고구려의 힘과 기상

The Strength and Spirit of the Goguryeo Dynasty

The stage for the history of the Goguryeo dynasty included both the Manchu area of China, and the Northen region of the Korean peninsula. Even though it colIapsed a long time ago, and its history is placed more than 1,300 years in the past, the remnants of their lives, the vestiges and artifacts of their time are still reminding us of the energetic nature of the Goguryeo dynasry. A scholar once even uttered that, ‘Goguryeo dynasty was a formidable state with a huge army, and also was a state with a rich culture that was established by the Goguryeo people’s accepting and embracing the culture of China and the Western countries. lt was essentially the Rome in Korean history.’ In this article, the strength and the spirit of Goguryeo and its people will be discussed. The main question would be, how could we characterize the concept of strength, and spirit, in case of the Goguryeo dynasty’s history. lt is generally assumed to have been the time around 5th and 6th centuries when Goguryeo dynasty reached its peak in power and abilities. And those times should also have been when the strength and spirit of the Goguryeo dynasty were heightened more than ever. First, the process that Goguryeo had taken in achieving such strength and establishing such spirit should be examined. In order to examine that, the history of the Goguryeo dynasty since its foundation as a state should be carefully traced, in terms of its internal characteristics, backgrounds and inner inclinations. And of course, details testifying its strength and spirit should be secured as well. Such details could be acquired by exarnining the historical data containing records of the 5th century Goguryeo dynasty. Goguryeo was in no way put in a suitable condition and was not equipped with a hospitable environment. They had to overcome internal difficulties which were in by no means favorable to the Goguryeo people. Goguryeo had many mountains. The territory were covered with mountain ranges. And there was not enough land for agricultural cultivation. Such handicap continued to exist as a serious barrier against enhancing agricultural productivity. In order to address and respond to these difficulties, the government of the Goguryeo dynasty chose a policy of aggressively enlarging its territory. In the process, diligence and valor became important and valuable virtues to the Goguryeo people. Since its foundation, the Goguryeo dynasty had shared borders with China in the South. The Chinese threat was a formidable and even at times an overwhelming one to the security of Goguryeo, yet Goguryeo survived and maintained its existence during the various conflicts it had to endure with the numerous Chinese dynasties and factions. Such geographical and political and societal difficulties required the Goguryeo people to have extraordinary conviction and determination, and not to mention a reasonable amount of strength. Social atmosphere was molded accordingly. And the strength and spirit of the Goguryeo people continued to be established. There are three facets that most effectively demonstrate the Goguryeo people’s strength and spirit. First, as part of their domestic efforts, the Goguryeo dynasty continued to expand its territory in a rather explosive fashion, and also in aIl directions. This kind of rapid expansion could be regarded as the most distinct evidence of the Goguryeo people’s strength and spirit, and it significantly contributed to defining the external world's view of the Goguryeo dynasty, which regarded the Goguryeo people as strong and determined. This leads to the second facet. By their diplomatic opponents, Goguryeo dynasty was regarded as a formidable entity. The Chinese North-Wi dynasty regarded Goguryeo as the second most powerful entity among all the entities it was encountering and facing, or having diplomatic relationships with.