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Genghis Khan is making a comeback in Mongolia. His name is on streets, schools, a brand of vodka and many a newborn baby -- a sea change from the era when the Communists, who ruled the country until 1991, made even mentioning his name taboo since it was considered the epitome of imperialism. But with the 800th anniversary of the Mongolian Empire in 1206, the Khan is back with a vengeance. In March, the Mongolian government renamed Ulan Bator airport ¡°Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar.¡±
And Korea is playing a key role in Genghis Khan comeback projects. In a 2004 Cabinet meeting, Mongolia decided that all excavation work at Genghis Khan-related sites and relics is to be conducted together with Korea. The reason? Prof. Park Won-kil of Korea University says there are problems with the authenticity of a variety of remains that were excavated across the nation driven by Khan fever. What¡¯s more, Prof. Yoo Young-dae of Korea University says Mongolia chose Korea -- a country believed ethnically to be of the same origin -- because other possible partners the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Japan all have a history of looting historic remains in Central Asia. The National University of Mongolia signed an agreement with the Korean Studies Institute of Korea University for excavation work, and Korea University¡¯s excavation team produced one triumphant result already, excavating human remains and the coffin of a woman presumed to be a descendant of Genghis Khan last year.
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A Genghis Khan monument
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This year¡¯s field investigation was carried out in eastern Mongolia by a multidisciplinary group of academics from Seoul National University, Hanyang University and Konkuk University as well as Korea University. The area, uncharted territory so far barred to archaeologists everywhere, is vast and also houses remains from the ancient Korean Koguryo kingdom. Prof. Kim Han-kyeom of Korea University¡¯s Department of Pathology says the survey plan included visits to areas where Genghis Khan used to play when he was a child, the ¡°land of betrayal¡± where he parted ways with his rival Jamuka, and the ¡°lake of promise¡± where he became khan in 1189. ¡°We have been able to obtain valuable historical records, including documents on Ming-Dynasty emperors paying a visit to Genghis Khan¡¯s ruins, which have been unknown to scholars,¡± he said.
Mongolia considers Korea a trusted partner, with special treatment including a major road at the center of Ulan Bator renamed Seoul Street. As a result, more and more Koreans travel to Mongolia, and some 5,000 do business there. Mongolians call Korea ¡°Solongos¡± meaning ¡°rainbow country.¡± ¡°Rainbows are a mysterious phenomenon in the nation which rarely sees any rainfall,¡± says Prof. Park Won-kil. ¡°Some say the word refers to a rainbow-striped jackets Koreans used to wear during the Chosun Dynasty, but it also means that Koreans come from a nation established by people of the same blood who parted from them long time ago.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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