[Opinion] Why Do We Talk About the Centrality and Symbolism of Mahan Culture?

Park Kyung-jung, Representative of Mahan Forum

Mahan holds an important place in correctly understanding ancient Korean history, yet it remains a mysterious box filled with many unanswered questions.

Due to an absolute lack of literature and insufficient excavation investigations, there is still a long way to go. Of course, achievements have been accumulated through the efforts of academia and national institutions, but compared to the Three Kingdoms or Gaya, much progress remains to be made.

Recently, with the legal foundation for the establishment of the National Mahan History and Culture Center being laid, interest in Mahan is higher than ever, which is fortunate, but it also raises many thoughts about the activities of the regions competing to host the center.

Enacting laws and establishing dedicated institutions are not the efforts of just one or two people. Many scholars and local communities have long studied and uncovered Mahan history, and this achievement can be said to be based on those efforts.

From the perspective of representing organizations that love and research Mahan, it is bittersweet to see the hard-won conditions simply turning into a local government's achievement of hosting a national institution.

Since the excavation of the Bannam Tumuli began in 1917, the people of Naju started awakening to ancient history and have struggled for over 100 years to reveal the reality of Mahan. For half a century, they formed a preservation society, collected materials themselves, and passionately supported academic research and investigations.

Administratively, efforts were made to designate national treasures, treasures, and historic sites, and to preserve and manage them, a pioneering dedicated organization and curators were assigned, and the Bogeumri Tumuli Exhibition Hall was built and operated.

In 2014, citizens of Naju went to the National Assembly and held an academic conference for World Cultural Heritage registration, drawing the attention of the National Assembly. During the discussions, the need for Mahan history education in schools was raised, leading to the publication of revised editions of the Mahan history textbook for youth three times from 2015 to 2018.

Additionally, a Mahan documentary was commissioned from Gwangju MBC to lead the spread of awareness about Mahan history. This was because the Mahan people accepted it as a historical mission to protect and promote the heritage left throughout the land of Naju. Thus, the descendants of Mahan, the people of Naju, have walked the lonely path of restoring and spreading Mahan history. It is also confirmed that Gwangju and Jeonnam hold the largest number of cultural assets related to Mahan.

Until now, no local government showed interest or participated in these activities. This was because Mahan history was not at the center of regional identity.

But now, at the point when budgets and organizations are becoming visible, I want to ask why voices are being raised and visions declared. Shouting slogans and gathering people for rallies will not properly establish Mahan history. Nor is it respectful to the local people who have quietly walked this path.

No one denies that Naju, the center of the Yeongsan River, represents the centrality and symbolism of Mahan history. Also, it is natural that the National Mahan History and Culture Center nests in the center of Mahan history and citizen activities.

It is a very important principle to lay new eggs where one has laid, incubated, and raised eggs before. The center should not be regarded as just a local government’s signboard but should dream of the future in a region that knows how to cherish and nurture it.

The National Naju Museum and the National Naju Cultural Heritage Research Institute have been established in Naju for over ten years. We must trust the strength of Naju, which has actively supported the activities of these institutions and grown together with them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.