
the sea has been continuously called the East Sea.
In this respect, the sea between Korea and Japan should
explicitly call the East Sea. Japan is simply trying to hide
the truth to take possession of the sea.
Fraudulent Claims of Japan
Presently, Japan has 4 fallacious grounds supporting
their Sea of Japan.
First, 95% of the world is already using this name,
therefore confusing them is not right. However, we
should be aware that this is one of the brutalities Japan
has committed in the past. It was Japan that confused the
world by changing the widely used name East Sea to the
Sea of Japan. And now we are trying to rectify the injus-
tices.
Second, the term Sea of Japan has been used in the
western from the late 18th century to the early 19th
century and that it was not coerced by Japan. Deciding
the name of the sea considering thoughts of far western
2010-12-14 오전 12:56:22
 countries than reflecting the opinions of the neighboring
Koreans is not only violating the equality, but also runs
counter to the principle of considering the name origi-
nally used by the residents when making maps.
Third, the name is given because of the position of Ja-
pan, placed through the Pacific Ocean, not that they are
not claiming any ownership. There hasn’t been any case
naming the sea after an island that just runs through the
ocean. Instead, in these cases it’s proper to name the sea
after the situation from the continent.
Lastly, UN has accepted only the Sea of Japan. United
Nations Secretariat is the solely organization using the
name Sea of Japan, however this is only for convenience
and the UN has said it is incorrectly written. On the
contrary, looking into ‘standardization of Geographical
Names Council UN” passed in 1977, when to neighbor-
ing nations do not agree on the designation of place, it is
to use both names as a rule. Under this circumstance, we
cannot say that the UN only conceded the ‘sea of Japan”.
The Importance Designation
Some may not consider the name of the sea impor-
tant. However, the problems related to the name have
a great meaning to Korea and Japan. The name ‘sea of
Japan” may imply that Korea gives the ownership of to Ja-
pan. Also, East sea does not mean the east of the Korean
peninsula but the east of the Continent of Asia. Using
the term Sea of Japan as well denies the Korean history
that used the right name. By this as a foundation, other
distortions of history may continue. Calling it the East
Sea is our effort to protect the truth of history.
International Strifes
Related to the “East Sea”
As explained before, conflict between Korea and Japan
about the right designation has started in 1929. at the
time, Japan had taken away Korea’s diplomatic, legisla-
tive rights and judicial power. After depriving Korea’s
diplomatic rights, Japan announced the name of the sea
as Sea of Japan at the IBO (International Baccalaureate
Organization) ignoring the fact that the East Sea has
been used widely. Though, Korea could not do anything
about this for their loss of diplomatic rights. Later, in
1957, Korea joined the IBO and started to argue that the
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 5
East Sea is the right name since the 1970s. In 1974, IBO
suggests using both expressions but Japan refused. In
1992, North and South Korea raised objection the name
‘sea of Japan” in a matter of government at the 6th Stan-
dardization of Geographical Names Council UN”. Korea
brought up this problem at the 7th and 8th UN meeting
but Japan refuses Korea’s negotiation to prevent it be-
coming a matter of international issue. However by the
endeavor of Korea’s refutation, it has eventually become
an internationally known problem. In addition, Korea has
made several efforts by making promotion brochures for
the name of East Sea in 2007 and 2009, and uploading
promotion videos on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade’s homepage.
Majority Sea of Japan,
But Increase of Co-writing
Regrettably, the Sea of Japan is still used more com-
monly worldwide. Worldly known magazine TIME wrote
solely Sea of Japan on the map on the reporting of the
Cheonan Ship Issue of August, 2010. Also, CNN has
written only Sea of Japan through the process of report-
ing the news of North Korea’s seizure of Daeseung of
August 8th. Most of the departments of the American
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
government solely write the Sea of Japan as well. This
shows most of the world doesn’t know the sea’s true
name.
However, we see a positive change. According to
Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in 2000
only 2.8% of the word wrote both East Sea and Sea of
Japan(research from Japan), in 2005 it rose to 10.8%(re-
serch from Japan), and in 2009 (reserach from Korea)
it increased to 28.07%. In addition, well-known search
engine Google’s 3D map program provides both names.
Though it is a pity that a map with East Sea solely written
is very rare, this positive movement is a great meaning,
by showing that this issue is internationally being known.
East Sea, the sea between Korea and Japan, has come
this far without its true name. The East Sea is still waiting
to be called by its original name. Now, we should bring
more attention to this issue. Though the co-writing is be-
ing accomplished, there is only one truth. With historic,
geographic approach, and with the view considering in-
5
ternational law, the only conclusion we can reach is “the
East Sea.” ■ 4
2010-12-14 오전 12:56:23
 Dokdo By Kyung Hyun Mhin

T he Dokdo controversy is a hotly contested issue that has led to rising tensions between Korea and
Japan. However, the matter is only lightly touched upon in Korean textbooks, though it shows up
often enough on the evening news. Therefore, it is to no great surprise that not many people are inter-
ested in Dokdo. In this article, I will introduce three topics that may spark your interest in this problem.

Changes in Dokdo’s name

Usando, which is commonly known as Dokdo’s former Seokdo.
name, was once actually the name of the neighboring island
The official name Dokdo was first used by Governor Shim
Ulleungdo. However, when its official name became Ul-
Heung Taek of Ulleungdo, in 1906. The name Dokdo uses the
leungdo, Dokdo was named inherited the name Usando. Usan
hanja 獨 (dok, meaning alone) and 島 (do, meaning island).
means “high mountains” in the language of Goguryeo, one of
However, it does not really mean “lonely island.” The name
the Three Kingdoms of the Korean peninsula.
‘Dokdo’ originated from a mispronunciation of “Dolsom,” or
During the Chosun dynasty, the names Sambongdo and “rock island,” by early settlers from Jeolla-do.
Gajido were also used alongside “Usando.” Sambong means
As you can see, Dokdo has various names, Now, let’s move
“three peaks” and “gaji” means “many seals.” After the late
on to our second topic, ‘Protectors of Dokdo’.
19th century, Dokdo’s name changed to Seokdo, because of
its rocky façade. Although the island now has the official name
Dokdo, the inhabitants of Ulleungdo still refer to it as “Dok-
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

som” and “Dolsom,” which are literal Korean translations of

Kangchi ( Japanese Sealion)

Do you remember that one of Dokdo’s old names is “Ga- that Kangchi are back in Dokdo, we should try to save them
jido”? This name comes from Kangchi’s original name. This from disappearing again.
shows that Dokdo was teeming with Kangchis during Chosun
In the 19th century, there were about 3 to 5 million Kang-
dynasty. Today, black-tailed gulls represent Dokdo. Black tailed
chis on Dokdo. However, during the Japanese colonization of
gulls are an endemic species of Northeast Asia. In Korea,
Korea, many were killed for their leather and oil. This is the
there are 3 reservations for them, including Dokdo. However,
reason why no Kangchi were found for the last few decades.
many people don’t know about the other animals living on
Kangchi has finally returned home after 33 years and this time,
Dokdo, such as Kangchi. Kangchi, or Japanese sealions, were
we must protect them from becoming extinct again.
thought to be extinct until a few years ago. This was proven
false when they were found living near Dokdo in 2009. Now

67

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 The Four Protectors of Dokdo
Do you know anyone who protected Dokdo? Most people
mistakenly believes that only An Yong-bok tried to protect
Dokdo. However, there are many more who have tried to
protect it. Here I will talk about four of the best.
The first person I would like to introduce is Yong-bok An.
The way he tried to protect Dokdo is almost like a movie.
Mr. An was an ordinary fisherman during the Joseon dynasty.
His life took a turn on one fateful day. While fishing at Ul-
leungdo in 1693, he got into a dispute with some Japanese
fishermen. He and his coworkers were captured and taken to
the Japanese island Houki. While he was there, he asked the
governor of Houki to ban Japanese fishermen from fishing on
Ulleungdo. The governor of Houki wrote Mr. An a document
stating Ulleungdo was not a territory of Japan. However, the
document was taken from him when he reached Tsushima. In
1696, he found Japanese fishermen fishing at Ulleungdo again.
After he evicted them, the fisherman went to Houki to make
clear the fact that Ulleungdo and Dokdo were part of Joseon
and ask the governor to ban the repeated border violations.
At his request, the governor of Houki promised that if anyone
violated the border again, they would be severely punished.
Through his work, the Tokugawa shogunate ordered that
no one was to violate Ulleungdo’s borders. Also, in 1877,
the Meiji government of Japan declared that Ulleungdo and
Dokdo were part of Joseon's territory.
During king Kojong’s rule, Lee Gyu-won, a military officer
born in 1811, worked to protect Dokdo. When the Japanese
entered Ulleungdo and cut trees without permission in 1881,
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 7
the government appointed Mr. Lee as the inspector of Ul-
leungdo. After his report that Japanese people were making
signposts and cutting down trees, the government immediate-
ly sent a letter of complaint to Japan and started development
on Ulleungdo. Thanks to his activities, “the island vacating
policy” that has been carried out for 400 years in Ulleungdo
was annulled, and Ulleungdo was developed.
Thirdly, Hong Sun-chil gave his heart and soul to protect-
ing Dokdo during the 20th century. On Ulleungdo, Mr. Hong
found a signpost with the words 島根縣隱岐郡竹島on it in
1952. After his discovery, he decided to protect Dokdo. He
recruited discharged soldiers and formed the Dokdo Royal
Defense Team. They first landed at Dokdo in April of 1953.
Mr. Hong leaded the Dokdo Royal Defense Team through
numerous battles against Japan. Also, in 1953, he carved the
“Hankuk-ryung” on the East Island of Dokdo to let everyone
know that Dokdo is a part of Korea’s territory. But his work
didn’t stop there. He even found drinkable water on the island
and set up the Korean flag on the summit of Dokdo. He con-
tinued his “Keep Dokdo Green’”project until he passed away
at the age of 57. Due to his activities, Dokdo remains Korea's
territory.
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
Finally, Choi Jong duk was the first person to become an of-
ficial resident of Dokdo. When the Japanese claimed Dokdo’s
dominium in 1980, he registered as a resident of Dokdo to
prove that there is a Korean living in Dokdo. He lived there
for 22 years during which he worked to make Dokdo a better
place for the rest of the people. ■
Reference
www.dokdo.gov.kr
Naver Encyclopedia
Maeil Daily
6 7
2010-12-14 오전 12:56:25
 Gando
S ince China’s attempt to entail Korean history into its
own (Dong-buk-gong-jeong), Koreans began to pay
closer attention to Northern territories, especially Gando.
But most Koreans still do not know much about the area.
These are even those who take Gando as an island, a mistake
that can be attributed to the name ending in –do, a suffix
often used in names of islands. Gando is not an island, it
refers to the area right above the Doo-man River and Ab-
lok River. Because the Korean people immigrated mainly to
North(East) Gando rather than West Gando, North(east)
Gando began to be called Gando, and the North of Ab-lok
River, West Gando.
Initially, Gando was a no-man’s land by an agreement be-
tween Joseon and Qing Dynasty (Gang0do-gui-maeng),
where entrance was barred. As a result, Gando was neglect-
ed without clear concept as to which country it belonged
to. It was a time when an area, instead of a line, acted as the
border, and no-man’s land or land barred term entrance did
the job.
In 1712 (Suk-jong 38), Qing sent Mok-geuk-dong, to settle
the border between Joseon and Qing. It was then that the
Mount Baek-du Stone was erected, upon which instated that
the border is to be Ab-lok River in the west, and To-mun
River in east. But the name To-mun is no longer used, leading
to disputes between Korea and China. Korea sees To-mun
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
River as upper Song-hwa River, while China sees it as today’s
Doo-man River.
Before Joseon was stripped at its diplomatic power, Joweon
and Qing Dynasty had numerous talks, all of which ended in
failures because of Qing Dynasty’s unreasonable demands. In
the Japanese occupation period that followed, Japan and Qing
Dynasty made the Gando Agreement, setting the border as
Doo-man and Ab-lok rivers.
Gando Agreement is inherently invalid. Under international
laws, any agreement by a country that took another country’s
sovereignty by states that China and Japan nullify any agree-
ment or treaties before December of 1941, also leads to the
conclusion of Gando Agreement’s invalidity. Unlike a theoreti-
cal belief that Korea can put the Gando Agreement on inter-
national Court of Justice of August of 2009, 100 years since
the making, such prescription is not definite and should there
be clear evidence, demand for territory can still be made af-
ter 100 years.
89
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 8
By Lee Je In
Despite Gando Agreement invalidity, Korea found no time
to tackled the issue as it passed through a tumultuous his-
tory. Moreover, even if Gando Agreement should be nulli-
fied, Gando does not automatically get transferred to Korean
sovereignty , Korea and China must establish a new border in
the conditions before the agreement.
Why We Want Gando Back
1) Gando is the birthplace of our people.
The region of the Gando area where Mount Baekdu,
the Song-wha River, and Heuk-ryong River meet is, as the
birthplace of the Korean people, of utmost importance.
Note that the site of Goguryeo’s old capital is in the West
Gando area, along with Balhae’s in North Gando. Further-
more, out of fifty thousand years of human inhabitation,
only for a mere five centuries was Gando the Han people’s
domain. The Koreans, ruled it for millennia.
2) Gando is historically, culturally, economically, geographically,
and legally the territory of Joseon.
As the birthplace of the Korean people, the Gando area
has served as of our people for thousands of years. Even
after the Chinese Qing dynasty declared it a no-man’s land,
our people cultivated it. That Gando was a part of Joseon
became fact after the no-man’s land was dissolved.
Why Gando belongs to Korea
First, numerous maps depicting the Joseon-Qing border
prove that Gando is the territory of Korea.
Jean-Baptiste Regis, a French mapmaker, writes, ‘East Of
Bong hwang seong lies the border with Joseon.’ Many maps
of the period, such as Map of Mt. Baekdu Stone’ and ‘Papal
Map of Late Joseon Dynasty Joseon’ show East Gando to be
east of the Tomun River, spanning the area between Bong
hwang seong district north of the Aplok River and the val-
leys. From this data, we can deduce that such borders were
maintained at least until 1909 when the Gando Agreement
was signed.
Second, we were first to cultivate the land.
Gando was not allowed to enter according to Gang-Do
2010-12-14 오전 12:56:25
 league between Joseon and Qing, and it was a condominium.
Even if Qing settled Gando as off-limits territory, there is no
landlord because Qing prohibited their people from access-
ing the area. According to Sector Principle, we can assert that
Gando is our territory as we cultivated Gando earlier than
Qing.
Thirdly, Joseon exercised de facto administrative authority.
Joseon administratively incorporated North Gando into
Hamgyeong-do in 1903 and West Gando into Pyeonganbuk-
do in 1909. Later on, the government levied taxes from
residents and appropriated them as administrative costs and
training budget. The facts demonstrate that the administrative
authority of Joseon governed Gando equally.
China’s North East Project and
Sovereignty Dispute of Gando
China’s North east Project is national research project which
studies the problems of North-eastern districts’ history, geog-
raphy, and ethnic groups. Currently, we regard it as an attempt
to incorporate Goguryeo’s history into Chinese history; how-
ever, a number of domestic experts claim that the purpose of
North east Project is related to sovereignty dispute of Gando.
They say that China tries to deter the division of minority
races and secure the sovereignty of Gando by incorporating
history before the unification of North and South Korea. Fur-
thermore, they prudently analyze that China is attempting to
claim the sovereignty of North Korea in case of North Korea’s
collapse.
According to professor Seok-Hua Kang of Kyung-in College
of Education, the power of the project is huge-scale invest-
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 9
ment in research, and the core of the sovereignty dispute is
whether the research is advanced or not. He also points out
that we lack the case study and countermeasures for real
disputes in spite of the advancement of research upon injus-
tice of Gando agreement and preemptive rights. Therefore,
domestic experts assert that the government should lead
the research project in terms of changing issue. The central
organization equipped to plan and manage is needed as we
should establish long term strategy which is directly related to
national interest.
What should we do from now on?
First and Foremost, the government should directly raise
the issue of Gando. The fact that the Korean government
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
has raised the issue consistently acts as an important base
whenever we renegotiate over the issue. It is internationally
accepted that the nation which occupies the problematic
territory acquires the priority over the dispute unless the
government refers to the issue officially. That’s why Japanese
government sends official documents referring Dok-do issue
to Korean government every year. Therefore, the government
should consistently raise the Gando issue and seek for peace-
ful settlement of the issue.
Furthermore, the government should concern for Korean
people in China living in Yanji City. The residents’ opinion
could be an important variable in terms of the sovereignty dis-
pute. Currently, Yanji City’s population is declining upon 40%
of the whole population, and the autonomous region could
be extinct in 10 years. Therefore, the deterrence of breakup
of Korean people in China and the instillation of national
consciousness is urgent and critical. Scholars should study up
on the history of Gando, while citizens should be concerned
about the issue. ■
8 9
2010-12-14 오전 12:56:25
 The Northeast Project
東北工程
By Kim Myung Sun
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

