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I am a researcher specialized in the medieval history of Mongolia and professor at the Department of Mongolian History in the School of History and Social Science of the Mongolian State University of Education. As part of the 'Research Exchange Program' agreed on at the 'Korea-Mongolia Historians/Archaeologists Council' established in 2011, the Northeast Asian History Foundation invited me to visit Korea to conduct exchange research at the Foundation's information center for two months from July to September this year.

I started exchanging with Korean scholars back in 1993. I have also participated in the 'Korea-Mongolia Dornod Mongol Project' which started in 1993, given lectures on the Mongolian language, ancient characters, and history to Korean students in Mongolia, and participated in the field work of individual researchers or documentary production. In addition, I have been speakers at the joint conferences regularly hosted by Mongolia and the NAHF since 2007, and also members of the executive committee to promote the establishment of the Korea-Mongolia Historians Council.

My Stay in Korea for the Past Two Months

During my stay in Seoul over the last two months, I have experienced and learned a lot about Korea. Compared with Mongolia, Korea had a hot and humid weather. Korea's summer, in particular, was too hot and humid for me to endure. By comparison, it is dry and cool in Mongolia. Observing the difference in weather between the two countries, I thought that the faster skin aging process experienced by Mongols compared with Koreans may be due to the dry climate and intense ultraviolet rays in Mongolia. When I visited one of the Buddhist temples in Korea during my stay, I observed how they differed from those in Mongolia in terms of their location in high mountains, the celibacy of monks, and the reading of the scripture in their own language of Korean. These differences seemed to indicate the good balance that Korea has maintained between traditional precepts and modern practices. I also observed that there were many chapels of the Protestant Church and cathedrals of the Catholic Church in Korea and that many believers were visiting those places.
I also observed aspects of the wedding culture in Korea that were different from Mongolia. I noted that in Korea, wedding ceremonies were usually held on weekends and the invited guests gave money as a gift. In Mongolia, the bride and the bridegroom exchange vows at the 'Wedding Palace' before giving a feast at home or a restaurant. They choose an auspicious weekday for their wedding ceremony, when the guests give gifts to celebrate their marriage. In the countryside, some wedding feasts last for days, and some guests offer livestock as a gift.
I noticed a big difference in the culinary culture as well between the two countries. Koreans eat a variety of foods made of different kinds of meat and vegetables. Mongols eat twice a day, mostly meat. The traditional staple foods for Mongols are meat during winters and dairy products during summers, although this culinary tradition is now limited to the countryside.
The countryside of Korea was markedly different from that of Mongolia. It had fields and paddies, and greenhouses, and buildings well equipped with water and sewage lines, which looked clean and beautiful. On the other hand, the countryside of Mongolia is an infinite stretch of plains that don't belong to anyone, punctuated by one or two Gers, traditional houses of Mongol nomads. People there are leading a so-called 'nomadic' lifestyle, moving from place to place while grazing five kinds of livestock, including horse, sheep, goat, cow, and camel.

Found the Potential for Mongol Studies to Blossom in Korea

Studies on Mongolia in Korea are coming a long way, and seemed to have the potential to continue their development. I learned that in Korea, two universities have the department of the Mongolian language, and a few universities have the 'Institute for Mongolian Studies,' and quite a number of researchers are accumulating quality research results. Great literary works of Mongolia, such as 《A Secret History of Mongolia》, 《Geser》, and 《Jangar》 have been all translated into Korean. This is a great achievement made by Korea in Mongolian studies. And there are also historians/archaeologists at the National Museum of Korea, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, and the Seoul National University who are actively involved in Mongolian studies.

Hoping that the 'Korea-Mongolia Historians/Archaeologists Council Will Play a Central Role in Seeking to Lay a Foundation for the Development of Northeast Asia

I could see that the Northeast Asian History Foundation was very active in studying the histories of different peoples in Northeast Asia and keeping the general public informed and educated about historical findings from these studies. Furthermore, I was under the impression that the NAHF was very good at promoting its own accomplishments. Almost everyday during my stay, I saw NAHF researchers appear on TV and other various media for interview. And the NAHF building has a nice information center and a library to which the researchers can have free access for research. During my stay, there were also other scholars visiting from overseas, conducting research in a comfortable atmosphere.
I am particularly delighted about the 'Korea-Mongolia Historians/Archaeologists Council' for its increasingly vigorous activities from 2012. From May 22 to 23, 2012. a Korea-Mongolia joint conference, hosted by the NAHF, was held in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, on 'Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire, and the Korean Peninsula' in celebration of the 850th anniversary of the birth of Genghis Khan. Many scholars from Korea and Mongolia attended this conference, presenting and discussing their latest research results.
The 'Professional Research Exchange Program,' in which professional researchers from Mongolia and Korea visit the other country to conduct research under the pact of the 'Korea-Mongolia Historians/Archaeologists Council,' has two important significances. The first is that it allowed many scholars from Mongolia to better understand Korea and Koreans, and, likewise, Korean scholars Mongolia and Mongols, which, I believe, will prove extremely valuable in furthering mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries.
The second is that the program is also extremely valuable in an individual's academic research. It shows the scholars how historical research is being conducted in the other country, whereby they can seek ways for mutual cooperation and improvement in the quality of individual research by broadening the horizons of their research. For this reason, I hope for the continuation of the 'Professional Research Exchange Program.'
Lastly, I hope that the Korea-Mongolia Historians/Archaeologists Council' launched with the concerted efforts of both countries will play a central role in seeking to lay a foundation on which countries within the region can develop together by coordinating differing opinions in studies of the histories of Korea and Mongolia and resolving historical conflicts arising among Northeast Asian nations.