Ancient Korean Research Articles

A study on the digital restoration of an ancient city based on historic building information modeling of wooden architectural heritage: focusing on Suwon Hwaseong

This study describes the process of digitally reconstructing the ancient Korean city of Suwon Hwaseong in 3D utilizing Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) resources to accurately represent its wooden architectural heritage. Previous 3D reconstructions of cultural heritage have often prioritized appearance or remained partially disassembled. However, our reconstruction method offers a comprehensive representation of the appearance and the internal structure of wooden architectural heritage, which can be suitable for restoration maintenance. To ensure accuracy in digital restoration, we collected and utilized administrative records and historical materials, including the geography, fortress walls, folk houses, and Haenggung (the temporary palace of the Joseon Dynasty)—drawing from the archive of the Korean Cultural Heritage Service’s management records and the 1796 manuscript “Uigwe: Royal Protocols of the Hwaseong Fortress” which documents the construction of the ancient city of Suwon Hwaseong. Extensive architectural records were used to generate HBIM data, which digitized historical records, documents, and drawings to accurately represent the complex layout of the wooden architectural heritage. For the folk houses that lacked design records and the fortress walls that retained their original shape, we performed a digital restoration-based façade modeling. These elements of the ancient city of Suwon Hwaseong were assembled into a 3D model using Unreal Engine (version 5.1.1) to digitally reconstruct the city and enhance its visual representation. The digital restoration content, which utilizes visual effects and precise rendering from a game engine, can be used for the restoration, repair, and maintenance of both appearance and internal structures.

Suggestions for the Future of the Study of Ancient Korean History

Suggestions for the Future of the Study of Ancient Korean History

Reflection on Ancient Korean History in the 20th Century: Focusing on the Negative Legacy of Nationalist Historiography

Reflection on Ancient Korean History in the 20th Century: Focusing on the Negative Legacy of Nationalist Historiography

Ancient Korean History and Regionalist Historical Interpretation - The Emergence of Regional Studies, Local History, and Regionalist Historical-Cultural Initiatives -

Ancient Korean History and Regionalist Historical Interpretation - The Emergence of Regional Studies, Local History, and Regionalist Historical-Cultural Initiatives -

고대한국어에 나타난 거주지 단위에 대한 재고찰

고대한국어에 나타난 거주지 단위에 대한 재고찰

Inventing Ancestors and Limited Empiricism in Chosŏn Korea: A Case of the Kigye Yu Lineage

AbstractThis paper investigates how the members of the Kigye Yu lineage imagined and invented their ancestral roots during the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910) and how such a pursuit of ancestral origins led to subsequent developments in genealogical records. As early as the fifteenth century, Chosŏn elites began to show interests in genealogy that included identifying remote ancestors from ancient times for various political, social, and cultural reasons. From the seventeenth century, the transformation of kinship organization in line with the Confucian ideal of patriliny and elites’ competition for power and prestige intensified genealogical consciousness. Elites became heavily invested in searching for ancestral origins in the form of their lineages’ founders and their tombs. While claiming to rely on documentary and physical evidence, elites often deviated from their professed empiricism and adopted evidence from dubious sources such as oral testimonies and geomancy to rationalize invented ancestral roots. Such pliable approaches, often observed in other early modern cultures such as late imperial China and Europe, opened a floodgate of lineages glorifying their ancestry by pushing their origins back even to mythical founders of ancient Korean and Chinese kingdoms, and adorning their lineages with invented heroes. At the same time, loopholes and blank spots in genealogies enabled quasi- and nonelites to become a member of prominent lineages by grafting their names onto their family trees.

Review on the Relationship Between Mahan and Baekje: The Same Entities with Different Names

Currently, in Northeast Asia, where Korea, China, and Japan are located, there is still a fierce debate over the extent of the territories in ancient history. This research aimed to prove that Mahan and Baekje, ancient Korean states, were essentially the same entitty only with different names employing new methodologies including comparative analysis of ancient Historical records from Korea, China and Japan, analysis of clans and place names, as well as examination of various inscriptions, stele texts, and genealogical data. The research results revealed that Baekje, referred to as Dongyi tribes in China and as Gudara in Japan was confirmed to be another name of Mahan. Baekje was established as a tributary of Mahan in the ancient land of Daebang and Mahan and Baekje coexisted peacefully for over 460 years, and they even engaged in a division of roles in diplomatic activities. In Tang Dynasty, when Baekje was conquered, King Kim Chun-chu of Silla was appointed as the general secretary of the Yuyi Clan Conquest. The titles of Yuyi and Mahan also appear in the positions of Su Dingfang, which refers to the Mahan forces that existed around the Yeongsan River basin as Yue Zhi. All these facts confirm that Mahan and Baekje were indeed the same entities, merely known by different names in historical Records. The aforementioned research results demonstrate that Mahan-Baekje was a very Powerful political entity spanning the Korean Peninsula, the northeastern region of China, and the Japanese Archipelago. This serves as strong evidence against the claims of China’s Northeast Project and Japan’s theory of the Imna Japan Province, highlighting the historical inaccuracies in these assertions.

