Jeong Su-il (Korean: 정수일; born November 12 1934) is a South Korean historian, specializing in Silk Road history.

Jeong Su-il
Born1934
Nationality
  1. Manchukuo (1934–1945)
  2. Republic of China (1945–1949)
  3. People's Republic of China (1949–1963)
  4. North Korea (1963–1980s)
  5. Lebanon (1980s–1983)
  6. Philippines (1983–2000s)
  7. South Korea (2000s–)
Other namesMuhammad Kansu (pseudonym)
OccupationPresident of the Korea Institute of Civilizational Exchanges
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鄭守一
Simplified Chinese郑守一
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhèng Shǒuyī
Korean name
Hangul정수일
Hanja鄭守一
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationJeong Su-il
McCune–ReischauerChŏng Suil

Life

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Jeong Su-il was born to ethnic Korean parents in Longjing, Jilin, China. He always considered himself Korean and studied in ethnic Korean high schools. During his last year in high school, he became one of two ethnic Koreans admitted to Peking University when it opened its entrance exam to all students in 1952. He migrated to Pyongyang, North Korea in 1963.[1] He was trained as a spy, travelled to Lebanon, Tunisia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and Philippines, and obtained Lebanese and Filipino nationalities. In 1984, he entered South Korea under the disguise as Filipino researcher Mohammad Kansu, and worked at Dankook University. He was arrested in 1996 after a hotel clerk recognized him while he was faxing a North Korean agent in Beijing and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[2][3] However, he was released in 2000 after being granted amnesty.[4]

Education and career

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Jeong studied Arabic in Peking University and continued his studies in Cairo University. Later, he became a history professor at Dankook University. Currently, Jeong is the president of Korea Institute of Civilization Exchanges.[5] Jeong had embarked on dozens of journeys along the Silk Road to study the cultural exchange. Major works include A History of Trans-Civilizational Exchanges (2002) and The Cyclopedia of Silk Road (2013).[6]

Writings

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  • 왕오천축국전 (학고재, 2004)
  • History of Exchanges between the Silla Dynasty and the West (of China) in 1992
  • The East and the West in the World in 1995
  • The Elementary Arabic in 1995
  • The Silkroadology in 2001
  • The History of Exchanges among the Ancient Civilizations in 2001
  • The Study of the History of the Civilizational Exchanges
  • The Civilization of Islam in 2002
  • Silk Road, the Route of Civilization in 2002
  • Walking on the
  • The World in Korea (2 volumes) in 2005
  • Journey of the Silk Road Civilization in 2006
  • The Life and Religion of the Silk Road in 2006
  • Encyclopaedia of Silk Road in 2013

Translations

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  • Journey The Travels (الرحلة, Rihla) of Ibn Battuta in 2001
  • The Eastern Parts of the World Described of Odoric de Pordenone
  • An account of travel to the five Indian kingdoms (Wang ocheonchukguk jeon) by Hyecho
  • Cathay and the way thither of Sir Henry Yule

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Claire (6 December 2013). "A life stranger than fiction". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  2. ^ "Man arrested suspected of spying for North Korea". AP. 23 July 1996. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  3. ^ "[THIS WEEK IN HISTORY]A cult leader falls, a spy is exposed and a coup succeeds". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 6 January 2003. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  4. ^ Cho, Woo-suk (6 September 2001). "Cloaks and Daggers". JoongAng Ilbo. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  5. ^ "International Association for Silk-Road Studies". Silk Road Universities Network. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  6. ^ Oh, Mi-hwan (25 December 2014). "The Sea Completes Silk Road". Hankook Ilbo. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.