The South Korean government decided Wednesday that it will establish a Research Center for Koguryo History at the Academy of Korean Studies building by February as a means of countering recent Chinese moves to merge the ancient Korean kingdom into its own history.

Seoul also plans to actively support moves to register the ancient Koguryo Mound in North Korea as a UNESCO world cultural heritage, while stepping up its cooperation with the North in that regard.

Government officials also announced that Seoul will offer financial support for relevant academies and centers to help them research the history of the Koguryo kingdom.