An In-Depth Look Back: How People Talked About Evolution Korea 20 Years Ago
Evolution Korea
South Korea's democratic system is vulnerable to populist tendencies. It's still more stable than was expected.
The country is looking for a new paradigm of development. A Confucian culture that emphasizes respect for ancestors and gendered family relations continues influence society. There are indications of a secularist cultural trend that is emerging.
Origins
In prehistoric times the ancestors of modern Koreans lived on 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 created furs. They formed tribal states in Manchuria and later on the Korean peninsula. They also developed an industry for metalworking, which produced bronze tools and later iron tools. They traded with other countries and introduced block printing to Japan and also art styles, a written language, and papermaking.
Gojoseon was established in 2333 BCE on the southern peninsula. The state adopted Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture, including Confucian philosophy. At this time the people of Buyeo were incorporated into Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a hierarchical society with a monarch and senior officials were drawn from the landed aristocracy, while the majority of the population was peasants. The state collected taxes from these people, and sometimes forced them to serve in the army or to build fortifications.
Onjo Prince Onjo, a prince from Goguryeo who was also the son of Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo and the state of Baekje at the close of the period. This new kingdom expanded its territory to the southwest of the peninsula, and was at war with Goguryeo and China's commanderies in the area. Baekje adopted Confucian ideas into its state belief system in 1390 CE, and established the male-centric notion of filiopiety into a doctrine. Under the cover of filiopiety fathers were responsible to their families. They had to be obeyed by all and respected even by their grandchildren and children.
Goryeo, who ruled from 918 to 1392 CE introduced the world to the Hangul alphabet that was based on the shapes formed by the mouth when it was pronounced. This dramatically improved the communication between people and resulted in an explosion of the writing of Buddhist texts. Additionally, movable metal type printing was introduced and woodblock printing was refined. In 1145 CE the Samguk Sagi, or "History of the Three Kingdoms" was first recorded.
The evolution of Korea
The Korean peninsula has been habitable since Neolithic times and early evidence of human settlements are evident in the form stone-lined cist graves with precious objects like amazonite jewelry being buried alongside the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens and constructed of single large stones, are prevalent throughout the country.
Gojoseon was the first political state to be recognized in the first half of the 1st millennium BCE. The peninsula was then controlled by a variety of states during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-635 CE), including Baekje and Goguryeo. The northern region of the peninsula was occupied for a time by the Balhae Kingdom that historians do believe to be a true Korean state.
After the Three Kingdoms arose the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period, also known as the Several States Period. Among them, Baekje was the most powerful, but its dynasty ended by 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 thrived for some time.
The Unified Silla kingdom then emerged, and the three kingdoms began to work together in order to expand their territories. Silla with the aid of the Chinese, eventually conquered and united the peninsula in 935.
As Korea is entering the post-crisis phase, its development paradigm appears to be in flux. Those who are horrified by the cost of the old system support a comprehensive program of liberalization of capital, labor and markets for products. On the other hand the supporters of the old system attempt to keep it alive through nationalist sentiments, and by inflating fears about potential job loss.
Academic and policy analysts remain starkly divided as to the extent to which these two trends are driving Koreas shift towards an entirely new model of economic governance. This article assesses the latest developments by analyzing five phases of the country's political evolution: illiberal democracy (1945-60) democratic authoritarianism (1961-72), authoritarian exceptionalism (1972-87), democratic paternalism (1987-2001) and participatory democracy (2002 to the present). This article also identifies some significant factors that may influence these processes.
Creationism in Korea
In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. Creationists have made significant progress in promoting their views to this group. A 2009 survey found that nearly three-quarters of respondents did not believe in the theory of evolution. Of those who voted, 41% stated there was not enough scientific evidence to support the theory; 39% believed it was contrary to their religious beliefs, and 17 percent said they did not know what it meant. This level of disbelief is comparable to that of the United States, where a similar percentage of people do not believe that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life.
In the past, most of the anti-evolution movement in Korea was focused on educating college students and bringing 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 Giss of ICR were the featured speakers. This event was attended by a large audience of professors, scientists, and church leaders.
The success of this event resulted in the founding of the Korea Association of Creation Research (KACR) on January 31, 1981. The event was extensively covered in the national press, including The Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo and The Korea Times.
KACR began publishing a newsletter called CREATION. In it, the group presented its own work and published articles on the scientific evidence for creationism. It also translated several 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 gave lectures across the nation in universities and churches.
A KACR success was seen at KAIST University in Seoul. There, students were so interested in creationism that they raised the funds and support to construct a small museum on campus showing creationist models of fossils and other exhibits.
In addition to its activities, KACR has published a bimonthly magazine called CREATION. The magazine covers subjects in the creation science. It also hosted a series of lectures by ICR staff. It has also established local branches that conduct seminars and present talks to school children and other community groups.
The evolution of 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 hanbok, or Korean dress, was replaced to miniskirts and other fashion elements imported from overseas. The traditional Korean music was also replaced by 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 and other instruments of music.
Korea's new development model is being formed in the aftermath of the economic crisis. The primary challenge for the new regime is to strike an equilibrium between market-oriented and state-led policies. It also requires a change in the incentives, monitoring, and disciplining strategies that have created the pre-crisis system. These issues are addressed in Chapters 3 and 4.
Established by Onjo, prince of Goguryeo and the third son of Jumong, Baekje was established jointly by the people who lived along the Hangang River, those from Buyeo and other regions, as well as people from northern China. Baekje, an important regional power in the early 4th Century expanded its territory to Mahan in north and Jeollanam-do south. It was therefore in constant conflict with Goguryeo and the Chinese commanders on the border.
무료 에볼루션 www.evolutionkr.kr of Silla in the late 8th and 9th centuries enabled strong local factions to emerge. Gungye was a nobleman from Later Baekje who established a kingdom in Songak with Songak as its capital. He was the ruler of a large portion of the present-day Jeolla province and Chungcheong. Then, he moved the capital to Wansanju. He became an adversary to Goguryeo.
His rule was however short-lived. After his defeat, Gungye was replaced by a powerful local leader Wang Geon, who united Goryeo with Baekje and Silla in 935. Later Baekje was incorporated peacefully into Goryeo as a successor state. Additionally, Wang Geon introduced fundamental reforms and strengthened a central ruling system. This marked the conclusion of the Three Kingdoms period. The Korean peninsula was later under the control of the Goryeo Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo Baekje Silla gradually grew into powerful states on the peninsula as well as in Manchuria.