User talk:Cydevil38/test

South Korean claims over Chinese and Japanese culture is an ongoing controversial issue where persons of Korean ethnicity, and in some cases, the South Korean government itself, claims various aspects of Chinese and Japanese) culture as their own creation, as a byproduct of heightened Korean nationalism. Such claims are also made that certain celebrities are of Korean descent, or that human inventions be originated from the Korean peninsula. These claims are known under the name of "Korea-Origin Theory" (韓國起源論, 韓国起源説) by the lump in China and Japan and understood as a kind of Korean nationalism act. These claims are sometimes picked up not only on the internet but by mass media nowadays, such as SAPIO, OhmyNews and People's Daily. In Japan, it is well known that Manga Kenkanryu featured this issue.

General Idea

According to Oh Myung-chul, an editorial writer of Dong-a Ilbo, "Koreans obsess over being the wonjo (wonjo means originator in Korean)" and "when we go to Jangchung-dong, Seoul, where pork hock restaurants are crowded, we see so many signboards saying “wonjo” all around the area. Each restaurant insists they are the original pork hock restaurant, with words on the signboards such as: Wonjo, Jinzza Wonjo (meaning real originator), Wonjo of Wonjos (Originator of Originators), the house seen on TV, and No. 1 Restaurant." Example of various claims include not only Koreas own culture but also foreign culture such as Kendo, Judo, Sumo wrestling, Kabuki, Samurai, Yoshino cherry, Shinto shrines, Sake, sashimi, and so on.

These claims are also known as "uriginal," which is a word coined from "uri" (meaning "our" in Korean) and "original". This word is so populary used in Japan that there is even a university professor who uses the word in his website. Masami Oiso, a former professor at University of Shizuoka, Japan, says that this is happening because Koreans have the sense that they can say anything especially to Japan, treating it with distain.

In 2007, South Korea was elected as the country which Chinese internet users hate the most according to Xinhua News Agency and the reason was that Koreans were regarded by Chinese as a country that claims Chinese cultuer as if it were Korean culture.

Shunpei Mizuno, a Japanese author who has been working on this issue, states that "although these claims look to Japanese eyes like a ridiculous distortion of history, Koreans see these claims as "re-difinition of history" in order to establish "Koreans' ethinic justice and self-esteem" by "raising the ethnic self-esteem.""

Partial examples

Toward Japan

Case	Argument against
Samurai	There's a famous rumour in Korea that the culture of samurai is originated from Korea. Some Koreans claim that the word, "samurai", is from a Korean word meaning "fighting man," ssaurabi. Even though the word was coined recently and etymology of samurai is clear (samurai literally means "those who serve" see Samurai#Etymology_of_samurai_and_related_words), a film named "Ssaurabi" was created in South Korea in 2001 and the film claims that the samurai culture is derived from Korea. Chosun ilbo reported that "Japanese staffs were surprised at the historical fact that the samurai culture, such as seppuku, derived from Korea and that it was interesting that they acknowledged the film as a vanguard of cultural exchange between Japan and Korea". The film, however, was never released in theatres in Japan because of its strange history. There is also another false etymology known as Samurang. According to certain organizations and practitioners of Haidong Gumdo, a Korean martial art, the Samurang (士武郞) were warriors from Goguryeo who later played a role in the creation of the Japanese samurai caste. There is, however, no historical evidence that supports existence of either Ssaurabi or Samurang and the claim is likely based on a purposely created false etymology.
Kendo	Along with the claim for origin of samurai, there is a popular claim for the origin of kendo. According to Strange Horizons, because of Japanese brutal occupation of Korea, "Koreans wholesale refuse to admit the sport's origins, and instead call it "kumdo," insisting that it originated in Korea.." Alexander Bennett from International Research Centre for Japanese Studies also states that "Koreans for the most part refuse to entertain the notion that the sport's origins lie in Japan, and instead call it "kumdo", insisting that it originated in Korea," which is "a preposterous claim to Japanese kendoka". This claim is so popular in Korea that All Japan Kendo Federation officially denies it in its website.
Judo	Some Koreans claim that Judo is derived from Korea. United States Yudo Association officially claims that Judo was introduced from Korea to Japan during the time of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) and became extinct on the Korean peninsula during the latter part of the Choson Dynasty, and that Yudo was reintroduced to Korea, from Japan, in its modern form as a self-defense system, around 1910. Some Koreans claim that Yusul, which Koreans believe to have existed in ancient Korea, is the origin of judo. Lee Won-Hee, a famous Korean Judoka who won the gold medal in the men's 66-73 kg division at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, states "although Japan claims itself to be the ""suzerain of judo, they actually changed Korea's Yusul into a sport by subdividing it.". But these claims are not popularily believed outside Korea (see Jujutsu#Origins). Naoki Murata from All Japan Judo Federation denies the claim that judo derives from Korea.
Kabuki	Chosun Ilbo states that "Baekje Girak (百濟技楽)" is "the origin of Kabuki." However, there is no specific record of what "Baekje Girak" was like.. Besides, there canntot be any direct relationship between kabuki and Baekje Girak because kabuki is said to have established in the early 17th century while Baekje went out of existence in the 7th century. Although Chosun ilbo also states that "Japanese consider Baekje Girak as the origin of its traditional performing arts such as kabuki and gagaku," history of Kabuki is said to have begun in 1603 (see Kabuki#1603–1629: Female Kabuki). Japan Arts Council does not even refer to Baekje Girak.

