충주 고구려비 발견 40주년 연구의 성과와 의의

Abstract

The year 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the Chungju Koguryo stele’s discovery in 1979. Comprehensive studies of the stele were conducted at the time of its discovery and in 2000. Building upon these previous studies, the Northeast Asian History Foundation initiated the ‘Epigraphic Study of the Chungju Koguryo Stele’ (NAHF-2019-Project Research) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its discovery. While previous studies established a basic understanding of the stele, its interpretation remained uncertain. This research aimed to overcome traditional reading methods that relied on visual inspection or rubbings by incorporating advanced scientific technologies such as 3D scanning, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), digital photography, rubbing production, and image processing. The scientific research results were shared with academics, and three reading sessions were held to develop a collaborative interpretation. Notably, the presence of characters in the upper part of the front face was confirmed, yielding the partial reading “△?△?七?年?△?△?△?△?”. The identification of text in this section provides a potential solution to longstanding issues regarding the Chungju Goguryeo stele. The author interprets this as “永樂七年歲在丁酉 (yoengnakchilnyeonsejaejeongyu)”. Considering this as a type of heading leading to “五月中(owoljung)” in the main text, the front face is viewed as the beginning of the inscription. With “永樂七年 (yoengnakchilnyeon)” confirmed, it is estimated that the stele was erected in 397 CE or within a close timeframe. This dating necessitates a reconsideration of certain aspects of Goguryeo’s history and its relationship with Silla, as previously discussed in studies of the Chungju Goguryeo stele. Furthermore, a joint academic conference was held where six papers were presented. These were subsequently published in 『The Journal of Korean Ancient History』 98 and as a monograph titled 『Research on the Chungju Koguryo Stele』 (2021, Northeast Asian History Foundation). The compilation 『忠州高句麗碑(Chungju Koguryo Stele)』 (2021), which includes the research outcomes, serves as a record of the stele’ s condition in 2019, 40 years after its discovery, and will function as a fundamental resource for future research. This study of the Chungju Koguryo stele introduces new methodologies for epigraphic research by incorporating cutting-edge scientific technologies. We propose extending this approach to joint Korean-Chinese research on the Stele of King Gwanggaeto the Great and Jian Koguryo Stele in China.