W hat does the word ‘historical distortion’ remind you of? For many Koreans, it reminds them of Japan’s illegal claim
over Dok-do, and shameless publish of false information on its school textbooks. History is indeed the matter of
the past. However, people must realize that there are some, who tries to bend the truth to fit their taste and needs. And it is
tragic that a government itself is trying to bend, not even their own, but other countries’ histories. At the moment, Japanese
government is hampering with our history, to divert their people’s attention. Apparently, Japan is not the only country that
seems to settle its own troubles by causing another one elsewhere. China, Korea’s gigantic neighbor, is trying to keep its minor
races in place by erasing or fixing their history. However, the powerless minor races have no choice at all. Thus, the project
hadn’t much problem proceeding. However, the problem arose when China started distorting Korea’s history. The project
name: Northeast Borderland History and the Chain of Events Research Project. It became a problem because it claims that
much of Korea’s northern countries were actually Chinese.

1011

HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 10 2010-12-14 오전 12:56:27

 Northeast Project and
Korea’s Misunderstanding
1)夏商周斷代工程
(Xia Shang/Yin Zou Chronology project)

The project’s purpose was to identify the exact timeline of China’s supposedly first three ancient coun-
tries of the Yellow river civilization. They gathered 200 experts of various fields, and dug out just what
they needed, and precisely calculated the age for them. From their researches, the Chinese have claimed
that their first dynasty was in fact Xia, and that it was founded on 2070BC. However, only after the Qin
period, were there trustable remains. Having these researches as their basis, the Chinese began another
project.

2)中國古代文明探原工程
This project literally means to research the origins of ancient Chinese cultures. Why did they start an-
other project although they already defined their ‘First Dynasty’? It is because they have found an older
civilization. In the late 1980’s, they found a Neolithic civilization around the Liao-ho (a river at Northeast
China). That was the problem. Liao-ho was never part of ancient Chinese territory. Around the Liao-ho
lived the Ye-mek(濊貊) people, whom the Chinese considered as barbarians. As a matter of fact, the Ye-
meks are the ancestors of the Korean people. So, the confused Chinese decided to expand their historical
regions to the regions they are ruling now. And this project’s unreasonable hypothesis was followed by the
Northeast project.

Many Koreans who first heard of the project through the mass media, and never studied themselves, be-
lieve that China is trying to make Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms that dominated Manchuria, part
of their history. To say, it is worse than that. The whole point of their projects is to instill the thought that
the Han-people are superior to the minor races, and keep them obedient. So what the Chinese scholars
did was simple. They claimed that the Ye-mek people were actually Chinese! This eventually means that

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

the Koreans are descendents of china.

3) The Purpose of Northeast Project

There are mainly three purposes for the project. The first reason is keeping the ‘Joseon people’ under
control, by taking away their link to their home world. The ‘Joseon people’ are likely to experience strong
confusion of their national identity. This may lead the people to defy China’s will, which China is trying to
avoid. The second reason China gives is that they must know about Korea, in case North Korea falls. If
Korea gets unified, it is obvious that it’ll cause a big ripple to the world. Should North Korea fall, then the
Chinese will run their tanks over the peninsula, claiming that they are brothers of North Korea. Third,
China wants stability with in the country. China has many minor races. If one exception sprouts, so will the
others will claim their rights.

4) Main Concepts of Northeast Project

As mentioned above, the purpose of Northeast project is to sever the links the ‘Cho-seon people’ can
make with the Koreans. So they claim that Goguryeo is part of Chinese history, and has nothing to do with
the Koreans. Hence, are the relics and cultures of Goguryeo is Chinese.

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 Chinese perception of Goguryeo
China defines Goguryeo as provincial government of east China. Thus, the ‘Joseon people’, who live in the same
area, becomes part of Chinese history. China gives the following reasons. First, they claim that Goguryeo was a direct
province under the Han’s authority. They add that Goguryeo’s area stayed within the 漢四郡(Four provinces of Han
dynasty), and that China and Goguryeo kept sovereign-subject relationship. Second, after the fall of Goguryeo, they
say, most of its people dissolved into Han’s society, and others moved into barbarian territory.

The biggest problem with China’s claim is that it is not even coherent. At the beginning, it claims that Goguryeo’s
history, before it moved its capital into the peninsula, belongs to China. And then China says that most of the people
happened to have ended up in China, claiming Goguryeo is China’s history again.

Denying Korea’s Succession of Goguryeo

The main point of Northeast project is that Korea has nothing to do with Goguryeo. They claim that the es-
tablishment of the country had nothing to do with the Koreans, because it was done by the ‘Bu-yeo’,’Ok-
jeo’,’Yemek’,‘Han(漢)’,’Seon-bi’ and ‘Suk-sin’. However, all these people, except for the Hans, constitute the early Korean
people. And they all mix up to be the Korean people. So it is nonsense that these people has nothing to do with the
Koreans, and rather have more kinship with the Chinese. They also deny the political and cultural succession of Go-
reyo to the Koreans. They even claim that the founder of the Goryeo dynasty is actually Chinese.

Problems of Northeast Project

Since when did people use the concept of Nation, as in ethnic group? Would have emperor Qin declared that he
united a Nation, of single ethnic groups, as he united the shattered pieces of the Zhou dynasty? Would have the Chi-
nese felt guilty for killing its own race during the Spring-Autumn and Warring states period? The whole concept of
Nation was only introduced in the modern era. Nationalism tends to manifest more vividly when the Nation is under
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

attack. As a matter of fact, Nationalism stared when Napoleon stated invading other countries. For Asian countries,
Nationalism was developed when the Western worlds started colonizing their territories. China adopted the idea of
nationalism not so long ago. Then is it rational to think that all the Nations and their cultures that lie within the ter-
ritories of China should be named after China? The Chinese scholars have are setting a view of history that fits their
taste. With this despicable view, they are bending the truth.

The idea of territory and race of the past is different from those of ours. However the Chinese are outlining the his-
tory of the past with the territory of today. It can only be interpreted as an extension of pre-modern POV, the Hwa-
Yi view(華夷觀), to the modern world. The Hwa-Yi view is very similar to imperialism. The view regards Chinese
culture as the only culture that should exist and that other cultures must be obliterated. China’s attempt of forcing its
cultural imperialism to the field of history must be stopped.

Was the founder of Goguryeo, Go Ju-mong, Chinese?

China claims that Go Ju-mong’s surname name derives from the Go-ui tribe of the San-dung area. However the
surname ‘Go’ was a name Ju-mong named himself, after his own country, Goguryeo. His original surname was Hae,
Korean for the sun, and is one of the eight major surnames of Baek-jae, which is one of the Three Kingdoms. It is non-
sense that Go Ju-mong is a Chinese descendant.

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 Was Goguryeo a Chinese Provincial Government?
China claims that Goguryeo was a mere provincial government because it sent annual tribute to China. However,
such tributes are now interpreted in another way. Rather than admitting China as the leading country, it is more like a
form of public trade. Besides, almost all countries around China paid their tributes to China. In the same sense, every
country, including two other countries of the Three Kingdom, not only Goguryeo, is China’s provincial government.
It is more like the two countries accepted each other as neighboring countries, like a pope would accept kings of Eu-
rope. Such tributes are better understood as a diplomatic method.

When a central government falls, it is likely that the provincial governments fall together, or help revive the central
government. However, Goguryeo, Baek-jae, and Shilla all outlived at least a dozen of Chinese governments, and none
of the kingdoms has ever lamented about it (To add, the Japanese helped Baek-jae when the government fell. This
means that Koreans had more influence on Japan than the Chinese or Japanese had on Korea)

There were two notable wars between China and Goguryeo. One happened between Goguryeo and Sui (598-614),
and another between Goguryeo and early Tang (645). In both wars, Chinese dynasties have sent millions of soldiers
to Goguryeo, only to be painfully defeated. However, the Chinese government claims that these weren’t wars but a
minor conflict with the provincial government. What kind of country sends millions of its soldiers to settle a problem
with its subordinates? The number is just outrageously huge for subjugating. Besides, the Sui dynasty fell because it has
spent too much energy on Goguryeo.

Succession
China claims that Goryeo has not succeeded Goguryeo, even though the name of the dynasty itself was named in
homage of the Kingdom, since the Goguyeo’s mainstream leaders did not resurrect the Dynasty. Well, the same logic
can be applied to China as well. Actually it undermines China’s national legitimacy more than it undermines Korea’s.
The vast land of China wasn’t always led by the Han people. Liao dynasty was founded the Khitans, Jin dynasty by the
Jurchens, Yuan Dynasty by the Mongolians, and Qing by the Manchus(or Jurchens). These dynasties were not founded
by the Han people. They have no ethnical relation with the Hans what so ever. This states that, using China’s own
point of view. History of China is a history of constant severance.

Goguryeo in Chinese history books

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

Goguryeo first appears in the book “삼국지 위지동이전(Samgukji Uijidongyijeon.” Chinese put ‘서(Seo)’ or ‘본기
(Bohn-gi)’ when they record the history of their own. On the other hand, they put ‘열전(Yeol-jeon)’ for other coun-
tries histories, which implies that the Chinese considered Goguryeo as a separate country.

Celestial rites
Apparently, the Emperor of China is the only person who is allowed to hold celestial rites. However, Many Korean
tribes held their own celestial rites. If the Koreans were indeed China’s subordinates, the Chinese wouldn’t have let it
happen. However, as a separate government, the Koreans were able to give their own rites.

Epilogue
The Northeast Project is finished. However, China’s historical distortion has only begun. As the project is over, they
will use it as a basis to mold people’s thought to fit their taste. “Manchuria is historically our land, Goguryeo is our his-
tory, and the relics belong to us, because their ancestors were the Hans.” Dear readers! We shall not be deceived by
their false theories. They shall not be allowed to bend the truth to keep their greediness fulfilled be. We shall not let
them their Chinese imperialism to sacrifice minor races’ cultures, and histories. A TV teacher in China lamented that

13
almost all of the Chinese history the Chinese are learning are biased. For everyone on the face of the earth, this dis-
tortion must be stopped.
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 NANT A
By Do Eon Lee

C hefs wearing white cooking hats appear onstage and start moving to the rhythm. Kitchen knives and cooking pans have become tools
for making the most exciting Korean rhythms. The excitement spreads quickly through the air, and the audience finds themselves
moving to the beat.

This time, we interviewed Seung Hwan Song, the representative of PMC Production. We invite you to the world of Korean culture and-
Nanta.

Q: Tell us briefly about the history of Nanta.

Nanta first performed in 1997 at Seoul Ho-am Art Hall. Two years later in 1999, we did our first performance abroad at the
Scotland Open Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Many foreign promoters became interested in Nanta and that was the start of our many
performances abroad.

Q: What inspired you to create Nanta?

Well, we wanted to perform a Korean performance abroad. It was our desire to make Korea a culture export country.

Q: Tell us how you created Nanta.

It took one year just for planning, and another 6 months to practice.

As I have told you, our main goal was to perform abroad. So the biggest problem was language. We decided to use no language,
making it easier for people to enjoy it universally. But then we faced another problem: we would have no sound onstage. While look-
ing for a solution, we decided to feature traditional Korean music and rhythms in our performances. We believe that every country
has its own rhythm and for Korea, it was the rhythm and sound of Sa-Mul-No-Ri.

Q: How did people react to Nanta’s performance abroad?

Nanta has performed in 250 cities located in 30 countries, receiving encores in every city it has performed in—overall, it is doing pretty good.

Before our first performance in Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we changed our performance to make it more universally friendly. We even
worked with a producer from Broadway. We thought that even though Korea’s uniqueness could act as a merit, Nanta needed a more univer-
sality to make it into a global performance.

That is why you can find “universal” stuff in Nanta. For example, the show is set in a kitchen with the chefs wearing white clothes. Though
there are differences throughout the world, we focused on the widely known appearance of kitchens and clothes. We believe that this univer-
sality is the base of Nanta’s fame.