Comparative Phylogenetic Analysis of Ancient Korean Tea "Hadong Cheon-Nyeon Cha (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis)" Using Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences.

Wild teas are valuable genetic resources for studying evolution and breeding. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome of the ancient Korean tea 'Hadong Cheon-nyeon Cha' (C. sinensis var. sinensis), which is known as the oldest tea tree in Korea. This study determined seven Camellia sinensis var. sinenesis, including Hadong Cheon-nyeon Cha (HCNC) chloroplast genome sequences, using Illumina sequencing technology via de novo assembly. The chloroplast genome sizes ranged from 157,019 to 157,114 bp and were organized into quadripartite regions with the typical chloroplast genomes. Further, differences in SNPs and InDels were detected across the seven chloroplast genomes through variance analysis. Principal component and phylogenetic analysis suggested that regional constraints, rather than functional constraints, strongly affected the sequence evolution of the cp genomes in this study. These genomic resources provide evolutionary insight into Korean tea plant cultivars and lay the foundation for a better understanding of the ancient Korean tea plant HCNC.

The Revival of the “Glorious Past” In the Republic of Korea under Park Chung Hee

The study examines the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) history politics under Park Chung Hee rule (1961-1979). The author argues that it’s possible to identify two stages of the development of policy toward Korea’s national heritage: 1) the early stage (1961 to mid 1960s), during which the government of the ROK managed to create the legal basis of the state policy on the protection of cultural heritage and the Office of Cultural Properties and 2) the late stage (the late 1960’s to 1979), when the regime carried out large-scale propaganda of Korean traditional culture. The article covers such problems as historical views of Park Chung Hee, restoration of Korean places of military glory, measures to perpetuate the memory of Korean outstanding historical figures - admiral Yi Sun-sin and king Sejong the Great, glorification of the ancient Korean kingdom Silla, promotion of Confucian values. The author concludes that President Park Chung Hee sought to strengthen the national consciousness of South Koreans in order to mobilize them to implement national tasks and unite the population around the authorities. The main emphasis was placed on the heroic pages of the military history of Korea and the history of Silla, the first unified Korean state. In the 1970s, the state actively promoted Confucian values to ensure the loyalty of the population to the authoritarian regime of Park Chung Hee. Despite the democratization of the Republic of Korea since 1987, Park Chung Hee’s cultural policy has played a significant role in shaping the historical identity of modern South Koreans. The research is based on Park Chung Hee’s works, ROK’s official documents and materials of South Korean researchers.

The use of euphemisms in Ancient Storybook of Indonesia Korea 1 Hanguk Indonesia Yetiyagi 1

Korean students and beginner-level Korean learners often use harsh language because they often learn from shows that use coarse language. Therefore, this study of euphemism aimed to describe (1) variations of euphemisms in the form of words or sentences, taboos, cultural traits, social discrimination, and negative situations (2) the functions of using euphemisms in the book Ancient Korean Indonesian Stories 1. This research is a qualitative descriptive research. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and pulling a conclusion or verification. Data validity was obtained from data triangulation. The data were analyzed based on the theory of the form and function of euphemism by Kim Mi Hyeong. This research shows the following results. First, the euphemisms of words 86%, and sentences 14%. Forms of euphemisms based on taboo is 71%, (2) social discrimination 10%, (3) negative situations 19%, and zero data were found in the form of cultural traits. Second, the euphemism function (1) the self-protection function is 9%, (2) the purification function is 43%, which is the most dominant function contained in the data in the object of this study. Second, the euphemism function (1) the self-protection function is 9%, (2) the purification function is 43%, which is the most dominant function found in this object of study. (3) control maintenance and social order 29%, (4) protection role 5%, (5) and function change in meaning 14%, and there was no data found on the function of the need for new terminology.

