Evolution Korea

South Korea's democratic system is vulnerable to populist inclinations. It is still healthier than we had hoped for.

The country is looking for a new paradigm of development. A Confucian culture that values respect for the ancestors and gendered family relations continues to influence society. There are indications of a secularist culture trend that is emerging.

Origins

In the early days, the ancestors to modern Koreans were capable of survival through hunting and gathering wild food. About 10,000 years ago, they began to cultivate millet, beans, and other crops. They also raised livestock, and made furs. These people formed tribal states one after the other in Manchuria and on the Korean peninsula. They also created an industry of metallurgy, which produced iron tools, including bronze. They traded with other nations and introduced block and celadon printing to Japan and also styles of art as well as a written language and papermaking.

Gojoseon was founded in 2333 BCE on the southern peninsula. The state embraced Buddhism and adopted Chinese culture including Confucian philosophy. In this period the people of Buyeo were incorporated into Gojoseon. Gojoseon was a state of hierarchy where the monarch and other senior officials came from the aristocracy of the land, while the rest of the population were peasants. The state took taxes from these citizens and sometimes even required them to join the army or construct fortifications.

At the close of the period the state of Baekje was established by Onjo who was a prince of Goguryeo and the son of Jumong who was the founder of Goguryeo. The new kingdom expanded to the southwest region of the peninsula, and fought with China's commandos and Goguryeo's in the area. Baekje adopted Confucian ideas into its state beliefs system in 1390 CE, and introduced the male-centric concept of filiopiety a tenet. Under the guise of filiopiety fathers were responsible for their families and they must be obeyed and respected by everyone, even their children and grandchildren.

Goryeo, a country that ruled from 918 until 1392 CE, gave the world the Hangul Alphabet based upon the shapes that were created by the mouth while pronouncing. 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 refined. In 1145 CE the Samguk Sagi or "History of the Three Kingdoms" was recorded for the first time.

Development in Korea

The Korean peninsula has been continuously inhabited since Neolithic times. The earliest evidence of human settlements is visible in the form of stone-lined cist graves with precious objects such as amazonite jewellery being buried along with the dead. Megalithic structures, also known as dolmens, built from enormous single stones, are prevalent throughout the country.

In the first second half of the 1st millennium BCE, Gojoseon established itself as the first recognizable political state. The peninsula was then under the control of a variety of states during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-635 CE) including Baekje and Goguryeo. In addition, the northern region of the peninsula was ruled by the Balhae kingdom, which most 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). Among them, Baekje was the most powerful, but its dynasty ended when Goguryeo was defeated in 676 CE, leaving it with its southern territories of Manchuria and the western region around 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 started to cooperate to expand their territories. In the final, Silla, with significant Chinese aid, conquered all other states and unified the peninsula in 935 CE.

As Korea is entering a post-crisis period its development model appears to be in flux. Those who are appalled by the immense cost of the old system advocate a thorough program of liberalization of capital as well as labor and product markets. On the other hand, champions of the old system seek to protect it by using nationalist sentiments and generating fear about job losses.

Academics and analysts are divided over the extent to which Korea's evolution is being driven by these two trends. This article analyzes the five phases of Korea's development 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 the key factors that appear to be shaping these processes.

Creationism in Korea

In South Korea, 26 percent of the population is Christian. The creationists have been successful in promoting their views to this population. A survey in 2009 found that nearly one third of respondents do not believe in the theory of evolution. Of those who voted, 41% said that there was insufficient scientific evidence to support evolution 39% claimed that the theory was in contradiction to their religious beliefs