[K-Drama News] MBC-TV Historical Drama Jumong [주몽] (2006) Earns $50 Million

All this wrangling by Korea and China of an ancient, by gone kingdom may seem rather odd to the casual observer here stateside, but to Koreans who don't have a lot of real estate to call their own (the two Koreas combined are about New York and New Jersey combined) it becomes rather unnerving when one country claims that something you thought was a Korean kingdom all your life was actually Chinese. Also understand that the ancient kingdom in question occupied as much as 2/3's of the Korean peninsula. Koreans, right or wrong, have interpreted China's stance as saying that most of the Korean peninsula belongs to China.

Furthermore, the Chinese view that Koguryo was a Chinese kingdom is a rather recent event that is only 5 years or so old. Before that time, the Chinese had always acknowledged that Koguryo (to varying degrees) was a part of Korean history.

Not many people are aware of this, but China is a multi-ethnicity country. Though the majority of the people are "Han" (traditionally regarded as "Chinese"), there are many ethnic minorities who live under Chinese jurisdiction. These groups include ethnic Koreans (called in South Korea as "Joseon" race) mainly occupying regions of Manchuria (note: Koguryuh's territory included modern-day Manchuria). Very, VERY recently (as in like, five years ago), Chinese government decided to adopt a new attitude towards its minorities, claiming that whichever histories of the minorities residing within its current border was a "Chinese" history. Prior to this, Chinese experts have agreed to the fact that Goguryuh and its successor Balhae were indeed Korean kingdoms.

But now, because there are ethnic Koreans in Manchuria and because Goguryuh's territories resided within modern Chinese border, China laid claim to the history of Goguryuh. This was done rather tactlessly, suddenly claiming that Goguryuh was a subject nation of Han Empire and that Balhae wasn't Korean, but Malgal (another ethnic race near Manchuria). In Asia, when a country declares another country's history without proper evidence and consultation, it becomes a huge diplomatic time bomb. (Hence the constant tension between Korea/China and Japan)

Was Goguryuh & Balhae a Korean kingdom? Absolutely. By the new standard set by the Chinese gov't (Minority's history is our history), is Goguryuh a part of Chinese history? Absolutely, considering that there are ethnic Koreans living in Manchuria. But it doesn't change the fact that Goguryuh was an independant kingdom who literally caused the downfall of Sui Empire.

Frankly, it's really ridiculous and insulting, what the Chinese government is trying to do here.