Mid-to-late Holocene climate variability in coastal East Asia and its impact on ancient Korean societies

The sustainability of human societies is contingent upon our ability to accurately predict the effects of future climate change on the global environment and humanity. Wise responses to forthcoming environmental alterations require extensive knowledge from historical precedents. However, in coastal East Asia, a region with a long history of agriculture, it is challenging to obtain paleoenvironmental proxy data without anthropogenic disturbances that can be used to assess the impact of late Holocene climate change on local communities. This study introduces a high-resolution multi-proxy sedimentary record from an isolated crater in Jeju Island, Korea, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying mid-to-late Holocene climate change and its impacts on ancient societies. Our findings suggest that hydroclimate changes were predominantly governed by sea surface temperature fluctuations in the western tropical Pacific, with low-frequency variability in solar activity and a decrease in summer insolation identified as primary drivers of temperature change. Moreover, ancient societies on the Korean peninsula were significantly affected by recurring cooling events, including the 2.8 ka event, 2.3 ka event, Late Antique Little Ice Age, maunder minimum, and others.

동아시아 고대 여성작가 한시 속 태도에 대한 소견

This study aims to analyze the relevance of the broad East Asian context by exploring the attitudes revealed in the works of ancient female Chinese poets from Korea, China, and Japan. It also aims to reveal the significance and value of these attitudes from a feminist perspective on East Asian women's literature. The ancient Korean, Chinese, and Japanese countries shared the same cultural and linguistic landscape of Confucianism and Chinese characters. The Chinese poetry of female writers in each country exhibited several tendencies: spontaneity and generosity, honesty and sincerity. These attitudes reveal the subjectivity of female writers in spontaneity and sincerity. Generosity represents the value of understanding and acceptance towards others and the world, while honesty allows for a broad readership appeal by surpassing cultural boundaries through the expression of genuine emotions.

魏志倭人傳과 古代日本資料에서의 表記字에 관한 小考

The purpose of this paper is to more clearly understand the phonology of Wajinden through comparison with ancient Korean and Japanese materials. The subjects of the study were 蘇 and 奴, which have different phonetic values from ancient Japanese materials among the phonetic transcriptions shown in the Wajinden. As for the research method, the phonetic values of 蘇 and 奴 shown in the Wajinden were examined through the estimated Old Chinese phonology, the Fanqie(反切) in a Rhyme Dictionary(韻書), the phonetic values by scholars, and the examples of ancient Korean and Japanese materials.
 As a conclusion of the study, it was found that 蘇 and 奴 shown in the Wajinden are the markers for the syllables of [sa] and [na]. In Wajinden, 蘇 is a notation for the syllable of [sa さ], and all of them were used as national names. In ancient Japanese sources, 蘇 represents the sound of [so ソ].
 As a result of the study of 蘇, first, the phonetic value of the estimated Old Chinese phonology was divided into [sa] and [so], and the phonetic value estimated through the Fanqie(反切) in a Rhyme Dictionary(韻書) was [so]. However, since the sound values shown in a Rhyme Dictionary(韻書) is in Middle-Old Chinese phonology, the authenticity is questionable. second, through the place names and names of people in Goguryeo and Baekje, the corresponding relationship of 蘇：斯：史：泗：所 is established, and it is read as [sa]. Considering these points, it can be said that 蘇 represents the sound value of [sa].
 In addition, there are 16 examples of the use of 奴, which can be found in Wajinden, and all refer to proper nouns such as the name of an official position or the name of a country. Among them, only one usage shows the sound value of [nu ぬ], and the remaining 15 usage examples show the sound value of [na な]. In ancient Japanese sources, the sound values of [nuヌ, noノ, doド] are indicated.
 As a result of consideration, first, as with 蘇, the estimated upper ancient sound of 奴 is divided into [nu] and [na], and the phonetic value estimated through the Fanqie(反切) in a Rhyme Dictionary(韻書) and Ōno's indication was [no], but the time of compilation of a Rhyme Dictionary(韻書) is Middle-Old Chinese phonology. second, the corresponding relationship between 奴=那=弩=內=儒 and 奴=那 can be confirmed through the geographical names and five tribes in the SamgukSagi. third, it was confirmed that 奴 represents the sound value of [na] in the name notation of Nihonsyoki. Through this fact, the sound value of 奴 can be read as [na].