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 Q: What are some misunderstandings about Korean culture?
First of all, it is a pity that there is no definite image of Korea. For example, France has the Eiffel Tower, Japan has hot springs and
Australia has the Sydney Opera House and kangaroos. On the other hand, the first things that comes to foreigners’ minds when it
comes to Korea are the Korean War and its division. It is a shame considering that Korea has a unique and wonderful culture.

However, it feels great to know that the Korean wave has brought a good image of Korea to the Asian market. For example, the K-
pop concert held in Bangkok Stadium was sold out in 3 hours and many Korean soap operas have created a good image for Korea.
Though America and Europe still haven’t been affected, the fact that our culture is becoming more widely known is definitely a great
sign.

Q: Then how should we proceed spreading the Korean culture?

We have to let go of our obsession to spread only historical Korean culture. When I was young, I didn’t listen to folk songs—
I learned about the English culture through Beatles and Queen songs. So maybe we should try to spread our mass culture, music,
movies and soap operas. I am not saying that we should not introduce foreigners to our traditions. That is a must but we should fo-
cus more on spreading our mass media for now. Wouldn’t that make Korea a more interesting subject to talk about?

Q: Why do you think the West doesn’t know much about Korea?
First of all, in textbooks or books Korea is not introduced in detail. Even if it is introduced, all they talk about is the Korean War.
The fact that there are no references in museums or libraries is also a huge problem. I think that the biggest reason this happened
is because Korea has not introduced itself politically thus making it unable for the Western civilizations to get to know about Korea
thoroughly,

And another problem is that our culture industry has not been developed enough. But the government is making various efforts
to solve that problem, so I think that will improve soon.

Q: Do you have any other ideas to spread Korea out to the world?
We are currently preparing another piece with an An-dong Ha-hwai Tal motif. We can see various mask cultures in different
countries around the world, but masks with delicate beauty, lively expressions, and vivid characters only exist in Korea. So we have
decided to spread our culture through this Tal. This September we will start performing in An-dong.

Q: Tell us more about the future of Nanta, the leading group in globalizing Korea.

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

60 to 70 million foreigners visit Korea every year. And 5~6 million of them watch Nanta. But I hope to see 10 million of them
watching Nanta. By watching Nanta, foreigners will be able to learn more about the culture of Korea, the way our ancestors worked
merrily, playing and working together through music and dancing.

Also, it would be wonderful to see an official Nanta center abroad.

15
We give our thanks again to Seung Hwan Song, the representative of PMC Production, for answering our questions.

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 배경 이미지 저작권 (c) 날공장

Talchum, Satire In Motion

By Myung Sun Kim
노승취발이춤

It is a hallmark of Korean culture that we “dry our

tears with laughter.” Met with bad luck, sadness, or
pain, we face it down, holding fast through the monu-
mental nightmares by wielding the gift of comedy. The
tears glinting in our eyes? Why, we must have laughed
too hard, of course—and see, they’re gone, with naught
but a blink, the snatch of a hand. The epitome of this
satirical cultural spirit is, of course, our topic for today:
Talchum. We met Ms. Baek Eun Sil, expert and Korea’s
designated 34th Intangible Cultural Heritage, and learned
about Talchum’s past, present, and inevitable future.

Q. First, can you tell us briefly about the history of this Talchum?
Talchum dates back maybe two centuries. Tal artifacts themselves, the masks used in Talchum, from even prehistoric times
have been found, but they grew into their present shape only under the regional influence of China and Japan throughout
the Three Kingdoms and Goryeo eras. In the Joseon dynasty, there was even a specific governmentoffice, Sandae-dogam,
that was devoted to managing the practice of Sandae-nori, a form of Talchum.
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

Talchum has four main themes that appear in every version of the performance. First, the exorcism of unfriendly spirits.
Second, the satirical criticism of the yangban, or scholar caste. Third, disharmony among a man’s many wives. Last, criticism
of dishonest Buddhist monks. Talchum was able address many social problems of the Joseon dynasty. Behind the safety of
a mask, the performers could speak their minds freely. Many of the lines involve Chinese proverbs, which were not readily
available to the general public. This leads usto believe that many Talchum cast members were Suja, sons of mistresses, who
were discriminated against in yangban society.

Q. Tell us about Talchum today.

Today, Talchum is designated a National Cultural Heritage, and there exist thirteen major forms of it across the country.
Each version has its own distinct colors. Of these, only three remain in South Korea. Perhaps the northern provinces had
more cause to put on Talchum shows, what with the border with China. We don’t know.

Q. So your specialty is Gangryeong-talchum. Tell us about that.

Gangryeong-talchum is a specialized form of Talchum. Unlike other forms, which mainly focus on dance, it is like a musi-
cal in that it holds song, dance, and acting in equal importance. It was begun by a professional entertainer, which is why it
is more sophisticated than other Talchum. Gangryeong is a coastal town. This is reflected in the dance’s blend of energetic
and subtle movements. Gangryeong is today part of North Korea, which has no ideological need for cultural history. All
that’s available to us is what we have here in the South.

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 Q. How did we keep it alive when North Korea couldn’t?
It was mainly the hard work of Lee Du Yeon and President Park Jeong Hee. Lee, an elderly scholar, asked the president
for and received funding to recreate the practices of Talchum and Pansori. It is really a great relief that he succeeded.

Q. Why did you begin to study Talchum?

It was largely the influence of my mother, herself a National Cultural Heritage. She would teach others to dance and I
would tag along. It was really just a learning-conducive environment.

Q. And you like it too, right?

Like I’ve said, Gangryeong’s version of Talchum is highly professional. I have a lot of respect for those who have worked to
keep it alive and well in this time and age.

Q. How do Koreans view Talchum?

First off, Tal are seen as something unique and interesting. The masks themselves are something of an art form, after all.
But look closer and Talchum is a clever satire of the Joseon era. It’s the reason why it deserves to be preserved: in Talchum,
the Korean spirit lives on.

Q. How can we work to keep Talchum a living part of Korean culture?

That is the task we are faced with.

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

미얄할미춤

Final Remarks from Ms. Baek

The problem is that the media focuses mainly on

Western culture. Before kids get to know Korean music,
they’re already listening to hip-hop and rap. Rap’s true
origin is Talchum, but of course nobody knows that. The
point is that we know so little about our own traditions.
Only when we leap that hurdle can Talchum live on.

Thank you.

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 History of Joseon Dynasty’s
Five Palaces
By Katrina HyunJin Choi
In Hae Bae
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

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 France is famous for its palace, the Versailles. In China, there is
the Forbidden City. What is famous in Korea? There are five palaces
of the Joseon Dynasty. These palaces are not only unique but also
beautiful that they make great contributions in promoting Korea.

The five palaces represent the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbok Pal-

ace was the official palace where the royal family lived. Changdeok
Palace is the designated cultural Heritage of Korea. Changgyeong
Palace is the symbol of filial piety. Lastly, Deoksu and Gyeonghui Pal-
ace hold the sad history of Korea.

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

18 19

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 경복궁 근정전

김정호 | 수선전도

경희궁 숭정문

Gyeonghui Palace
Gyeonghui Palace was a palace of the crown prince in the

Gyeongbok Palace
Taejo, the Founder of Joseon Dynasty hoped all people
of Joseon would respect the Country and be loyal to all kings.
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
late Joseon dynasty, built while the period of Gwanghaegun,
15th king. The place was originally Prince Jeongwon’s, 16th
king Injo’s father, house but was taken away and was replaced
by the palace because of a rumor of the land having some
energy of a king’s. It was also called as the West Palace for it’s

He wanted to show them dignity of Joseon. Finally, he built

west position of the city but not in the way Changdeok and
the Gyeongbok Palace, the first official palace of Joseon. The
Changgyeong Palace was called the East Palace.
name means ‘wish the huge luck’.
Gyeonghui Palace was used as the palace for the crown
It it said that Taejo had put a lot of effort in building the
prince for 10 generations, from Injo, 16th king, to Cheoljong,
palace. Gyeongbok was important because not only was it
25th. Especially, it is passed down that Yeongjo had stayed
the first official palace, but also because it symbolized the au-
there for the half of his reign. About a hundred buildings
thority of the King. In addition, the palace was where the king
were placed in the Palace, but were moved by Heungseon
had taken care of the national affairs. 8 Kings before the war
Daewongun when Gyeongbok Palace was rebuilt.
between Joseon of Japan ruled the country in this palace.
Gyeonghui Palace’s troubles started as the Japanese built
The gate of the palace is ‘Gwanghwamun’. Passing
Gyeongseong Middle School for their children inside the pal-
through this gate, you can see ‘Geunjeongjeon’, the main
ace during the Japanese colonial period changing many of the
building of the palace where official events were held. In
land in the process of placing the ground right. Many seal en-
front of the buildings are nine stones on each side. Vassals
gravings were sold to other offices and the gate of the palace
were assigned to one stone according to their position.
was ripped off to be used as the door of the shrine praising
Ito Hirobumi. It’s even said that the Japanese made an under-
ground bunker under the King and Queen’s chamber. Gyeon-
ghui Palace only remains its place without any reconstruction
holding on to the pain of history.

