The Hwangchung Records in the Samguk Sagi: Definitive Evidence for the Continental Theory?

Scientifically examining whether the Hwangchung disaster records in the 『Samguk Sagi』 truly prove the ‘continental location theory’ of the Three Kingdoms.

• Understand the core claims of the continental theory and the truth behind the key evidence, the Hwangchung records.
• Learn the scientific conditions for locust plague outbreaks from meteorology and entomology perspectives.
• Obtain clear conclusions on the actual locations of the Three Kingdoms through archaeological evidence.

The Challenge of the Continental Theory: The Mystery of the Hwangchung Records

The ‘continental theory’ (大陸史觀), which claims that Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo ruled not the Korean Peninsula but the Chinese continent, is an intriguing hypothesis that directly challenges mainstream historiography. One of its key evidences is the numerous locust plague, or Hwangchung, disaster records appearing repeatedly in the 『Samguk Sagi』. Since swarms of locusts covering the sky are a product of dry continental climates, this is argued to be “irrefutable evidence” that the main stage of the Three Kingdoms was on the Chinese continent.

This is not just a historical debate but a hypothesis requiring scientific verification. As a meteorologist and entomologist with 20 years of experience, I found this claim a fascinating research challenge when I first encountered it. Historical records are valuable data repositories of past climates and ecosystems. From now on, following the clue of ‘Hwangchung,’ we will reconstruct ancient climates, analyze insect ecology, and compare archaeological evidence to uncover the truth through scientific investigation.

Criminal Profiling: The Science of the Hwangchung Disaster

To analyze the ‘Hwangchung’ fingerprint left at the scene, we must first identify the culprit. The destructive locust swarms described in East Asian literature are very likely caused by the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis). This insect has two faces, transforming into a destructive disaster under certain conditions.

The Two Faces of Locusts: Phase Polyphenism

The most remarkable feature of the migratory locust is its ability of phase polyphenism, where its appearance and behavior completely change depending on the environment. Phase polyphenism refers to insects exhibiting different forms and behaviors based on population density.

• Solitary phase: When population density is low, migratory locusts are gentle insects that blend with surrounding grass for camouflage and avoid each other.
• Gregarious phase: When population density increases and hind legs repeatedly touch, the brain releases a surge of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This causes their body color to change to conspicuous yellow and black, and they exhibit strong attraction to each other, forming swarms. These transformed billions of locusts are the ‘Hwangchung.’

Conditions for Disaster: Drought Followed by Heavy Rain

What triggers the locust swarms to transform? The massive outbreak of locusts is not random but the result of a ‘perfect storm’ when specific weather patterns align. The key scenario is the drought-and-deluge cycle.

1. Drought (concentration): Prolonged drought reduces greenery, forcing locusts to crowd into the remaining vegetation areas, naturally increasing population density.
2. Heavy rain (explosion): At the end of drought, heavy rains create moist, soft soil ideal for mass egg-laying and hatching. Simultaneously, new vegetation grows explosively, providing food for billions of larvae.

This scientific profile reveals that the Hwangchung records are not mere disaster reports but encrypted data about past climate and ecological environments.

Historical Testimony: Samguk Sagi vs. Chinese Wuxing Records

Armed with this scientific profile, let us now compare and analyze two historical record sets: Korea’s 『Samguk Sagi』 and the Chinese official histories’ ‘Wuxingzhi (五行志).’

The 『Samguk Sagi』 records 23 locust disasters, 79 droughts, and 33 floods among various natural calamities. People at the time regarded these disasters as heavenly warnings criticizing the ruler’s immorality, called ‘Jaei (災異).’

Surprisingly, the Chinese official histories’ ‘Wuxingzhi’ also base their natural phenomena on the ‘Heaven-Man Correspondence (天人感應)’ ideology linking events to the emperor’s rule. Particularly, the 『Songshu』 Wuxingzhi, covering the Southern Song dynasty, classified Hwangchung alongside floods and hail as disasters of the ‘Water (水)’ element. This strongly indicates that ancient Chinese empirically recognized locust outbreaks as deeply connected to hydrological and climatic phenomena.

The similarity in records should not be interpreted as geographical evidence that the Three Kingdoms were on the continent, but rather as strong cultural evidence that the Three Kingdoms were “advanced ancient states” adopting sophisticated governance ideology and administrative systems from China. It is a product of cultural exchange, not geographic identity.

What Climate Data Reveal About Hwangchung

Do these records really not fit the Korean Peninsula’s climate? Paleoclimate studies show that the Korean Peninsula during the Three Kingdoms period also experienced frequent alternating droughts and floods. For example, between 371 and 410 AD, the peninsula was quite dry, and if localized heavy rains followed, Hwangchung outbreaks were entirely plausible.

The broad alluvial plains of the Han, Geum, and Nakdong River basins could have provided sufficient conditions for locust breeding through periodic flooding and drought. The fact that Chinese locust outbreaks mainly occurred in the Yellow River floodplains shows that despite scale differences, the key ecological condition is ‘riverine plains.’

Conversely, if the Three Kingdoms were located in the core Chinese Hwangchung outbreak areas claimed by the continental theory, the 『Samguk Sagi』’s 23 locust records would be far too few; there should have been hundreds. The scarcity of records by continental standards ironically supports that the location was not on the continent.

Final Evidence Underground: Archaeology’s Rebuttal

No literary interpretation can outweigh the weight of physical evidence unearthed from the ground. Archaeology is the science of uncovering the ‘fingerprints of civilization,’ and the continental theory must prove its validity before this final argument.

• Silla’s signature, stone-cist tombs: The massive tombs in Gyeongju are unique to Silla, called ‘stone-cist tombs (jeokseok mokgwakbun).’ This style is not found in contemporary China and eloquently confirms Gyeongju as Silla’s capital.
• Baekje’s international style, stone chamber tombs: Tombs like King Muryeong’s, which adopt Southern Chinese styles yet show Baekje characteristics and unique pottery, prove Baekje’s location on the Korean Peninsula and its active maritime trade.
• Silence of the continent: In the areas claimed by the continental theory such as Hebei and Shandong provinces, no archaeological evidence corresponding to the Three Kingdoms period (royal tombs, city ruins, artifacts) has been found.

Literary records allow interpretation, but artifacts from the ground testify to clear facts. The absence of archaeological evidence is the continental theory’s most fatal weakness.

Comparison / Alternatives

Conclusion

Final verdict: The Hwangchung records in the 『Samguk Sagi』 do not support the continental theory. Rather, they are valuable testimonies of the dynamic ancient climate of the Korean Peninsula and the history of our ancestors who survived within it.

• Key Summary

  1. Cause of the Hwangchung disaster: The locust plague is a product of a specific climate scenario, ‘drought followed by heavy rain,’ not a particular ‘dry continent’ region.
  2. Meaning of historical records: The disaster records in 『Samguk Sagi』 are cultural evidence of the Three Kingdoms adopting advanced state systems through exchange with China, not geographic evidence of continental location.
  3. Irrefutable evidence: The vast archaeological evidence found throughout the Korean Peninsula clearly proves the location of the Three Kingdoms, while no related artifacts are found on the continent.

By viewing history through the lens of science, we can meet a richer and more accurate past. How about applying scientific inquiry to other mysteries in our history?

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