The roar of King Mich’ŏn still echoes in my ears, and I can almost hear the clatter of Goguryeo’s iron-clad cavalry hooves from the Battle of Nangnangseong. This novel was a masterpiece born from author Kim Jin-myeong’s painstaking efforts over 17 years, from gathering materials to writing. Closing the book, I realized that Korea’s enterprising spirit, crisis-overcoming capabilities, and now its international standing among the G8 nations are no accident. I couldn’t help but think it stems from the DNA of our people, passed down since the Goguryeo era.

Listening to this epic saga spanning three volumes as an audiobook, I wished the story of Prince Eulbul and the heroes who shared his vision could be brought to life on film. I hope this would help many young people develop a deep historical consciousness. I believe that viewing the Korean Peninsula’s shape not as a powerless rabbit but as a tiger roaring across the continent, and learning that the Manchurian plains were our territory, is the path to cultivating a progressive and broad worldview. The novel’s content follows Prince Eulbul as he hides in Nangnang Commandery to evade the relentless pursuit of his uncle, Sangbu, then builds his strength, gathers followers, and reclaims the throne. His journey, where he met numerous heroes, learned the qualities of a king, and refined his character, was truly impressive. Particularly striking was the scene where he distributed the iron secured through the merchant A-yeong for weapon-making to the starving and destitute people, personally serving them rice. This moment revealed not an ambitious, ruthless leader, but the character of a benevolent king who genuinely loved his people.

As the author notes in the preface, it is truly regrettable that while our people can easily access content related to China’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms everywhere, high-quality content based on our own history is hard to find. Amidst the current chaotic situation, where China’s Northeast Project and other historical distortions are intensifying, I also feel there is a glaring lack of engaging content to instill a proper historical perspective in the younger generation. While there are many works covering the Joseon or Goryeo periods, major epics set in Goguryeo have been rare. Thus, Kim Jin-myeong’s 『Goguryeo』, born from his meticulous historical research, holds immense value as an authentic historical novel.

While Goguryeo may be seen as a barbarian frontier state in Chinese history, from Goguryeo’s perspective, they were a powerful nation commanding most of Manchuria, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Han Chinese and the northern Jurchen tribes. The process of creating the formidable ‘iron-clad cavalry’ was fascinating, and the novel’s climactic battle against the spear formation delivered a gripping, tragic intensity that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. After reading this epic novel, which begins with the story of King Mich’ŏn, I resolved never to neglect the effort to trace the roots of our history as descendants of Goguryeo. I must study harder and spread this knowledge far and wide.