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HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 21 2010-12-14 오전 12:56:55
 Changgyeong Palace
Changgyeong Palace was built by Seongjong, the 9th king.
He built it for his grandmother, aunt and mother in 1483.
Though it was connected to Changdeok palace, both were
used independantly.
Changdeok Palace was also burnt during Japan’s inva-
sion. Though they rebuilt the palace after the war, many
buildings in the palace were destroyed. Now there are only
one building and two gates left. These remains of the palace
show the architectural style of the 17th century Joseon.
Since the palace was built as the living place loyal fam-
ily, Changgyeong Palace was more comfortable and relaxing
compared to the other palaces. Also, there are many stories
about the loyal family, since they lived there. Many well-
known stories about them like ‘Jang Heebin’, ‘Crown prince
Janghun’ took place there.
Deoksu Palace
(Gyungun Palace)
Sunjo, 14th king, came back to Seoul after evacuating to
Uiju during the Japan Invasion. However there was no palace
for the king to live for Gyeongbok, Chungduk, Changyeong
Palace were all burnt down. So he had used prince Walsun’s
house, largest and perfectly remained among the houses of
the royal family, as a temporary palace. However Sunjo died
and his son Gwanghaegun(or Prince Gwanghae) came to
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
throne in the east side chamber of the temporary chamber.
He named the palace Gyungun Palace. Though it became a
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창경궁 경춘전
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 22
palace in the late Joseon Dynasty, it is the historic place of the
late dynasty and shows significance of both traditional and
western architecture.
After being left empty for about 270 years, Gyungun
Palace was back on stage during the Korean Empire. Go-
jong, 26th king, had felt a threat of his safety from the Eulmi
Incident and had stayed at the Russian legation(Korea royal
refuge at the Russian legation, 1896-1897). But in 1897, he
come back with formality expanding the Gyungun Palace.
He changed the name of the country to Korean Empire and
crowned him as Emperor initiating a Reformation(Gwangmu
Reformation, 1897-1904). However, as an result of the
Hague Secret Emissary Affai,r Imperial Japan forced Emperor
Gojong to abdicate the throne and Sujong was ascended.
Gyungun Palace ended its role as the royal palace with the
event. Sunjong named the palace Deoksu for the previous
king who still stayed at the palace, and it was called Deoksu
after that.
There is a unique building in the Deoksu Palace that
can’t be seen in others : Seokjojeon(Stone hall). This modern
western architecture was made by a proposal of Brown, the
government’s financial advisor. Seokjojeon, where Gojong
stayed, was used for showing arts by the Japan after Gojong
died and the palace were even opend for citizens after then.
The symbol of the Korean Empire fell and became an art
museum. After the independence and that America, England,
Russian, and China decides to rule Korea separately, Seokjo-
jeon was the place where South Korea decided to make an
independent government. This became the start of the divi-
sion and still remains as the grief in Korea’s history.
경운궁 중화전
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:01
 Changdeok Palace
Changdeok Palace is the second official palace of Joseon
Dynaty. It was built in 1405. As Gyeongbok Palace was burnt
during Japan’s invasion, the royal family had to move in to the
Chandeok Palce. Actually, this palace was been used longer
than the first one. Thus, this palace is well perserved.
Chyangdeok Palace is famous for its beauty. Especially,
the harmony it makes with the nature around is just amazing.
The structure of the palace is quite natural rather than fixed.
This may be the reason why Changdeok Palace is designated
as the World Cultural Heritage.
There is also a small building in changdeok Palace called
‘Jakseonjae’. This was built by Hungjong, the 24th king of
Joseon. He was said to build the building for his loving court
lady. The romanticist king used this building only for his pri-
vate used with his lover. ■
창덕궁 주합루
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 23
"Frugal but not Humble"
Our Palaces show the how the root of Korea is frugal
but never humble and the character of Korea embel-
lished with the balance of knowledge and science but also
considering the people’s spirit. The five palaces built with
delicacy and science is absolutely a history we need to
protect and leave for the future generations.
Containing the 500 history of Joseon, each of the
five palaces hold sad but beautiful stories. Showing both
Joseon’s grand spirit and wound, these palaces have some-
thing that charm people who get to know more about
them.
Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeon, Deoksu,
Gyeonghui Palace have great powers. This powers will
also be shown to the people worldwide. How about visit-
ing these five palaces than traveling far to see France’s
Versailles or China’s Forbidden City? Feel the sentiment,
taste, and the feelings of the Koreans that has brought this
Country this far.
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The Gyeongju Historic Areas
with the 1000-year-old History of Shilla Dynasty
T he Gyeongju Historic Areas embody the time-honored
history and culture of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of
the Shilla Dynasty. The Gyeongju Historic Areas encompass a
number of remarkable ruins of temples and palaces, outdoor
pagodas and statuary, and other cultural artifacts left by the
Shilla Dynasty, including Seokguram, Bulguksa, Cheomseongdae,
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
etc. These artifacts have always been helpful in various studies of
Korea architecture and Buddhism. Not only is Gyeongju Historic
Areas useful in academic fields, but it is also popular among ordi-
nary people.
Showing a high degree of science and art of the Shilla people,
each of the outstanding examples of the Shilla Dynasty holds
a key to understanding Korean cultural history. In particular,
Seokguram and Bulguksa are considered to be one of the most
remarkable art treasures, added to the World Heritage List by
UNESCO.
Let’s take a deeper look at each artifact. First of all, Seokguram
was constructed during the 8th century while Shilla was under
KIng Kyungduk(the 35th king)’s rule. It is the only artificial stone
cave to be recognized as World Heritage. Actually, it is the only
artificial stone cave in the world. . Seokguram’s interior reflect
Shilla people’s high technology and aesthetic sense; a spring was
built in order to prevent the cave from getting foggy and the
statue of Buddha was adjusted at a height that considered the
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석굴암
석가탑 다보탑
불국사
By Sae Mee Hong
viewers’ eye level; Buddhism statues decorating the interior
show astonishing level of sophistication and beauty.
Next is Bulguksa. It is also know as “the land of Buddha” and
can be easily described as heaven on Earth. Because of the dam-
ages done and the lack of effort to restore these damages, the
perfectness of Bulguksa can no longer be seen. However,it still
고인돌
displays outstanding beauty of Shilla’s constructing technology.
Bulguksa is mainly divided into four parts. As you walk from
one place to another, you can see beautiful structures. Among
all the rest, Chungenkyo and Baekenkyo which depicted the
bridge that leads to the world of Buddha is known for its mag-
nificent exterior. Among the pagodas, Dabotap and Seokgatap
are most commonly known.
Seokgatap features a simple exterior. However from its per-
fect symmetry we can see a unique form of beauty only gained
through moderation. Once you take another look, it is not hard
to see why it has the most-copied pagoda. On the contrary,
Dabotap has a complicated and fancy appearance as it is based
on a style from India. The fact that these two pagodas are
placed next to each other represents Shilla’s bold attempt to
create something novel.
If one wishes to spend a day surrounded by buildings that are
hundreds and thousands years old, I dare say that Gyeongju His-
toric Areas is the best place to be. It has both marvelous struc-
tures that have already surprised many others, and the site tells
us the stories from hundreds of years back. ■
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:10
 By Se Yong Chung
Korea, the Kingdom of Dolmens
I taly’s Piazza del Duomo, Cambodia’s Angkor, China’s Great
Wall, and France’s Cathedral of Notre-Dame. These are all
marvelous legacies of the world that are included in the UNES-
CO World Heritage List. People tend to give homage to these
great cultural legacies. While this honor was once only limited to
countries advanced in terms of culture and finance, such as Eu-
ropean countries like France, England, and Italy and the United
States of America, Korea is recently showing a remarkable in-
crease in the number of its traditional heritages that have been
selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Haeinsa Temple
Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana
Woodblocks; Changdeokgung Palace Complex; Jongmyo Shrine;
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa’s dolmen sites; the Royal Tombs
of the Joseon Dynasty; Hahoe and Yangdong’s traditional villages;
Hwaseong Fortress; Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa; Gyeongju
Historic Areas; Jeju Volcanic Islands and Lava Tubes are legacies
that Koreans should thank their ancestors for. Among them, I
would like to give the spotlight to the dolmens.
A dolmen is a type of grave made of immense stones. At a
glance, one may seem like a cluster of big, plain stones. However,
they are highly valuable for understanding Korean prehistory.
Many historians regard the Neolithic era as the most important
prehistoric age, since it was then that the practice of cultivation
고인돌
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started. However, I assert that the Bronze Age is more signifi-
cant. During the Bronze Age, humanity developed the concept
of social hierarchy. Dolmens are significant because they prove
that this hierarchy existed. In order to make such masterpieces,
numerous people were needed. Thus, dolmens give people a
precise clue about the social structure during Korea’s Bronze
Age.
But why Korea?
The answer to this rather skeptical question can be easily
found from the expression “Korea, the Kingdom of Dolmens.”
There are 60 thousand dolmens throughout the world including
the ones located in Europe and Southeastern Asia. Of them, 30
thousand dolmens exist in Korea. Not only are there many dol-
mens in Korea, but they are also preserved in outstanding condi-
tion. These dolmens are especially concentrated in the provinces
of Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa. For these reasons, Korean
dolmens became designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
December, 2000. ■
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
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 Suwon
By Dam Bi Ko
Hwaseong
What Is Suwon Hwaseong?
Suwon Hwaseong is the fortress surrounding the center of
Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It
was built in the late eighteenth century by King Jungjo of the
Joseon Dynasty, ostensibly to honor and house the remains
of his father Prince Janghyun. Construction of the fortress
began in 1794 and was completed two years later, in 1796.
The wall is 5.74 kilometers (3.57 mi) in length and encloses
1.3 square kilometers (0.5 sq mi) of land. The parapets are
made of stone and brick and are thought to have been 1.2
(4 ft) meters in height. The fortress suffered partial damage
during Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War, but most
of its original features have now been restored.
Historical Meaning of
the Hwaseong Fortress
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
Suwon was greatly influenced by Silhak, a pragmatic school
of thought imported from China’s Qing dynasty which arrived
in Korea shortly before construction began on the new town.
Thanks to the innovative equipment developed under the
practical influence of Silhak, King Jungjo was able to shorten
the construction period with even less labor and material
costs.
People in Suwon also experienced the great love of
King Jungjo towards them through the building process of
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Hwaseong Fortress. He changed the design so as to include
housing for people, paid for their labor and provided medical
care. He also postponed the construction process when the
weather became too hot or cold.
Even though the construction of Hwaseong Fortress began
with King Jungjo’s grief for the loss of his father, Prince Jang-
hyun, the fortress has become one of the greatest heritages
in South Korea.
Suwon Hwaseong was initially designed to house the tomb
of Prince Janghyun who was, as a son of King Yeongjo, the
royal heir. Politicians in the ruling party disliked the Prince
because he criticized their decisions publicly. Hence, they
plotted to report to King Yeongjo that his son was mentally
unstable, wantonly killing people. This was a disappointment
to the king. Yeongjo ordered that his son be locked inside a
chest of rice, so that he might regret his past misbehavior.
The Prince was given neither food nor water inside the chest,
where he was found dead upon opening the chest, eight days
later.
An International Value
In 1997, UNESCO designated Suwon Hwaseong as a
World Heritage site. Despite its short history, the fortress
boasts a unique defense mechanism originating from West-
ern as well as Asian architectural heritage. Also, it should be
noted that every part of the construct has distinctive shapes
and designs. ■
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:16
 Jeju Volcanic Island
and Lava Tubes
By Ae Yeong Hong
W orld Heritage Site is place listed by UNESCO according
to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the
World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is consist of the world’s
cultural, natural and complex heritages which have ecological and
anthropological values. So, World Heritage Sites must be conserved
by global citizens as well as local residents.
Sites must show off superior natural beauty and aesthetic signifi-
cance. They should also reveal the history of life, geological pro-
cesses, or geographical features.
Jeju Island is a subtropical island just off the southern tip of the
South Korean peninsula. It is famous the honeymoon resort for
Koreans. It is, also, famous for clear blue water, tangerines, and a
temperate climate, as well as women, rocks and wind.
Mt. Halla has the highest peak, 1950m above the sea level, in
South Korea and is the symbol of Jeju Island. Mt. Halla has peculiar
volcanic landscapes: Baeknokdam, the crater lake at the summit, the
precipitous rocky cliffs named Yeongsilgiam, and about forty volcanic
cones. Mt. Halla has a small (108 m deep and 550 m wide) crater
at its center instead of a caldera. It is curious why the mountain
doesn't have a caldera in spite of its fairly big size. The volcanic rocks
near the Baeknokdam crater at the summit were the product of
an eruption only a few thousand to tens of thousands years ago,
suggesting that the eruption of Mt. Halla continued until prehistoric
times. Because of its young age, the summit area of Mt. Halla pre-
serves fresh volcanic landforms and rock formations.
Seongsan Ilchulbong, also called ‘Sunrise Peak,’ is an archetypal tuff
cone formed by hydro-volcanic eruptions upon a shallow seabed
about 5 thousand years ago. The 182 m-high tuff cone, dominating
the eastern seaboard of Jeju Island like a gigantic ancient castle, not
only preserves its bowl-like crater but also provides excellent sea-
cliff exposures of diverse internal structures. This natural structure
has great geologic values—it provides a basis for interpretation of
eruptive and depositional processes of hydro-magmatic volcanoes
worldwide in addition to the past volcanic activity of the tuff cones.
It is a type of volcano formed by violent explosive eruption when
magma interacts with water. Jeju Island has many such phreatomag-
matic volcanoes and has become internationally important place for
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 27
studies of volcano. The fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone,
with its walls rising out of the ocean, is a dramatic landscape feature.
It also has exceptional exposures of its internal structures making
this place as an important site for understanding Surtseyan-type vol-
canic eruptions.
The Geomunoreum Lava Tube System refers to a series of lava
tube caves formed in the large amounts of basaltic lava spewed out
by the live Geomunoreum volcano. The lava from the Geomuno-
reum volcano flowed down the slope of Mt. Hallasan in a north-
northeast direction down to the coastline for about 13㎞. This place
is estimated to be formed between about 100 and 300 thousand
years ago. So far, the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System includes the
Seonheul Vertical Cave, Bengdwi-gul Lava Tube, Bukoreum-donggul
Lava Tube, Daerim-donggul Lava Tube, Mangjang-gul Lava Tube,
Gimnyeong-gul Lava Tube, Yongcheon-donggul Lava Tube, and
Dangcheomul-donggul Lava Tube towards the sea. Furthermore,
more caves are expected to be discovered in the future. Among
those lava tubes, the Bengdwi-gul Lava Tube, Mangjang-gul Lava
Tube, Gimnyeong-gul Lava Tube, Yongcheon-donggul Lava Tube,
and Dangcheomul-donggul Lava Tube are designated as national
monuments. The perfect preservation of the internal morphologi-
cal features, and the outstanding beauty associated with numerous
beautiful carbonate speleothem enabled "Jeju Volcanic Island and
Lava Tubes" to be inscribed as a World Natural Heritage. The Geo-
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
munoreum lava tube system is the most impressive and significant
series of protected lava tube caves in the world and includes a
spectacular array of secondary carbonate speleothems (stalactites
and other formations). And it overwhelms other lava tubes with
its abundance and diversity. And another feature making Geomu-
noreum Lava Tube System globally significant and distinctive is the
presence of carbonate deposits and formations. Very small deposits
of calcite are common in lava tube caves and are more significantly
developed as speleothems in Duck Creek cave in Utah, USA.
However, in abundance, density and diversity, Duck Creek cave is
far less impressive than Yongcheon-gul and Dangcheomul-donggul
Lava Tubes in Jeju, and the scale of these decorations within the lava
caves of Jeju Island far exceeds any other comparable caves. ■
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2010-12-14 오전 12:57:17
 Korean History Briefing GAYA By Sa Yon Yun

G aya is an ancient kingdom that existed in the southeast of the

Korean peninsula. At that time, Gaya was located between
Baekje and Silla. It was a confederate kingdom, consisting of six coun-
tries. Comparing with other ancient kingdoms and dynasties, Gaya’s
history is only known little to people, but according to written docu-
ments and artifacts, especially ceramic pots, Gaya had a sophisticated
culture.

Gaya’s history goes back to 200 B.C. There were twelve small coun-
tries in the Byunhan region, one of the southern provinces of the
Korean peninsula. One of the countries was Gaya, where nine chiefs
each ruled a village. These nine villages were later split into six states:
Geumgwan-Gaya, Ara-Gaya, Goryeong-Gaya, Dae-Gaya, Seongsan-
Gaya, and So-Gaya. And this is how Gaya started its own history.
similar to that of King Suro’s mark. And DNA analysis of Queen
There is also a myth behind the foundation of Gaya. One day, peo- Heo’s descendants shows that they share the same DNA with people
ple of Gaya heard the voice of a god and sang a song called “Guji-ga,” from southern India. Other theories suggest that a traditional Korean
just as they were told. When they finished the song, a ray of violet song “Arirang” is derived from the song that Queen Heo sang while
light shone from the sky. People followed the end of the light and traveling to Gaya.
found six golden eggs. From the eggs, six babies were born, and soon
Geumgwan-Gaya established its foundation for power through
they grew up to be rulers of Gaya. The first of the babies to hatch
the transit trade. It led the former period of Confederate Gaya, but
was King Suro, who ruled Geumgwan-Gaya. There are many inter-
collapsed in 532 B.C., when Silla and Goguryeo each expanded its in-
pretations of the myth, but the most dominant interpretation is that
fluence toward west and south. Gaya tried to resist the invasion but
a group of indigenous Gayans and a new group of immigrants came
couldn’t defeat Goguryeo. After the downfall of Geumgwan-Gaya,
together and establish Gaya.
Dae-Gaya rose as the leading power of the latter period, but Silla
Gaya’s history has two parts—former period and latter period. took over the states one by one.
Geumgwan-Gaya, ruled by King Suro, was the leading state of the
Although they all started out as a form of confederate kingdom,
former period. An interesting story involving King Suro is about his
Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo developed into centralized kingdoms
queen. The queen was Princess Heo of Ayuta. However, experts
while Gaya disappeared into history forever. However, Gaya pro-
have different views of Ayuta’s existence. The most accepted view
duced steel that helped kingdoms to establish the foundations for
is that Ayuta was a region near the Ganges. The fish of the region is
potential development. Gaya had flourishing trade relationships and
advanced agriculture. The earthen wares of Gaya were so sophis-
ticated that they were even sold in Japan. Gaya may take up only a
small part of Korean history, but it’s our history that we should never
forget. ■

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 The Last Roman
in Northeast Asia
By Jung Byung Hun

“Through the past we grasp the present and seek the future.” Due to these limitations, Korea and China disputes over
the contradicting details. This can lead to another distortion of his-

I t’s a well known cliché in the field of history. Also, it’s a phrase
that sums up the situation the East Asia is facing right now. While
Korea is seeking a head start for the future, China is aiming for a re-
gional hegemony with a cold smile on their lips. The most notorious
one among their numerous strategies is the “North-East project”, a
government propelled movement to incorporate East Asian ancient
history into Chinese history.
Korea stands firm against Chinese government’s nation-
alistic scheme. Two major ancient nations have been at the center
of dispute– Goguryeo and Balhae. Goguryeo, on one hand, proves
in their founding idea that they differ from China. Furthermore,
their anthropological constituents and unique relics further set
them apart from the continent. “The History of Three Kingdoms”,
the Korean official book of history, and many of the reliable Chinese
ancient documents prove to be strengthening evidences, too.
However, Balhae on the other hand, is not in such a
good shape. For one thing, there are just not enough relics exca-
vated to be of evidence, and written documents are also lacking in
number. Even those that remain sometimes contradict each other.
tory. Such occurrence of controversy casts doubt on the method
of relying heavily on primary data. In other words, a comprehensive
approach that puts both the subjected period and the present pe-
riod in consideration is needed.
Here, someone came into my mind. His name is Flavious
Stillicho. He was the general of West Roman Empire after Rome
split into half. He is not much of a well known figure, but he was the
last true Roman standing. This patriotic man provides a key to the
problem we face today.
Contrary to his long-praised Roman spirit, his bloodline
is somewhat exotic. His mother was a Roman, but his father was a
Vandal, a German tribe. His father became a Roman and became a
Cavalry General during Emperor Theodosius (346~395) or Gra-
tianus(359~383), the one ahead. Stillicho became the man in the
power during his 20s. He made some critical moves in negotiating
with Persian Empire. Emperor Theodosius gave this talented man
his niece (and also a stepdaughter) Celena and brought him to his
side. Responding to the Emperor’s expectations, Stillicho distin-

