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We Koreans are deeply concerned about China's bid to put Koguryo
ruins including tomb murals in its territory on the World Heritage List since we
have reasonable doubts on China's political intention for the bid. We do not
oppose the historical value of the remains or the application itself. We were so
disappointed when North Korea's bid for its Koguryo tomb murals in North Korea
was put on hold in the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee by Chinese
objection. Just a few years later, China is pushing its own bid on the similar
Koguryo burial sites and murals in northeastern Chinese border cities. We can
hardly believe that China has no other designs beyond the preservation and
protection of the historic sites, which both North and South Koreans regard as
their spiritual symbol as well as the origin of national identity.
Koguryo heritage in northeastern China has not been paid any attention or
proper care and has completely been abandoned until January, 2003 when China
registered the application for Koguryo ruins including tomb murals in cities in
Northeast Asia. China has been severely neglected the Koguryo burial sites in
its territory for a long time. Several murals have been stolen since 1966, and
from 1997 to 2002 tomb murals of the Koguryo Kingdom in Jian, China, were
reportedly stolen by grave robbers. We question at this point: Why has China
changed its attitudes dramatically? We point out that between the period of this
series of China's sudden attitude changes, there is the "Northeast Area
Project," a five-year government research program launched in 2002 which
includes a several suspicious lines of distorting historical facts.
The Chinese have been insisting since 1993 that the histories of all ethnic
groups within their current border as part of their national history. In
February 2002, the NAP officially started to create its own definition of
national history. This China's self definition on national history has provided
the ideological framework for China's policies of merging of ethnic minorities
from its cold years to the recent. Now China, in the NAP, is trying to expand
the same framework to histories of all ethnic groups including two countries,
North and South Korea, in Northeast Asia in order to strengthen its political
influence in the area. According to the five recent papers on the issue in
question released by the NAP, China focuses on proving the lack of continuity
between Koguryo and the current States of the Korean peninsula. The arguments
are summarized into two points: Koguryo originated from China's tribe and
current Koreans have no connection to the ancient kingdom.
What we concern is: first, there is a clear conspiracy in the project that
China is trying to revise the history of Koguryo as its own, which is an obvious
history distortion, based on not-proven its own theory. Secondly, all the events
from China's interference with North Korea's bid to its own bid have deeply
rooted in China's history revision plan. What China pursues in the win of the
bid is "successful claiming Koguryo," not just for the preservation of the sites
or reconstruction. We remind you that China's possible history distortion is not
merely a matter of a scientific dispute in Northeast Asia. It will seriously
affect boundary and territorial disputes following the possible collapse of the
North Korea.
We agree that the purpose of the World Heritage List is to protect cultural
heritage for mankind as a whole and we don't deny China's right to bid for
designation because although Koguryo's remains have been the land of our
ancestors, it is now in China's territory. However, it is also true that Koguryo
is the old kingdom of both North and South Koreans. It is not just a theory, but
an acknowledged fact for centuries by historians. That's why we also have a
right to speak for the destiny of the ruins in China. Moreover, in this dispute
between past and reality, we both may concur on one aspect: Koguryo's heritage
must be preserved and protected.
Thus, we call on you to defer your decision on China's application until
China, North and South Korea agree on proper terms to prevent China's possible
trial of history distortion or to give China a chance to clear the conspiracy.
We again remind you that China's winning the bid without any strict terms will
provide China the best condition to "claim Koguryo," which is just the beginning
of further history distortion, and that may cause a great political chaos in
Northeast Asia. The terms should include: (1) China must clearly specify
Koguryo is an old kingdom of present Koreans in North and South Korea. (2) China
must allow Korean scholars' full access to the sites that is completely limited
now. Until recently Korean scholars have kept being denied access to Koguryo
ruins as well as a museum opened to the public. We have a right to pursue a
research on the remains of our ancestors. (3) In the long term, it is worthwhile
to pursue a joint research project among China, North and South Korea.
Secondly we call for the immediate adoption of strict and detailed plans to
monitor China's any trial of history distortion in the area under the
supervision of multinational personnel.
Finally, we call on you to adopt a letter including North and South Korea,
which are the two countries concerned with this issue, into members of the
ICOMOS.
We appreciate China for its current efforts and interests in the symbol of
our national identity, the Koguryo heritage sites. However, we also urge that
China must stop further cultural assault on Koreans by trying to distorting our
history. We know that the ICOMOS has been working so hard to preserve and
protect the world heritage sites, and you deserve admiration from the world. We
sincerely ask you to remind one more thing: the preservation and protection of
the ancient ruins are not merely for the disappearing objects. Dear members of
the Committee. Please remember that the purpose of the World Heritage List is
also for the preservation and protection of the spirit itself buried in the
objects. Koguryo ruins don't speak, but we Koreans hear the voice from the past
now.
Respectfully,
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