Korea Foundation Funded Distorted History Book

The Korea Foundation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade allegedly funded a Chinese academic organization in 1994 in publishing a book which contains the distorted history of Goguryeo.

“It was confirmed that some of the foundation’s fund for the China Academy of Social Sciences in Jilin Province, China, was used to publish a book ‘Northeast Project’ called (in English translation) ‘The History of Sino-Joseon Relations,’ which is an important book for China’s Northeast Project,” GNP lawmakers Chung Ui-wha and Chung Moon-hun said yesterday during an inspection into the Korea Foundation by the Committee on Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade of the National Assembly.

Rep. Chung Ui-wha said, “The Korea Foundation supported $20,000 in 1994 to fund the China Academy of Social Sciences in publishing books on Korea, and when the China Academy of Social Sciences later required diverting some of the fund to publish ‘The History of Sino-Joseon Relations,’ the Korea Foundation ratified it.”

Rep. Chung Moon-hun pointed out, “The Korea Foundation did not take any measures to stop publication of the book even after it discovered in April 1995 that the book would cause problems, and that’s why the Korean government was misunderstood to have supported China’s Northeast Project.”

“The History of Sino-Joseon Relations” describes Goguryeo as a part of China or a Chinese local government and falsely argues that some Chinese border areas were initially Chinese territory.

Hoon Lee dreamland@donga.com