Evolution Korea
South Korea's democracy is prone to populist impulses. It is still healthier than expected.
The country is searching for a new way of developing. A Confucian culture that values respect for the ancestors and gendered family relations continues influence society. There are signs that a secularist culture is gaining ground.
Origins
In prehistoric times the ancestors of the today's Koreans were able to survive by hunting and gathering wild food. About 10,000 years ago, they began to cultivate millet, beans, and other crops. They also raised livestock and made furs. They established tribal states in Manchuria, and then on the Korean peninsula. They also created a metalworking industry, producing bronze tools and later iron ones. They traded with other states and introduced Celadon paper making block printing art styles, and writing to Japan.
In 2333 BCE Gojoseon came into existence on the southern part of the peninsula. This state adopted Chinese culture that included Confucian Philosophy and Buddhism. During this period the people of Buyeo joined Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a hierarchical state where the monarch and senior officials came from the aristocracy of the land, while the rest of its population was peasants. The state collected taxes from these citizens and sometimes required them to fight in the army or work on projects of the government, like building fortifications.
At the end of this period, the state of Baekje was established by Onjo who was a prince of Goguryeo and the son of Jumong who was the founder of Goguryeo. The new kingdom expanded its territory into the southwest of the peninsula and fought with Goguryeo and China's commanderies in the region. Baekje included elements of Confucian thinking into its state belief system and made the male-centric filiopiety concept an official doctrine in 1390 CE. In the name of filiopiety fathers were responsible for their families and had to be respected and obeyed by everyone, even their children and grandchildren.
Goryeo, a nation that was ruled from 918 to 1392 CE and gave the world the Hangul Alphabet based on the shapes that were created by the mouth when it pronounces. 에볼루션 evolutionkr improved communication and led to a boom in the writing of Buddhist text. 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 has been habitable since Neolithic times and early evidence of human settlements are evident in the form graves lined with stones, with precious objects such as amazonite jewellery being buried with the dead. Megalithic structures, referred to as dolmens, constructed from huge single stones, are widespread throughout the country.
In the first part 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) which included Baekje and Goguryeo. Moreover, the northern region of the peninsula was occupied by the Balhae kingdom, which many 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). Among them, Baekje was the most powerful of them all but its dynasty dissolved with the fall of Goguryeo 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 flourished for a short 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 is entering a post-crisis period, its development paradigm seems to be in flux. The people who are awed by the huge costs of the old systems advocate a comprehensive program of liberalization of capital, labor and markets for products. On the other hand champions of the old system are seeking to preserve it by leveraging nationalist sentiments and generating fear over potential job losses.
The academic and policy analysts remain sharply divided on the extent to the extent that these two developments are driving Koreas evolution towards a new model of economic governance. This article assesses developments to date, by looking at five phases of Korea's political development: democratic illiberalism (1945-60), democratic authoritarianism (1961-72) and authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-87), democratic paternalism (1987-2001), and democratic participation (2002 to the present). This article also highlights the most important factors that are shaping these processes.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. The creationists have been successful in promoting their views to this population. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly three-quarters of respondents did not believe in the theory of evolution. Of those who voted, 41% said that there wasn't enough scientific evidence to support evolution 39% of respondents said that the theory was in contradiction to their religious beliefs; and 17% said it was difficult to understand. This level of disbelief is comparable to that in the United States, where a similar percentage of people are not convinced that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life.
In the past, the anti-evolutionist campaign in Korea was primarily focused on teaching students and bringing Christ to them. In 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 featured speakers. This event drew a large audience of scientists, professors, and church leaders.
The event's success led to the creation of the Korea Association of Creation Research on January 31 of 1980. The event was extensively covered in the national media, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
KACR began publishing a monthly newsletter, CREATION, in which it covered its activities and also published articles on the scientific evidence supporting creationism. It also translated a number of slides and film strips from ICR and some books on the subject that were already in print outside of Korea. KACR members gave lectures across the nation in universities and churches.
A KACR success was seen at KAIST University in Seoul. There, there were enough students interested in creationism that they raised the money and support needed to build 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 a variety of topics in the field of creation science. It also sponsored a series lectures by ICR staff. It has also established branches in local offices that give talks and seminars to children and other community groups.
Changes in South Korea
In the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early 20th century, Korea began to adopt a more Westernized style of life. The traditional hanbok, or Korean dress, gave way to miniskirts and other style elements from abroad. The traditional Korean music was also replaced by jazz and rock & roll. At this time, the famous samulnori, or masked dance-dramas, were loved by the public. These dramatic pieces were performed to the accompaniment of shaman drummers and other instruments.
The economic crisis has shaped Korea's new model of development. The biggest challenge facing the new regime is to strike a balance between state-led and market-oriented economic policies. It also involves changing the incentives, monitoring, and disciplining strategies that have been a part of the system prior to the crisis. These issues are addressed in Chapters 3 and 4.
Baekje, founded by Onjo the 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. 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. As a result, it was in frequent conflict with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanders across the border.
The decline of Silla in the late 8th and early 9th centuries enabled powerful local factions to emerge. Gungye an eminent noble from Later Baekje, established a kingdom with Songak as its capital. He also exerted control over part of present-day Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. Later, he moved the capital to Wansanju and became a rival to Goguryeo.
His rule was however short-lived. Wang Geon, a powerful local leader who defeated Gungye in 935, and then united Goryeo, Baekje, and Silla and later joined Baekje into Goryeo and acted as a peaceful successor. Additionally, Wang Geon introduced fundamental reforms and strengthened a centralized ruling system. This was the end of the Three Kingdoms Period. From then on the Korean peninsula was under the control of the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo Baekje Silla slowly grew into powerful states on the peninsula as well as in Manchuria.