A Study on the Incorporation of the Kija Joseon Theory into Korean Historiography: Focusing on the Goryeo to Early Joseon Period

This study examines the process by which the Kija Joseon theory (箕子朝鮮說), which first emerged in the late Goryeo period, became established within the framework of Korean historical narratives by the early Joseon period. The theory originated as an external tradition formed in China and was embellished through successive reinterpretations following the Han dynasty. Within the ancient Korean states, there existed an indigenous perception of ancestral origins and a distinct tradition centered on Dangun and Old Joseon. There is no evidence that Kija Joseon was recognized as an independent historical period. During the early Goryeo period, references to Kija began to appear within the diplomatic rhetoric of neighboring states. Concurrently, the spread of Confucian culture, the activities of Chinese immigrants, and the influx of Song dynasty culture worked in concert to gradually expand and deepen perceptions of Kija. Notably, Kija was first mentioned in Goryeo’s diplomatic documents in 1055 (9th year of King Munjong), over a century after the Later Tang first raised the figure of Kija in 933 (16th year of King Taejo). This delay suggests that the intellectual foundation necessary to reinterpret Kija as a diplomatic and civilizational asset had gradually developed within Goryeo through the internal consolidation of Confucian culture. In the late Goryeo period, Yi Seung-hyu’s Jewang Ungi (帝王韻紀) marked the first attempt to sever the narrative of Wanggeom Joseon prior to Kija’s arrival and establish Kija Joseon as a distinct historical period, separate from Dangun Joseon. This work effectively systematized the historical schema linking Dangun to Kija. However, perceptions denying the historicity of Kija Joseon, such as those found in Samguk Yusa (三國遺事), continued to coexist during this time. Following the Yuan dynasty’s influence and the subsequent adoption of Neo-Confucianism, Kija Joseon increasingly came to be accepted as a historical reality, and the coexistence of Dangun and Kija in historiography became more widely recognized. In the Joseon dynasty, Kija Joseon had a significant impact on the decision of the dynastic name and Kija gradually came to be regarded as the founding ancestor of the Later Joseon. Official historiographical works of early Joseon, such as the Dongguk Tonggam (東國通鑑), codified the tripartite division of Gojoseon into Dangun Joseon, Kija Joseon, and Wiman Joseon. Through this, Kija Joseon became firmly established within the historical framework of Korea.