This paper examined the background and the meaning of the compilation of Samguksagi during King Injong’s reign of Goryeo dynasty, from the perspective of the transformation of historical consciousness.
Compiling Samguksagi(三國史記) was to re-compile National history which substituted Gu-Samguksa(舊三國史), old history of the three kingdoms. It was based on a re-awareness of its own history and a key part was to historically separate Goguryeo(高句麗) and Goryeo.
In Gu-Samguksa, Goguryeo was referred to as "Goryeo" and considered an own dynasty, and Gung-ye(弓裔) was recognized as the founder and published in Bongi(本紀), main annals of the history.
Wang-geon(王建) recognized Gung-ye as the former king of the previous generation after he ascended the throne and declared the succession of the project.
The inclusion of Gung-ye and the unification of the Later Three Kingdoms(後三國) in Hu-Goryeo(後高麗) part of Samgukyusa(三國遺事) Wangleok(王曆) reflects this historical consciousness.
The fact that Hu-Goryeo part of Samgukyusa Wangleok included Gung-ye and the unification of the Later Three Kingdoms in the part of King Taejo’s reign reflects this historical consciousness.
On the other hand, the exclusion of the national title of Taebong(泰封) was to hide Wang-geon"s alleged treason.
In response, Samguksagi excluded Gung-ye from the history of Goryeo, denied his status as the king, and incorporated the description of him into Yeoljeon(列傳).
The fact that Gung-ye enacted Goryeo, the national title, was deleted and King Taejo"s reign was excluded from the chronological timetable. In addition, Pyeongyang(平壤)"s history was diluted with structures.
Wang-geon and Gung-ye were spatially divided by deleting the historical site that Gung-ye first designated Cheolwon(鐵圓) as the capital.