Toward China

Case	Argument against
Chinese character	According to posts made in an internet discussion forum, the Chinese character was invented in Korea. Soon after discovery, Chinese media began reporting on the claims. However, most of these claims are regarded as rumours.
Chinese medicine	South Korea attempted to register Dongui Bogam, an encyclopedic bible of medical knowledge and treatment techniques compiled in Korea in 1613, as a UNESCO world cultural heritage.[2] In response, Chinese media claimed that Korean medicine derived from Chinese medicine.
Confucius	According to a Japanese blog and a Japanese TV show, some South Koreans claim that the ancient birthplace of Confucius was within Korean territory, and so Confucius is claimed to be Korean.
Dragon boat festival	South Korea registered Gangneung Danoje Festival as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.[3] Gangneung Danoje Festival is a local festival in Gangneung where Korean agricultural communities pray for good harvest through a series of activities, from April to May, in a manner similar to Shamanism. Such activities involve wrestling, washing and dancing. These activities are entirely different to the Dragonboat Festival, as it has no mention of Dragonboating, dumplings or any other practices associated with the festival. On November 24, 2005, UNESCO officially recognised "Gangneung Dano Festival" as a South Korean heritage festival.
Cradle of civilization	According to a blog entry, Hwanguk, originating from the Korean peninsula, is the world's most ancient civilisation, which spreads all the way to Sumer. The KBS documentary, "The Handan Chronicles", refutes this claim.[4]
The Hare and the Tortoise	A Korean news article, while describing a garden, refers to "The Hare and the Tortoise" as a Korean fairy tale; however it is widely known to be the work of Aesop (See Aesop's Fables).
Soy milk	A South Korean manufacturer of soybean milk has claimed in a commercial advertisement in Japan that "soybean milk has been produced by Koreans for several hundred years ... South Korea is the birthplace of soybean milk." China refutes this claim.
Sun Yat-Sen	Chinese media claimed that Sungkyunkwan University professor Park Pun-Gyong (박분경) claim that Sun Yat-Sen, who is considered the "Father of the Republic of China", is of Korean descent. However, the university in question only has one professor with the surname "Park", Park Gi-Su (박기수), while Chosun Ilbo did not report on the subject.。Thus, it is assumed that the claim is a hoax originating from rumours circulating the Internet.
Go (game)	Professor Jin Dae-Ha at Inje University claims that the cradle of go is China, and passed onto Korea then to Japan, according to Joongang Ilbo.
Other rumours made in China	Xi Shi is Korean; Li Shizhen is Korean; Yao Ming has Korean heritage; Mao Zedong is of Korean descent; Giant pandas originate from Korea; Founders of Buddhism are Koreans, and not Indians; Koreans made the Qin terracotta warriors; Michael Phelps has Korean genetics.「中媒又造谣：韩国主张菲尔普斯有韩国血统」（朝鮮日報 2008年8月20日）</ref>

Toward Other Countries

Case	Argument against
Soccer	Accoridng to Masami Oiso, a former professor at University of Shizuoka, Japan, the South Korean Football Association has claimed in its official website that "Football originated in the Korean Peninsula", a remark which was later deleted.
Printing press	According to People's Daily, South Korea held an exhibition in Germany titled "South Korea - the Origin of Printing".