The Coalition among Evil Women in Ancient Korean and Chinese Literature

The Coalition among Evil Women in Ancient Korean and Chinese Literature

A Study on the Connection between Samurai Tradition and Japanese Imperialism

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between Japan’s samurai (侍) tradition and imperialistic aspiration. The samurai tradition, which originated in Japan’s Shintoism, was derived from ancient Korean Shinkyo’s Nanga thought (郎家思想). Samurai are descended from the ancient Korean Shinto tradition of Samshirang (三侍郞), which was revealed to worship of three gods. The samurai tradition promotes Japanese nationalism and has ties to collectivism and emperor veneration. In addition to the deification of the Japanese emperor, samurai and sanctuaries with religious functions were used as imperial expansion tools. Beginning with the samurai administration of the Kamakura Shogunate (鎌倉幕府) in 1185, the samurai tradition, which stresses strict command, obedience, and collectivism, dominated Japanese society for seven hundred years. Long samurai rule had profound influences on Japanese society’s order, hierarchy, groups, honor, collectivism, and identity. The Meiji government, a modern system that began with the end of the samurai regime, elevated the Japanese emperor to the status of a divine being and a living deity, recognizing obedience and worship as a natural obligation. As a means of expanding Japanese imperialism, the samurai spirit with the deified Japanese emperors as the center pawned suicide commandos such as the kamikaze (神風), which can be considered the modern concept of samurai, and the ‘human torpedo’, kaiten (回天). Japan continues to demand constitutional amendments to the ‘Peace Constitution,’ which was enacted as a result of its defeat in World War II, and mandates visits to the Yasukuni Shinsa, which enshrines war criminals and high-ranking Japanese government officials. Neighboring nations may perceive Japan’s actions as a resurgence of imperialistic aspirations; therefore, a mature appearance that can contribute to world peace is required.

한국 고대 여인상을 활용한 문화상품 디자인 개발 -국립중앙박물관과 국립경주박물관의 전시ㆍ소장품을 중심으로-

This study aims to identify ancient Korean figure of woman exhibited and collected in the National Museum of Korea and the Gyeongju National Museum and to analyzed the current status of cultural products related to figure of woman in domestic and foreign museums. In addition, it is to present the design of cultural products using the figure of woman representing Korea. This study combined literature research and empirical research. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that there are clay figure of woman from the Neolithic Age, Silla, and Unified Silla as ancient figure of woman in Korea. This study analyzed cultural products related to figure of woman in online stores in domestic and foreign museums. The British Museum is developing exclusive products, and the Louvre Museum is developing creative products through collaboration with artists or specific brands. In the case of the Metropolitan Museum of Art case, the Met Store is developed various cultural products. Multiple products were being designed in museums in other countries. Although the National Museum Cultural Foundation is in charge of the cultural assets of national museums in Korea, it lacks the diversity of products and accessibility of museum shops compared to museums in other countries. The only cultural product related to the figure of woman confirmed so far is the Silla figure figurine magnet depicting the figure of woman adorned on the National Treasure No. 135. T-shirt items are popular and practical. However, finding t-shirts as cultural products in Korean museums is challenging. Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 was used to design a t-shirt with the motif of three Korean figure of woman. This study will serve as primary data for developing cultural product design that can represent Korea.

My Husband! Do you want me your Wife to Change into Such a Good State? What will you do? (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th)

French missionary Dallet (1874) wrote in his book that ancient Chinese people have used ‘The thousand character essay’ for their children’s instruction. This book was utilized for the children for the study of Chinese character in the old period of Tch’in (秦) dynasty. Several scientific workers found that Tcheonzamun poem was well interpreted through Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters (Park et al., 2021b), and they also found that Tcheonzamun poem was well translated through the meaning of Chinese character in the viewpoint of Korean grammar (Park et al., 2021a). Therefore, the present worker started to think that Tcheonzamun has been created by ancient Korean. It is one of the object of this study. The thousand character essay is called as ‘Tcheonzamun’ in Korea. This word ‘Tcheonzamun (千字文)’ means ‘the thousand character essay’. There are two methods for Tcheonzamun translation. The first method is through Korean pronunciation of Chinese character (Park et al., 2021b). The second one is through the meaning of Chinese character (Park et al., 2021a). At present, the second method (through the meaning of Chinese character) was used for the translation. This work ranges 16 letters of (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th). The Korean pronunciation of these 16 letters was taken from somewhat old text of Tcheonzamun (Han, 1583). Here, the present worker will do the translation of the poem (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th)’. And the title of this study is ‘My husband! Do you want me your wife to change into such a good state? What will you do? (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th)’. As a conclusion, the theme might be the translation of the second line (053-056) as follows. The light of pearl is very tiny. If this pearl (珠) preserves its original brightness. What shall the power of the pearl do? If there is only one pearl, it is really such a tiny state. But my husband! If other pearls, they start to join into this splendid action (稱) of brightness. What shall the power of many pearls do? A lot of lights will make the world bright more and more. And then, the world at last becomes bright (光) even at night (夜). “My husband! The power of me, your wife, is small. My husband, I need your co-operation for the better life of us!””.

