Problems with the Perception of “Korean history” that Emerged during the Korea-China Historical Conflict in the 2000s

Since 2003, the 'Northeast Project' known in Korean society has included content that describes Koguryeo history as a 'local regime' of Chinese dynasties. This came as a significant shock to Koreans who, through their national education curriculum, firmly believed that Koguryeo was a state belonging to their ancient national history. In response, besides administrative measures by the government, academic responses were undertaken by the Korean scholarly community, including presentations and publications. However, the initial responses from the government and academia were criticized for narrowly focusing on the issue of historical affiliation and the limited topic of Koguryeo history while addressing the political issue of the 'Northeast Project'.BRSubsequently, fundamental critiques of the present perception of 'national history' emerged, and discussions on this issue have taken place within academia. It has been pointed out that the present perception of 'national history', which had been maintained complacently in Korean society, inevitably causes friction with the historical perceptions of neighboring countries and does not align with the rapid transition to a multicultural society. Triggered by the 'Northeast Project' incident, there have been strong calls for a shift in the research direction of academia, which has been focused on overcoming colonial historiography and establishing a new 'Korean history' since liberation, as well as in the education system based on this research. Going forward, it is necessary to critically reflect on the existing Korean history framework, share its limitations, and seek ways to establish and narrate a new 'Korean history'.