Evolution Korea
South Korea's democracy is susceptible to populist tendencies. However, it is more stable than might be expected.
The country is searching for an innovative development paradigm. The Confucian culture, which stresses respect for ancestors as well as gendered family relationships, continues to influence the society. There are indications of a secularist cultural trend forming.
Origins
In the prehistoric era the ancestors of modern Koreans were able to survive by hunting and gathering wild food. Around 10,000 years ago, they began to grow crops such as millet and beans. They also raised livestock, and also made furs. They established tribal states in Manchuria, and then on the Korean peninsula. They also created an industry for metalworking, which produced bronze tools and later iron ones. They traded with other countries and introduced block printing to Japan, as well as art styles, a written language, and papermaking.
In 2333 BCE Gojoseon was founded in the southern part of the peninsula. The state adopted Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture, including Confucian philosophy. At this time the people of Buyeo were part of Gojoseon. Gojoseon had a hierarchical structure with a monarch and top officials were drawn from the landed aristocracy whereas the rest of the population were peasants. The state collected taxes from these people and sometimes even forced them to serve in the army or to build fortifications.
At the end of this period, the state of Baekje was founded by Onjo who was a prince of Goguryeo and was the son of Jumong who was the founder of Goguryeo. The new kingdom expanded to the southwest part of the peninsula, and fought against the Goguryeo commanderies and China's in the region. Baekje accepted Confucian ideas into its state beliefs system in 1390 CE and made the male-centered concept of filiopiety a doctrine. Under the guise filiopiety, fathers were accountable to their families. They must be obedient to everyone and respected even by their children and grandchildren.
Goryeo, who ruled from 918 to 1392 CE established the Hangul alphabet that was based on the shapes formed by the mouth when it was pronounced. This greatly improved communication and led to a rise in the writing of Buddhist text. click the next web page and the movable metal type were also refined. In 1145 CE the Samguk Sagi or "History of the Three Kingdoms" was recorded for the first time.
The evolution of Korea
The Korean peninsula was inhabited from Neolithic times to. Early evidence of human settlements is evident in the form cist graves lined with stones, and adorned with precious objects like amazonite jewelry being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, referred to as dolmens, constructed from huge single stones, are also common throughout the country.
Gojoseon became the first political state to be recognized during the first half of 1st millennium BCE. The peninsula was then under the control of a variety of states during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-635 CE), including Baekje and Goguryeo. Moreover, the northern region of the peninsula was occupied by the Balhae kingdom, which most historians do not believe to be a legitimate Korean state.
Following the Three Kingdoms, several smaller states emerged in the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, or Several States Period (yeolgugsidae). Of them, Baekje was the most powerful of them all but its dynasty dissolved when Goguryeo was defeated in 676 CE, leaving Baekje with its southern territories of Manchuria and the western region surrounding the Hwanghae Bay, while eastern Buyeo and the Gaya confederacy prospered for a period of time.
The Unified Silla kingdom then emerged and the three kingdoms began to work together to expand their territory. In the end, Silla, with significant Chinese aid, conquered the other states and unified the peninsula in 935 CE.
As Korea enters the post-crisis period the development paradigm of the country appears to be in flux. The people who are awed by the cost of the old systems are in favor of a comprehensive plan for liberalization of capital, labor and markets for products. On the other hand supporters of the old system want to preserve it by leveraging nationalist sentiments and inflating fears over potential job losses.
Policy and academic analysts are in a tense debate about the extent to these two developments are driving Koreas development towards a new model of economic governance. This article reviews the latest developments by analyzing five phases of Korea's political evolution including the illiberal democratic period (1945-60), democratic authoritarianism (1961-72) authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-87) democratic paternalism (1987-2001), and participatory democracy (2002 to present). This article also highlights the most important factors that are the driving force behind these developments.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. Creationists have had success in promoting their views among this population. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly a third of respondents did not believe in evolution. Of those, 41% claimed that there was not enough scientific evidence to support evolution 39% claimed that the theory was in contradiction to their religious beliefs and 17% claimed it was difficult to grasp. This level of doubt is similar to that in the United States, where a majority of people do not accept that humans evolved from earlier species of life.
In the past, most of the anti-evolutionist movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and leading them to Christ. In 1980 the year 1980, a four-day creation science seminar was held in Seoul during the World Evangelization Crusade. Drs. Henry Morris and Duane Gish of ICR as the main speakers. The event attracted an impressive crowd of scientists, professors, and church leaders.
The success of this event led to the founding of the Korea Association of Creation Research (KACR) on January 31st 1981. The event was widely covered in the national media, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
KACR began publishing a monthly newsletter called CREATION, where it reported on its activities and also published articles on scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated slides and film strips from ICR as well as a few books on creationism that were published outside of Korea. KACR members lectured throughout the nation in universities and churches.
A KACR success was witnessed at KAIST University in Seoul. There, enough students were interested in the idea of creationism that they raised the funds and support needed to build an on-campus museum featuring creationist fossil models and other exhibits.
In addition to its public activities, KACR publishes a bimonthly news magazine called CREATION, which covers topics in the field of creation science, and it has hosted a series of lectures by ICR staff. It has also established a network of local branches, which hold seminars and present talks to schoolchildren and other community groups.
Changes in South Korea
In the latter part of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, Korea began to adopt an increasingly Westernized lifestyle. The traditional Korean dress, the hanbok, was replaced by miniskirts, as well as other fashion elements from abroad. The traditional Korean music was also replaced by rock and roll and jazz. In this time the samulnori, or dance-dramas with masks were extremely popular. These dramatic pieces were performed to the accompaniment of shaman drums as well as different musical instruments.
Korea's new development model is being created in the wake of the economic crisis. The biggest challenge facing the new regime is to strike a balance between market-oriented and state-led policies. It also requires a change in the incentives monitoring and discipline policies that created the system before the crisis. These issues are addressed in Chapters 3 and 4.
Baekje was founded by Onjo Prince and third son of Jumong of Goguryeo was founded by people from the Hangang River area, Buyeo and other regions as well as migrant workers from northern China. Baekje, one of the major regional powers in the early 4th century expanded its territory to Mahan in north and Jeollanam-do south. Consequently, it came into frequent battle with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanderies across the border.
The decline of Silla between the 8th and 9th centuries led to the rise of powerful local factions. Gungye was a nobleman from Later Baekje who established a kingdom in Songak with Songak as the capital. He controlled a part of the present-day Jeolla province as well as Chungcheong. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju. He was a rival to Goguryeo.
The rule of his was, however, short-lived. After Gungye's defeat, he was overthrown by an influential local leader, Wang Geon, who united Goryeo with Baekje and Silla in 935, Later Baekje was peacefully integrated into Goryeo as a successor state. Wang Geon also introduced fundamental reforms, and strengthened the centrally-run system. This marked the conclusion of the Three Kingdoms period. The Korean peninsula was then ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo Baekje Silla slowly grew into powerful states on the peninsula, and in Manchuria.