The ancient kingdom of Koguryo, traditionally believed to have been founded in 37 B.C., ruled a vast region extending from Manchuria (northern provinces of China) to the Korean Peninsula until 668. Tumulus wall paintings in Nara, which was the capital of Japan in the 8th century, are said to reflect Koguryo's influence. Now, more than 13 centuries after its fall, China and South Korea are fighting a diplomatic battle over the kingdom's history.
The general theory is that Koguryo was one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, however, claims that Koguryo was a regional government of China. Chinese media referred to Koguryo as a part of China when its archaeological sites in the country, as well as in North Korea, were registered on this year's world heritage list. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has deleted a description of Koguryo from its Web site on the history of South Korea.
The South Korean government, meanwhile, has accused Beijing of "distorting history." In a report commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, the South Korean Society of Ancient History says China's claim to Koguryo is more flagrant than Japan's whitewashing of its militaristic past in its history textbooks. Angry South Koreans have demanded that Seoul withdraw its ambassador from Beijing.