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

guishes himself in war against Germans, and becomes the Supreme
For example, two famous Chinese historic documents, The Old
Commander before the death of Theodosius.
Tang Chronicles and The New Tang Chronicles, contain records of
Dae Jo Young, the founder of Balhae. However, the two differs on
his background. While The Old Tang Chronicles define him as a de-
Stillicho was such a credible person to the emperor that he later
scendent of Goguryeo, The New Tang Chronicles recorded him as
appointed Stillicho to be the top advisor for his son. Stillicho later
a Chinese tribal nomad. By making use of the latter record, Chinese
became the general of the Western Roman Empire and fought for
government is claiming the lineage of Balhae.
the empire for thirteen years.
Korea faces not much of a better situation. The only
But behind Stillicho’s reputation, there remained much hatred and
document that specifically records about Balhae is the “Balhae-
despise from his numerous political enemies. As the Western Ro-
Go” by Sir Yoo-Duek. He noted that Dae Jo Young used to be a
man Empire was a paternal society, the fact that Stillicho’s father was
general in Goguryeo. It is credited for being one of the few Korean
Vandals gave him the image of a savage and so his soldiers were not
documents. However, it was only written in the 18th century (Bal-
very faithful to him. Such situation worsened when soldiers found
hae existed around 8~10th century), and its title implies that it is a
out that Stillicho tried to bring Visigoth mercenaries to build his
miscellany rather than a historical document. Other Korean records
army to protect the empire. Taking advantage of this situation, politi-
include <Sillagogi>, the ancient record of Silla, another document
cal opponents of Stillicho accused him of treason and henceforth
noting Dae Jo Young as a general from Goguryeo, and <Samkukyu-
killed him by the order of the emperor.
sa>, the eccentric episodes of three countries, which quotes from
it. Sadly, <Sillagogi> doesn’t exist anymore. As the general of the Western Roman Empire, Stillicho was fully

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 able to eliminate his enemies as well as defy any orders given to
him. But he upheld the law of the Romans and until his death, he
adhered to such governance. This was a time when even the purest
of Romans tried survive whatever the cost. This is why Stillicho who
has an ancestry of Vandals, is praised throughout Rome for his ac-
tions were strictly for the empire.
The reason there was such descriptive information about Stillicho
was that his life was similar to that of Dae Jo Young.
First, they both had the ancestry of foreign people. Stillicho had an
ancestry of Vandals and Dae Jo Young had that of Goguryeo epig-
one, a term that reflects the order of North East Asia of that time.
Goguryeo was consisted of pure Goguryeon and Malgal , starting
as a united regional kingdom. Pure Goguryeo are the people who
started with King Chumo in Jolbon but as Malgal also started with
King Chumo, these people should also be considered Goguryeo.
But, strictly speaking they were a little different. Therefore, they
were named Gudangseo, ancient record of empire Tang dynasty,
to point this subtle difference. This conclusion gives solution to the
question of Sindangseo, ancient record of empire Tang dynasty, Sok-
malmalgal. According to the territory transformations throughout
the history of Goguryeo, this region became territory of Goguryeo
before King Munja(419-519) at the end of 5 century(494). And
considering the time before the fall of Goguryeo, there was enough
time for this region to be fully assimilated to its mainstream. This
proves that he was also assimilated to the upper class of Goguryeo
and that he was influential person in the society. All in all, Stillicho
and Dae Jo Young are both considered the people of their coun-
tries.
Second, both Stillicho and Dae Jo Young followed the stereotypes
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
of their countries. Stillicho was known for utilizing the quintessential
diplomatic tactic of Rome: using barbarians to drive out other bar-
barians. He also followed the Gentleman’s Agreement of Rome and
tried to uphold his emperor to the moment of his death. He loved
his country to the fullest and tried in many ways to keep improving
his country. There was no way he could have done all this without
true and faithful love for his country.
Dae Jo Young also paid great attention to his country. He was well
known for his exceptional skill in combat and bravery. His escape
from a lord tells us how he established the kingdom of Balhae on
the basis of his enterprising vision and audacity.
He followed the diplomacy tactics of the Goguryeo people. After
he came into power, it is assumed that he sent an envoy to the chief
of the Göktürk people (one of the Chinese nomadic tribes), Muk-
chul, to establish an alliance with them and also dispatched a delega-
tion to Japan. This was a strategy aimed at maintaining a balance of
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power between China and Silla. Also, he shows many similarities
to Goguryeo people while overcoming the many difficulties in the
early stages of establishing the country,
One significant thing is the posthumous name of Dae Jo Young.
After his death, he is revered as GoWang (Korean meaning: the
King of Goguryeo) and this sums up his life in one word. He is a true
descendent of Goguryeo as shown even in his posthumous name.
China argues that Dae Jo Young is actually from a Chinese no-
madic tribe called Malgal and regards Balhae as a country of the
Malgal. This, however, is because China looks at Dae Jo Young from
a solely modern perspective. Where the Malgal tribe used to live is
currently the territory of the Chinese, and since Balhae’s capital was
also located in the Chinese territory, China is ignoring the historical
records that indicate Dae Jo Young as a descendent of Goryeo (aka
Goguryeo) and is only recognizing the existence of the Malgal tribe.
This logic is based on race and modern concept of territory. In
other words, we are arguing about ancient history based on mod-
ern nationalism. However, modern concepts of nationalism and
ancient history are products of two entirely different eras. The
modern nationalism exists as a pretext for countries that have lost
their sovereignty to reconstruct itself without division or any other
harm. The reason for defining territory as a region where people
of the same race live lies there. However, this problem also needs
to be looked at from a nationalistic view of the past. In the past, all
Goguryeo people thought that they were of a different race from
the Chinese, and this independent view of the Goguryeo people
is well shown in the tombstone of King Gwang-gaeto. During the
past era of open borders, Northeast Asia was a region where many
nationalities intersected. From the northern Manju region to whole
of the Korean Peninsula, many races and nationalities lived amongst
each other. Looking at a time like this from a modern perspective is
pointless and China, the home to 56 different nationalities, is not an
exception.
When we look at the history of Northeast Asia, we have to look
at it with an appropriate perspective. The reason they could unite
as one country was because they shared the same consciousness.
Since they considered consciousness to be more important than
race, they could place intellectuals, soldiers, or semi-military forces
(nomads, hunters) that had the ability to move in the right position
and make full use of them. They also succeeded that spirit and did
their best for the settlement.
Just like how Stillicho was a Roman, Dae Jo Young is, and must be,
our ancestor. We must remember who Stillicho and Dae Jo Young
pointed their swords at. ■
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:18
 First Impressions of Joseon
Hendrick Hamel, working for the Dutch East India Trading
Company, was commissioned to go to Taiwan. However, after
three months at sea he became shipwrecked on the island of
modern day Jeju, a patch of land approximately southeast of
Korea’s mainland. As he remained in Joseon, he wrote accounts
of many aspects of 17th century’s Korean kingdom. For ex-
ample, he analyzed government structure, hierarchy status, and
the roles of religions. Hamel’s accounts provide significant in-
sight on Korea’s Joseon dynasty from a foreigner’s perspective.
Hamel’s observations prove to be valuable, yet not completely
reliable or valid. His accounts are early commentaries on the
social discourse of Joseon.
The tone of his journal is mainly full of curiosity, and he at-
tempt to comprehend a completely different culture and
people. Therefore, Hamel’s writings are inevitably biased; he
compares the differences between his own culture, Japan and
China’s with the culture of Joseon. Before his arrival, Hamel
had known the existences of two other East Asian civilizations,
Japan and China. Without a doubt, this provided Hamel with
some preconceptions of East Asian civilizations possibly making
it difficult for him to observe the distinction of Joseon dynasty
to China and Japan. Moreover, Hamel was a Christian: at that
time, Joseon mainly functioned on Confucianism with a slight
influence of Buddhism. In his writings, Hamel is critical of Jo-
seon’s religions. He refuses to acknowledge Confucianism as a
religion but views it more as a way of life and a basis of moral-
ity for the inhabitants. As for Buddhism, he regards the monks
and their relationship with society as corrupted and degrading
one. He refers to Buddhist rituals as “… their idol some super-
stitious rites” (Hamel 141). His use of the word “some” seems
very apathetic and a bit downgrading.
An important character of the Joseon dynasty during this
하멜 표류기
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 31
By June S. Choi
time was its absence of foreign policy and tendency to be se-
cluded from the rest of the world. From its fear of invasion,
Joseon refused to create or continue external relationships
with its surrounding nations. This was very much detrimental
as it slowed down their technological, scholarly, and societal
advancements, unlike Japan which promoted trading and ex-
change of ideas with other countries,
Korea shied away from the tumultuous world outside the na-
tion. Nevertheless, the King of Joseon provided a comfortable
stay for Hamel and his sailors as the King was curious to know
about the outside world. This act exemplifies that Joseon was
no racist or elitist but rather cut off from other nations in fear
of invasion solely based on pragmatic survival purposes.
Hamel also noticed the great importance of social hierarchy
existed in Joseon. Hamel wrote about accounts of slaves who
were treated as property by their masters and were bound
by official state law to obey them. And as a slave its lineal gen-
erations to come would also belong in that same class with
no room to move up in a societal class. Moreover, Hamel de-
scribed that men also treated women as property. He noticed
how women could not own any property, and wives could not
divorce with their husbands. These impartial laws did not apply
to men who could divorce with wives and have multiple spous-
es. These are only a few of the many examples and descrip-
tions Hamel provides in his journal. His writings are significant
because they are some of the earliest accounts of Korea effec-
tively allowing a raw, foreign description of the Joseon dynasty;
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
however, because it is partially biased, current readers should
consider the fact critically. ■
Source: Hamel, Hendrick. Hamel’s Journal And A Description Of The Kingdom Of Korea
1653-1666. Berkeley : Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California: Royal Asiatic
Society, Korea Branch, 2005. Print.
30 31
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:18
 Resistance Against Mongolia
This year is the hundredth anniversary of Ja- is believed to have been the tallest wooden structure in
pan’s colonization of Korea. Japan’s colonization was not history, was burned down, and a golden statue of Bud-
the first time our country has been devastated by for- dha kept at the temple was melted down as well. In ad-
eign forces. The Korean peninsula was a constant “raid dition, Hwangryong-sa was located in Gyeong-ju, which
attraction.” A few of the pre-modern reasons are that is in the southern part of the peninsula. It shows that
Korea is capable of producing rice, and is a strong ally of the Korean military system was defenseless toward the
China. So, in order for ambitious conquistadors to hit invasion.
China, they first had to attack its alliance, Korea. Korea
Then how did Goryeo keep its independence? Al-
was seen as a weak and dependent country. However,
though the government forces failed to defend the
having a long history of five thousand years, Korea did
country, the people of Korea employed guerilla warfare
pretty well in defending its independence. Although it
against the Mongolians. Most of Mongolian forces were
was constantly bullied by local barbarians, Korea under-
compromised of horsemen, which meant that they
went only two significant invasions. The most remem-
were not as effective in mountain areas as they were on
bered invasion is the incursion of the Japanese on 1592,
plains. The remaining government forces and the guerilla
during the Joseon dynasty. However, my focus is on the
militia understood this very well. People ran away from
other one: the invasion of the Mongolians during the
their farmlands, fled to the mountain regions, and sup-
Goryeo dynasty. It would be a surprise to hear that the
ported the resistance. During the first invasion, a monk
infamous Mongolians had to give up on ruling Korea,
united the government forces and the militia altogether
despite never having failed elsewhere. So, what kept the
and went on to defeat the Mongolian invasion forces at
Mongolians from taking over this small peninsula? The
“Cheo-in-sung,” resulting the death of Mongolian com-
answer lies within the people.
mander.
At the first time the Koreans and the Mon-
However, as the war proceeded, Korea’s military gov-
golians met, they were allies, subjugating the remaining
ernment was faced by antagonists, who thought the war
Khitan tribes together. However, as the Mongolians
was pointless and that they must surrender. Soon, the
grew larger and started forming a vast empire, they
antagonists became the majority, and the royal court
decided to take over Korea. The invasions started when
was resurrected. However, the military government still
a Mongolian envoy was assaulted and murdered while
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

couldn’t accept the fact they had to surrender. There-

returning to Mongolia. The Mongolian government ac-
cused Korea of being behind the incident that Korea
By Sae Hoon Choi strongly denied. Whatever actually happened to the
envoy, the Mongolians rushed their cavalry towards the
peninsula. Since then, there have been seven separate
massive invasions. When the invasions began, the mili-
tary government moved the capital to Kang-hwa Island,
an island near Seoul, preparing for a prolonged war. It
knew that the Mongolians didn’t have a strong navy. The
government succeeded in defending its sovereignty and
the island, but the peninsula burnt to the ground. Many
historical artifacts and temples were lost. For example,
during the third invasion, the nine-story wooden pagoda
of Hwangryong-sa (the Imperial Dragon Temple), which
fore, its private army, the “Sam-byeol-cho,” carried on
the resistance on other islands before they were anni-
hilated on their third island, Jeju. There is a memorial of
the army on Jeju Island.
Although the government wasn’t effective in keeping
the Mongolians out, the people fought with their lives,
trying to defeat the invaders. The analogy is self-evident.
During the invasion of the Japanese, the people fought
while the royal court of Joseon fled. It seems to be a
special trait of the Koreans: never succumbing to the
foreign forces. ■

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 Learning From the Past
By Ji Young Han

How People of Joseon Tried to Reform the Society from the Bottom

Man has become capable of making objective observation and counterplan about all
matter including a nation. In addition, the subjective aspects have been settled. Now
man owns mental individuality, and also awakened to be such being.
Burckhardt, Jacob Christopher

During the 18th and the 19th century, people’s revolu-
tions rose up in society everywhere in order to overthrow
absolute monarchies and aristocracies. French revolution
and the American Revolution are some of the examples.
Consequently, the absolute monarchies and anarchies col-
lapsed due to civil resistance and the people established
democratic political system.
When those revolutions happened in Western countries,
civil revolutions also happened in Joseon. Until then, land-
lord and tenant relationship sustained Joseon’s feudal sys-
tem, but this relationship started to break down, because
few dominating families monopolized power and ruling
power started to corrupt morally. Publics recognized these
changes and found irrationality of feudal system of Joseon.
In other words, publics felt the necessity for changes from
ernment. Given such action, Donghak peasant movement
was an equality movement and a civil rights movement.
Secondly, there was a distinguished mass-education
drive or enlightenment. Especially, in 19th century, the
enlightenment organizations made an active movement.
Groups concerning the enlightenment set their sight on
fostering of sense of citizenship, building a modern society
and national economy. Among them, the Independence
organization turned down foreign powers’ interference of
the internal affairs and demands. They, also, held the first
national convention, which was participated by govern-
ment and people. Moreover, other organizations founded
modern schools and corporations. All these movements
had planted the seeds of patriotic sprit.

Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

As we have seen so far, the public movements for a bet-
the bottom.
ter society wasn’t depended on government, but on peo-
The civic revolutions began to break out due to growing ple who organized by themselves. Their calls to reform a
people’s resistance against feudal society. (Feudal society society were gleams of hope in those dreary times. While
is that social rank is determined with the summit of king the officials weren’t able to deal effectively with problems
or monarch. This society usually suppresses its people to like interference of foreign powers and corruption, people
show individual’s competence by the form of traditional- of Joseon built up a step to go toward a modern society
ism.) and attempted to save a nation in a crisis. Hence, people
of Joseon had built a great capability which has been lead-
First of all, there were numerous popular uprisings.
ing this nation so far to be a society which pursues the
Joseon’s people at that time suffered from exploitation
equality and the freedom. ■
when the economy of farming villages collapsed, a large
reform was desired, and it led peasant movements to take
place. Finally, in 1894, Donghak peasant movement, the
most organized and nationwide peasant movement oc-
curred. They firmly excluded aggression of foreign powers
and discrimination. They, also, claimed for local self-gov-

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 Five Kings of Joseon
500 years of Joseon dynasty was the history of twenty seven
kings. There were admired kings, despotic kings, and not well-
known kings. In this passage, we are going to introduce two not
well-known kings and four well-known kings.
T he very first king to introduce is the 5th king, Munjong.
Munjong passed away after reigning only for two years
and three months. However, he has lived as the crown prince
for 29 years and acted as regent from 1442 to 1450 while the
former king, Sejong, was sick. He engaged both military and
scholarly officials and served Sejong well by welcoming loyal
advisors. In addition, as a child, Munjong was already well known
for his generosity and his desire for learning. Inventing the udo-
meter, he was expert especially in astronomy and arithmetic.
While he was in office, Munjong tried to invigorate press by hav-
ing regular meetings with scholarly officials. Also, he published
historical books about Goryeo such as Goryeosa, and Goryeo-
sajuryo, as well as, several books of military tactics such as Dong-
gookbyung-gam and Byungjangdoseol. Munjong prepared for
enemy’s attack by remodeling Hwa-Cha (old Korean multiple
launch rocket system) which had been invented by King Taejong.
In spite of his short administration period, Munjong spent about
ten years (including his regency) accomplishing great successes
in the fields of science and history. Moreover, the greatness of
Munjong was proved by his triumph of vitalizing and accepting
public opinion by possessing both flexibility and firmness as a
leader.
T
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
he next king to introduce is Yejong. Yejong succeeded
to the throne at the age of nineteen, but Queen Jeong
Hee, as regent, ruled the dynasty because Yejong was young to
reign. However, He sometimes showed his charisma as a king.
The most exemplary case was the event of Prisoner Minsu. Ye-
jong was so angry because historians erased officials’ faults while
emphasized king’s faults, so he left the historians to die in prison.
Also, when naming the tomb of Sejo, Yejong argued to name it
with twelve letters while officials argued for eight letters. That
controversy not only praised the former king’s accomplish-
ments, but also maintained the royal power strong. Unlike the
strong and firm aspect of Yejong, he was nice to the people
helping them to cultivate the land inside barracks. Even though
he passed away at the age of twenty, it is quite evident that he
was one of the great kings.
S ejong is one of the most admired kings in Korea, who is
called as Sejong the Great. During his 32 years of reign,
from 1418 to 1450, he accomplished many things in politics,
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HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 34
By Hanil High School
culture, social issues, technology, military, and established the
foundation for the society. He tried to harmonize personnel
power and royal authority, so he appointed scholarly officials like
Hwanghui and Maengsaseong. He established scholastic institu-
tion called Jipyeonjeon to raise great personnel. Jipyeonjeon
scholars contributed their talents to establish great culture and
critically accepted China’s ceremonies and system.
Hunminjeongeum, the Korean script, is considered as the
greatest achievement of Sejong. It is the most scientific written
language and the only written one for which the creator and the
purpose of its creation is clearly known.
Moreover, in order to increase national finances and make
lives easier for the people, he put effort in the publication of
books such as Nongsajikseol, which includes the tips for agricul-
ture. Also, he reformed taxation to benefit both the people and
government’s finance.
He published the Confucian scriptures containing political,
geographical, and astronomical information, which led Joseon
Dynasty into the period of renaissance. Sejong also presented
three metallographic printing types, which contributed to the
innovation of the printing technique.
In the field of science, Sejong employed Jang Yeong Sil, who
was lowest class at that time, and supported Jang Yeong Sil to
develop Joseon’s science technology supremely; Jang Yeong Sil
invented the Korean observatory, sundial, water clock, and the
pluviometer. Moreover, Jang Yeong Sil put his effort to reform
artillery and gunpowder, which enhanced the military power of
Joseon.
Sejong also concerned about military problems with Jurchen,
so he established Sa-gun Yuk-Jin, four military zones that is divid-
ed into six sections, which kept Northern boundary peacefully.
J oseon’s fifteenth king is Gwanghaegun, the unfortunate
monarch whose accomplishments were clouded by the
zeitgeist of the nation.
Gwanghaegun’s achievements start even before he becomes
king. Before he ascended the throne, Gwanghaegun fought
against Japan, which was invading Joseon, plundering towns, and
massacring many people. He conducted in battlefields, leading
Joseon to successfully push out the Japanese. After the war, he
ascended the throne as the 15th King of the Joseon Dynasty.
Since what he inherited from his father was a country just freed
from a devastating war, Gwanghaegun knew that he had to
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:22
 settle domestic issues first. In order to revitalize the economy,
he proposed land reforms and reconstructed the Changdeok
Palace. To strengthen the national defense, he also replaced
commanders of the border area and increased the number of
cannons and other weapons near the border.
As for international issues, Gwanghaegun took a practical ap-
proach. As he was rebuilding the country, there was a conflict
in China between the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchen tribe. The
Ming Dynasty asked for Joseon’s help for sake of fidelity, yet
Gwanghaegun could not ignore the fact that the Jurchen tribe
was the rising sun of China. Eventually, he decided to maintain
neutrality, siding neither side, and ordered Captain Kang Honglib
and his 10 thousand soldiers to help either side depending on
the situation. Such decision allowed Gwanghaegun to procure
Joseon’s security without much loss since he had won both the
Mind Dynasty’s and Jurchen’s favor. Gwanghaegun’s practical
approach towards international issues also improved the diplo-
matic relationship with Japan, for he knew that ignoring Japan
just because of the past would do no good to Joseon’s future.
Despite all these accomplishments, Gwanghaegun was de-
throned through Injo’s Usurpation. However, his achievements
still show that Gwanghaegun was a practical king who tried to
seek for balance of international powers through his exceptional
diplomatic finesse.
Y eongjo, the 21st King of Joseon Dynasty, governed for
the people with his ideal model, Tangpyeongchaek.
Tangpyeongchaek was a method exploited to effectively solve
the dispute between the factions that caused Joseon Dynasty to
have corrupted political structure.
To start with, he expelled all the officials who did not show
any interest in cooperating with the rest of the party. As time
passed by, people with a moderate tone of differing political
opinions were engaged rather than those with a competent
mind. Although he failed to reach the stage of perfection, he is
still appraised as the founder of a superior system.
There were works done for the commoners as well. He en-
forced Gyunyeokbeop, a legislation made to reduce the huge
burden of the public by collecting only one roll of cloth instead
of two, which was more rational than before. In addition, he
abolished the severe torture system used for punishing culprits
and approved sons of concubines to be the public official, thus
upgrading their status.
G randson of Yeongjo, the following successor, Jeongjo, is
considered one of the greatest kings of Joseon Dynasty,
who reigned from 1776 to 1880. Considering the fact that the
public viewed him second in fame to Sejong the Great, I person-
ally think Jeongjo has done as much as King Sejong has done for
the nation.
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 35
He firstly utilized Tangpyeongchaek to settle down the faction.
Before Jeongjo became the king, the factions caused many prob-
lems purging each other, trying to take over the government
system. However, Jeongjo party, who dominated the council
at last, eliminated the ones with power that could threaten his
political lifespan, and assigned lieges from the Soron and Namin
parties who were out of saddle. Through this action, Jeongjo
was finally able to balance the political power and remove the
negative effect of the factions.
The second achievement of Jeongjo was connected to the
consolidation of royal authority. He built Gyujang-gak, the num-
ber one royal library of Joseon Dynasty, and authorized the
power by supervising state examination and taking responsibili-
ties for education of the vassal. Implementation of Chogyemun-
shin system, an education system for young, competent and
potential students to study in Gyujang-gak was carried out.
Teaching the students personally, Jeongjo was able to secure the
loyalty of the students later in the political ground. He also set
up a royal bodyguard system, Jangyongyeong, a military opera-
tion, not only to protect himself but to fully conduct his policy.
And at last, the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.
It was the trigger to realize his political dream, the sign that he
had gained the greatest sovereign power during his term. The
Hwaseong Fortress was listed as World Heritage by the UNES-
CO in 1997 for its practicality and beauty.
His third action was to stabilize the livelihoods of the public.
As mentioned before, Jeongjo eased the discrimination to-
wards sons of concubines and servants. He went further on to
choosing competent ones of these once-low-ranks to work in
Gyujang-gak, something that previous kings had never dealt with
before. Yu Deukgong and Park Jaega are two good examples of
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
such people. To help the people financially, Jeongjo prohibited
the monopoly of the market which led to the development of
commerce, and also opened a mine for people to work and
earn money out of it. These policies not only helped the people,
but also took up a big proportion of the national finance, in that
it made more people able to pay their tax. Besides all those, he
also had a secret royal inspector to keep the lookout for the
tyranny of the local officials.
Jeongjo attributed a big portion to the developing of the na-
tion. Unfortunately, because he died in early age, all his work
became nothing. Only if he had lived longer, all his reformation
might have been successful and maybe we might have called
him King Jeongjo the Great. ■
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2010-12-14 오전 12:57:23
 Party Politics Now and Then
By Min Hyuk Lim

Most nations around the world, including the Republic of Korea, have adopted a system of party politics. Given that fact, would
you be surprised if political parties had already existed in the Joseon Dynasty five hundred years ago? Its form and other small
details were little different, but the Joseon Dynasty indeed had a similar system called “Boongdang.” Therefore, I would first like to
introduce what Boongdang is and then compare it with party politics today.

F irst of all, what is “Boongdang”? The Boongdang system

originated from groups of small and medium landown-
ing Yangbans (the aristocrats of Joseon) called “Sarim.” Sarim
acknowledged the other’s existence and ability to criticize and
participate in politics.

However, Boongdang politics started to lose its initial es-

had made their debut as a political force since the 9th King of
sence during times of political chaos under the 19th king Suk-
Joseon, Seongjong, who decided to begin employing them. But
jong. The power balance between the two major parties was
Sarim faced a series of obstacles called “Sahwa,” which ended
upset, and they continued to kill one another off, making poli-
with the downfall of Sarim and rise of conservative politicians
tics very unstable. During this political chaos, the Hwanguk, the
called “Hoongu,” who started to rule country since the 14th
West sect was in the absolute power, settling into a one-party
King Seonjo.
dictatorship. They refused permission for opposition forces to
Sarim conflicted with Hoongu over stopping the king’s exist and carried out purges of counterforces.
maternal relatives from meddling in politics and a government
To reform Boongdang politics, the 21st ruler Youngjo and his
position called “Ijo-Jeonrang,” who made the final decision in
successor Jungjo implemented Tangpyeongchek, which sought
all personnel relocation. As the strife between parties intensi-
to employ people of talent regardless of their political stance.
fied, Sarim was divided into the East sect, with Shin Uigyum as
When Crown Prince Sado died, Boongdang finally separated
the central figure, and the West sect, headed by Kim Hyowon.
into the Byuk sect, or Noron, and the Shi sect, which included
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

Boongdang at this time had positive effects on the Joseon Dy-

nasty because outstanding individuals could actively participate
in politics and the parties remained balanced.
Boongdang was again divided during the 15th King Gwang-
haegun’s reign: the East sect split into the South and North
sects. From that point on, there were the North sect, which
gained its power from the supportive monarch Gwanghaegun,
the South sect and the West sect. However, when the West
sect overthrew Gwanghaegun and replaced him with Injo,
who later became the 16th king of Joseon, the North sect col-
lapsed. At this time, Boongdang still functioned normally with
the West sect in power and the South sect criticizing, holding
each other in check.
The West and South sects then confronted each other over
how long the queen mother was to be in mourning for the
17th king Hyojong and his wife. These are called the first and
second Yesong, meaning the conflicts over the royal etiquette.
The West sect dominated the first Yesong, and the South sect
dominated at the second Yesong. At this time, each sect still
the former South sect and Soron. Under Youngjo’s ruling,
Noron and Shi sect were able to enter politics by equally em-
ploying people. In this sense, Tangpyeong was the appropriate
policy to restore political balance.
However, when Jungjo died young, the royal relatives, mainly
Byuk sect, dominated politics. They did not allow any other
people outside royal families to be employed even if they were
in Byuk sect. Moreover, as they started to deny and purge
other Boongdangs, Boongdang politics faded away.
Now, let’s look at contemporary party politics. Political par-
ties are bodies of people that unite to fulfill their common
political goals by accessing political power. The modern form of
political parties was established as the election system and par-
liamentary system of the U.S. advanced. Political parties func-
tion as an intermediary between the national government and
the citizens to make sure that people’s interests and opinions
are well reflected in contemporary politics. In the presidential

