The Marmot’s Hole

13 Comments

1. cm
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 8:57 am | Permalink

   It’s not just Tibet that China is engaged in. They’re also doing it against Korea, dubiously accusing Korea without any evidence, that Korea is trying to steal Chinese culture. Their media is reporting that a Korean instructor at SNU is teaching that Chinese writings are invented by Koreans. The supposed instructor after Yonhap tried to verify the story, does not even exist.

   연합뉴스|기사입력 2007-12-13 14:06

   (홍콩=연합뉴스) 정주호 특파원 = 한국이 한자(漢字)를 세계문화유산으로 신청하려 한다는 근거없는 보도로 중국 네티즌들이 발끈하고 있다.

   신원도 알 수 없는 한국 학자의 ‘한반도 한자 발원론’을 전하며 아무런 근거도 없이 한국이 한자를 독점하려 한다고 주장하는 중국 언론의 어설픈 문화논쟁이 한국과 중국의 감정 대결을 부추기고 있다는 평가다.

   중국 광저우(廣州)에서 발간되는 신쾌보(新快報)는 최근 ‘한중문화 전쟁’이라는 특집기사를 통해 한국이 한자를 세계문화유산으로 등재하려는 움직임을 보이고 있다고 전했다.

   신쾌보의 보도에 따르면 지난해 ‘박정수 서울대 역사학과 교수’가 10여년의 연구 결과 한(韓)민족이 한자를 발명한 이후 중국 중원(中原)으로 옮겨가 한자를 중국에 전하면서 지금의 한족(漢族) 문화가 형성됐다고 주장했다.

   박 교수는 한국 정부에 떳떳하게 한자 문화를 복원하고 유네스코에 한자를 세계문화유산으로 신청할 것을 건의했다는 것이다.

   그러나 서울대 국사학과나 동양사학과 등에 재직중인 교수중에 ‘박정수’라는 이름을 가진 교수는 없으며 한국이 한자를 홀로 세계문화유산으로 등재하려는 움직임도 전혀 없는 것으로 확인되고 있다.

   이 런 잘못된 보도는 13일 홍콩 문회보(文匯報) 등에도 인용되며 중국 네티즌들의 엉뚱한 분노를 사고 있다. 한국에서 유학했다는 한 중국 네티즌은 한글이 15세기에야 창제됐음을 상기시키며 “이는 중국문화에 대한 도둑질”이라고 주장했다.

   신문은 나아가 한국을 필두로 한 중국, 일본, 대만 4개국 학자들이 최근 베이징 국제한자회의에서 번체자(繁體字.한국과 대만에서 사용하는 정체자)를 기초로 한 상용 표준한자를 만들기로 했다는 소식을 전하며 반한 감정을 부추기고 있다.

   신문은 또 4개국 학자의 표준한자 합의 소식을 부인하며 “간체자(簡體字)는 중국의 법정 문자로 절대 바꿀 수 없는 것”이라는 중국측 대표의 발언을 전하기도 했다.

   이밖에도 중국 언론은 강릉단오제의 세계문화유산 등재 이후 한국에서 제기되는 발해, 한의학, 두유, 풍수지리 등의 한반도론 주장을 시시콜콜 전하면서 중국 문화를 한국에 빼앗기고 있다는 피해의식에 사로잡혀 있다.

   유교 창시자인 공자나 월나라 미인 서시(西施), 명나라 시기 본초강목(本草綱目)의 저자 이시진(李時珍)이 한반도에서 넘어왔다는 근거 불명의 한국내 주장까지 일일이 소개하고 있다.

   한 한국 사학자는 “한국 재야학계에서 동이족의 한자 전래론이 제기되는 것은 사실이지만 아직 학계의 정론이 되지 못하고 있다”며 “오도된 보도는 양국민 감정을 부추기기만 할 뿐”이라고 말했다.

   최 근 중국 신화통신이 발행하는 국제선구도보(國際先驅導報)가 1만2천명의 중국인을 대상으로 설문 조사를 한 결과 ‘별로 좋아하지 않는 나라’를 꼽으라는 질문에 ‘한국’을 선택한 응답자가 40.1%로 일본 30.2%를 제치고 1위를 차지하기도 했다.

