Evolution Korea
In the debate over evolution, Korean scientists aren't taking their chances. The Society for Textbook Revise (STR) has been fighting to have the Archaeopteryx and horses removed from textbooks, claiming they are typical symbols of evolutionism.
Confucian practices, with their focus on achieving success in the world and their high value of education still dominate the culture of the country. But Korea is looking for an entirely new model of development.
Origins
The growth of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states such as Goguryeo Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. They all developed their own culture that merged with the influence of their powerful neighbors and also embraced various aspects of Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Buddhism, although shamanism continued to be practised too.
Goguryeo, the first of the Korean kingdoms was the first kingdom to establish their own form of government. It consolidated its power in the 1st century and established a king-centered rule system in the 2nd century. It expanded its territory to Manchuria and the north of the Peninsula through an array of wars that drove Han loyalists from the area.
During this period, a regional confederation called Buyeo was created. Its founder Wang Geon was given the title of king and his name was recorded down in the 13th century Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms). Buyeo was then referred to as Goryeo and that is the reason why the name Korea was created. Goryeo was a thriving commercial state, and was a centre for learning. They raised goats, sheep and other livestock and created furs from the animals. They wrote poetry and dance-dramas with masks like sandaenori or tallori and celebrated an annual festival known as Yeonggo in December.
Goryeo's economy was boosted by the booming trade with other nations, including the Song Dynasty of China. Traders from Central Asia, Arabia, Southeast Asia and Japan came to Byeongnando which was the entrance to the capital city of Gaeseong. Some of the items they brought were medicinal herbs and silk.
Around 8,000 BCE the Koreans began to establish permanent settlements and cultivating cereal crops. They also developed polished pottery, stone tools and started organising themselves into clan societies. The Neolithic Age continued until the 12th century BC. At the time, Gija, a Shang dynasty prince from China is believed to have introduced high-culture to Korea. Many Koreans believed, until the 20th century that Gija and Dangun gave Korea their people and their basic culture.
Functions
Korea's old paradigm of development, focusing on the state's capital accumulation and government intervention in business and industry, contributed to rapid growth in the economy, catapulting it from being one of the poorest countries in the world to the ranks of OECD nations in a mere three years. However, the system was fraught with corruption and moral hazard which made it unsustainable in a global economy of liberalization, trade and the process of democratization.
The current crisis has exposed the flaws of the current model and it is likely that a new model will replace it. Chapters 3 and 4 look at the origin of Korea's government-business risk partnership, and demonstrate how the development of economic actors who have an interest in the preservation of this model prevented it from making fundamental changes. These chapters, which focus on corporate governance and financial resources allocation, provide a thorough investigation of the underlying factors that led to the current crisis and suggest ways to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 explores the possible paths that Korea's evolution of its development paradigm in the post-crisis era, examining both the legacy of the past and new trends generated by the IT revolution and globalization. It also analyzes the implications of these changes for Korea's political and social structures.
The main conclusion is that there are a variety of emerging trends that are changing the nature of power and will decide the future of the country. Despite the fact that political participation in Korea is extremely restricted New forms of power are emerging that bypass political parties and challenge them, changing the democratic system in the country.
Another significant finding is that the power of the Korean elite is not as great as it once was, and that a large portion of society feels a sense of being disconnected from the ruling class. This suggests a need for more efforts to educate and participate in civic life, as well as for new models of power sharing. Ultimately, the chapter concludes that the success or failure of Korea's development paradigm will depend on how well these new developments are incorporated with the willingness to make difficult decisions.
Benefits
South Korea is the world's ninth-largest economy and sixth fastest growing. It has a substantial and growing middle class, and a robust research and development base that is driving innovation. The government has also recently increased its investment in infrastructure projects to help boost economic growth and encourage social equity.
In 2008 the Lee Myung-bak administration announced five leading indicators in a bid to establish a new system of development with the emphasis on changes and practicality. read review aimed to streamline government operations, privatize public companies with greater efficiency, and reform administrative regulations.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea pursues a strategy of the integration of its economy with the rest and beyond the region. The exports of advanced manufacturing technology and high-tech consumer electronics have become an important source of income. In addition, the government has been pushing the Saemaeul Undong (New Community Movement) initiative, which has transformed the country from an agricultural one to one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country also has an extremely high standard of living and offers many benefits for employees, such as pregnancy leave and job security. Employers are also required to sign up to accident insurance which covers costs associated with work-related illness or injury. In addition, it is common for companies to offer private medical insurance that offers insurance for illnesses not covered by the National Health Insurance.
South Korea is viewed as an example of success for many emerging nations around the world. However, the global financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997 challenged this perception. The crisis shattered conventional wisdom about Asia's miracle economies and led to a fundamental reappraisal of the role of the state in regulating risky private economic activities.
It appears that Korea's future is still uncertain in the aftermath of these changes. A new generation of leaders have embraced the image of a "strong leader" and have begun to experiment with market-oriented policies. On the other hand, a powerful domestic power base has made it difficult to implement fundamental change.
Disadvantages
The reemergence of creationists is a major hurdle to Korean science's efforts to educate citizens about evolution. While the majority of Koreans are in favor of teaching evolution in schools some creationist groups -- led by a microbiologist named Bun-Sam Lim, who is the head of the Society for Textbook Revise (STR)--is pushing for its deletion from textbooks. STR claims that teaching evolution encourages a "materialist atheism" and presents an "unhopeful worldview" for students. This could cause students to lose faith in humanity.
The causes of anti-evolutionist opinions are a complex and diverse. Some researchers suggest that it is due to religious belief, while others point to an increasing prevalence of anti-intellectualism, which has been exacerbated by growing political elite fragmentation along ideologies, regions, class, and gender. Additionally, the one-sided populism of the government, supported by powerful conservative business interests and think tanks which has led to public disdain for the scientific community.
In the end, the numerous vulnerabilities discovered in this study point to the need for urgent targeted policy interventions to reduce them. As Seoul continues to pursue its ambition of becoming a cohesive urban landscape, these insights provide a basis for the creation of a united push for more inclusiveness in its policies.
In the COVID-19 case, pinpointing the vulnerable neighborhoods and their occupants will be essential to crafting detailed, compassionate policy measures that improve their wellbeing and security. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Jjokbangs for instance is a reflection of the socio-economic differences that could increase vulnerability to natural and man-made catastrophes.
To overcome this, South Korea needs a more inclusive civil society that brings all communities together to address the city's most pressing challenges. This requires a fundamental shift in the structure and power of the institution of politics. The Blue House is able to mobilise a large bureaucracy and strategically leverage the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and intelligence bureau, which do not have any oversight from parliamentary bodies or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president the ability to dictate their own vision on the rest of the country. This is a recipe for partisanship that can lead to stagnation and polarization in the country.