Evolution Korea
When it comes to the debate over evolution, Korean scientists aren't taking their chances. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to remove the Archaeopteryx, horses and other symbols of evolution from textbooks.
Confucian traditions, with their emphasis on the importance of success in the world and the high value of education still dominate the culture of the country. However, Korea is searching for a new paradigm of development.
Origins
The development of Iron Age cultures brought more sophisticated states to the Korean Peninsula, including Goguryeo and Baekje. All of them had their own distinct cultural style that was influenced from their powerful neighbours. They also adopted aspects of Chinese culture, including Confucianism, Buddhism and shamanism.
Goguryeo the first of the Korean kingdoms was the first to establish their own form of government. It consolidated its authority in the late 1st century and established a king-centered governing system by the early 2nd century. Through a series wars it eliminated the factions that were loyal to the Han dynasty from the north of the peninsula and expanded its territory to Manchuria too.
It was during this time that a regional confederation grew up called Buyeo. In the Samguk yusa of the 13th century, Wang Geon's name was recorded as the king. Buyeo was changed to Goryeo and, consequently, the name Korea. Goryeo was a prosperous commercial economy and was also a center for learning. They raised sheep, goats and other livestock and created furs from them. They performed masked dance dramas such as tallori and sandaenori, and held a festival every year in December, which was called Yeonggo.
The economy of Goryeo was boosted by rapid trade, including with the Song Dynasty of China. Traders from Central Asia, Arabia, Southeast Asia and Japan came to Byeongnando which was the entrance to Gaeseong's capital city. Gaeseong. Some of the items they brought were medicinal herbs and silk.
Around 8,000 BCE The Koreans began establishing permanent settlements and cultivating cereal crops. They also developed pottery and polished stone tools and began forming clan societies. The Neolithic Age lasted until the 12th century BC. At this time Gija, a prince of the Shang dynasty in China is believed to have introduced a high culture to Korea. Until the 20th century many Koreans believed that Dangun and Gija gave Korea its people and their traditional culture and their basic culture, respectively.
Functions
Korea's previous model of development, which emphasized the state's capital accumulation and government intervention in business and industry as well as a rapid economic growth that took it from being one of the poorest nations in the world to being among the top of OECD nations in just three decades. This system was fraught with moral hazard and corruption that was outright. It was therefore unsustainable in a world economy marked by trade liberalization, liberalization, and the process of democratization.
The current crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the current model, and it is expected that another model will replace it. The chapters 3 and 4 explore the origins of Korea's government and business risk partnership. They demonstrate how the emergence economic actors with an interest in preserving the system impeded Korea from making fundamental changes. By focusing on corporate governance and financial resource allocation These chapters provide a detailed analysis of the root causes of the crisis and provide suggestions to ways of moving forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 examines possible paths for Korea's post-crisis development paradigm evolution, exploring both the legacies of the past, as well as the new trends triggered by the IT revolution. It also examines how these trends will affect Korea's political and social structures.
The most important finding is that there are several emerging trends that are altering the nature of power and will decide the future of the country. For instance, despite fact that political participation is still a major issue in Korea new ways of political activism are able to bypass and challenge political parties, thus transforming democratic structure of the country.
Another important finding is that the influence and power of the Korean elite has diminished. A large section of society feels disengaged from the ruling class. This suggests the need to work harder at civic education and participation and new models of power sharing. The chapter concludes that the success or failure of Korea's development model will depend on how well these new developments can be combined with a willingness to make hard choices.
Benefits
South Korea is the world's ninth largest economy and the sixth fastest growing. It has a large and growing middle class as well as a strong research and development base that is driving innovation. In addition the government has recently increased investments in infrastructure projects to aid growth in the economy and to promote social equity.
In 2008 Lee Myung-bak's administration announced five indicators of leadership in an effort to establish a new system of development with a focus on improvements and practicality. It attempted to streamline the government organization and privatize public companies with greater efficiency, and to overhaul administrative regulations.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea is pursuing a strategy for integration of its economy with the rest of the world and beyond the region. Its exports of advanced manufacturing technology as well as high-tech consumer electronics have become a major source of income. Additionally the government has been promoting the Saemaeul Undong (New Community Movement) initiative, which has transformed the country from an agricultural one to one focused on manufacturing.
The country also enjoys an extremely high standard of living and offers many benefits for employees, including maternity leave and job security. Moreover, employers are required to purchase accident insurance which covers costs associated with work-related illness or injury. It is also a common practice to have companies offer private medical insurance to cover illnesses that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
As a result, South Korea has been considered a model of success for many of the developing nations around the globe. However the global financial crisis that swept through Asia in 1997 challenged this notion. The crisis shattered conventional wisdom about Asia's miraculous economies and caused a fundamental rethinking of the role played by the state in managing the risky private sector economic activities.
It appears that Korea's destiny is still uncertain in the aftermath of these changes. On the one side, a new generation of leaders has adopted the image of an "strong" leader and started to experiment with market-oriented policy. A powerful domestic power base makes it difficult to implement any fundamental change.
Advantages
The revival and influence of creationists is a major hurdle for Korean science in its efforts to educate the public about evolution. The majority of Koreans are in favor of teaching students about evolution however, a small section led by Bun-Sam Lim (the director of the Society for Textbook Revise, STR) is pushing for the removal of it from textbooks. STR argues that teaching evolution promotes "atheist materialism" and creates an "unhopeful" worldview for students, which could cause them to lose faith in humanity.
The roots of anti-evolution sentiments are 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. In addition, the one-sided populism of the government, bolstered by powerful conservative business interests and think tanks which has led to public disdain for the scientific community.
In the end, the numerous vulnerability identified in this study highlight an urgent need for targeted policy interventions to preemptively reduce these vulnerabilities. These insights will help Seoul to achieve its dream of becoming a cityscape that is harmonious.
In the COVID-19 case, pinpointing the vulnerable neighborhoods and the occupants will be crucial to drafting detailed, compassionate policy measures that will bolster their welfare and security. For instance, the high impact of the disease on Jjokbangs reflect the socio-economic differences which can increase vulnerability to natural and manmade disasters.
To overcome this, South Korea needs a more inclusive civil society that can bring all communities together to address the most pressing issues facing the city. This requires a radical change in the structure and power of the institution of politics. Currently, the Blue House is able to mobilize a huge bureaucracy as well as strategically leverage the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and intelligence bureau, which all are not subject to oversight by parliamentary bodies or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president a huge power to force his or her views on the rest of the nation. This is a recipe for partisanship that can result in stagnation and polarization in the country.