2. cm
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 8:59 am | Permalink

   And this explains why

   천명의 중국인을 대상으로 설문 조사를 한 결과 ‘별로 좋아하지 않는 나라’를 꼽으라는 질문에 ‘한국’을 선택한 응답자가 40.1%로

3. sanshinseon
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 11:58 am | Permalink

   China is still an Empire, and while the Beijing leadership now rules by committee and not monarchial fiat, it still pretends to Emperor-ship in East Asia…

4. dogbertt
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 12:07 pm | Permalink

   Dali was the painter.

5. Jing
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 10:58 pm | Permalink

   This is a completely misleading headline Marmot, the article you linked to says no such thing. All it says is, “The Dalai Lama said Thursday that China is taking an increasingly harsh stance on Tibet and he appealed for international help during a visit to Rome.”.

   What a harsh stance vis-a-vis the Dalai Lama actually means is that Beijing is ignoring him.

6. Sonagi
   Posted December 15, 2007 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

   I am an admirer of the Dalai Lama and have read two of his books. However, the NYT article was a non-story, i.e, there was no real news, and I don’t see the relevance of the issue of the Dalai Lama’s relations with Beijing to the readership of this blog.

7. Jing
   Posted December 16, 2007 at 12:00 am | Permalink

   I don’t know what whom I despise more, the smarmy old charlatan known as the Dalai Lama, or his equally vapid, over-estrogened “devotees”.

8. R. Elgin
   Posted December 16, 2007 at 12:15 am | Permalink

   China and its aggressive misinterpretation of history, regarding its neighbors or territory it has gained through unethical means has a relationship to and impact upon its close neighbors — which includes Korea. Through such entrails, history is often made, if not read.

   I also do no know who I despise more: murdering thieves or the fools that admire them; considering their crimes misunderstood virtues.

9. Jing
   Posted December 16, 2007 at 12:55 am | Permalink

   Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?

   All of history is written by the bloody hand of murderers and conquerors and all the borders of today’s nations were forged based on the principal of who has the sharpest sword. Since when has anyone gained territory through ethical means?

   This all began when Ugg started coveting Oog’s fine cave and winsome woman and decided to rectify the situation with a big stick and a bigger rock.

10. R. Elgin
    Posted December 16, 2007 at 1:10 am | Permalink

    . . . and two wrongs do not make for right either but I have lost count of how many wrongs the Chinese Government has committed.

    Keep your cheese; perhaps it will get better with time.

11. SomeguyinKorea
    Posted December 16, 2007 at 11:51 am | Permalink

    Interesting story, CM.

    You know, Koreans are not immune to making unfounded accusations directed at China, although here it’s nationalist groups who are mostly responsible (as opposed to the government in China). Here’s from a Wiki article about Beakdu Mountain:

    “Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as economic development, cultural festivals, infrastructure development, promotion of the tourism industry, attempts at registration as a World Heritage Site, and bids for a Winter Olympic Games, are an attempt to claim the whole mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China’s use of Changbai Mountain, which has been used since Liao Dynasty[3] and Jin Dynasty, 1115-1234[4]. However, in more pre-modern eras this mountain was known and referred to as BaiTou Mountain (the Chinese literation of “Baekdu Mountain.”) by the Chinese residents of the mountain themselves, Changbai mountain seems to be a more recent (mere decades ago) renaming of Baekdu (BaiTou) Mountain. Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by North Korea, when the Japanese sold this land without any Korean consent in the deal during the late Chosun Dynasty. ”

    These are all moot points. In 1962, China and North Korea signed a border agreement in which they agreed to share the mountain. Sucks for South Korean nationalists, but it’s a fait accompli: Beakdu Mountain is also Chinese, and therefore China is well within its rights to call and develop its flank of the mountain as it wishes. Then again, nationalist groups aren’t in the business of promoting the truth.

12. SomeguyinKorea
    Posted December 16, 2007 at 11:54 am | Permalink

    I should have specified “some Koreans are not immune”.

13. colontos
    Posted December 16, 2007 at 10:01 pm | Permalink

    Jing, your position seems like a well-reasoned and well-thought-out one, totally untouched by chauvinistic nationalism or a tendency to blame the victim. I would like to have you come teach me about economics, some time, as well.