韓國時報：當代的高句麗和新羅

by Che Det

The current situation in the Korean Peninsula reminds me of Korea more than 1,000 years ago.

At that time, Korea was split into three kingdoms. North Korea was occupied by Koguryo. The people of Koguryo were very militaristic. They were always looking for ways to improve their combat skills and weaponry. It is just like the North Korea today, where the military plays an important role in everyday life.

At that time, China was a superpower. The Han Dynasty did not want Koguryo to enter the Iron Age, but the Koguryo Kingdom defied them and soon learned to make iron. It is like North Korea today; when the superpowers like the U.S. and China tell the North Koreans not to go nuclear, they went ahead and made a nuclear weapon. The people of Koguryo seemed to do whatever they pleased to improve their civilization without showing any respect to the superpower of their time. Is that not like North Korea today?

The Koguryo people fought against China and never gave the Chinese proper respect. They even defeated the Sui Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty sent in 300,000 troops to capture Pyongyang, but only 3,000 troops survived the journey home. It led to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty.

They also believe in mystical births. Koguryo believe that their founder, Jumong, came from an egg. The North Koreans today believe their leader, Kim Jong-il, came from Mt. Paektu.

The Silla and Paekje kingdoms in South Korea, on the other hand, were less militaristic. They were also more willing to form alliances with foreign powers. The Paekje Kingdom once formed an alliance with Japan to attack Koguryo. The Silla formed an alliance with the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Together, the government of Silla and the government of Tang succeeded in destroying the Koguryo civilization, and the Tang Dynasty captured Koguryo territory. Although Silla later tried to get them back, Tang dynasty succeeded in keeping a large portion of Koguryo land.

I find it ironic that North Koreans still share many of the traits of the Koguryo people, and South Koreans still share many of the traits of the Silla people. Back then, Silla aligned itself with the Tang Dynasty as today South Korea aligns itself with the U.S. North Koreans are just like their Koguryo ancestors, still living a militaristic and independent life.

I would like to know what we could learn from the history of the Koguryo and Silla-Tang wars. I think the events of the period will provide us with a blueprint for dealing with the situation we face today.