Don't Buy Into These "Trends" About Evolution Korea
Evolution Korea
South Korea's democratic system is prone to populist tendencies. However, it is more stable than what one might expect.
The country is looking for a new paradigm of development. The Confucian culture, which stresses respect for the ancestors as and gender-specific family relationships, continues to be influential in the society. There are signs that a secularist culture is beginning to emerge.
Origins
In the early days, the ancestors to modern Koreans were capable of surviving by hunting and gathering wild foods. Then around 10,000 years ago, they began to grow crops including millet and beans. They also raised livestock and produced furs. These people formed tribal states one after the other in Manchuria and on the Korean peninsula. They also created a metallurgy industry, producing iron tools and bronze. They traded with other nations and introduced block printing to Japan and also art styles as well as a written language and papermaking.
Gojoseon was established in 2333 BCE on the southern peninsula. This state embraced Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture, including Confucian philosophy. In this period the people of Buyeo were incorporated into Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a hierarchical state where the monarch and other 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 even required them to join the army or to build fortifications.
Onjo Prince 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 period. This new kingdom expanded into the southwest of the peninsula, and was at war against Goguryeo's commanderies and China's in the region. Baekje included elements of Confucian beliefs into its official belief system and made the male-centric filiopiety concept an official doctrine in 1390 CE. In the name of filiopiety, fathers were accountable to their families, and had to be obeyed and respected by all people, even their children and grandchildren.
Goryeo, a nation that was ruled from 918 to 1392 CE in the year 1392 CE, introduced to the world the Hangul Alphabet based upon the shapes created by the mouth while pronouncing. This greatly improved communication and led to an increase in the writing of Buddhist text. Woodblock printing and movable type were also improved. It was at this time that the Samguk sagi or 'History of the Three Kingdoms' was first written in 1145 CE.
Evolution in Korea
The Korean peninsula has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Early evidence for human settlements is evident in the form graves lined with stones, with precious goods like amazonite jewellery being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, referred to as dolmens, and made of single large stones, are widespread throughout the country.
Gojoseon was the first state to be recognized during the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. The peninsula was then ruled by a number of states during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-635 CE) which included Baekje and Goguryeo. In addition, the northern region of the peninsula was occupied by the Balhae kingdom, which many historians do not consider to be a legitimate Korean state.
Following the Three Kingdoms arose the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period, or Several States Period. In all of them, Baekje was the most powerful state but its dynasty dissolved when Goguryeo was defeated in 676 CE leaving 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 cooperate to expand their territories. In the final phase, Silla, with significant Chinese assistance, defeated all other states and united the peninsula in 935 CE.
As Korea enters the post-crisis era, its development paradigm appears to be in flux. People who are shocked by the cost of the old systems support a comprehensive program of liberalization of capital, labor and product markets. On the other hand, supporters of the old system seek to keep it alive through nationalist sentiments and by stoking fears of job loss.
Academics and analysts are divided over the extent to which Korea's development is being driven by these two trends. This article reviews developments to date by analyzing five phases of Korea's political evolution including illiberal democracy (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 factors that appear to be driving these developments.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. Creationists have made progress in promoting their beliefs to this group. A survey from 2009 showed that nearly a third of respondents didn't believe in evolution. Of those, 41% said there was not enough scientific evidence to support the theory; 39% claimed that it did not align with their religious beliefs. 17% said they did not comprehend it. This level of disbelief is comparable to that of the United States, where a similar number of people do not believe that humans evolved from earlier types of life.
In the past, the majority of the anti-evolution movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and leading them to Christ. In 1980 an all-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. The event was attended by a large number of professors, church leaders and scientists.
The event's success resulted in the formation of the Korea Association of Creation Research on January 31 of 1980. The event was extensively covered in the national press, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
에볼루션 룰렛 began publishing a newsletter called CREATION. In it, the group presented its own work and published articles on scientific evidence supporting creationism. It also translated several slides and film strips from ICR and some books on the subject that were in print outside of Korea. KACR members gave lectures across the nation in universities and churches.
One example of an KACR success story took place at the KAIST university in Seoul. Students at the KAIST university in Seoul were so fascinated by creationism that they raised money and secured funding to construct a small museum dedicated to creation on campus.
In addition to its public activities, KACR publishes a bimonthly news magazine called CREATION which covers topics in creation science, and it has sponsored a series of talks by ICR staff. It also has an organization of local branch offices that host seminars and talks to schoolchildren and other community groups.
Changes 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 traditional hanbok, or Korean dress, was replaced to miniskirts, as well as other fashion elements from abroad. In the same way, traditional Korean music styles were replaced by contemporary rock and roll and jazz. In this time the samulnori, or dance-dramas with masks were extremely popular. These dramatic pieces were performed to the accompaniment of shaman drums and other instruments.
The economic crisis has formed Korea's new model of development. The new regime's main challenge lies in the proper balance between state-led economic policies and market-based ones. It also involves changing the incentives, monitoring, and disciplining strategies that have created the system prior to the crisis. These issues are examined in Chapters 3 and 4.
Baekje was founded by Onjo the prince and third son of Jumong of Goguryeo was established by people from the Hangang River area, Buyeo and other regions, as well as migrants from northern China. In the 4th century, in the early part of, Baekje was a major regional power, and expanded its territory as far as Mahan in the north and Jeollanam-do in the south. Consequently, it came into frequent conflict with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanders along the border.
The fall of Silla in the late 8th and early 9th centuries allowed powerful local factions to emerge. Gungye, a noble from Later Baekje, established a kingdom with Songak as its capital. He also was in control of a portion of present-day Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju and became a rival to Goguryeo.
The rule of his was, however, short-lived. Wang Geon, a powerful local leader who defeated Gungye in 935 and united Goryeo, Baekje, and Silla Later, he incorporated Baekje into Goryeo peacefully as a successor. Wang Geon also introduced fundamental reforms and strengthened the central government system. This marked the end to the Three Kingdoms Period. The Korean peninsula was later ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms period, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla gradually grew to become powerful states in Manchuria and on the peninsula.