Whose history is it anyway?
Background
The Korean peninsula lies between the rock of Japan and the hard place of China. Communist North Korea may or may not have the bomb. DPRK is pathologically secretive. Attempting to flee the country is a crime. Seasoned Korea-watchers suggest that the rule of Kim Jung-il will eventually collapse. There are unsubstantiated reports of civil unrest. There has been a famine in DPRK since 1995. Substantial aid has been given by UN World Food Program, RoK, and others seeking to establish diplomatic ties. Similarly, aid was forthcoming after the Ryongchon train disaster earlier this year.
If the régime collapses, there will be a rush to fill the vacuum. There may be political as well as humanitarian reasons for food aid, which staves off political crisis and its uncontrollable consequences.
South Korea’s constitution is committed to reunification (Arts 3 and 4). Since Kim Dae-Jung’s much-criticised overtures to the North (for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000), hopes have grown of a rapprochement, despite its cost. Even critics support eventual re-unification. In theory, anyway.
Koguryo
This requires a longer essay than I can manage in the time available.
The complex of Koguryo tombs was declared a World Heritage Site in July. In fact - officially two sites, as the complex lies in both China and North Korea.
Given the history of invasion, conquest, oppression and colonisation, Koreans are sensitive about their past. They are proud of their origins. So when China first of all deletes some ancient history from the Korean section of its Foreign Ministry website, and then deletes all of Korean history prior to 1948, Koreans are outraged, and worried. Chinese express bafflement at the criticism.
In an interesting twist, China's former Prime Minister Zhou Enlai is reported as saying
Thanks to the Marmot, whose most recent coverage of the story is here and here. The comments accompanying those posts are telling, even (or perhaps especially) when they are at their least courteous.
The Korean peninsula lies between the rock of Japan and the hard place of China. Communist North Korea may or may not have the bomb. DPRK is pathologically secretive. Attempting to flee the country is a crime. Seasoned Korea-watchers suggest that the rule of Kim Jung-il will eventually collapse. There are unsubstantiated reports of civil unrest. There has been a famine in DPRK since 1995. Substantial aid has been given by UN World Food Program, RoK, and others seeking to establish diplomatic ties. Similarly, aid was forthcoming after the Ryongchon train disaster earlier this year.
If the régime collapses, there will be a rush to fill the vacuum. There may be political as well as humanitarian reasons for food aid, which staves off political crisis and its uncontrollable consequences.
South Korea’s constitution is committed to reunification (Arts 3 and 4). Since Kim Dae-Jung’s much-criticised overtures to the North (for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000), hopes have grown of a rapprochement, despite its cost. Even critics support eventual re-unification. In theory, anyway.
Koguryo
This requires a longer essay than I can manage in the time available.
The complex of Koguryo tombs was declared a World Heritage Site in July. In fact - officially two sites, as the complex lies in both China and North Korea.
Given the history of invasion, conquest, oppression and colonisation, Koreans are sensitive about their past. They are proud of their origins. So when China first of all deletes some ancient history from the Korean section of its Foreign Ministry website, and then deletes all of Korean history prior to 1948, Koreans are outraged, and worried. Chinese express bafflement at the criticism.
In an interesting twist, China's former Prime Minister Zhou Enlai is reported as saying
We cannot distort history. It’s absurd to say that the land west of the Tumen River and the Yalu River has been Chinese territory or that Korea has been China’s tributary from early times.
Thanks to the Marmot, whose most recent coverage of the story is here and here. The comments accompanying those posts are telling, even (or perhaps especially) when they are at their least courteous.
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