Gyeongju Wolseong Inscription Fragments Reunited After 87 Years... Theory of Goguryeo Origin Raised

Overall view of the Bipyun. The left is the Gyeongju Research Institute's apprentice Bipyun, and the right is the Bipyun owned by the Gyeongju Museum.

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Two stone inscription fragments recovered from Gyeongju Wolseong, with an 87-year gap between their discoveries, will be joined together and released to the public.

The National Gyeongju Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and the Gyeongju National Museum will hold a special exhibition of the "Recovered Fragment from the Western Side of Gyeongju Wolseong" at 10 a.m. on April 13 at the Millennium Treasure Hall of the Gyeongju National Museum.

The two fragments were excavated under different circumstances. The fragment held by the Gyeongju National Museum was recovered on June 27, 1937, by Choi Namjoo, an employee of the Gyeongju Branch of the then Joseon Government-General Museum, from the Seowolseong site. The other fragment was unearthed in 2020 by the Gyeongju Research Institute during an excavation survey of the Gyerim-Wolseong access road section.

A joint analysis by the two institutions revealed that both fragments were made from alkali granite from Namsan in Gyeongju. Subsequent 3D scanning confirmed that the fragments fit together.

Academics are focusing on the script used on the fragments. Unlike the standard regular script (haeseo) typically found on Silla steles, these fragments are inscribed in clerical script (yeseo).

At an expert forum held in February, researchers specializing in Goguryeo history argued for a Goguryeo origin, citing the use of clerical script on the Gwanggaeto Stele and the presence of characters such as baek (白), cheon (天), gong (貢), bul (不), and do (渡) on both the stele and the fragments.

On the other hand, Silla history researchers countered that it is difficult to determine the builders based solely on the script and stressed that, given the fragments were excavated at Gyeongju Wolseong, the possibility of a Silla origin should also be considered.

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