Evolution Korea: It's Not As Expensive As You Think

Evolution Korea

South Korea's democratic system is prone to populist tendencies. It is still healthier than was expected.

The country is searching for a new paradigm of development. A Confucian culture that emphasizes respect for ancestors as well as gendered family relationships continues to influence society. There are signs of a secularist cultural trend forming.

Origins

During prehistoric times the ancestors of the modern Koreans survived by hunting and gathering wild food. Around 10,000 years ago, they began to cultivate millet and beans as well as other crops. They also raised livestock and made furs. They formed tribal states in Manchuria, and then on the Korean peninsula. They also created an industry of metallurgy, which produced bronze and later iron tools. They traded with other nations and introduced block printing to Japan along with art styles, a written language, and papermaking.

Gojoseon was founded in 2333 BCE on the southern peninsula. The state embraced Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture including Confucian philosophy. In this time, the inhabitants of Buyeo joined Gojoseon. Gojoseon had a hierarchical structure with a monarch and top officials were drawn from the landed aristocracy whereas the majority of the population was peasants. The state took taxes from these citizens and sometimes even forced them to join the army or construct fortifications.

At the end of the period, the state of Baekje was founded by Onjo who was a prince of Goguryeo and the son of Jumong who was the founder of Goguryeo.  에볼루션 무료체험 www.evolutionkr.kr  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 beliefs and made the male centered concept of filiopiety an official doctrine in 1390 CE. Under the cover of filiopiety fathers were responsible to their families. They were expected to be obeyed by everyone and respected by their children and grandchildren.

Goryeo, which would rule from 918 until 1392 CE established the Hangul alphabet that was based on the shapes formed by the mouth during pronunciation. This greatly improved communication and led to a boom in the writing of Buddhist text. Additionally, movable metallic type printing was introduced and woodblock printing was improved. 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 onwards. Early evidence of human settlements can be found in the form of cist graves lined with stone, and decorated with valuable items like amazonite jewelry that were buried with the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens and constructed of large stones in a single piece, are widespread throughout the country.

Gojoseon became the first political state to be recognized during the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. After that, the peninsula was ruled by several states in the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCfrom 635 CE) including Baekje Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The northern portion of the peninsula was occupied for a period by the Balhae Kingdom, which historians do not consider to be a genuine Korean state.

After the Three Kingdoms, several smaller states emerged in the Proto-Three Kingdoms period, or Several States Period (yeolgugsidae). Baekje is the most powerful of these states was weakened by the fall of Goguryeo (676 CE) leaving only its southern territories in Manchuria and the western region around Hwanghae Bay. Eastern Buyeo and the Gaya confederacy, thrived for a while.

The Unified Silla Kingdom then emerged and the three kingdoms began to cooperate to expand their territories. In the end, Silla, with significant Chinese aid, conquered all other states and unified the peninsula in 935 CE.

As Korea enters a post-crisis era its development model appears to be in flux. People who are shocked by the cost 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 want to preserve it by leveraging nationalist sentiments and exaggerating fears of job loss.

Academics and analysts are divided about the extent to which Korea's growth is influenced by these two trends. This article assesses developments to date, by looking at five phases of Korea's political evolution that include illiberal democracy (1945-60), democratic authoritarianism (1961-72), authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-87) democratic paternalism (1987-2001) and democratic participation (2002 to the present). This article also highlights important factors that appear to be influencing these developments.

Creationism in Korea

In South Korea, 26% of the population is Christian. Creationists have made strides in promoting their views to this group. A survey in 2009 found that nearly a third of respondents did not believe in the theory of evolution. Of those, 41% said that there was no scientific evidence to support the theory 39% of respondents said it contradicted their religious beliefs; and 17 percent said they didn't comprehend it. This level of disbelief approaches that of the United States, where a similar percentage of people are not convinced that humans evolved from earlier types of life.

In the past, the anti-evolution campaign in Korea was focused on the education of students and in bringing 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 keynote speakers. This event was attended by an impressive crowd of professors, scientists, and church leaders.

The success of this event resulted in the creation of the Korea Association of Creation Research (KACR) on January 31, 1981. The inaugural meeting was widely covered in the national press, including The Korea Times and Chosun Ilbo, and it attracted a lot of attention.

KACR began publishing a newsletter called CREATION. In CREATION, the organization reported on its own activities and published articles on scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated film strips and slides from ICR as well as a few books on the subject of creationism, which were already published outside of Korea. KACR members gave lectures across the country at universities and churches.

One example of a KACR success story was at the KAIST university in Seoul. There, enough students were fascinated by the concept of creationism that they raised enough money and support to put up a small museum on campus featuring creationist fossil models and other exhibits.

In addition to its activities, KACR has published a bimonthly magazine, CREATION. This magazine covers topics in the field of creation science. It also hosted a series of lectures by ICR staff. It has also created branches in local offices that offer seminars and talks to schoolchildren and community groups.

Evolution in South Korea

In the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, Korea began to adopt a more Westernized style of life. 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 period the famous samulnori or masked dance dramas, were popular with the general public. These dramatic pieces were performed to the beat 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 the right balance between market-oriented and state-led policies. It also involves rethinking the incentives monitoring and discipline schemes that have shaped the system prior to the crisis. These issues are covered 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. Baekje, a major regional power in the early 4th Century, expanded its territory to Mahan in north and Jeollanam-do south. This meant that it was constantly in conflict with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanders on the border.

The decline of Silla between the 8th and 9th centuries led to the rise of powerful local factions. Gungye was a noble from Later Baekje, established a kingdom with Songak as its capital. It also exerted control over part of the present-day Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju. He was an adversary to Goguryeo.

His rule was however short-lived. After Gungye's defeat, he was overthrown by a powerful local leader Wang Geon, who united Goryeo with Baekje and Silla in 935, Later Baekje was peacefully integrated into Goryeo as an heir state. Wang Geon also introduced fundamental reforms and strengthened the central government system. This marked the closing of the Three Kingdoms period. From that point the Korean peninsula was ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla gradually developed into powerful states in Manchuria and on the peninsula.