뉴스레터

Gathering Scattered Records

Balhae expanded its territory from the beginning of its founding to secure vast territory, 1.5 to twice as large as Goguryeo; they established the Emperor's system during King Mun(文王). Balhae was a country where culture developed enough to mention that Tang ‘made a family with culture and institutions(車書本一家)’ about the relationship between the two countries. And Balhae was praised by Tang as 'Haidong Shengguo(海東盛國)'. They have flourished considerably in terms of national power and culture. However, there is no record of history left by them at all. So Balhae was considered a mysterious history.

Although the Balhae record has disappeared for many reasons, researchers have continued their efforts to restore the history of Balhae through indirect records left by neighboring countries. In particular, Professor Song Ki-ho wrote 『Resources on the History of Balhae in Gyujanggak』(2004) and collected Korean historical resources related to Balhae. This is meaningful in that it provided basic resources to study the history of Balhae from the perspective of our ancestors. Based on this, the Goguryeo Research Foundation(predecessor of NAHF) published the 『Resource Book on the History of Balhae (1)』(2004) by adding 『Study of Balhae Kingdom』(Yu Deuk-gong). And recently NAHF published two volumes of 『Resource Books on the History of Balhae - Historical Resources in Korea』. This complements the original text and explanation of 『Resource Book on the History of Balhae (1)』 and adds translation and annotation.

Two Views of the History of Balhae

The view of interpreting the history of Balhae is very different from Korea and China. Korea interprets the history of Balhae in the Korean historical system, but China recognizes it as a local regime of the Tang Dynasty. The causes are the difference in values ​​for the state, the perspective on people, and the view of the history. But we can find its origin in the records of premodern history.

『Old Book of Tang』(舊唐書), leading historical resource book of China, said, 'Dae Jo Yeong is a distinct species of Goguryeo'. And 『New Book of Tang』(新唐書) said that ‘Sumo Mohe originally belonged to Goguryeo’. From the standpoint of interpreting Balhae as a country that inherited Goguryeo, the former is emphasized. And the position to deny the relevance between Balhae and Korean history emphasizes the latter. However, it should be noted that the historical resources of China in the traditional era distinguish Balhae from the history of China and explain the founding of Balhae and Dae Jo Yeong by linking it with Goguryeo.

There are also different views on Balhae in Korean historical resources. Choi Chi-won, a Silla People who lived in the same period as Balhae, said: 'Goguryeo has become the present Balhae','Sumo Mohe, the annexed part of Goguryeo'. This double-sided perception is also shown in the 『Samguksagi』 or 『Samgukyusa』. However, the following facts were combined in the recognition of Silla people about Balhae. The fact that the Balhae society was a multi-racial nation including the original Goguryeo people and Malgal People, Dae Jo Yeong was the leader of the Goguryeo military, and diplomatic and political relations with Silla after the founding of Balhae. We should not overlook these facts.

From exclusion to intrinsic, perceptional transition

From The Northern and Southern States to Goryeo and Joseon, two perceptions of Balhae continued. Goryeo claimed to have succeeded Goguryeo, and the wandering people of Balhae came and obeyed themselves, so the Goryeo people were friendly about Balhae. Wanfu Bridge Massacre in 『The History of Goryeo』 is so famous. 『JewangUngi(帝王韻紀)』 is the first book to include Balhae in Korean history. In the middle of Goryeo, Yoon Eon-yi asked King Injong to say 'the monarch is the emperor and to set the era name. He mentioned Silla and Balhae as examples using the era name. Lee Saek(李穡) regretted the disappearance of the 'Balhae customs' in his poems. Chung Mong-joo said that the people of Balhae still live in Goryeo while mourning the destruction of Balhae in 「Ancient City of Balhae(渤海古城)」.

In the Joseon Dynasty, 『Dongguk Tonggam』 became a norm of Korean history system, and at one time Balhae was excluded from Korean history and became the history of neighboring countries. However, in the late Joseon Dynasty, Joseon experienced the Imjin War and Qing Invasion of Joseon, and revised and overcome the perception of Balhae history in 『Dongguk Tonggam』. In particular, the construction of the Baekdusan National Boundary Monument in 1712 stimulated interest and empirical research on the northern territorial issues. 『Ganggyego』 made it clear that Dae succeeded Goguryeo. The book says that Balhae has recovered the old land of Goguryeo and has avenged the disgrace of King Goguryeo by killing the Inspector of the Tang Dynasty.

In the stage of 『Dongsa』(東史), Balhae was treated equally with the Three Kingdoms or Unified Silla, and expressed the recovery of Goguryeo and Balhae's homeland. The 『Dongsasega』(東史世家), 『Haedong Yeoksa』(海東繹史), 『Haedong Yeoksasok』(海東繹史續) also treated Balhae as equal to Silla. Historical investigation of geography has also developed, and 『Gangyeokgo』(疆域考) and 『Haedong Yeoksasok』 have similarly defined the geography of Balhae as common view of the present age. And in 『Balhaego』(渤海考), the foundation of the theory that Balhae and Silla made North and South States was completed.

Re-examine the history of Balhae through historical resources of Korea

Korean historical resources show changes in perception of Balhae's history, and there are stories that are not in Chinese and Japanese historical resources. In the 『Samguksagi』, there is a case in which Silla was recognized for the sovereignty of the south of the Pae River(浿江), as Balhae attacked the inspector of the Tang Dynasty in 732. And there is a record that built a castle in Beijing in preparation for the advancement of Balhae to the south, Balhae was called the north country, and traveled through the Silla Road(新羅道). There are important information about the Balhae Revival Movement in 『Goryeosa』(高麗史), including the names of many Balhae people who obeyed Goryeo, and Jeonganguk·Hoobalhae·Olya·Daebalhae.

The historical resources of Korea provide important implications for the debate on the history of Balhae in Korea and China. China began its historical investigation of geography later than Joseon in studying the history of Balhae. And they responded only after the modern era to Japan's invasion, and to Japan's claim that the history of Manchuria and the history of Joseon were the same. So, the view that Balhae is a part of the northeast appeared. However, this is not the mainstream perception since the establishment of the new China. After the reform and opening, the history of Balhae was established as the history of China's provinces or the local regime of minorities.

Looking at the historical resources of Korea, there were two perspectives on the history of Balhae since the Silla period. So the history of Balhae was understood as a category of 'history of the Eastern Kingdom'. These are distinct from history of China. And as the recognition was changed in the late Joseon Dynasty, Balhae became 'North and South States' which is equivalent to Silla. At least a few centuries earlier than China, Balhae was understood in the system of Korean history. The history of Balhae has been considered a mystery. 『Resource Books on the History of Balhae - Historical Resources in Korea』 will be a guide to understand the history of Balhae as Korean history.