Evolution Korea
In the debate over evolution, Korean scientists aren't taking their chances. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to eliminate Archaeopteryx as well as horses and other evolutionist icons from textbooks.
Confucian traditions, with their emphasis on success in the world and the high value of learning still dominates the culture of the country. But Korea is seeking an alternative development model.
Origins
The growth of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states such as Goguryeo Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. All of them had their own distinct cultural style that merged with influences from their powerful neighbors. They also adopted aspects of Chinese culture including Confucianism, Buddhism and shamanism.
Goguryeo, the first of the Korean kingdoms was the first kingdom to establish their own form of government. It established its authority in the late 1st century and established a king-centered ruling system by the early 2nd century. Through a series wars it eliminated the factions loyal to the Han dynasty from the north of the peninsula. It expanded its territory in Manchuria too.
During this period, a regional confederation called Buyeo was established. Its founder Wang Geon was given the title king and his name was written down in the 13th century Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms). Buyeo was changed to Goryeo and hence the name Korea. Goryeo was a major commercial state and a centre of learning. The people who lived there cultivated crops and raised livestock, such as sheep and goats. They also made furs from them as well. They wrote poetry and dance-dramas with masks like sandaenori and tallori and they held a festival every year called Yeonggo in December.
The economy of Goryeo was boosted by brisk trade, including with the Song Dynasty in China. Traders from Central Asia, Arabia, Southeast Asia and Japan came to Byeongnando, the gateway to the capital city of Gaeseong. Some of the items they brought were silk and medicinal herbs.
Around 8000 BCE In the year 8,000 BCE, the Koreans began to establish permanent settlements and began to cultivate cereal crops. They also invented pottery and polished stone tools and started organising themselves into clan societies. The Neolithic Age continued until the 12th Century BC. At this time Gija was a prince of the Shang dynasty in China was believed to have introduced a higher culture to Korea. mouse click the following article believed, up until the 20th century that Gija and Dangun gave Korea their people and their basic culture.
Functions
Korea's traditional model of development, which emphasized the state's capital accumulation and government intervention in business and industry and 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 a mere three decades. This system was fraught with moral risks and even corruption. It was therefore not sustainable in an economy that is characterised by trade liberalization and the process of democratization.
The current crisis has exposed the flaws of the old paradigm, and it is likely that an alternative model will emerge to replace it. The chapters 3 and 4 explore the origins of Korea's government and business risk partnership. They show how the new economic actors with an interest in preserving the system impeded Korea from adopting fundamental changes. By focusing on corporate governance and financial resource allocation, these chapters provide an in-depth analysis of the root causes of the crisis and point to the best ways to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 examines the possible paths of Korea's evolving development paradigm during the post-crisis period, exploring both legacies inherited from the past and the new developments triggered by the IT revolution and globalization. It also explores the implications of these changes for Korea's social and political structures.
A major finding is that a variety of emerging trends are transforming the nature of power in Korea and it is these trends that will determine the direction of the country's future. In spite of the fact that political participation in Korea is still very restricted, new forms are emerging which are able to bypass political parties and challenge them, thus transforming the country's democratic system.
Another important finding is that the power and influence of the Korean elite has waned. A large segment of the population feels disengaged from the ruling class. This fact points to a need for more efforts at civic education and participation and new models of power sharing. 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 choices.
Benefits
South Korea has the ninth largest economy in the world and the sixth fastest-growing. It has an expanding middle class and an extensive R&D infrastructure which drives innovation. In addition the government has recently increased investment in infrastructure projects to aid economic growth and promote social equity.
In 2008, Lee Myung Bak's administration released five indicators as an effort to create an organization for development that focused on changes and practicality. The administration made efforts to streamline government operations, privatize public corporations equipped with higher efficiency, and to overhaul administrative regulations.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea pursues a strategy of integration of its economy the rest of the world and beyond the region. Exports of high-tech consumer electronics as well as advanced manufacturing techniques have become a major source of income. The government has also been encouraging Saemaeul Undong, which is an emerging community movement to transform the country from a society that is primarily agricultural to one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country also enjoys a high standard of living, and provides various benefits to employees, including the right to maternity leave and job security. Employers are also required to sign up for accident insurance, which covers the cost of work-related illnesses and injuries. It is also common for businesses to provide private medical insurance to cover illnesses that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
South Korea is viewed as a success model for many emerging nations across the globe. However, the global financial crisis that struck Asia in 1997 challenged this perception. The crisis shattered conventional wisdom about Asia's miracle economies, and caused a fundamental rethinking of the role played by the state in managing the risky private sector economic activities.
It seems that Korea's fate is still uncertain in the aftermath of these changes. On one side, a new era of leaders has embraced the image of an "strong" leader and has begun to experiment with market-oriented policies. A strong domestic power base makes it difficult to implement any radical change.
Advantages
The revival and influence of the creationists is a major obstacle for Korean science in its efforts to inform the public about evolution. The majority of Koreans support teaching students about evolution however a small group led by Bun-Sam Liu (the head of the Society for Textbook Revise, STR) is pushing for its removal from textbooks. STR believes that teaching evolution is promoting an "materialist atheism" and portrays a "unhopeful worldview" for students. This can cause students to lose faith in humanity.
The roots of anti-evolution beliefs are complex and varied. 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. The one-sided populism, backed by powerful conservative think tanks, business interests and other influential groups has also contributed to the public's distrust of the scientific community.
In the end, the study's findings on the widespread vulnerability highlight the need for targeted policies that can reduce them before they occur. These insights will help Seoul to achieve its dream of creating an urban landscape that is harmonious.
In the COVID-19 case, pinpointing the vulnerable neighborhoods and the occupants will be crucial to drafting specific, compassionate policies that improve their wellbeing and security. For example, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Jjokbangs is a reflection of the socioeconomic disparities that can compound the vulnerability to natural and man-made catastrophes.
To overcome this, South Korea requires a more inclusive and diverse civil society that brings together all communities to solve the most pressing problems of the city. This requires a fundamental 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 influence the political power of 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 leverage to impose his or her views on the rest of the country. This is a recipe that can lead stagnation and polarization of the country.