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On June 23, 2017, the Northeast Asian History Foundation's Research Institute of Korea-China Relations held an international conference at the Foundation's grand conference room under the theme "Baekdu Mountain and Historical Geographic Studies on Manchuria." The conference was part of the Foundation's continued efforts to facilitate forums to academically discuss border issues between Korea and China, including those surrounding Baekdu Mountain, which is why it also hosted a conference back in 2012 to commemorate the third centennial of the boundary monument's installation on Baekdu Mountain. Such efforts have been aimed at helping adjoining countries look beyond their immediate interests and overcome exclusive nationalism to associate peace and co-existence with their ideas of territory, nation, and exchange and consider them in a broader context of "frontiers of East Asia."

The Possibility of Studying Mount Baekdu

As the first conference in 2017 to involve Baekdu Mountain, the conference featured the theme "Baekdu Mountain and Historical Geographic Studies on Manchuria." Since its liberation, Korean studies on Manchuria have remained unable to produce notable research outcomes of their own next to the likes of Japanese studies on Manchuria or China's Northeast Project. Moreover, it has been problematic to academically analyze results from Japanese studies on Manchuria due to the imperialistic viewpoints such studies possess. The recent conference was therefore dedicated to critically examining the outcomes and limitations of Japan's historical geographic studies on Manchuria and gauging the possibility of performing research on the Mount Baekdu area.

Followed by the opening address given by Director Noh Ki-shik of the NAHF Research Institute of Korea-China Relations, two papers were presented through the conference's first session with a discussion moderated by NAHF Research Fellow Park Jang-bae. The second and third sessions of the conference featured five presentations with discussions overseen by NAHF Research Fellow Choi Deok-kyoo. Professor Ha Won-ho of Dongguk University served as moderator of the general discussion that took place during the conference's fourth and final session. The following is a summary of the presentations and comments contributed through discussions at the conference.

The conference's first session focused on "Japanese historical geographic studies on Manchuria." Professor Inoue Naoki (井上直樹) of Kyoto Prefectural University presented about "Prewar Japanese Studies on Manchurian History" and then discussed his presentation with Doctor Park Chan-heung of the Korean National Assembly Library. Based on documents kept at the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, Professor Inoue mainly concentrated on some of the studies Japan eagerly launched on Manchurian history once it established Manchukuo ahead of the Second World War. The second presentation titled "Inaba Iwakichi's (稻葉岩吉) Research on Manchurian History" was given by Professor Jeong Sang-woo of Hallym University and discussed with Professor Yoon Hwy-tak of Hankyong National University. Through his presentation, Professor Jeong pointed out the need to adopt new perspectives and approaches toward studying Manchurian history as he brought up the works of the Japanese historian Inaba Iwakichi, a scholar well known for tending to consider Manchurian history as part of Korean rather than Chinese history, which thereby justifies Japan's rule of Manchuria in addition to Korea. Professor Jeong argued for the need to set aside Imperial Japan's colonial view of history and political dogma in Inaba's research and focus on objectively re-examining only the academic arguments made by Inaba.

Under the second session's theme "Responses Toward Japanese Studies on Manchuria," Professor Sun Zhe (孫喆) of the Renmin University of China presented about "Studies on Chinese Map-making in the 1930-40s" and discussed his presentation with Professor Kim Seung-wook of Chungbuk National University. Professor Sun's analysis focused on maps made in the 1930s and 1940s on China, particularly northeastern China. Although the period rapidly turned chaotic for China due to the Second Sino-Japanese War, its old tradition of map-making nevertheless continued to produce maps that began to adopt modern techniques since the Republic of China's establishment. Professor Sun pointed out that maps of northeastern China during the period strongly reflected the political trend fueled by a growing nationalistic sentiment since the Mukden Incident of September 18, 1931. Professor Kang Hae-soo of the International Christian University gave a presentation on "Japanese studies on Manchuria and Choe Nam-seon's Discourse on the Cultures of Bulham and Manchuria-Mongolia" and afterwards discussed it with Professor Jung Joon-young of Seoul National University. Professor Kang's paper considered how modern Japanese studies on Manchuria and Mongolia caused Choi Nam-seon to respond against them by forming his own discourse about the cultures of Bulham (不咸) and Manchuria and Mongolia.

With "Exploring Baekdu Mountain and Its Historical Geography" as the third session's theme, Professor Li Hua-zi of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences presented about "Mount Baekdu Explorations and Sources Related to Mount Baekdu's 1712 Boundary" and engaged in a discussion with Professor Kim Jong-hyuk of Sungshin University. Professor Li aimed at identifying the truth surrounding Mount Baekdu's boundary and pointed out the fallacies of misunderstandings about borders like the Chinese scholars' argument that the boundary mark on Mount Baekdu has been moved around or the Korean scholars' argument that the Tumen and Duman are two different rivers. Professor Lee Kang-won of Chonbuk National University gave a presentation about "How the Upper Duman River's Land-water Boundary was Understood and Marked During the Imjin Boundary Demarcation" and discussed it with Professor Han Sung-joo of Kangwon National University. Professor Lee revealed through his presentation that the Imjin boundary from 1712 fails to serve as a basis for border discussions between Korea and China. NAHF Research Fellow Bae Sung-joon presented about "The Royal Geographical Society's Late Nineteenth Century Exploration of Manchuria and Mount Baekdu" with Professor Hong Woong-ho of Dongguk University serving as discussant. Based on his analysis of reports on Manchuria and Mount Baekdu published in journals issued by the Royal Geographical Society since the 1860s, Doctor Bae mentioned that the nineteenth century European awareness of Manchuria and Mount Baekdu led by Great Britain was the starting point of a modern understanding of historical geography.

All presenters and discussants were allowed to freely exchange their opinions during the general discussion that took place in the fourth session moderated by Dongguk University Professor Ha Won-ho.

Japanese studies on Manchuria were the first modern regional studies conducted in East Asia, which may allow them to serve as a foundation for studies on the Mount Baekdu area. The area has the potential to set an example as a target of regional studies for being a place where the culture of many different ethnicities overlapped as they lived along the Amnok, Duman, and Songhua Rivers with a frontier that encompasses both land and sea at the center of Northeast Asia. Hence, this year's international conference regarding Baekdu Mountain has been a meaningful occasion for overcoming the limitations of previous Japanese studies on Manchuria or research on Gando (Jiandao) issues, for seeking new research objectives on Korea-China border issues, and for creating an academic basis for future studies on the Mount Baekdu area.