An ancient and glorious past: Koguryo in the collective memories of the Korean people

Scholars generally agree that nationalism first emerged in the late eighteenth century, and that collective memories shared by members of a society contributed to the formation of modern nationalism. It does not mean, however, that collective memories did not exist before the modern period. In contrast to some modernist arguments, long before modern nationalism appeared in Korea, there was distinct evidence of the existence of certain collective memories among literati. Literati's memories of Koguryo throughout the pre-modern period and the influence of Koguryo memories on the formation of Korean nationalism after the late nineteenth century strongly indicate that collective memory should not be tied to the notion of modern nationalism.;It is apparent that since as early as the tenth century, Koryo literati considered Koguryo a part of Korean history, and their recognition of Koguryo appeared in political, cultural, and ethnic perspectives. The dynastic change from Koryo to Choson in 1392 did not cast doubt on the literati's affirmation of Koguryo's position in Korean heritage, and elevated the status of Confucianism in Choson, even contributing to consolidation of Koguryo memories among the literati due to Koguryo's connection to the Kija tradition. Although memories of this ancient kingdom were affected by the political situation of the time, especially during the early years of the Choson-Ming relationship, Koguryo's status in Korean history was not questioned, and it still remained historically viable after the notion of the so-called "last bastion" of Confucian civilization emerged following the Ming's collapse.;Unquestionably, it was since the late nineteenth century when Koguryo memories were arguably embedded in the collective memory of Koreans, as Korean nationalists ardently tried to take advantage of Koguryo memories for their independence movements. In this period, Koguryo memories, which had survived since the tenth century, fit well into the model of collective memory as presented by Maurice Halbwachs. Additionally, its projection in the last few decades, including in the relationship between North and South Korea, as well as Korea and China regarding the ownership of Koguryo history, demonstrates how the collective memory of Koguryo has been maintained and still operates vigorously today.