• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.184-201
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• 2020

After the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonialism, archeology in South and North Korea took different paths. In particular, archeology in South and North Korea began to show great differences from the 1970s, when the former experienced rapid academic advancement following the evacuation of large-scale relics and the latter began to demonstrate a drastically political nature. North Korea declared 'Daedonggang Culture' in the 1990s, and South and North Korean archeology subsequently became so divorced that the two shared almost no common ideas. This kind of discrepancy is now particularly prominent with regard to the Bronze Age and Iron Age around "Gojoseon". Researchers of prehistoric archeology in South Korea have no choice but to keep referring to North Korean archeology. This is because North Korean resources are the main research subjects for identifying "the origin and descent of culture", which is still one of the most important research topics. However, people cast doubt on their reliability. Such a "two-fold viewpoint" demonstrates how those associated with South Korean archeology perceive their counterparts in North Korea. A large part of the visible "gap" between South and North Korea in terms of Bronze Age archeology comes from "political difference" that cannot be resolved by an increase in survey cases or academic debate. However, examining the trend in prehistoric archeology in North Korea is not aimed at criticizing the political nature of North Korean archeology. The goal is to investigate how the North Korean perspective on the Bronze Age differs from that in South Korea at present and to examine the potential problems in explaining "prehistoric culture in the Korean peninsula" and, furthermore, prehistoric culture in Northeast Asia, by including North Korean resources. This paper examines how Bronze Age-related research trends have evolved in North Korea to date and compares them with those seen in South Korean archeology during the same period.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.106-125
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• 2020

From 1949 to the present day, many Koguryo sites have been excavated, in North Korea. It can also be said that archaeological surveys and studies in North Korea have triggered Koguryo archaeological studies in South Korea. However, since the 1990s, the excavation of Koguryo sites and archaeological research in North Korea has been carried out as an extension of Daedonggang culture. Therefore, these archaeological surveys focused on the Pyongyang and more general northwestern areas of North Korea, and the conclusion was that Koguryo was a powerful nation with a millennium-long history inherited Gojoseon. Beginning in 1945 in North Korea, the archaeological surveys and related systems were organized, and burial mounds, castles, and city remains were excavated under the idea that Koguryo was a millennium-long, strong nation. In addition, archaeological research has been conducted to validate and confirm this belief. On the notion that Koguryo was founded in 277 BCE, it was insisted that the age of the tombs in Pyongyang was increased and Pyongyang took the position as a Vice Capital in the 4^th Century. Recently an excavation of the castle located in Pyongyang supports the idea that Koguryo inherited Gojoseon on a layered basis. However, the archaeological and conceptual grounds for the founding of Koguryo in the 3^rd Century BCE or the succession of Gojoseon and Koguryo were insufficient. As can be seen from the reconstruction of the royal tombs of the Dongmyung and Dangun, the archaeological surveys in North Korea were criticized for their selective discoveries and arbitrary interpretations. This further supports the necessity for joint excavations and academic exchanges between South and North Korea.