Among Korea’s traditional patterns, the ancient sun emblem is what hints at Koreans’ cultural heritage and traditionalism and has stood by us for a long time. The sun emblem (‘Il-Sang-Mun’ in Korean) which was used to ornament the memorial service related with the deceased and to symbolize the royal sovereignty is depicted as an auspicious bird like a three-legged crow in a circle that signifies the sun. As this oval-shaped sun emblems are found in Han Dynasty, those found in the murals of the ancient mounds in Goguryeo in the latter days have a strong propensity for emphasizing the relations between the sun emblems from Han and Tang Dynasty or that they had established their own individuality under the influence of Han culture to make transitions and further develop. Nonetheless, many are well aware that Dongi tribe in the ancient times had moved from the northwest of China to the northeast and, in the course, one branch headed to Shandong Peninsula and the other to the east to spread around Manchuria, Korean Peninsula, and Japan. Therefore, the emergence of the sun emblem depicted with an auspicious bird like a three-legged crow in a circle can be interpreted that bird totem of Dongi tribe who was distributed across the east inshore of China including Shandong area that was absorbed as Han tribe during the transition from Qin to Han Dynasty had been reflected in the creation of the sun emblem. As if it illustrates the point, the sun emblems combined with an auspicious bird and the sun had mostly disappeared in the ancient China’s cultural area and only found in the outskirts area including Liaoning, Dunhuang and Turfan during Sui and Tang Dynasty, emerged after Southern and Northern Dynasties. Although the sun emblem symbolized as ‘a three-legged crow in the sun’ disappeared in the ancient China since Han Dynasty, they were passed down to Goguryeo in the 4th century, and even crossed the peninsula to reach Japan. Such fact tells us that Sam-Jok-Oh (a three-legged crow) culture which reflects the bird totem of Dongi tribe was temporarily accepted by Han Dynasty to be manifested in daily scenes. In addition, the fact that the expression of ‘Il-Jung- Sam-Jok-Oh (a three-legged crow in the sun)’ was transmitted to Korean Peninsula and Japan, another transition route as well as the living area of Dongi tribe during the ancient times since Han Dynasty, displays close relevance between Sam-Jok-Oh culture and Dongi tribe. As mentioned above, the first appearance of the sun emblem of ‘Il-Jung- Sam-Jok-Oh’ in Korea was those found in the murals of the ancient mounds in Goguryeo in the 4th century. But the establishment of such circular shape of the sun emblem in the Goguryeo murals was attributed largelyto the primitive religions such as sun worship and bird totem (‘Sot-Dae’ worship and ‘Nan-Saeng* Tale’), inherited from time immemorial. This is because sun worship and bird totem that implies the revival (immortal spirits and souls) and the royal sovereignty, which are the likes of the sun emblems, can be found in Korea’s myths, tales, and folk customs. Furthermore, diverse cultural remains of the ancient Korea that represent the images of the sun and birds are easily found. In consideration of today’s historical stance that requires Korea to cope with China’s Northeast Project that boldly attempts to include the ancient history of Korea into Chinese history, deliberation on the background of how the traditional patterns like the sun emblem, which holds more substantiality and objectivity, were created rather than on the historical materials that often reflect historians’ historical views should be a very useful and integral research assignment so as to figure out the identity of Han culture and its historical traces.

Among Korea’s traditional patterns, the ancient sun emblem is what hints at Koreans’ cultural heritage and traditionalism and has stood by us for a long time. The sun emblem (‘Il-Sang-Mun’ in Korean) which was used to ornament the memorial service related with the deceased and to symbolize the royal sovereignty is depicted as an auspicious bird like a three-legged crow in a circle that signifies the sun. As this oval-shaped sun emblems are found in Han Dynasty, those found in the murals of the ancient mounds in Goguryeo in the latter days have a strong propensity for emphasizing the relations between the sun emblems from Han and Tang Dynasty or that they had established their own individuality under the influence of Han culture to make transitions and further develop. Nonetheless, many are well aware that Dongi tribe in the ancient times had moved from the northwest of China to the northeast and, in the course, one branch headed to Shandong Peninsula and the other to the east to spread around Manchuria, Korean Peninsula, and Japan. Therefore, the emergence of the sun emblem depicted with an auspicious bird like a three-legged crow in a circle can be interpreted that bird totem of Dongi tribe who was distributed across the east inshore of China including Shandong area that was absorbed as Han tribe during the transition from Qin to Han Dynasty had been reflected in the creation of the sun emblem. As if it illustrates the point, the sun emblems combined with an auspicious bird and the sun had mostly disappeared in the ancient China’s cultural area and only found in the outskirts area including Liaoning, Dunhuang and Turfan during Sui and Tang Dynasty, emerged after Southern and Northern Dynasties. Although the sun emblem symbolized as ‘a three-legged crow in the sun’ disappeared in the ancient China since Han Dynasty, they were passed down to Goguryeo in the 4th century, and even crossed the peninsula to reach Japan. Such fact tells us that Sam-Jok-Oh (a three-legged crow) culture which reflects the bird totem of Dongi tribe was temporarily accepted by Han Dynasty to be manifested in daily scenes. In addition, the fact that the expression of ‘Il-Jung- Sam-Jok-Oh (a three-legged crow in the sun)’ was transmitted to Korean Peninsula and Japan, another transition route as well as the living area of Dongi tribe during the ancient times since Han Dynasty, displays close relevance between Sam-Jok-Oh culture and Dongi tribe. As mentioned above, the first appearance of the sun emblem of ‘Il-Jung- Sam-Jok-Oh’ in Korea was those found in the murals of the ancient mounds in Goguryeo in the 4th century. But the establishment of such circular shape of the sun emblem in the Goguryeo murals was attributed largelyto the primitive religions such as sun worship and bird totem (‘Sot-Dae’ worship and ‘Nan-Saeng* Tale’), inherited from time immemorial. This is because sun worship and bird totem that implies the revival (immortal spirits and souls) and the royal sovereignty, which are the likes of the sun emblems, can be found in Korea’s myths, tales, and folk customs. Furthermore, diverse cultural remains of the ancient Korea that represent the images of the sun and birds are easily found. In consideration of today’s historical stance that requires Korea to cope with China’s Northeast Project that boldly attempts to include the ancient history of Korea into Chinese history, deliberation on the background of how the traditional patterns like the sun emblem, which holds more substantiality and objectivity, were created rather than on the historical materials that often reflect historians’ historical views should be a very useful and integral research assignment so as to figure out the identity of Han culture and its historical traces.

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