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 system and the parliamentary government, parties are classi-
fied into the ruling party and opposition parties. All parties in
politics criticize and hold one another in check. Also, political
parties involve many people, making themselves big organiza-
tions. And they cannot exist without the democracy, especially
the parliamentary and election system.
Now, let’s compare contemporary political parties and
Boongdang. Contemporary political parties have political
purpose to access to power and are divided into ruling and
opposition parties to sustain and stabilize political system.
Boongdang functioned similarly. Boongdangs conflicted with
other sect to gain power, and each sect criticized one another
to keep the political balance. Moreover, Boongdangs involved
many officials, who were the key members of politics.
Still, there remain several differences between political par-
ties and Boongdang. Political parties express various interests
groups’ opinions and integrate opinions into policies. Also,
political parties set their general goals after listening to the
members and people’s opinions. Then, political parties require
the parliamentary and electoral system to exist. On the other
hand, general opinions of Boongdangs were decided only by
retired regional elder statesmen called “Sanrim”. Therefore,
general opinions of Boongdangs only reflected yangbans’ opin-
ions instead of the public’s opinions. Also, Boongdangs did not
require the parliamentary and election system to be formed,
because ruling parties and opposite parties were decided ac-
cording to King’s preference as we can see from North sect
dominating due to Gwanghae-gun’s favor.
We covered several similarities and differences between po-
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 37
litical parties and Boongdangs. Then what do we have to imple-
ment and refuse about Boongdangs’ characteristics to improve
current political parties? Probably, initial Boongdangs would be
appropriate, since they acknowledged other parties and func-
tioned as positive political groups. We should also make sure
that individuals of talent can participate in politics freely. More-
over, it would not be bad to adopt some parts of Tangpyung
system so that fair personnel policy could be carried on.
However, political parties’ opinions should not be decided by
a minority group as Sanrim which decided Boongdangs’ gen-
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
eral opinions. If so, public opinions cannot be reflected on the
policy decision-making process, and democratic form of politi-
cal parties cannot be ensured. Also, political parties should not
be allowed to pursue solely their own interests as North sect
and West sect which tried to monopolize politics. If they are
allowed to do so, they will soon start to lose their function of
mutually criticizing each other.
In this article, we have covered the political systems now and
then. Although some features of Boongdang were inevitable
consequences of the Joseon dynasty’s central system, we could
still take some advantages of Boongdang to further improve
political parties now. What I hope is that to sustain and devel-
op democratic society, we should critically accept Boongdangs’
characteristics.
Political parties back in Joseon are throwing questions at po-
litical parties today.
“Is the way current political parties are operating appropri-
ate?” ■
37
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2010-12-14 오전 12:57:28
 Opinions

Korean Diaspora
By June S. Choi

P rofessor Armstrong analyzed the Korean diaspora and its recent existence of the past century. The late 19th cen-
tury migration in Korea, a unified nation at the time, is incomparable to the large scale movement that has occurred
in the past century. The Professor states that the fairly recent phenomenon Korean diaspora was an effect of Korea clash-
ing with modernity, and it is very dynamic and evolving. It is important for the Korean diaspora to establish their Korean
identity, because diaspora represent a geographically small nation, making a very definite impression to different nations
all over the world.

In addition, Professor Armstrong mentions that because Korea is a divided country, those some Korean diaspora, at
times, experience a confused sense of identity and ideals. During Korea’s civil unrest, surprisingly, the Koreans abroad
made a great effort in fighting and supporting parties as compared to those residing in Korea. For example, the commu-
nist party of Korea was mainly spearheaded by ethnic Koreans living in the Soviet Russia and China at the time. This shows
that although these people were not residing in their homeland, they still participated in voicing their opinions and legions,
being an integral part of their nation.

Today, while the ethnic Korean enclaves in Russia and China are now passed down to their fifth generation, Koreans in
the United States are now starting their second generation. Koreans abroad, although the minority and except those in Ja-
pan, surprisingly have created the trend of being in the middle class, with high levels of education and of Christianity. And I
believe that today the Korean diaspora still have bonds to its homeland even it has certainly been modernized in itself. For
example, on a personal level, my family lives in Los Angeles and still celebrates major Korean holidays, and we also make
annual visits to Korea at least once a year to see our extended family members. It is true that these Korean communities,
located all over the world, are thriving mainly due to a steady influx of money and people from Korea.
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

In one sense, the Korean culture is gaining momentum like wildfire all over the world. The Korean music industry, for ex-
ample, certainly gave definite impression to the American music industry. One example is the Wonder Girls opening for
one of America’s mainstream artist, the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber (all k-pop). Another example is Taeyang, a mem-
ber of Korea’s boy group Big Bang, whose single Wedding Dress achieved 3rd rank in the Netherlands’ Billboard charts (all
k-pop). All of these efforts were possible through the establishment of Korean-Americans with close connections in the
different music industry and their executives. For these foreign music industries’ ability and willingness to introduce Korean
pop culture and music into their respective nations portray their effort in promoting and sharing Korean culture.

The Korean diaspora has been crucial in Korean history, as in the civil unrest and political turmoil in the recent
centuries. The diaspora continues Korean history, contributing positive aspects and future opportunities in bringing fame
and even more recognition to the comparatively small nation of Korea. ■

Sources
Armstrong, Charles. "The Korean Diaspora," in The Koreas (London: Routledge, 2006), 89 - 130

GhostWriter. "Taeyang is Number 3… in the Netherlands?." Music. N.p., 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. < http://

3839
www.allkpop.com/2009/12/taeyang_is_number_3_in_the_netherlands>

Lawlietta. "Wonder Girls to open Justin Bieber’s Valentine’s Day concert!."Concerts/Events. N.p., 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 1
Mar. 2010. <http://www.allkpop.com/2010/01/wonder-girls-to-open-justin-biebers-valentines-day-concert>.

HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 38 2010-12-14 오전 12:57:29

 Opinions
Passion of Korean
P assion means the devotion about something that you
love. Perhaps the cleanest and most fiery emotion
of all, too much of it might be harmful. Passion resembles
a country that I know very well—Korea. I picked “passion”
as my title because it can’t be left out when introducing my
mother country, Korea.
One example that shows Koreans’ burning passion is
2002 Korea Japan World Cup. Although it was co-hosted
with Japan, we were blown away by the fact that it was the
biggest global event held in Korea ever since 1988 Olym-
pic Game. Summer of 2002 was hot enough because of
the weather, but it really burned with Koreans’ excitement
about the games. When Korea made it to the semi-finals,
we all became one. For the first time in soccer history,
Koreans all wore red shirts, sang songs in one voice, and
held up cards or big flags, burning off the passion. At that
time, Korea was just an Asian country between China and
Japan. However, foreign press was surprised by the Korea’s
performance. Korea was hidden behind the spotlight on
Japan, but Team Korea showed more than expected. But
Koreans did not only show great soccer skills. What made
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 39
By Elaine Seoyoung Pak
people around the world fascinated were Koreans who
became one under the motto “dreams do come true” and
their passion—the passion that tied them together to sup-
port the soccer team.
However, this passion is not only shown during specific
times. Koreans keep that passion deep down their daily
lives. Even now when the economy is flourishing than
before, Korea is one of the countries that rise the earliest
and go to bed the latest. Passion is melted in the diligence
of Koreans in New York who sleeps as they see the morn-
ing star and rise as they see the morning star. Korean dads
working late, Korean moms so bold, Korean students giving
up their youth to study all night; these show how Koreans
are passionate in daily lives.
Koreans’ passion has been often misunderstood as
ignorance or impatience. Some foreigners who are not
familiar with such ferventness have these misconceptions.
However, I would like to tell them, and even Koreans, that
the burning passion is what Koreans are made up of. That’s
who we are, and that what makes us Koreans. ■
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
38 39
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:29
 Opinions
What it Takes to Make People Care
By Sa Yon Yun Being a HIFCO member makes you look at historical for other cultural items as well.
facts. I now stop by, or even go back to take a closer look at
Another story is about 막걸리, a traditional alcoholic
posters, pamphlets or advertisements related to Korea. I never
drink that has these days become a rising trend. Few days ago,
thought history would attract me so much before I joined HIF-
I read an article about English names for 막걸리. The govern-
CO. But after I participated in few projects, I was fully drawn to
ment has decided to call 막걸리 “Drunken Rice,” so that our
what HIFCO was trying to achieve. I realized this when I visited
traditional drink would appeal to people around the world.
the National Museum of Korea. There, I experienced the di-
However, many Koreans resisted and petitioned the decision
lemma that Korea is going through while trying to promote our
because they thought the name should be 막걸리 in other
culture and history.
languages, too. Others argued that 막걸리 could be too hard to
I visited the museum after I took the AP World His- pronounce for foreigners. They thought a name that could be
tory exam. (Unfortunately, I have “post-exam-obsessions” pronounced easily would be advantageous in a global market.
that make me relate everything to the test I just took. I think
So everything comes down to how we can effectively
it is annoying because if I had studied with that much of an
help more people understand Korea better. Keeping the Kore-
obsession, I would easily get perfect grades on all my exams.) I
an identity versus globalizing—a tough dilemma lies on the path
started to read through all the dynasties and countries labeled
of letting more people know about Korean culture and history.
in the timeline and found out that some of these names did
To make other people care, we would have to sacrifice one or
not match those of what I had studied. So, I searched for these
the other. But all together, this shows that a lot of Koreans do
names in dictionaries and books. I found out that some of the
care about the issue. Looking on the bright side, the question
names were not standardized. For example, 고려 could be
would never have come up if Koreans were not interested in
either “Koryo” or “Goryeo.” Koreans might notice this and real-
presenting Korean history and culture internationally. Now we
ize that they are the same, but what about foreigners? Can they
only have to decide on which value to keep: is it nationality or
understand that both “Koryo” and “Goryeo” mean same dy-
internationality? The dilemma will continue until we reach the
nasty? “Goryeo” seems closer to the original Korean pronuncia-
best solution. Before then, let’s keep in mind that we are going
tion, but “Koryo” might be easier for foreigners to pronounce.
through this trouble for one reason: we want people to care
Should we go for “Koryo,” or “Goryeo?” The questions were
about what we think is important. Let’s not forget that we are
applicable not only for English names for our dynasties, but also
all after one goal. ■

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 Outside Viewpoints
Historical Crisis, Korean Crisis
회
What does it mean to study history?
I take time to pose the question because the
quality of history education in Korea today has fallen to
new, terrifying lows. That is to say, by asking this, I wish to
point out that if students continue to study in this lane,
there may be real reason to worry about Korea’s future.
Now let’s go ahead and say what everybody
knows yet nobody says out loud. There are many social
studies electives, but neither schools nor individual stu-
dents like to choose world history, because there’s too
much to memorize, rendering the subject a bad invest-
ment when it comes to entering the college of one’s
choice. Amazingly, Korean history is fast falling from its
previous status of mandatory subject. Now the only
people who study Korean history are those who wish to
go to Seoul National University. Frankly, it’s something of
a luxury to tell these kids hell-bent on matriculating into
good schools that they really should study their own cul-
tural history, good college or no. One way or the other,
students today know less than nothing when it comes to
history.
It doesn’t kill you to be uninformed of your
cultural background. What’s the problem with not know-
ing about what’s done and gone? It’s true. If you think
about it, it might even be easier to shake off the fetters of
the past and stride on toward a shining new future. But is
it?
History can be said to be a collective memory.
Let’s think of it as a form of memory. Imagine that you’ve
been in a car accident and have gotten amnesia. You
wake up in your hospital bed with no idea who you are.
The people standing above you say they’re your father,
your mother, your sister, but how are you to know that?
You draw a blank when you try to remember what
you did ten days ago, let alone five, ten years before. If
this happens, you lose your sense of who you are. Your
identity fades; you lose contact with your closest friends;
there is really very little you can do. If you think about it,
you realize that who you really are is who you remember
yourself to be.
History is the collective memory shared by a
given group of people. It is what tells us who we are as
a people and a society, where we’re at, and where we
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 41
Prof. Kyung Cheol Ju
사
사
should be headed. Without this memory, without our
history, we lose our sense of self and become brain-dead
creatures akin to zombies. This is what a history does.
Meanwhile, world history provides the cultural frame-
work in which we may ground ourselves. Through world
history we learn how the world and its peoples came
to be. Today, Korean society must deal with the entire
역
world, mingling with people from many different cultural
backgrounds. Therefore, ignorance of how these others’
respective cultures developed means falling behind in the
민
rat race. Ignorance of ourselves and the world we live
in—that is the dismal future we face.
History is something we can live without. But
to live ignorantly is to live a third-class life. Imagine that
you become a businessperson and it so happens that you
한
must converse with your sophisticated foreign counter-
part. Five minutes into the conversation, you finish sizing
up your new partner. You can tell, for instance, whether
족
the person possesses wit and intellect, or if he or she
is, at heart, nothing more than an empty-headed pup-
pet. What creates that spark of intelligence is the many
threads of lives that make us who we are—in short, our
history. Education today is turning the next generation
국
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
into zombies, empty “tin cans.” It’s the tragedy—or per-
haps the comedy—of the Korean education system that
the result of our students’ hard work is that they become
carefully cultivated imbeciles.
I don’t want to force history, Korean or other-
wise, upon students who have things hard like preparing 교
for the college entrance exams. I know this is unrealistic.
But what they do have to know is that there is a severe
deficiency in their current academic diet. That way the
gaping holes in their education may be filled, even later
on. They should know, at least, that it is problematic not
to know whether the French Revolution was in the 15th
or the 19th century, who Kangxi Emperor and Yong- 육
zheng Emperor were, and which countries they ruled.
I say this not only because I am a professor of
history. Many others say the same: the reason so many
students are so ignorant and incompetent today is the
conspicuous lack of knowledge.
41
So the first thing to do when you get to col-
lege? Read a history book. ■ 40
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:36
 Outside Viewpoints

