Hwan-guk
Hwanguk (Korean: 환국; Hanja: 桓國) is the first mythical state of Korea claimed to have existed according to Hwandan Gogi. According to Hwandan Gogi, Hwanguk existed long before Gojoseon. However, mainstream Korean historians reject the existence of Hwanguk for lack of credible evidence.
Historical claims
In some editions of
Pre-modern claims
17th-century Korean scholar
Claims during the Japanese occupation
In 1918, Korean historian Choe Nam-seon claimed Hwanguk means "heaven" and is the abode of the Hwan people, which he reflected in his 1927 translation of Samguk Yusa (Choe later changed his opinion in 1954).[1]
In the 1921 edition of
The followers of Daejongism rejected the interpretation fearing the contradiction with its religious beliefs.[1]
Claims after liberation
Mainstream historians disregarded the claim after the liberation of Korea in 1945.[1]
In 1966 Korean pseudohistorian Moon Jeong Chang claimed in his work Dangunjoseonsagiyeongu ("Research of Historic Records of Dangun Joseon") that the Japanese authorities tried to suppress the truth of Hwanguk by forging historic documents, led by Japanese historian of Korea Imanishi Ryu (今西龍). This book influenced a lot of pseudohistorians in Korea.[1]
References
See also
- Founding myth of Korea
- Budoji
- Hwandan-gogi