Participants parade in front of Changdeokgung Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, during a joint reenactment of King Jeongjo's royal procession in 2022. Yonhap
Korean scholars on Tuesday challenged claims circulating on some Chinese online platforms about the origins of Korean architectural traditions, exploring the unique development of styles ranging from ondol, Korea's traditional floor-heating system, to academies and royal palaces.
The Northeast Asian History Foundation hosted the conference at Fraser Place Central Seoul in Jung District, central Seoul. The foundation organized the event to counter claims it describes as historical distortions regarding architectural origins.
The conference, titled "Korean Ways of Life and Thought Embedded in the Spaces of Korean Architectural Culture," was organized by the Northeast Asian History Foundation at Fraser Place Central Seoul. It was planned to counter what the foundation describes as historical distortions by Chinese sources regarding the origins of Korean architecture.
According to the foundation, China's largest search engine, Baidu, describes Changdeok Palace, one of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom's principal royal palaces, as "a Chinese-style palace on the Korean Peninsula, like Gyeongbok Palace." The platform has also repeatedly promoted claims that ondol, Korea's traditional underfloor heating system, is part of China's cultural heritage.
