China Erases All Pre-1948 Korean History from Ministry Website Address Koguryo History Issue with Dignity Based on Principle China Continues to Erase Korean History

North Korean media like the Rodong Sinmun, Minju Choson, Pyongyang Broadcasting and Korea Central Broadcasting belatedly reported on July 6 that its Koguryo tomb murals had been registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites, and have done nothing but indirectly express protest of Chinese historical distortions by continuously publicizing the superiority of Koguryo history. The whole of North Korea criticism could be found in the July 16 edition of the Choson Sinbo, in which it said, “China’s attempt to include Koguryo’s history in its own is a serious historical distortion.” Kim Il-sung University history department head Kim Eun-taek also contributed a column to the paper on July 21 in which he avoided naming China specifically but called for strengthened research and information campaigns to defend the history of the Korean race, saying, “Some Great Power-minded historians in other countries are scheming to erase Koguryo history and our nation-state’s traditions and position.”

What grabs attention is that these responses by North Korea are quite different from those it issued before February.

As recently as February, North Korea had been strongly condemning -- both directly and indirectly -- Chinese distortions of Koguryo history through its domestic and foreign media bodies. In a Feb. 28 round table discussion with Pyongyang’s Tongil Sinbo, three famous history scholars including Kim Il-sung University’s Kim Eun-taek, Social Science Graduate School Archaeology Research Institute head Son Su-ho and Korea Central History Museum vice curator Song Sun-tak condemned China by name, saying, “We will not tolerate any attempt to distort or erase our race’s highly august history.”

Experts say the differences in responses to China’s distortions of Koguryo history follow changes in the Sino-North Korean relationship. Between 2002, when Chinese authorities suddenly arrested Chinese-Dutch businessman Yang Bin, who was invited by Pyongyang to run North Korea’s Sinuiju Special Economic Zone, and this April, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visited China, the bilateral relationship was in a lull. It was known that there were also considerable tensions between North Korea and China over the North’s less-than-active attitude in the six-party talks aimed to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. Following Kim Jong-il’s visit to China and his summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao in which they were able to coordinate on solving the North Korean nuclear issue, Sino-North Korean relations have been cruising along with China serving as a mediator for North Korea’s position on the nuclear issue.

Moreover, China has been actively assisting North Korea in trying to minimize its economic difficulties, building for free a glass factory in Dae-an County, South Pyongan Province, providing food and petroleum, and providing discount prices on everyday goods. Most experts say that for North Korea, which -- putting aside its traditional alliance with China -- is expecting much diplomatically and economically from China, it would not be easy for it to actively respond to the Koguyro issue.

Gyeongnam University North Korean Studies professor Lee Woo-young said, “Recently, relations between China and North Korea have basically been good, and as North Korea participates in the six-party talks, it has become acutely aware of the importance of cooperation with China." He said, however, that, “North Korea draws its legitimacy from Koguryo, so it would be difficult for it to continue to remain silent... It will prepare countermeasures in its own way, like through a joint North-South response.” He indicated that even for North Korea, to remain consistently silent would be a huge burden.

(englishnews@chosun.com )