Evolution Korea
South Korea's democracy is susceptible to populist impulses. It's still better than expected.
The country is searching for an alternative development model. The Confucian culture, which emphasizes respect for ancestors as well as gendered family relationships, continues to influence the society. But there are signs that a secularist culture is beginning to emerge.
Origins
During prehistoric times the ancestors of the modern Koreans lived on hunting and gathering wild food. Then around 10,000 years ago they began to cultivate crops such as millet and beans. They also raised livestock and produced furs. They created tribal states in Manchuria, and then on the Korean peninsula. They also developed a metallurgy industry, producing iron tools and bronze. They traded with other states and introduced cedon papermaking, block printing art styles, as well as written language to Japan.
In 2333 BCE Gojoseon came into existence in the southern part of the peninsula. The state embraced Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture including Confucian philosophy. During this time, the people of Buyeo were incorporated into Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a hierarchical state where the monarch and senior officials were from the aristocracy of the land, while the rest of its population was peasants. The state extracted taxes from these citizens and sometimes required them to serve in the army or take part in projects of the government, like building fortifications.
Onjo Prince Onjo, a prince from Goguryeo who was also the son of Jumong the founder of Goguryeo and the state of Baekje at the end of the time. This new kingdom expanded its territory into the southwest of the peninsula and fought with Goguryeo and China's commandos in the region. Baekje included elements of Confucian thinking into its state belief system and made the male-centric filiopiety concept as a law in 1390 CE. In the name of filiopiety, fathers were responsible to their families. They were expected to be obeyed by all and respected by their children and grandchildren.
Goryeo, a country which ruled from 918 until 1392 CE, gave the world the Hangul Alphabet based on the shapes that were created by the mouth when pronouncing. This dramatically improved the communication between people and resulted in an explosion of the writing of Buddhist texts. Woodblock printing and movable 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 has been continuously inhabited since Neolithic times. The earliest evidence of human settlements is visible in the form of graves lined with stones, with precious goods like amazonite jewelry being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens, made of enormous single stones, are also prevalent throughout the country.
In the first half of the 1st millennium BCE, Gojoseon established itself as the first recognized political state. The peninsula was then ruled by a number of states during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-635 CE) including Baekje and Goguryeo. The northern part of the peninsula was for a while occupied by the Balhae Kingdom which historians do not consider to be a genuine Korean state.
Following the Three Kingdoms, several smaller states emerged in the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, or Several States Period (yeolgugsidae). Among them, Baekje was the most powerful but its dynasty dissolved when Goguryeo was defeated in 676 CE and left the southern provinces of Manchuria and the western region around 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 collaborate to expand their territories. Silla with the help of the Chinese, eventually conquered and unified the peninsula in 935.
As Korea enters a post-crisis phase, its development paradigm seems to be in flux. Those who are horrified by the huge costs of the old systems are in favor of a comprehensive plan for liberalization of capital, labor and product markets. On the other hand, champions of the old system seek to keep it in place by leveraging nationalist sentiments and inflating fears about job losses.
Academic and policy analysts remain sharply divided on the extent to the extent that these two developments are driving Koreas shift towards a new model of economic governance. This article examines the five phases of Korea's development in terms of its political development including illiberal democracies (1945-60), democratic autoritarianism (1961-72) authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-1877) democratic paternalism (2001-2002) and participatory democracy (2002). This article also identifies key factors that are driving these developments.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. Creationists have made significant progress in promoting their beliefs to this group. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that almost one third of respondents do not believe in evolution. Of those, 41% said that there was insufficient scientific evidence to support the theory; 39% believed it was contrary to their religious beliefs; and 17 percent said they did not know what it meant. This level of disbelief approaches that in the United States, where a similar percentage of people do not believe that humans evolved from earlier species of life.
In the past of the anti-evolution movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and in bringing them to Christ. click the following article in the interest in creation science occurred in the year 1980, following the inauguration of a four-day seminar during the World Evangelization Crusade in Seoul which included Drs. Henry Morris and Duane Gish of ICR as the keynote speakers. This event attracted a huge number of church leaders, and scientists.
The success of the event led to the creation of the Korea Association of Creation Research on January 31st of 1980. The event was extensively covered in the national media, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
KACR started publishing a newsletter titled CREATION. In CREATION, the organization reported on its own activities and published articles on the scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated several slides and film strips from ICR as well as some books on creationism which were already published outside of Korea. KACR members gave lectures at universities and churches throughout the country.
One instance of a KACR success story occurred at the KAIST university in Seoul. There, there were enough students interested in the idea of creationism that they raised the money and support to put up an on-campus museum showing creationist models of fossils and other exhibits.
In addition to its work, KACR has published a bimonthly magazine, CREATION. The magazine covers subjects that pertain to the science of creation. It also hosted a series of lectures by ICR staff. It has also organized local branches, which hold seminars and provide talks to school children and community groups.
Evolution in South Korea
In the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early 20th century, Korea began to adopt a more Westernized style of life. The hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, gave way to miniskirts, as well as other fashion elements from abroad. Similar to the way traditional Korean music styles were replaced by modern jazz and rock and roll. During this time, the famous samulnori, or masked dance dramas, were popular with the public. These dramatic pieces were performed to the accompaniment of shaman drummers and other instruments of music.
Korea's new model of development is being formed in the wake of the economic crisis. The primary challenge for the new regime is to strike an equilibrium between market-oriented and state-led policies. It also involves altering incentives, monitoring, or disciplining systems that have created the system prior to the crisis. These issues are examined in Chapters 3 and 4.
Baekje, founded by Onjo Prince and third son of Jumong of Goguryeo was established by people from the Hangang River area, Buyeo, and other areas, as well as migrants from northern China. Baekje was an important regional power in the early 4th century extended its territory to Mahan in the north and Jeollanam-do south. Consequently, it came into frequent confrontation with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanderies along the border.
The decline of Silla between the 8th and 9th centuries resulted in 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 was the ruler of a large portion of today's Jeolla province and Chungcheong. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju and became a rival of Goguryeo.
His rule was however short-lived. After his defeat, Gungye was replaced by a powerful local leader Wang Geon, who united Goryeo with Baekje and Silla in 935, Later Baekje was peacefully incorporated into Goryeo as an alternative state. Wang Geon also introduced fundamental reforms, and strengthened the centralized ruling system. This marked the end of the Three Kingdoms Period. From that point on the Korean peninsula was ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo Baekje Silla gradually grew into powerful states on the peninsula and in Manchuria.