Dear all of academics and researchers
 

We are students and a member of VANK living in South Korea. VANK is a non-governmental organization and also a voluntary organization. VANK consists of elementary, middle and high school students who provide correct information about Korea to international textbook publishing companies and publishers.

In particular, I would like to let you know about the Chinese scheme to alter the history of Goguryeo (BC 37-AD 668), a Korean kingdom with a vast territory ranging from the northern part of the peninsula to Manchuria, into that of a Chinese regional kingdom.

The Chinese government launched the project in February 2002, the Northeast Asian Project, to study the history of the area northeast of ancient China under the auspices of its social and scientific academy with a budget of 3 trillion won, US$2 billion, igniting fears that it was trying to strengthen its political influence in Northeast Asia.

Through the project, China is seeking to incorporate the ancient Korean kingdom into a Chinese historical timeline, even claiming that the people of Goguryeo originated from the Chinese ``han’’ tribe.
Consequently, China is trying to rob 700 years of Korean history, which could seriously damage Korea’s roots and heritage.

Throughout 5,000 history of Korea, Goguryeo is meaningful, and Significant to all Korean.
A leading power during the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo occupied the present territory of North Korea and also held sway over the vast Manchurian region for some 700 years until the late 7th century AD. By the 4th century, Goguryeo had been firmly established as a powerful kingdom and frequently clashed with China, while successfully containing its southern rivals


When China obstructed a North Korean effort to put Goguryeo tombs on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Cultural Heritage, the Chinese government expressed its scheme to uproot the existence of Korean history within its current borders in July 2003 
 

Furthermore, the Chinese academics and researchers hope to have the Goguryeo tomb murals in Ji'an declared a World Heritage Site during a UNESCO meeting in Suzhou next June 2004, preparing an enormous amount of data to support its case.
 

The seriousness of the situation lies in the fact that the Chinese government is taking the initiative in distorting history, making its political intentions clear. It seems obvious that the Chinese scheme under the name of the "Northeast Asia Project" is aimed at providing historical backup to Beijing's political concerns over the potential instability among the Korean-Chinese following Korean unification. The increasing number of North Korean defectors crossing the porous border into China in recent years is already causing problems to Chinese security and diplomatic authorities.
 

If you studied world history you would see how serious problems could arise when a government take the initiative in distorting history, making its political intentions. 
 

So We would like to let all of academics and researchers know about the Chinese scheme to cancel its plans to incorporate Korea' Goguryeo into china' history.


We, VANK , warn the Chinese academics and researchers that the the Northeast Asian Project would pose a great obstacle to amicable relations between all the family of Asia and China in the 21st century.
 

If you plan to study about Goguryeo between Korea and China or if you plan to recommand our movement to your colleague, companion, and history scholar, please contact to VANK.
 

We have detailed educational and comprehensive data regarding Korean Goguryeo history and culture, as well as digital pictures, which are all collected by VANK members (10,000 elementary, middle and high school voluntary student members). And we can provide you with this information willingly by post or internet without any cost.
 

※ → Korea history
http://www.prkorea.com/history/history.html

※ →  Korean Goguryeo history
http://www.prkorea.com/history/history1.html

※ → Truth in scholarship
http://www.prkorea.com/english/textbook/maintruth.html
 

VANK’s desires are that students all over the world can experience correct Korean history and culture by our voluntary effort, taking this opportunity and then sharing dreams and friendship with the rest of the world.

Sincerely yours.

* Contact to VANK

605 ho Immanuel Building 372-49, 3-dong Sindang Jung-gu Seoul, S.KOREA
TEL. 82-2-2237-7407   FAX. 82-2-2237-7409
email:  textbook@prkorea.org
http://www.prkorea.org

 "Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows,  it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree,  so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." - [Matthew]  -

VANK stands for - ‘Voluntary Agency Network of Korea’, a civilian international exchange association in Korea. We work for the promotion of Korea's image all over the world by Internet. VANK was established in 1999 by volunteers, and now has over 12,000 members. Using email or internet we serve as cyber travel guides to overseas Koreans and foreigners so that they can understand Korean culture and language better, and at the same time we hope we build international friendships. VANK is a great chance for those who are interested in Korean language, arts, cultural education, history, geography, social studies, sciences to learn about our country, and we also welcome with open arms anyone just wanting to make Korean friends!

(1) reference

1) Their claim that the East Sea has some historical precedent worked, as some major book and map publishers, educational web sites and other reference materials now include the East Sea name along with the Sea of Japan. - worldatlas.com-
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/eastsea.htm

2) We provide Korean pictures to the Photoatlas.com, you can see the pictures at this site : http://photoatlas.com/pics/pictures_of_korea.html