금관가야 복식을 응용한 김해 문화관광해설사 복식 디자인

The purpose of this study is to design the clothing for the Gimhae cultural tour commentator using Geumgwan Gaya’s costumes. First, the formative characteristics of Geumgwan Gaya costumes were examined for each design element; line and form, color, material, pattern, decoration, and accessories. Every cultural tour commentator plays the role of a promotional ambassador, and so the clothes of the Gimhae cultural tour commentator should aesthetically express the characteristics of Geumgwan Gaya, which represents Gimhae. In addition, the activities of a commentator should be considered the costume should allow for mobility and provide warmth, while realistic costs in production should also be considered. As such the clothing for the Gimhae cultural tour commentator’s costume comprises a muffler, a fur scarf and an overcoat that does not cover the knees, making it convenient for activity. The decoration was added by threading beads onto the embroidery. The overcoat is fastened using a button. The belt which is the only aspect of ancient Korean garments that cannot be found in the hanbok of the Josean dynasty, is expressed in a bundle shape. This study can be said to be a good example of how the elements of ancient costumes can be applied to modern hanbok designs. Due to certain conditions, various other designs have not been developed and this will be supplemented in future research.

My Husband! What is ‘The Happy Life’ for us? (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th)

French missionary Dallet (1874) wrote in his book that early history of Korea is not known, and it was for him very strange that ‘Korean scholars do not have any interests in their own history. And the scholars read only the book written in Chinese characters’. The thousand character essay is called in Korea as Tcheonzamun (千字文), and this Tcheonzamun book was introduced in the French book (Dallet, 1874). It is firmly believed that Tcheonzamun was created by Chinese people (Han, 1583). Recently, several researchers thought that Tcheonzamun book might be written by ancient Korean people (Park et al., 2021a; Park et al., 2021b). The present researcher translated the Tcheonzamun poem (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th). This study was done both through the meaning of Chinese characters and through Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters. Tcheonzamun poem is composed of 16 letters (Park et al., 2021a; Park et al., 2021b). This time, the range is (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th). There are two methods for the present study. One method is through Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters (Park et al., 2021b), the other is through the meaning of Chinese characters in Tcheonzamun (Park et al., 2021a). Sometimes, the Chinese character is separated into several parts. Then same part of the Chinese characters in the same line will be deleted. Here, the line is shown as follows. (049- 052 劍(Keom) 號(Ho) 巨(Keo) 闕(Kweol)). Then, the translation will be done with the remained part (parts). On the method through Korean pronunciation, the four letters in a line will be modified. This study is for the translation of (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th). And the title of this study is the word of the wife, “My husband! What is ‘the happy life’ for us? (Tcheonzamun 049th -064th)”. The translation through the meaning of Chinese character shows the ideal state of husband and wife. But the translation through Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters, wife-husband couple is not in good harmony. As a conclusion, the theme of these two translations is similar, the happiness of the husband and the wife.

신라 하대 현실 인식과 佛土觀의 변화

It is not easy to find aspects of the people's perception of realities in the ancient Korean society. The limit of historical records is thought to be the biggest factor, but fortunately, a glimpse of such aspects can be obtained since relatively many epigraph in Late Silla with which aspects of the Buddhist community can be examined, including the Zen monks’ epitaph, remain. In this paper, examples in which the Late Silla Buddhism perceived the contemporary era as the degenerate age(末法) have been examined, and although common expressions related to the degenerate age were seen, the fact that the situation perceived as the degenerate age was different depending on the subject of the Buddhist custom was able to be found. In particular, the fact that the royal family perceived the contemporary era as the degenerate age can be said as a perception deviating from the one-sided understanding that the degenerate age perception held an anti-royal feature. The background behind the spread of the degenerate age perception was due to not only the domestic situation of the proliferation of the Maitreya belief since the Jinpyo(眞表), but also the foreign situation, the return of the Zen monks by the persecution of Buddhism(破佛) of the Chinese Tang(唐) Mujong(武宗). Since the Tang’s situation of the weakening of the royal family and the rise of local power resembled the reality of Silla, Silla also perceived the degenerate age in light of the Tang which resulted in the extreme situation on the persecution of Buddhism. The Buddhist community responded actively without neglecting such reality. The thought of the Buddha Land(佛土觀), which in the previous periods had spread centering around the royal family and the royal capital, changed into a local-centered ideology, proliferated the perception of accomplishing Buddhahood(本來成佛), and attempted to overcome the crisis of chaotic reality of Late Silla. As such, the Buddhist community persistently made an effort to communicate with the society and lead the society.