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

Evolution Korea

South Korea's democratic system is vulnerable to populist inclinations. However, it is more stable than might be expected.

The country is looking for a new development paradigm. A Confucian culture that stresses respect for ancestors and gendered family relations continues to influence society. However, there are signs that a secularist culture is gaining ground.

Origins

In the prehistoric era, the ancestors to modern Koreans were capable of surviving by hunting and gathering wild food. In the tens of thousands of years after they began to cultivate crops such as millet and beans. They also raised livestock and made furs. They formed tribal states in Manchuria, and then on the Korean peninsula. They also established an industry of metalworking, making bronze tools, and later iron tools. They traded with other states and introduced celadon paper making block printing art styles, and writing to Japan.

Gojoseon was founded in 2333 BCE on the southern peninsula. The state adopted Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture, including Confucian philosophy. During this period the people of Buyeo joined Gojoseon. Gojoseon had a hierarchical structure that included a monarch as well as senior officials were drawn from the landed aristocracy whereas the majority of the population was peasants. The state collected taxes from these citizens and sometimes even required them to join the army or construct fortifications.

Onjo the prince of Goguryeo who was also the son of Jumong who was the founder of Goguryeo and the state of Baekje at the end of the time. The new kingdom grew into the southwest region of the peninsula, and was at war against the Goguryeo commanderies and China's in the area. Baekje introduced elements of Confucian thought into its state beliefs and made the male-centric concept of filiopiety an official doctrine in 1390 CE. Under the guise of filiopiety fathers were responsible for their families and they must be revered and obeyed by all people, even their children and grandchildren.

Goryeo, which would rule from 918 until 1392 CE introduced the world to the Hangul alphabet that was based on the shapes formed by the mouth when it was pronounced. This greatly improved communication and led to a boom in the writing of Buddhist text. In addition, movable metal type printing was introduced, and woodblock printing was improved. In 1145 CE, the Samguk Sagi or "History of the Three Kingdoms" was first recorded.

Development in Korea

The Korean peninsula was habitable from Neolithic times until. Early evidence of human settlements can be found in the form cist graves that were lined with stone, and decorated with valuable items like amazonite jewelry being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens, and made from single large stones are widespread throughout the country.

In the first half of the 1st millennium BCE, Gojoseon established itself as the first recognized political state. The peninsula was ruled by several states during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCbetween 635 and 57 BC CE) including Baekje Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Moreover, the northern region of the peninsula was ruled by the Balhae kingdom, which many historians don't consider to be a legitimate 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 collapse of Goguryeo (676 CE) and was left with only its southern territories in Manchuria and the the 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 in order to expand their territories. Silla, with the help of the Chinese eventually conquered and united the peninsula in 935.

As Korea enters the post-crisis era its development model appears to be changing. The people who are affronted by the immense cost of the old system would prefer an extensive program of liberalization in capital as well as labor and product markets. On the other hand champions of the old system are seeking to protect it by using nationalist sentiments and inflating fears of job loss.

Policy and academic analysts are sharply divided on the extent to these two developments are driving Koreas development towards an entirely new model of economic governance. This article focuses on the five phases of Korea's evolution in terms of its political development including 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 key factors that seem to influence these processes.

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 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 evidence from science to support the theory; 39% said the theory did not align with their beliefs and 17% claimed it was difficult to comprehend.  에볼루션 코리아  of doubt is comparable to that of the United States where a similar percentage do not believe humans evolved from earlier species of life.

In the past, the majority of the anti-evolution movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and in bringing them to Christ. A significant increase in interest in creation science began in the year 1980, when there was an all-day seminar that was held during the World Evangelization Crusade in Seoul which featured Drs. Henry Morris and Duane Gish of ICR as the main speakers. This event drew an impressive crowd of scientists, professors and church leaders.

The success of the event led to the formation of the Korea Association of Creation Research on January 31st in 1980. The event was extensively covered in the national media, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.

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 a number of slides and film strips from ICR as well as some books on creationism which were already published outside of Korea. KACR members delivered lectures in universities and churches across the country.

A KACR success was witnessed at KAIST University in Seoul. There, enough students were fascinated by the concept of creationism that they raised enough money and support needed to build an on-campus museum featuring creationist fossil models and other exhibits.

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 local branches that conduct seminars and provide talks to children in schools and community groups.

Evolution in South Korea

In the late 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 with miniskirts, as well as other foreign fashion elements. The traditional Korean music was also replaced by jazz and rock & roll. In this period the samulnori, or masked dance dramas, were loved by the public. These dramatic pieces were performed with the accompaniment of shaman drums and different musical instruments.

Korea's new development paradigm is being formed in the wake of the economic crisis. The new regime's main challenge is the balance between the state-led economic policies and market-oriented ones. It also involves altering incentives, monitoring, or disciplining schemes which have created the system prior to the crisis. These issues are discussed in Chapters 3 & 4.

Baekje was 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 4th century, in the early part of, Baekje was a major regional power and expanded its territory to Mahan in the north and Jeollanam-do in the south. The kingdom was in constant conflict with Goguryeo, and the Chinese commanderies on the border.

The fall of Silla in the 8th and early 9th centuries allowed powerful local factions to rise. Gungye, a noble from Later Baekje, established a kingdom with Songak as its capital and held control over a portion of present-day Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. Later, he relocated the capital to Wansanju and became a rival to Goguryeo.

However his rule was not long-lasting. After Gungye was defeated by a powerful local leader Wang Geon, who united Goryeo with Baekje and Silla in 935. Later Baekje was peacefully incorporated into Goryeo as an heir state. Additionally, Wang Geon introduced fundamental reforms and strengthened a central government system. This marked the end of the Three Kingdoms Period. The Korean peninsula was later ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo Baekje Silla slowly developed into powerful states on the peninsula and in Manchuria.