한국 몽골학의 현재와 미래

The Present and Future of Korean Mongolian Studies

When an organization begins to form, the corresponding people and countries are created accordingly. Our ancestors, who are located in the east of Eurasia, have been protecting and cultivating their language, history, and culture with the national identity of the Korean people for long time. On the other hand, in the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula and the central part of the Eurasian continent, the Mongols based on nomadic life have established their own culture and interacted with the surrounding people and countries. Geographically adjacent Koreans and Mongolians were inevitably in contact and had to know each other for mutual benefit. An area studies is the study to know the other person, and Mongolian studies fall into that category. As Korea has long been neighboring and interacting with Mongolia, it has a high understanding of Mongolia, and several uncomfortable relations have raised interest in Mongolia. Specifically, even after 100 years of Mongolian interference at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty still learned Mongolian in consideration of its relations with Mongolia, and this tradition continued until 1894 when the ministry of foreign was abolished. The tradition of Korean Mongolian studies, which was cut off for 100 years due to foreign power and ideology, was restored in 1990 when the Republic of Korea established diplomatic ties with Mongolia, and Korean Mongolian studies returned to previous direct research. Korean Mongolian studies, which have missed the time to lay the foundation for modern academic research, have filled the gap through explosive interest and research over the past 30 years, and at the center were the “Korean Association for Mongolian Studies” and a number of research institutes. Korean Mongolian studies have continued to make efforts to restore the tradition that has been cut off, and have achieved considerable results. However, Korean Mongolian studies are still lacking in many areas, especially in basic research. In order to expand the base of Mongolian studies in Korea, more Mongolian original text should be translated and high-level annotations should also be made. A long tradition of Korean Mongolian studies and frequent contact with Mongolia, there are Mongolian-related materials in Korea and have been treated as a central research material for Korean Mongolian studies. In recent years, through joint research with Mongolia, we have also been collecting data that we have investigated in Mongolia. However, we should consider the fact that we are not fully utilizing hard-earned data or materials we have. Mongolian studies are no exception at this time when convergence is a major academic trend. Only joint research in various fields is a shortcut to understanding Mongolia correctly. In addition, joint research with local institutions and scholars in Mongolia is essential, and exchanges and joint research with Mongolian scholars from various countries around the world will also serve as an opportunity to develop Korean Mongolian studies.