This study examines research trends in ancient Korean history within Chinese academia. To analyze trends in Chinese scholarship on Goguryeo history, the CNKI service provided by the Academy of Korean Studies was utilized. Using the keywords “Gogurye...
This study examines research trends in ancient Korean history within Chinese academia. To analyze trends in Chinese scholarship on Goguryeo history, the CNKI service provided by the Academy of Korean Studies was utilized. Using the keywords “Goguryeo, Koguryo, Stele of King Gwanggaeto, murals, Goguryeo people, research review,” a total of 1,441 articles published between January 1, 2000, and June 23, 2025, were collected. Among them, 448 articles published from 2016 to 2025 were classified and organized into 15 categories. Based on this c lassification, the study examined research trends, keyword analysis, the status of major researchers, analysis of support systems, and field-specific reviews.
Chinese academia consistently published more than 40 related papers per year on average between 2016 and 2025 across various fields. The most actively researched area was academic studies addressing research trends and key issues, followed by defense-related research dealing with military activities, fortifications, defense systems, and weaponry, as well as social history research focusing on social structures and customs. It was also confirmed that researchers’ main interests have shifted from topics such as “Goguryeo, Guknaeseong, Ji’an, mural tombs, and mountain fortresses” to areas of exchange, including “the Korean Peninsula, the Stele of King Gwanggaeto, foreign relations, and displaced populations.” In terms of professional positions, alongside professors, the active participation of the next generation of scholars and emerging researchers in their 40s-such as doctoral candidates and research fellows-was particularly notable. More than half of the total papers were found to have received research funding, indicating that a multilayered research support system plays a positive role in sustaining research activities and motivating scholars. In addition, not only prolific output by specific individual researchers but also collaborative research involving many scholars in various forms was noteworthy.
Considering the vigorous research on Goguryeo history in Chinese academia and the projection of China-centered interpretations in its outcomes, this study confirms the necessity for continuous and systematic monitoring and analysis by Korean academia. It also highlights the urgent need to establish practical support systems that can foster the training of the next generation of scholars and encourage the research motivation of emerging researchers.