Yi Byeongdo
Encyclopedia
Lee Byeong-do was a Korean historian. He is often associated with the Japanese colonial view
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....

 of Korean history
History of Korea
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...

.

Biography

  • 1927: Started working in Korean History Compilation Committee
  • 1934: Founding Jindan Institute
  • 1945 - 1962: Professor of Seul Nation University
  • 1955 - 1982: Committee of Korean Nation History Editor
  • 1960: the Ministry of Education

Controversy

Although he is often associated with the Japanese colonial view of Korean history, he contribute an editorial to Joseon Ilbo
The Chosun Ilbo
The Chosun Ilbo is one of the major newspapers in South Korea. With a daily circulation of over 2,200,000, the Chosun Ilbo has undertaken annual inspections since Audit Bureau of Circulations was established in 1993...

 about the Korean history in 1986, 3 years before he died. Some people say that this editorial was the voice of his conscience.

His contribution to Joseon Ilbo says:
  1. Dangun
    Dangun
    Dangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...

     is not legend but a Korean ancestor. The sacrifice to Dangun was stopped from the Japanese colonial age. Moreover, he said that one must believe the entire ancient Korean history books before three kingdoms of Korea
    Three Kingdoms of Korea
    The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...

    .
  2. The current Seonangdang is the ancient Sindansu (신단수, 神壇樹), and a heap of stones is Sindan(신단, 神壇). So, the village around the Sindan is the Sinsi (신시, 神市).
  3. Pyongyang in Samguk Sagi
    Samguk Sagi
    Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...

     is different place from the current Pyongyang
    Pyongyang
    Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...

    .


Finally he published the history book titled "Introduction to ancient Korean history", which describes that Dangun
Dangun
Dangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...

 and Gojoseon
Gojoseon
Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. Go , meaning "ancient," distinguishes it from the later Joseon Dynasty; Joseon, as it is called in contemporaneous writings, is also romanized as Chosŏn....

 are not legend, and Nangnang Nation is different from Nangnang commandery
Lelang Commandery
Lelang was one of the Chinese commanderies which was established after the fall of Gojoseon in 108 BC until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. Lelang Commandery was located in the northern Korean peninsula with the administrative center near modern P'yongyang....

. When he published the book, his disciples said it was the senility of an old man.

Disciples

Ki-baek Lee
Ki-baek Lee
Lee Ki-baek was a leading South Korean historian. He was born in Jeongju-gun, in North Pyeongan province in what is today North Korea...

, a disciple of Lee Byeong-do, is famous for his history book "The New History of Korea", but his books are also criticized as the extension of colonial policy of Japan. Ko Byeongik, Cha Hasun and Yi Kidong are also known as his disciples.
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