Evolution Korea
South Korea's democratic system is vulnerable to populist tendencies. However, it is more stable than what one might expect.
Recommended Website is seeking a new paradigm of development. The Confucian culture, which stresses respect for ancestors and as and gender-specific family relationships, continues to be influential in the society. There are signs that a secular culture is emerging.
Origins
During prehistoric times, the ancestors of modern Koreans lived by hunting and gathering wild food. Around 10,000 years ago they began to cultivate crops such as millet and beans. They also raised livestock and created furs. These tribes formed tribal states one after another in Manchuria and on the Korean peninsula. They also established a metallurgy industry, producing iron tools, including bronze. They traded with other states and introduced Celadon papermaking, block printing art styles, as well as written language to Japan.
In 2333 BCE Gojoseon was established in the southern region of the peninsula. The state adopted Chinese culture, including Confucian Philosophy and Buddhism. In this period, the people of Buyeo became part of Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a hierarchical society that included a monarch as well as senior officials were drawn from the landed aristocracy while the majority of the population was peasants. The state collected taxes from these citizens, and often required them to join the army or participate in projects of the government, like building fortifications.
Onjo, a prince from Goguryeo who was also the son of Jumong the founder of Goguryeo established the state of Baekje at the close of the time. The new kingdom grew its territory to the southwest of the peninsula and clashed with Goguryeo and China's commanderies in the region. Baekje took on Confucian ideas in its state beliefs system in 1390 CE, and established the male-centric notion of filiopiety a tenet. In the name of filiopiety fathers were responsible for their families and they must be obeyed and respected by all people, even their children and grandchildren.
Goryeo, who would rule from 918 to 1392 CE gave the world the Hangul alphabet built on the patterns created by the mouth during pronunciation. This greatly improved communication between people, and resulted in an explosion of the writing of Buddhist texts. Woodblock printing and movable type were also refined. It was during this time that the Samguk sagi, or 'History Of the Three Kingdoms' first appeared in 1145 CE.
Evolution in Korea
The Korean peninsula was inhabited from Neolithic times onwards. Early evidence of human settlements is evident in the form of cist graves that were lined with stone, with precious objects like amazonite jewelry that were buried with the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens, built from 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. After that the peninsula was ruled by various states in the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC- 635 CE) including Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla. The northern part of the peninsula was for a while occupied by the Balhae Kingdom, which historians do not believe to be a true Korean state.
Following the Three Kingdoms, several smaller states emerged during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, or Several States Period (yeolgugsidae). Baekje is the most powerful of these states was diminished by the Goguryeo's fall (676 CE) leaving only its southern regions in Manchuria and the its western region around Hwanghae Bay. Eastern Buyeo and the Gaya confederacy, prospered for a while.
The Unified Silla kingdom then emerged, and the three kingdoms began to cooperate to expand their territorial holdings. Silla, with the help of the Chinese, eventually conquered and united the peninsula in 935.
As Korea enters the post-crisis era the development paradigm of the country appears to be changing. The people who are affronted by the enormous cost of the old system are urging an extensive program of liberalization of capital as well as labor and product markets. On the other hand those who support the old system want to preserve it by leveraging nationalist sentiments and exaggerating fears about job losses.
Academics and analysts are divided about the extent to which Korea's growth is influenced by these two trends. This article examines the five phases of the Korean evolution in terms of its political development: democratic democracies that are not liberal (1945-60) democratic autoritarianism (1961-72) authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-1877), democratic paternalism (2001-2002) and participatory democracy (2002). This article also identifies important factors that appear to influence these processes.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26% of the population is Christian. Creationists have succeeded in promoting their beliefs to this population. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that almost one third of respondents do not believe in the theory of evolution. Of the respondents, 41% believed that there was no scientific evidence to support the theory 39% of respondents claimed that it did not align with their religious beliefs, and 17 percent said they didn't understand it. The level of doubt is similar to that of the United States where a similar percentage do not believe humans evolved from lesser advanced forms of life.
In the past, the anti-evolutionist campaign in Korea was primarily focused on the education of students and the introduction of Christ to them. 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 Giss of ICR were the main speakers. This event attracted a large number of pastors, professors, church leaders and scientists.
The event's success resulted in the formation of the Korea Association of Creation Research on January 31st of 1980. The inaugural meeting was widely reported in national newspapers, including The Korea Times and Chosun Ilbo, and it received wide attention.
KACR began publishing a monthly newsletter, CREATION, where it reported on its activities and published articles on scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated a number of slides and film strips from ICR and some books on the subject that were in print outside of Korea. KACR members also gave talks in universities and churches across the country.
One instance of one KACR success story was at the KAIST university in Seoul. There, there were enough students interested in creationism that they raised the money and support needed to build a small museum on campus showing creationist models of fossils and other exhibits.
In addition to its public activities, KACR publishes a bimonthly news magazine, CREATION, which covers topics in the field of creation science. It also sponsored a series of talks by ICR staff. It has also organized local branches that conduct seminars and give talks to school children and other community groups.
The evolution of South Korea
In the late 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 and other fashion elements from overseas. The traditional Korean music was also replaced by rock and roll and jazz. In this period, the famous samulnori, or masked dance-dramas, became popular with the general public. These dramatic pieces were performed with the accompaniment of shaman drums and different musical instruments.
Korea's new development model is being created in the wake of the economic crisis. The main challenge for the new regime is to strike the right balance between market-oriented and state-led economic policies. It also involves rethinking the incentives monitoring and discipline strategies that have shaped the system before the crisis. These issues are discussed in Chapters 3 and 4.
Baekje, founded by Onjo Prince and third son of Jumong of Goguryeo was founded by people from the Hangang River area, Buyeo and other areas as well as migrant workers from northern China. In the early 4th century, Baekje was a major regional power and expanded its territory as far as Mahan in the north and Jeollanam-do in the south. This meant that it was constantly in conflict with Goguryeo, and the Chinese commanders at 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 its capital. He ruled a portion of today's Jeolla province as well as Chungcheong. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju and became a rival to Goguryeo.
However the rule of his was short-lived. Wang Geon, a powerful local leader who defeated Gungye in 935, and then united Goryeo, Baekje, and Silla, later incorporated Baekje into Goryeo and acted as a peaceful successor. Wang Geon also introduced fundamental reforms, and strengthened the centralized ruling system. This was the end of the Three Kingdoms Period. The Korean peninsula was then ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla gradually became powerful states in Manchuria and on the peninsula.