Hwandan Gogi

''Hwandan Gogi'' (Hangul: 환단고기; Hanja: 桓檀古記), also called ''Handan Gogi'', is a compilation of texts on ancient Korean history. It is a bound volume of four supposedly historical records: ''Samseonggi'', ''Dangun Segi'', Bukbuyeogi and Taebaek Ilsa.

According to its introduction, the text was compiled in 1911 by Gye Yeon-su (계연수, 桂延壽; ? – 1920) and supervised by Yi Gi (이기, 李沂; 1848 –1909). The entire set of texts, of which the only extant version is a modern transcription by Yi Yu-rip published in 1979, is widely regarded as a forgery among academics.

Contents

The four books comprising the ''Hwandan Gogi'' are:

*''Samseonggi'' (two volumes), describing ancient kingdoms called Hwan-guk that lasted for 3301 years, and Hwanung's 1565-year rule of Baedalguk(倍達國).
*''Dangun Segi'' (Hangul: 단군세기; Hanja: 檀君世紀), chronicling the history of Gojoseon with 47 generations of Dangun rulers.
*''Bukbuyeogi'', describing the six kings of Bukbuyeo (North Buyeo).
*''Taebaek Ilsa'', describing the histories of Hwan-guk, Baedalguk, Samjoseon, Goguryeo, Balhae, and Goryeo; also includes the text of Cheonbu-gyeong.

Dispute regarding authenticity

Support

Some historians view the ''Hwandan Gogi'' as worthy of further scholarly scrutiny, believing that it is at least partly based on historically valuable, ancient (if not literally accurate) texts.
* The record that five stars were arranged in straight line at 1733 BCE (오성취루, 五星聚婁). This astronomical record in ''Hwandan Gogi'' was proven by Professor Park Changbeom, who published his findings in a journal. They show that the five stars were arranged in straight line at 1734 BCE with the assumption that Gojoseon was established at 2333 BCE.
* Law Professor Junhwan Go asserts several reasons why the ''Hwandan Gogi'' is considerable.
*The territory of Gojoseon described in ''Hwandan Gogi'' accords with the distribution area of the mandolin-shaped dagger of Gojoseon. Moreover, this territory as advocated by Yoon et al. and Yi Byeongdo coincides with the territory described in ''Hwandan Gogi''.

Criticism

Most historians in South Korea, North Korea and Japan generally consider the text to have been created in recent times, because of the following reasons:

* There are words from modern language. (for example, '男女平權; the equality of man and woman', '父權; paternal rights')
* The route through which ''Hwandangogi'' was first published is not clear.
** An Ham-ro and Won Dong-jung, the writers of Samsseonggi, are not actual people.
** Yi Gi could not have supervised the ''Hwandangogi'' which was first compiled in 1911, because he was already dead by 1909.
** The contents of ''Cheonbu Gyeong'' could not be included in ''Taebaek Ilsa'' before 1911 because the ''Cheonbu Gyeong'' was first discovered and known to the Daejonggyo in 1916 by Gae Yeonsu, the person who compiled ''Hwandan Gogi''.
** Gae Yeonsu, the person who compiled Hwandan Gogi may not exist. None of reliable historical records support his existence.
** The 1911 edition (or any edition before 1979) has not been found. Yi Yu-rip announced that the 1911 edition was burned during Korean War or the edition was lost by flood. Yi Yu-rip announced that he have restored Hwandan Gogi with his own memory. There is no proof that Yi Yu-rip's memory is perfect.

Other criticisms made on a South Korean television show include unrealistic descriptions found in the texts, for example:

* When calculating with modern measures, Hwan-guk is said to have spanned north pole to south pole
* Rulers of Baedal are said to have lived regularly for 120–150 yearsAm-Ro Ahn ed., Handan Gogi
/ref>
* Hwan-guk is said to had several bureaucratic systems during stone age
* Some articles in Hwandan Gogi contradicts each other

See also

* '' Gyuwon Sahwa''

References

* 계연수(이유립 복원본), 환단고기, 한뿌리 출판사, 2005
*�
환단고기(桓檀古記)』에 대한 새로운 이해
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* 정영훈(The Academy of Korean Studies 한국학중앙연구원)
'환단고기' 토대로 상고사 연구 보류해야 - 검증안 된 내용 왜곡 우려
The Cheju National University Press 제주대 신문, 2004-03-31
* 김정배, 한국사 권4 - 초기국가 – 고조선.부여.삼한, National Institute of Korean History 국사편찬위원회, 1997. pp. 53
* 안창범(제주대 명예교수)

桓檀古記 僞書論 批判, 한국종교사연구 통권 제10호 (2002. 2)
* 이도학(한양대 강사), 桓檀古記, 민족지성 9('86.11), 民族知性社
* 조인성, 韓末 檀君關係史書의 再檢討 :《神檀實記》·《檀奇古史》·《桓檀古記》를 中心으로, 국사관논총 제3집, National Institute of Korean History 국사편찬위원회, 1969.10
* 한영우(서울대 국사학과 교수) 외, 행촌 이암의 생애와 사상, 일지사, 2002
* 이상시(변호사), 檀君實史에 관한 文獻考證, 고려원, 1990
* 송호수(Baylor Univ. a professor emeritus), 韓民族의 뿌리思想, 가나출판사, 1985
* 金庠基, 李海鶴의 生涯와 思想에 대하여, 李瑄根華甲紀念論叢, 1965
* 전병훈, 정신철학 통편(精神哲學 通編), 1919

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Pseudohistory
History books about Korea
1979 books
Dangun
Identity politics in Korea
Korean false documents