An ongoing history exhibition in Beijing was noticed to have excluded the kingdoms of Goguryeo and Balhae from its account of ancient Korean history as part of a wider showcase of relics from Northeast Asian countries. 

The National Museum of China's “Auspicious Metals from the Orient: Ancient Bronzes of China, Korea, and Japan” included Gojoseon in the Bronze Age section of ancient Korean history, while introducing Silla, Baekje, Gaya, the Unified Kingdom of Silla, Goryeo and Joseon as the Korean countries of the Iron Age. 

However, Goguryeo -- which divided the Korean Peninsula with Silla and Baekje -- was not mentioned at all. Balhae -- which succeeded Goguryeo as a northern Korean kingdom -- was also missing. The omits drew speculation that they could be Beijing’s intentional assertion that ancient northern Korean historical kingdoms such as Goguryeo and Balhae were in fact Chinese. 

The chronological tables provided for the relics in display read contents related to ancient Korean history were provided by the National Museum of Korea. 

The Seoul-based museum, however, denied it, saying China arbitrarily edited what it provided, adding it demanded corrections and an apology from China.