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Korean Wave Dates Back to Ancient Times

According to Prof. Park Seon-hee of Sangmyung University, Korean armor was not influenced by China and other neighboring nations but, rather, influenced them.

She made the claim at an academic forum on the origin and identity of Korean culture held by the Asian Comparative Folklore Society and the Society of Korean Oral Literature at the Press Center on Thursday.

Under the theme of "The Korean Wave Dates Back to Ancient Times", the forum dealt with such subjects as the origin of ancient Korean armor and its effect on East Asia and the effect of Korean performing arts on East Asia -- the Korean Wave movement of ancient times.

Park claimed in her paper that the oldest armor in China is leather armor made around 1300 B.C., but bone armor found in the ancient land of Gojoseon, a legendary ancient Korean kingdom, dates back to the late New Stone Age.

"In the case of iron armor, Korea excavated it at a tomb in Pyongyang presumed to belong to the late Gojoseon era in the thrid century B.C., while China began producing it during the Han Dynasty, which was founded in 206 B.C.

Prof Jeon Gyeong-wook of Korea University, who talked about the effects of ancient Korean performing arts on East Asia, said that Korea created unique and excellent performing arts through exchange with neighboring nations. A dance where performers spin around on a ball or rug was introduced to Koguryo from old nations bordering Western China, but it was popular not only in Koguryo but also in China's Sui and Tang Dynasties, he added.

"Korea, which had its own native performing arts dating back to shamanistic worship rituals of ancient nations, could enrich its performing arts and create new types by embracing foreign performing arts", Jeon said.

Also discussed at the forum was evidence showing that ancient Korean culture led the development of East Asian culture.

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