Nationalism and the Net: Online discussion of Goguryeo history in China and South Korea

Abstract

This study investigates the growing volume of online discussion of Goguryeo history in both China and South Korea. While first analysing how nationalism and national identity underpin this historical dispute, this article then critiques common arguments that emerge within online Chinese and South Korean commentary on Goguryeo. The findings of this study show that while the Internet has facilitated a broadening of participation in the discussion of Goguryeo, this has not led to a more objective or rigorous treatment of this history, nor a more critical evaluation of its relationship to national identity. This study’s findings also indicate that national identity is neither static nor monolithic, and that online discussion of Goguryeo history is part of a dynamic process contributing to the gradual change and evolution of national identity in both countries.