South Korea Seen Through

the Eyes of a German
Holger Preut

A t least in terms of cold war policies, South Korea

and (West) Germany can be said to share a lot.
Both countries known for their miracles, the Han and the
Rhine miracle, were heavily funded by US global expan-
sion policies and largely benefited from favorable world
markets for exports as well as from a readily available and
diligent domestic labor force. Most Germans, however,
know less and perceive (S.) Korea as still a divided coun-
try, which is famous for its high-tech products of large S.
Korean conglomerates and S. Korea’s increasing success at
international sports events. This paper is a more detailed
▲ 북적이는 도심의 모습
insight into the uniqueness of S. Korea, its’ peoples culture,
lifestyle and thinking. one is astonished how assimilated everything including
the people are. People’s fashions, cars, hair cuts, people’s
S. Korea is crowded, commercialized and fast-paced. The
consumption habits and leisure activities, all of these seem
sheer amount of people that reside in the city of Seoul
in tune with everyone else and people too much out of
and the fast-paced and professionally serviced almost 24/7
the middle are rarely seen. S. Korea is also one of the most
consumption opportunities that one can find in almost
ethnically homogenous societies in the world and despite
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

every corner with endless clothing shops, restaurants and

the relatively many foreign brides, foreign labors and Eng-
Western style coffee shops is bewildering. Visitors looking
lish teachers that enter S. Korea annually; it is rather dif-
out for exotic Asian buildings or customs may struggle to
ficult to see foreigners passing on the street. A European
push themselves through American style high streets filled
or Anglo-Saxon multiculturalism and acceptance of mul-
with young credit card armed and Western style clothes
ticulturalism seems long way to go in this very ethnic and
wearing crowds of S. Koreans.
blood-conscious society. Even some foreigners of Korean
Except for the European style restaurants or luxury descendent do not feel treated equally and dark skinned
brand stores; Western influence in S. Korea is strongly felt people may find a stay in S. Korea more challenging than
US American. Many S. Koreans still understand the West Caucasian looking people.
in terms of US culture and if the West becomes the new
S. Koreans are impatient, ambitious and passionate. They
home, it is often sought for in the US. The Korean Diaspo-
often hurry and visitors get the the impression that many
ra in the US is huge, US sports are popular in S. Korea and
things have to be done urgently. One also gets the feeling
many S. Korean universities are staffed with US professors
that S. Koreans like to be the number one in almost every-
or Korean US graduates. Tens of thousands of American
thing they do. Famous schools or universities promise to
soldiers are still on duty in S. Korea, American English and
nurture world leaders and stores are often the ‘best’ in this
its’ syllabus are taught in most schools, traffic and car sys-
and that. Even if not always achieving the desired outcome,
tems and many cities look like at least partly copied from
this ‘giving-your-full-heart’ and ‘fighting-till-the-end’ attitude
the US.
of many S. Koreans has brought them to the top at the
Ignoring the diversity of religious movements in S. Korea,

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world. For instance, S. Korean students are often leading in

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 world study performance surveys, S. Koreans have formed
the second largest protestant missionary movement
worldwide, and much of the large vessels ship industry has
shifted to S. Korea where ships are built in amazing pace
and still in good quality. Indeed, many German companies
would die for the type of workers you can find in S. Korea
working on average almost twice the official work hours
a week without receiving much extra benefits employees
are used to in Germany.
S. Koreans are very hospitable, warm hearted and af-
fectionate people once you get to know them, once the
ice is broken. Because of historical oppression by powerful
neighbors, little interaction with foreigners during the years
of isolating ‘Hermit Kingdom Policies’ and often strong
holding beliefs among S. Koreans that (foreign looking)
foreigners can not speak Korean or understand Korean
culture, S. Koreans tend to distrust or ignore, may find it
uncomfortable or simply are too shy to interact with for-
eigners for long. Nonetheless, with the huge popularity of
studying English some Caucasian looking people may have
found themselves exposed to ‘English friendships’. As Cau-
casian are often taken for granted as (American) English
natives and unable to converse in Korean, foreign students
of the Korean language can also find it difficult to practice
local language.
S. Korean as also observed, generally do not interact
much with strangers, even other S. Koreans. They spend
most time with their ‘in-groups’. Restaurants are almost
always filled with people who share passionate dinner and
drinking rounds with work colleagues, family members,
school or university friends, or home town friends. The
group size extends especially in churches and when the
nation becomes the group symbol. Largely unwelcome in
Germany, abundant national pride and patriotism is easily
exhibited among S. Koreans.
In S. Korea, status, appearance and beauty are very im-
portant. S. Korea is a very Confucian society and knowing
someone’s age and social position is crucial for properly
addressing that person. Koreans often know ‘who they
are’ and the old generation, people with good family
backgrounds or good education make major decisions
for the better or the worse. Public mirrors can be found
in subways stations, elevators and even mountain parks.
Women often perfectly groom themselves and with Cau-
casian looks, locally meaning small faces, big eyes; big noses
and small cheek bones, being trendy, plastic surgeries rates
especially among young women are very high. Good ap-
pearance is combined with good behavior and right speech
especially when addressing upwards. Although for a Ger-
man formal language is nothing new, observing S. Koreans
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 43
interacting in such highly sophisticated forms of official ad-
dressing and behaving can be interesting but also perplex-
ing. A new arrival foreigner may easily be worried about
insulting a S. Korean if not properly told how to behave. As
S. Koreans have a strong sense of what ‘the other eyes can
see’ they are often opt for public harmony and respectful
behavior especially in front people of higher rank. This may
have also led inevitable to a double standard, a public and
the private, culture. S. Korean cyber space, for example,
is used for anonymous ‘free-mind’ speech where fiercely
critical and aggressive dialogues can be found.
Gender division of tasks and values between differ-
ent genders is very strong in S. Korea. Girls often have
(to have) pink as their favorite color and blue for boys.
Women universities are common, women spend hours
together in coffee shops or cooking for festive days while
groups of just men having a night out together can easily
be seen anywhere. S. Korean society is strongly matrilineal
and although ‘female power’ is on the rise, the dominance
of male power can be felt in many aspects of Korean life.
The state welfare system provides German families with
a sense of security installed from the ‘outside’. In S. Korea
welfare is expected to come from the ‘inside’, from the
family. Especially mothers try to find all kinds of means
to secure the family’s well-being. Most often well-being is
sought through the education of children and fortunes are
spent on private tutoring or short-term English learning
oversea stays in Anglo-Saxon countries. Despite being a
very child-loving culture, parents’ insecurity feelings have
pushed child education to extremes. Whereas young
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
German students finish studying in the early afternoon, S.
Koreans fill almost their entire day with all kinds of after
school classes for learning English, Chinese characters,
piano, math etc. Whilst Germans pave their career paths
through multiple ways that also circumvents university
education, university level study and the passing of exams
has historically meant a main path to advancing in S. Korean
society.
S. Koreans are fond of many things Western. Classical
music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are taught and per-
formed in many venues, and European style restaurants
and products are increasingly popular. And yet, despite
the still prevailing idea that ‘the West is still the best’, one
can sense that Koreans also recognize Western culture as
something threatening to their own cultural foundation.
Although, as in the old East Asian fashion, Western ideas
and technology have been borrowed, changed and domes-
ticated here in S. Korea, the spirit in S. Korea is basically still
very East Asian. ■
42 43
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:40
 Outside Viewpoints

The Oldest And the Best

Won Jeong Min

I tend to attend all the functions related to Asia when for Koreans.
I have enough time. There, I observe how each country
A professor who majored in geography mentioned "Sea
organizes and promotes its events and the reaction of
of Japan" countless times despite the fact that the lecture
Chileans.
topic was about Korea. After the class was over I went
over to him and hinted that it was "The East Sea" and not
"Sea of Japan." His response was, "Oh, right." I thought that
I attended a seminar about Korea hosted by a college.
a logical reason why he thought the sea should be called
During his speech, the speaker said that Korea, through-
Japan's would have been much better than an indifferent
out history, has been living under constant influence of
"Oh, right."
Japan and China, and therefore cannot solve the division
problem without the help of influence of the two nations
even today. The speaker claimed himself as an expert on
Another professor-also a famous economist, stated that
Chinese culture, but repeatedly listening to the phrase
the start of Korea's economic development all began from
"The influence of China and Japan" was insulting. The fact
Japan. He said Japanese Invasion began from 1905, and af-
that he did not consider Korea itself at all during his speech
ter 50 years of colonizing, Japanese left factories and other
made me wonder why a man wanted to study someone’s
industries behind, which Koreans used during the develop-
country with such perspectives.
ing process. According to his opinion, Korea's development
I heard that professors of various majors were going after the Japanese Invasion was the result of the effects of
to talk about Korea in a Asian history class. So I gave told Shintoism and Buddhism. When I told him that Shintoism
them that I would like to learn the advanced Spanish of had nothing to do with Korea, his answer was that I was
professors and asked if I could participate in it. A professor the ignorant one. He also denied my pointing-out that Jap-
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

who had lived in Japan brought pictures of Korea that he anese Colonization was from 1910 to 1945 by answering
took and explained how China and Korea had their own that basically the history itself seems like a colony to him.
printing press before Gutenberg. He also talked about the
In 2004, BBC internet introduced Yulsan, Kyung-sam
Japanese Invasion, saying it was, on the bright side, a step to
Province (a city in Korea) as having the historical sites and
modernization, and on the dark side, a period of suffering

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 evidence of first whale fishing in human history. Also,
there are countless historical evidence in Korea that shows
our ancestors performed the first rice farming, made the
first boat and went to hunt whales, and made arch-stone
graves and slant-lined pottery. What's more? We invented
the world first printing press, rain gauge (Chuk-woo-Gi),
an iron-clad battle boat shaped like a tortoise (Geo-buk-
seon), and during the 20th century, we have made many
world-first inventions in various fields.
But in reality, when we ask foreigners about Korea, very
few people know anything about the country. A few years
ago, a toll in Chile confirmed that Korea's image was re-
stricted to economic development, North and South divi-
sion, Chile Korean town, technology, and Tae-kwon-do. But
even those who know about the partition have a difficult
time telling the South and the North apart. The newspa-
pers are ignorant about the fact the Korea has developed
the first vaccine for H1N1 or that Korea has invented the
first marine plant construction main technology. However,
they are aware and constantly report, the dangers of
North Korean missiles.
We can't force foreigners to view and understand Korea
the way we do. Many foreigners actually find Korea and
its culture in places where Koreans least expect them to.
When I first saw Andres, a student in Korean culture class,
I was surprised by his appearance. A little chubby boy
with many piercings came right up to me and said "I really
want to participate in this class." Surprised and pleased, I
watched him carefully throughout the semester, and sur-
prisingly, he was a fantastic student.
Allehandro, another student listening to Korean culture,
always dresses in black. He enjoys reading Japanese comic
HIFCO_최종종합본_English.indd 45
books, and while he was reading he encountered some
Korean movies--which eventually led him to participate
in this class. He always wears black manicure and black
eye shadow, which, to be frank, gave me goose bumps on
the first day of class. But he received the top grade in the
midterm exam and sometimes brings Korean movies with
Spanish subtitles to ask me if we can watch it during class.
Another student, Padro, saw Lee Ha-Nue, Miss Korea
2007, on Youtube and became interested in Korea.
I can never know what the students that I teach think
about Korean culture and I probably never will. But my
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization
goal is to teach them about Korea in the most objective
way possible and to help them understand Korea by heart.
We, Koreans, tend to think that many foreigners are well
aware of Korea. I've met many people who compliment
the development of Korea while calling the East Sea "Sea
of Japan." I've also met people who have serious discus-
sions about the partition problem of Korea, while they
actually have no idea which Korea is which.
In the G7 conference held in Berlin in 2007, United
States vice-president Mr. Gore said, "The printing press
was first invented by Koreans, but it was the German
printing press that influenced the world." It is a time for
self-reflection. But before reflecting back and thinking
about how we have failed to develop and care about our
culture, we need to think about how we have failed to
even acknowledge the world that the first printing press
was indeed invented in Korea. ■
44 45
2010-12-14 오전 12:57:41
 Final Remarks
Finally, this is the end of our magazine, which seemed like endless.

Sometimes it was difficult to handle both school works and magazine work together. But looking back upon the last
few months of this project, we are sure that we have grown a lot. The historical facts which we knew vaguely became
bit more clearly, our culture and history are now friendlier than before. And this surely was our honor to have this
opportunity to share our history with other people.

We are not good writers, but if one person can have interest or know the truth of Korea’s history, it would be our
pleasure for sure.

We want to say thank you to everyone who helped us to publish this magazine.

Firstly, thank you to our parents who supported us always. Also, we thank Ju Chang Wook, a senior, for helping us to
grasp some idea about magazine.

We thank Gymboree, The Shilla, Korean Society of Traditional Culture and Living, and PMC Production for support-
ing us financially. Also, we thank Baek Eunsil and the president Song Seung Hwan for interviews.

We are so thankful to have members of HIFCO with us.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who read this magazine to the end.

This magazine is just the start to promote Korea. We are going to do our best until every person of this world can
know Korea better and correctly.

Thank you.

Credit Box
Historical Fallacy Correcting Organization

Editor in Chief Do Eon Lee

Translator in Chief Ye Yun Jee

Layout in Chief Soon Myeong Yoon

Editing Team Kim Myung Sun, Jang Suk Jun, Mhin Kyeong Hyun, Choi Se Hun, Shin Yeon Jae, Woo Chang Gyun,
Woo Ju Hyung, Lim Hye Song, Bae In Hae

Translation Team Kwon Sun Hyang, Kim Ji Eun, Yeo In Young, Ryu Jeong Min, Choi Jae Hun, Kim Yeong Eun, Kim
Min Seong, Lee Jang Won, Park Ji Yeong, Cho Se Yeon, Cho Hyup, Lee Kyung Min, Park Seo Young

Layout Team Kim Suyup, Kwon Ki Yeon, Jang Hye Eun, Kim Ji Yoon, Park Seung Eun, Choi Kyung Rok

Article Team Kim Myung Sun, Jang Suk Jun, Mhin Kyeong Hyun, Choi Se Hun, Lee Je In, Professor Ju Kyung Cheol,
Holger Preut, Professor Min Won Jeong, Lee Do Eon, Chung Se Yong, Ahn Hee Sup, Hong Ae Young, Hong Sae
Mi, Ko Dambi, Choi Hyun Jin, Bae In Hae, Yun Sayon, Han Ji Yeong, Lim Min Hyuk, Choi Hyo Ju, Park Seo Young,
Jung Byung Hun, HanIl High School

Interview Baek Eun Sil, Song Seung Hwan

Supporters Gymboree, The Shilla, Korean Society of Traditional Culture and Living, PMC Production

Supervisor Bae Jin Hee (Daewon Foreign Language High School World History Teacher)

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