South Korea has launched a government-backed foundation to counter recent moves by Chinese academics to incorporate the ancient Goguryo kingdom into the history of China.

Prime Minister Goh Kun, government officials and academic figures were on hand Monday at a ceremony launching the Goguryo Kingdom History Cultural Foundation.

Goh said the Goguryo issue should not be dealt with emotionally, but in a calm and cool-head manner based on academic grounds.

The research foundation aims to promote Goguryo's history and culture both at home and abroad to stop the perceived distortion of history, and set straight historical and cultural accounts of the ancient kingdom.

South Korea views the kingdom as an integral part of Korean history. Goguryo ruled much of Korea and Manchuria, now China, until the kingdom fell in the late 7th century.