Before the unification of China during the Qin Dynasty, there had already been exchanges and contacts between China and Japan through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, leading to increasingly close and frequent connections between the two nations. Maritime exchanges between China and Japan began as early as the Qin Dynasty, with the establishment of the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty. During this period, Sino-Japanese interactions were characterized by their occasional nature. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, these interactions entered a developmental stage marked by noticeable diversity. By the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Sino-Japanese relations gradually reached their zenith, with a heightened political significance. However, these interactions began to decline during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with a stronger emphasis on bilateral exchanges. The historical and contemporary relevance of Sino-Japanese interactions within the framework of the ancient Maritime Silk Road has played a crucial role in promoting trade, cultural integration, and national development between China and Japan, providing a solid historical foundation for contemporary efforts to enhance exchanges and cooperation in the Northeast Asia region.

본 연구는 실크로드의 역사를 다시 조명하여 실크로드의 주역이었던 고조선의 아름다운 실크의 감성을 찾아보고 잘 알려지지 않은 우리의 역사를 알아보고자 한다. 연구 방법은 고서, 서적, 논문, 유적지 발굴 유물들을 분석하는 다양한 접근을 시도하였으며, 유물에 대한 자료는 다양한 서적과 논문 그리고 인터넷을 통해 관련 유물사진들을 수집한 2차적 자료를 분석하였다. 연구문제는 다음과 같다. 첫 번째, 고대 실크로드와 고대 동양에서 발견된 고조선의 경금의 실크 생산 환경을 조사한다. 두 번째, 고조선의 경금의 고도의 제작기술에 대해 조사한다. 본 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. BC 4500년 홍산문화의 동이족으로부터 발견된 옥으로 만든 누에를 통해 고조선의 실크 생산 시기를 추론할 수 있다. 신장자치구 누란, 아스타나, 니야 등에서 경금이 많이 출토되었으며 가장 오래된 경금은 기원전 11세기경으로 서 발해만 고조선의 수도 중 하나였던 조양에서 발굴된 것이다. 서양의 브로케이드 및 다마스크의 기원으로 보이는 경금은 고조선의 수평 사각직기인 제화루기로 고도의 제직기술의 발전된 직기를 통해서 생산되었다. 이와 같은 결과를 통해 고대 실크로드의 특징은 기원전 5-6세기경 발해만 유역의 고조선에서 생산한 경금 견직물이라고 추측할 수 있었다. 한나라의 사직기나 서아시아의 수직직기로 경금 제직이 불가능하며 고조선의 제화루직기과 함께 고도의 제직기술 을 통해서만 경금이 탄생될 수 있었다. 이와 같은 연구결과를 토대로 고대의 실크에 관한 역사 연구를 이어나가기 위해 중요한 초석이 될 것이며, 앞으로 고대 실크에 관한 후속 연구에 필요한 기초 자료로 제공되기 바란다.

Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is a new initiative for international cooperation. It will have a positive impact on the peaceful use of the South China Sea by encouraging a Code of Conduct to Parties in the South China Sea between China and ASEAN members; realizing a breakthrough of jointly developing oil and gas resources in the area; promoting comprehensive cooperation in maritime non-traditional security field; and providing a peaceful external environment for the South China Sea dispute settlement. The South China Sea dispute is a negative challenge to building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. However, the pace building should not be stopped because of it. In the future, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will be on the international consensus as an international legal regime. Also, it will improve the domestic legal system regarding building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road for China as well as the countries along the Belt and Road, especially the ASEAN members.

The author examined the origins, the course and the period of introduction of 94 types of vegetables and fruits mainly used in Korea. Then, based on it, the author looks into the relationship between food culture in Korea and those in the Silk Road. Among the vegetables and fruits, 57 types are not originated from Korea 17 types of stem and leaf vegetables, 9 types of root and fruit vegetables. 7 types of fruits, 6 types of seed, 6 types of pomes, 2 types of berries and grapes, and 1 type of nut. Their origins are spread in Europe, Southwest and South Asia but interestingly, they are located near or along the Silk Road. Therefore, it can be presumed that the vegetables and fruits were introduced into Korea from its neighboring countries by way of the Silk Road even before the Three Koreas Period and they were eaten widely in the Joseon Dynasty. Thus, the Silk Road helped some of the vegetables and fruits used in Korea to be introduced into Korea and eventually, contributed to diversifying Korean food culture. The cultural exchange is not one-way but two-way communication and the cultural exchange through the Silk Road is no exception. It is certain that by way of the Silk Road, foods and recipes were introduced into Korea from other countries but at the same time, Korean foods and recipes were propagated to other countries. In the future, more researches and studies should be conducted to find out how the foods and recipes are exchanged among the countries by the way of the Silk Road.

The Sogdian Merchants were the undertakers of international trade on the Land Silk Road in the Middle Ages, and their business footprints spread all over Eurasia. The ancient trading currency of Sogdian Merchants is a key to study the trading history of the region and the entire Silk Road. Although the economic strength of Sogdiana was strong, the country was very weak and had been controlled by the powerful forces around it. Sogdian Merchants wanted to use large amounts of currency for exchanging activities in countries along the Silk Road, they must imitate the currency of the powerful countries that controlled the Silk Road or even use their currencies directly to meet the needs of long-distance transshipment trade. Most scholars agreed that the Persian Sassanian silver coins used to be the currency of circulation along the Silk Road. Whether the main purpose of the unearthed Byzantine gold coins was to act as circulating currencies on the Silk Road at that time, there is still a great controversy.