On July 15 at 2:00 p.m., the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) held a research presentation in the conference hall on the 11th floor of its headquarters to share research achievements and promote academic discussion.

In the first session, Kim Young-soo, Director of the Dokdo Research Institute, delivered a presentation titled "The Russo-Japanese War: Prelude to Japan's Colonial Rule over Korea." Drawing on primary sources, including Russian and Japanese diplomatic and military documents, Director Kim provided a comprehensive analysis of the causes, development, and consequences of the Russo-Japanese War. In particular, he examined the diplomatic and military rivalry between Russia and Japan over the Korean Empire before and after the war, as well as the Treaty of Portsmouth and the Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty of 1905 (Eulsa Treaty), highlighting how the war became a turning point that paved the way for Japan's colonial domination of the Korean Peninsula.

In the second session, Research Fellow Moon Sang-myung presented "Report on the Field Survey of the Baekdu Mountain–Gando Region." He shared the latest findings on China's designation and transmission of the Korean-Chinese (Joseonjok) intangible cultural heritage, changes in policies regarding the management of Baekdu Mountain, and the relationship between Joseonjok culture and China's ethnic minority policies. He also introduced how Joseonjok culture has been reinterpreted within China's "Community of the Chinese Nation" policy and how the Baekdu Mountain region has been reshaped as a historical, cultural, and tourism space. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for academic responses to these developments and for comparative research on the cultural heritage of Korean migrant communities.

The presentations reexamined the historical continuity between the Russo-Japanese War and Japan's colonial rule over Korea while also exploring changes in China's historical and cultural policies concerning the Baekdu Mountain–Gando region and the cultural heritage of the Joseonjok community. The event provided an opportunity to examine Northeast Asian history from multiple perspectives and to consider future directions for historical research based on historical evidence.

The research presentation served as a forum for Foundation researchers to share their findings and expand academic dialogue through open discussion. NAHF will continue to promote the dissemination of research achievements and academic exchange, strengthen the foundation of historical research, and further enhance research and scholarly activities on key historical issues in Northeast Asia.