[International i Journal= by Yeo Ui-bong, Lee Soon-ho, Gyeongbuk] On the last 11th, at Ho Chi Minh City, 9.23 Park, during “Ho Chi Minh-Gyeongju World’s Culture EXPO 2017,” Advanced Center for Korean Studies opened Confucianism Culture Exchange Booth to hold “Korea-Vietnam Confucianism Culture Exchange Special Exhibition.”

This special exhibition brought to light long-lasting exchange history between Korea and Vietnam.

Throughout Korean history, Vietnam made its debut in ｢Boannamrok yidogi(補安南錄異圖記｣(882) authored by Choe Chi-won, a Korean Confucian official during the Silla Age.

During the Goryeo Dynasty period, in 1127, Lý Dương Côn (李陽焜), a prince of Ly Dynasty of Vietnam (1009-1225) immigrated to Goryeo and became the progenitor of Jeongseon Lee (Ly) family.

As Ly Dynasty was replaced by Tranh (陳) Dynasty in 1225, one of its princes, Lý Long Tường (李龍祥, 1174–?) moved to Goryeo with his royal family members in 1226 and settled down in Hwasan, Ongjin-gun, Hwanghae-do, where later he made a glorious contribution to repelling Mongolia troops so he was conferred the title “Hwasan-gun” and became the progenitor of Hwasan Lee (Ly) family.

Both Korea and Vietnam promoted friendly relations and interchanged civilization by virtue of Chinese envoy exchanges.

Not only that, exchanges between two countries went on vigorously through books. For example, books like “Minh Tam Bao Giam (明心寶鑑),” published in the Goryeo Age, and “Sim Cheong Jeon,” a Korean classic novel published in the Joseon Dynasty, were delivered to Vietnam; “The Fall of Vietnam,” by Phan Bội Châu (潘佩珠) was translated into Korean widely read in Joseon.

In addition, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences & Humanities (USSH) hosted academic seminars to examine the historical progress of Korea-Vietnam cultural exchange, and two institutions (Advanced Center for Korean Studies and USSH) signed a MOU toward the vitalization of academic and cultural exchanges.

Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences & Humanities (USSH) also hosted a academic seminar with the title, “Korea-Vietnam Cultural Exchanges and Understanding.”

And Dr. Nguyen Van Hieu, a professor of the faculty of culture at USSH gave an open lecture under the subject “Confucianism in the Vietnamese Cultural Modernization Process in the Early 19-20th Century.”

It was followed by discussions and presentations with Korean and Vietnamese scholars, 5 each, including Dr. Kim Jong-suk, a lead researcher at Advanced Center for Korean Studies, who made a presentation with a title “A Study on the Ways to Promote Confucianism Culture Exchanges between Korea and Vietnam.”

Planned to be held for 23 days in total, the Confucianism Culture Exchange Booth during “Ho Chi Minh-Gyeongju World’s Culture EXPO 2017” was purposed to look back on old friendship among two countries’ intellectuals by means of Confucianism, and to provide a reminder about priceless value of our indigenous traditional culture.

Advanced Center for Korean Studies is a public institute devoted to study, collect, preserve, educate, and develop academic resources of Korea from the past to the modern days.

In particular, Advanced Center for Korean Studies has built a worldwide network in the Korean studies area, exploring and sharing documentary heritage at the international level, preserving and utilizing the world documentary heritage in cooperation.

Advanced Center for Korean Studies is located in Andong, a capital city of Gyeongsangbuk-do. Most recently, it has become widely renowned as Confucian Printing Woodblocks in Korea was listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

여의봉, 이순호 기자  iij@iij.co.kr

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