China vs. the Koreas

arnisador

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=10&u=/ap/20040131/ap_on_re_as/war_of_history

The ancient kingdom of Koguryo, famed for its mighty castles and horseback warriors, has sprung back to life in a "war of history" between South Korea and China that carries alarming modern-day implications.
[...]
The wrangling could also influence the way future borders are drawn between two of Asia's biggest economic powers should the region become unstable.


Koguryo ruled much of Korea and Manchuria, now China, until it vanished from maps 1,300 years ago. It has been dragged into the headlines by a Beijing-backed study that deems the kingdom to be an integral part of China.


Not so, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon insisted last week.


"It is an indisputable historical fact that Koguryo is the root of the Korean nation and an inseparable part of our history," he said. "We will sternly and confidently deal with any claims or arguments harming the legitimacy of our rights."


Reigning from 37 B.C. to A.D. 668 and spreading Buddhism throughout the region, the Koguryo kingdom straddled what is now North Korea and part of South Korea and the northeastern Chinese region of Manchuria.
 
Interesting how history is always re-written, eh?
 
arnisador said:
The Chinese are not giving up on this!

It never ceases to amaze me how certain people will continually stomp their feet about some territory that hasn't been a part of their civilization in well over a thousand years.

Laterz.
 
And then there's Tibet...but at least they're lying about that for a reason, since they're occupying it. But Koguryo is about as relevant as the Byzantine Empire...it hardly seems worth arguing over!
 
Unless you're Korean and trying to create a nationalistic identity...
 
When they used to be split into 3 kingdoms, and now are divided into 2 countries? Well, maybe, but it seems...exceedingly optimistic to think that it'll help.
 
The Korean peninsula has been occupied by both Japanese and Chinese at different times in history - especially during the wars of unification - and the inhabitants formed temporary alliances with Japan to defeat Tang China and with China to defeat Japan. It seems wherever the red sun steps foot the red sun also shines.
 
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