Objection by South Korea

As Japan, China and Taiwan pays more attention to South Korean cultural claims, South Korea is aware of the issue. South Korean mass media, however, states that some of these claims were made up by Chinese and Taiwanese people.

For example, according to Dong-a Ilbo, "certain web sites in China’s popular Internet portal Sohu have spread a ridiculous false report" which says that Dong-a ilbo reported that "Park Hyeop-poong, a historian at Seoul National University, believes that four major Chinese inventions displayed at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony were first invented in Korea, and that the Chinese should apology for copying the Korean inventions" and "Park credited paper-making technique, typography and the compass to Korea and that they later spread to the central Chinese region.” Dong-a Ilbo, however, states that they "never ran such a report and no professor by that name exists at the university." Dong-a ilbo also annouced that "The daily Xin Kuai Bao in China's Guangdong province ran a fabricated news article on its Web page and put it in its society section. According to the report, the Korean daily Chosun Ilbo reported that Park Bun-gyeong, a historian at Sungkyunkwan University, published a thesis that Sun Yat-sen, China’s founding father, had Korean lineage. Neither the report nor the professor existed, however."

Another example is from KBS. As for Chinese People's Daily's report that Professor Park Jeong-Su at Seoul University states that Chinese charaters are of Korean origin, KBS states that there's no such a professor named Park Jeong-Su at Seoul University and that the report was not ture. Although KBS admits that there are some Korean people who claim for the orgin of Chinese characters, KBS claims that such people are not in the main stream and that they are even laughed at in Korea.

Chosun Ilbo annouced that South Korean cultural claims for Laozi, Confucius, Buddha, the Great Wall, soy milk are all forged by Taiwanese mass media. Chosun Ilbo criticized Taiwanese mass media, calling them "absurd".

External links

• 是谁在妖魔化中韩文化之争. ...无知者无畏，如果我们的某些媒体和人士根本就不看外电，不关心人家在说什么，也许这部"妖魔化"韩国的闹剧 还会继续演下去。... 2007年12月21日 深圳商报
• 风水申遗，又一次文化进逼？ ...同样弄不明白的是，这样言之凿凿的事情，往往后脚就有"辟谣"的消息传出，害得人们既一拳打空，也浪费民族 情感。除了"端午祭" 申遗申成了，其他基本上全是假消息。... 2007年12月21日08:27 检察日报
• 又开始妖魔化韩国人了? ...这样拙劣的假新闻，可能会让一般网友觉得令人发指吧，但我倒是这些年媒体做下来，见多不怪了，整个事情的滑稽，就如这个所谓韩国教授的名字“朴芬庆”=“嫖粪青”？... 2008年08月01日08:29 南方网
• 中媒所引“韩媒孙中山血统报道”毫无根据 ...中国网上甚至出现了“韩国人主张越国美女西施和毛泽东等也是韩国人”这样毫无根据的说法，使反韩情绪更加高涨。 2008年08月01日 朝鲜日报
• 释迦牟尼是韩国人？台媒假新闻愈演愈烈 ...有人为了让读者相信，就打着韩国知名媒体的旗号，把所谓的报道散布到网上，当地主流媒体不分青红皂白地盲目相信，直接援引，助长反韩情绪。... 2008年08月07日 朝鲜日报
• 中国网站煸动“假新闻” ...近期在中国和台湾等中国地区的网络上，充满了煸动厌韩情绪的网络“假新闻”。... 2008年08月15日 东亚日报

See also

• Korean nationalism
• Irridentism

Category:South Korea Category:Nationalism Category:Hoaxes

ja:韓国起源説 ko:한국원조론 zh:韓國起源論