The Go'ryeo Dynasty Period, a Unique Era for the Korean People - Examined from the Aspect of Foreign Trades
| Lee Kang Hahn | |
| |
| Name in Latin Alphabet: | Lee Kang Hahn |
|---|---|
| Nationality: | Republic of Korea |
| Affiliation: | Academy of Korean Studies |
강연 소개
In the entire history of the Korean people, the Go’ryeo dynasty might be the least understood era, and also the least appreciated period. It is an era that remains pretty much alien not only to the general public, but also to professional scholars, and for sure to the people abroad. One of the reasons for that is the lack of sufficient amount of historical material, compared to other periods in the Korean history in which people are oftentimes more interested to explore. Between the glorious tales of the ancient times, and the familiar aspects of the Joseon culture, there is not much room for the Go’ryeo period to be adequately recognized. To many people, Go’ryeo was just a middle period that bridged the previous and later periods.
Each of the Go’ryeo kings who ruled the country in this period launched their own trade policies, which were designed to not only restart trades with Chinese harbors, but also open relationships with other parts in the world such as the Indian and Arabian peninsulas. And in the meantime, the Go’ryeo civilians, unlike their ancestors who preferred land roads to reach China and only visited China aboard vessels in a limited number, used both land and sea to connect themselves with the Chinese market, in a considerably more stable and longstanding manner. 500 years of the Go’ryeo dynasty, was not a time period that merely informed all the people around the world of the existence of Go’ryeo. It was a time period for the Korean people to learn about the outer world, and understand their status in it. The peninsula was wide open to the world, by the own will of the people living on it, and that was a rare one for the Korean history. Proper understanding of this time period would provide us with some valuable insights upon the history of Korea in general.
강연 영상
