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A War of Words: What Ancient Manchurian History Does to Korea and China Today

Final Report Summary - WAROFWORDS (A War of Words: What Ancient Manchurian History Does to Korea and China Today)

What does ancient Manchuria do to China and Korea today? Both more and less than expected. 'Owning' ancient history is equated with owning the contemporary territory. As such, it is no wonder that China claimed the ancient history of the territories in its Northeast, which have historically been connected to the Korean peninsula. At the same time, the ancient history narratives of lost territories can be crucial for maintaining current identities: as such, it is no wonder that both Korea's resist the Chinese claims. Complicating the issue is North Korea, strategically (what will happen if it collapses?), but also ideologically. North Korea highly values the Manchurian legacy of founder Kim Il-sung, but only at a propaganda level. But surveys among North Koreans who left the country clearly indicate that the same importance is not found amongst common North Koreans. In contrast, South Korean citizens have been extremely active in 'defending' what they see as their Manchurian roots, criticizing professional historians for not doing enough or not doing the right thing.

The focus on North Korea and the crucial role of refugees in gathering information also led to an unintended yet important and exciting line of research: the importance and the empirical analysis of how North Korea sends its workers abroad, what that means for the state and its grip on power, how it is legitimized.