From: yeonwook@hardy.u.washington.edu (Mark Choi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Forward for Mr. Anonymous (A Korean's answer to Chinese questions)
Date: 20 Aug 92 20:11:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug20.201123.17323
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <199208201935.AA11608@thames.bu.edu> lix@BUCRSB.BU.EDU writes:
>Again, this is a forward, not my own article.
>=================================================
>Dear Lix,
>
>I have not been following the soc.culture groups regularly.  Recently 
>I am monitoring s.c.korean for a vacationing friend, thus coming 
>across this "What about China done to Korea?" thread on scc.
>
>Frankly one of the reasons discouraging me from reading scc more often is
>having to put up with so many posts that were backed up by so little 
>history knowledge.
>
>About the Sino-Korean relationship in the past millennium, it might not
>be an exaggeration to call it exemplary (considering what the rest of 
>the world has gone through in the same period).  Now some people 
>would have the nerve (never mind knowledge if they happen to
>have any) to equate it to the recent Sino-Japanese relations.
>
>For a Korean point of view on this, I attach here part of a recent 
>post from sck.   I'll complement it later by giving some facts on the  
>recent history when Korea and China were both under the savage 
>aggression and/or occupation by the Nipponese imperialists/colonists.
>
>I might as well add a footnote first that the (officially) first 
>president of the Republic of China Mr. Yuan Shikai had a Korean
>wife who had borne him at least one son.  Yuan married this wife
>while stationed in Korea as a Qing general serving the (failed) Sino-
>Korean military alliance against the Nipponese aggression.  I am not
>sure if the famous nuclear-physicist Yuan grandson couple was from
>this lineage. 
>
>Encl.
>
>>From: hnkst2+@pitt.edu (Hanhwe N Kim)
>Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean
>Subject: the answers GMT was looking for (Re: Chinese questions)
>Message-ID: <4682@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>
>Date: 13 Aug 92 12:18:07 GMT
>
>[parts deleted]
>
>The major wars between Koreans and a unified Han China were: 
>Han dynasty vs. old Chosun: Koreans surrendered 
>Sui vs. Kokuryo: Sui Army routed.               
>Tang vs. Kokuryo: Tang armies defeated.
>Tang and Shilla vs. Kokuryo and Paekche:
>       Shilla was a Korean kingdom. Shilla took the land of Paekche 
>       and unified the peninsula, and Tang temporarily ruled
>       manchuria, but lost it to Parhae which was founded by 
>       remnants of Kokuryo and their nomadic allies.
>
>Major wars between Koreans and China that was under the rule of
>a nomads were:
>Kublai Khan vs. Koryo : Koreans surrendered to the Khan
>Qing vs. Chosun : Koreans surrendered to Qing
>In both cases Koreans had sided with the Han chinese before.
>
>Major alliances between Han Chinese and Koreans were:
>Sung and Koryo vs. Manchurians and Mongolians
>Ming and Chosun vs. Hideyoshi's Japan
>Ming and Chosun vs. Qing
>Sung and Koryo never fielded combined armies against the
>Manchurians and Mongolians since they both were mostly on the
>defensive. Ming sent an army to Korea that fought side by
>side with Koreans against the invading Japanese. Chosun sent small
>token forces to aid Ming against the Qing.
>
>Alliances between China ruled by nomads and Koreans were
>*Kublai Khan's attempted invasion of Japan
> The mongols never really trusted the Koreans - they chained
> the ships together fearing that the Korean sailors would
> desert them, and lost the fleet when the Kamikaze typhoon
> struck.
>*Chosun sent 500 Korean musketeers to aid the Qing against Cossacks
> in border skirmishes on China's western frontier. This was several
> decades after Chosun had surrendered to the Qing.
>
>Tributes from Koreans to Chinese Empires were usually voluntary when
>China was ruled by Hans (Shilla-Tang, Koryo-Sung, Chosun-Ming). New 
>Korean dynasties established their legitimacy by paying tribute and
>receiving recognition from the 'Son-of-Heaven'(=ruler of China) in 
>return, after overthrowing preceding dynasties. When nomadic nations
>subjugated the Han chinese (Mongols under Kublai Khan, and Manchurians
>in 17th c.) the Koreans resisted since they were 'barbarians' and paid 
>tribute only after being defeated in long wars. Koreans fought the
>Mongols for 40 years and Chosun defeated several Qing expeditions
>before it surrendered.
>
>[parts deleted]



I'd have to agree that major aggresion towards Korea by the Han Chinese
was very small. I also agreet that the relationship between Han Chinese
dynasties and those of their Korean counterparts were nothing short of 
exemplary (Tang-Silla, Sung-Koryo, Ming-Yi). However, the barbarian nomads
were a different story. It should also be noted that the brightest spots
in Korean history (golden ages), came during these Han-Korean relationships.
Korea's main golden ages can be traced to early Silla (early Tang), early
Koryo (early Sung before Mongols), and early Yi (Ming). While the chaotic
eras were the periods dominated by barbaric nomads who controlled the 
Han Chinese courts. However, I believe it would be incorrect to assume that
China owes Korea an apology if such aggresions were committed before the 
arrival of our grandfather's generation. I believe the same to be true of 
Japanese apologies, but I feel that the generation of Japan today should 
feel obligated to reflect upon their previous generation's misdoings, but
they should not be entirely compelled to do so, even though any civilized 
society would do so.