Dear ______. reporter [newspaper, radio,
TV]
I am a student and a member of VANK
living in Republic of 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 report on Goguryeo between
Korea and China or if you plan to broadcast our movement
to your country to change Asia in your TV programe, 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.
※ → What
lies behind the 'Northeast Asia Project?
http://www.prkorea.com/english/goguryeo2.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
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