This year Gaecheonjeol (개천절) was overshadowed by the Chuseok festival. Gaecheonjeol is National Foundation Day. It celebrates the first state of the Korean nation. This year, the two holidays happened to be on the same day.

The first official nation of Korea was called Gojoseon (고조선). There is archeaological evidence that the Gojoseon kingdom really existed. Clay pots with comb patterned designs were found on Jejudo (제주도) and Ulsan (울산). These pots are artifacts from the Jeulmun pottery period (즐문 토기 시대), which may be as old as 8000-1500 B.C. There were also reddish clay pots from the Mumum pottery period (무문토기시대), which may have lasted from 1500 to 300 B.C.

Legend states that the Gojoseon kingdom was founded by Dangun Wanggeom (단군왕검). There is controversy among historians as to whether a person named Dangun actually existed. Some historians say that the name Dangun means Heavenly Regent King, indicating the mythical nature of the ruler. Other historians say that the name Dangun means ‘high priest’, given to all the rules of Gojoseon. This therefore makes the name Wanggeom the actual name of the founder of Gojoseon.

Whichever you believe, the founding of Gojoseon is said to have started from Hwanung (환웅). Hwanung gave a bear and tiger twenty cloves of garlic. After one hundred days, the animal that ate this sacred food exclusively would be granted the wish of being human. The tiger gave up, the bear didn’t. Hwanung granted the bear’s wish and made the bear a woman. The woman’s name was 웅녀. 웅녀 became very sad that she didn’t have a husband. Hwanung felt pity for her and made her his wife. 웅녀 soon gave birth to a son named Dangun Wanggeom.

Dangun Wanggeom then built the first kingdom of Korea. Historians reinterpret this story to mean that a sun worshipping tribe (symbolized by Hwanung) and a bear worshipping tribe (웅녀) were brought together to form the first kingdom of Korea (Dangun). However you view this story, Gaecheonjeol is a celebration of this story and the founding of Korea.