Evolution Korea
South Korea's democracy is prone to populist inclinations. Nonetheless, it is healthier than what one might expect.
The country is seeking a new paradigm of development. The Confucian culture, which emphasizes respect for ancestors and as well as gendered family relationships, continues to be influential in the society. However, there are signs that a secular culture is beginning to emerge.
Origins
In prehistoric times the ancestors of modern Koreans survived by hunting and gathering wild food. Around 10,000 years ago, they began to grow crops including millet and beans. They also raised livestock and made furs. They also established tribal states one after another in Manchuria and on the Korean peninsula. They also created a metallurgy industry, producing iron tools, including bronze. They traded with other states and introduced cedon paper making, block printing art styles, and written language to Japan.
In 2333 BCE Gojoseon was established in the southern part of the peninsula. The state embraced Chinese culture which included Confucian Philosophy and Buddhism. During this time, the people of Buyeo joined Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a state of hierarchy where the monarch and senior officials were members of the aristocracy of the land, while the rest of the population was peasants. The state collected taxes from these people and sometimes even forced them to serve in the army or construct fortifications.
Onjo the prince of Goguryeo who was also the son of Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo, founded the state of Baekje at the close of the time. This new kingdom expanded its territory into the southwest of the peninsula and fought with Goguryeo and China's commanderies in the area. Baekje accepted Confucian ideas in its state beliefs system in 1390 CE and introduced the male-centric concept of filiopiety a doctrine. Under the guise of filiopiety fathers were responsible for their families and they must be revered and obeyed by all, including their grandchildren and children.
Goryeo, a country that ruled from 918 until 1392 CE in the year 1392 CE, introduced to the world the Hangul Alphabet, based on the patterns created by the mouth when pronouncing. This greatly improved communication and led to a boom in the writing of Buddhist text. Woodblock printing and movable type were also improved. In 1145 CE, the Samguk Sagi or "History of the Three Kingdoms" was recorded for the first time.
Development in Korea
The Korean peninsula has been habitable since Neolithic times. Early evidence of human settlements are evident in the form stone-lined cist graves with precious goods like amazonite jewelry being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens, constructed from massive single stones, are also common throughout the country.
Gojoseon became the first political state to be recognized during the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. The peninsula was ruled by a variety of states during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC- 635 CE) including Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla. In addition, the northern region of the peninsula was occupied by the Balhae kingdom, which many historians don't consider to be a valid Korean state.
Following the Three Kingdoms, several smaller states emerged during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, or Several States Period (yeolgugsidae). In all of them, Baekje was the most powerful but its dynasty dissolved when Goguryeo was defeated in 676 CE and left it 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 in order to expand their territorial holdings. In the final, Silla, with significant Chinese aid, conquered all other states and united the peninsula in 935 CE.
As Korea enters a post-crisis era, its development paradigm seems to be in flux. Those who are horrified by the enormous costs of the old systems support a comprehensive program of liberalization of labor, capital and markets for products. On the other hand, those who support the old system seek to keep it in place by leveraging nationalist sentiments and generating fear about job losses.
Academics and analysts are divided about the extent to which Korea's growth is being driven by these two trends. This article assesses the latest developments by analyzing five phases of the country's political evolution that include the illiberal democratic period (1945-60), democratic authoritarianism (1961-72) and authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-87), democratic paternalism (1987-2001), and participatory democracy (2002 to the present). This article also highlights the most important elements that are the driving force behind these developments.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. The creationists have been successful in promoting their views among this population. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that nearly one third of respondents do not believe in the theory of evolution. Of the respondents, 41% stated that there was not enough evidence from science to support the theory; 39% said the theory was in contradiction to their religious beliefs; and 17% said it was difficult to understand. This level of doubt is similar to that of the United States, where a majority of people do not believe that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life.
In the past of the anti-evolution movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and bringing them to Christ. A significant increase in interest in creation science came in 1980, with the inauguration of a four-day seminar during the World Evangelization Crusade in Seoul that included Drs. Henry Morris and Duane Gish of ICR as the main speakers. The event attracted an audience of scientists, professors and church leaders.
The success of this event led to the creation of the Korea Association of Creation Research (KACR) on January 31, 1981. The meeting was covered extensively in national newspapers including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
KACR started publishing a newsletter titled CREATION. In it, the group presented its own work and published articles about scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated a number of slides and film strips from ICR as well as a few books on the subject of creationism, which were published outside of Korea. KACR members delivered lectures in universities and churches across the country.
A KACR success was seen at KAIST University in Seoul. Students at KAIST in Seoul were fascinated by creationism that they raised funds and received funding to build a small creationist museum on campus.
In addition to its activities, KACR has published a bimonthly magazine called CREATION. The magazine covers subjects that pertain to the science of creation. It also sponsored a series lectures by ICR staff. It has also established an organization of local branch offices that host talks and seminars to children and other community groups.
Evolution in South Korea
In the late 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 and other fashion elements from abroad. Similar to the way traditional Korean music styles were replaced by modern rock and roll and jazz. During this time, the famous samulnori, or masked dance-dramas, were popular with the general public. These dramatic pieces were performed to the accompaniment of shaman drummers as well as other instruments.
The economic crisis has shaped Korea's new paradigm of development. The biggest challenge facing the new regime is to find an equilibrium between market-oriented and state-led policies. It also requires changing incentives, monitoring or disciplining schemes which have created the system prior to 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 areas, as well as migrants 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 commanderies on the border.
The decline of Silla between the 8th and 9th centuries led to the development 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 today's Jeolla province as well as Chungcheong. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju. He became an adversary to Goguryeo.
His rule was however only for a short time. 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. From that point on, the Korean peninsula was under the control of the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla gradually grew to become powerful states in Manchuria and on the peninsula.