Evolution Korea
Korean scientists don't take chances when it comes to the debate over evolution. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to get rid of Archaeopteryx horses, the Archaeopteryx, and other symbols of evolution from textbooks.
Confucian traditions, with their emphasis on worldly success and high valuation of education, still dominate the country's culture. However, Korea is looking for an alternative model of development.
Origins
The growth of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states like Goguryeo Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. They all developed a distinct culture which blended with the influence of their powerful neighbors and also embraced various aspects of Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Buddhism while shamanism remained to be practised too.
Goguryeo was the first of these kingdoms to establish its own form of government on the Korean people. It established a king centered system of government in the 2nd century. Through a series wars it wiped out the factions loyal to the Han dynasty from the north of the peninsula and expanded its territory in Manchuria too.
It was during this time that a regional confederation was formed named Buyeo. 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 changed to Goryeo, and thus the name was adopted by Korea. Goryeo was a thriving commercial state and a centre of learning. They raised goats, sheep and other livestock and made furs out of the animals. They performed masked dance dramas such as tallori and sandaenori. And they held a festival every year in December called Yeonggo.
The economy of Goryeo was boosted by rapid trade, including with the Song Dynasty of China. Byeongnando was the main entry point to Gaeseong which was the capital of Gaeseong. Traders came from Central Asia, Arabia and Southeast Asia. Among the goods they brought included silk and medicinal herbs.
Around 8,000 BCE In the year 8,000 BCE, the Koreans started to establish permanent settlements and began cultivating cereal crops. They also created polished stone tools, pottery and started organising themselves into clan societies. The Neolithic Age lasted until the 12th century BC. Around this time Gija, a prince of the Shang dynasty in China is believed to have introduced a high culture to Korea. In the 20th century, many Koreans believed that Dangun and Gija gave Korea its people and their basic culture, respectively.
Functions
Korea's old development paradigm that stressed the importance of capital accumulation by the state and government intervention in industry and business, aided in rapid economic growth, which took it from being one of the world's poorest countries to the ranks of OECD countries within three decades. The system was plagued by moral hazards and outright corruption. It was therefore not sustainable in an economy characterized by liberalization, trade and democratic change.
The current crisis has exposed the weakness of the existing model and it is likely that a new model will be developed to replace it. The chapters 3 and 4 examine the origins of Korea's government and business risk partnership and show how the new economic actors that had an interest in maintaining this system hindered Korea from making fundamental changes. These chapters, which concentrate on corporate governance and financial resource allocation, provide an in-depth investigation of the underlying reasons for this crisis and suggest ways to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 explores the possibilities for Korea's post-crisis paradigm of development, exploring both the legacies of the past as well as the new trends created by the IT revolution. It also examines how these trends will impact Korea's social and political structures.
A major finding is that a variety of emerging trends are transforming the power structure in Korea, and it is these trends that will determine the course of the country's future. For instance, despite fact that participation in politics is still a major issue in Korea, new methods of political activism bypass and challenge the power of political parties, thus transforming the country's democracy.
Another important fact is that the influence and power of the Korean elite has waned. A large portion of the society feels disconnected from the ruling class. This fact points to the need to work harder to educate and participate in civic life and new models of power sharing. The chapter concludes with the statement that the success of Korea's new paradigm for development will be determined by the extent to which these trends can be incorporated and if people are willing to make difficult decisions.
Benefits
South Korea is the world's ninth largest economy, and the sixth fastest growing. It has a large and growing middle class, and a robust research and development base that is driving innovation. The government has recently increased its investments in infrastructure projects, to help boost economic growth and promote social equity.
In 2008, the Lee Myung-bak administration released five leading indicators in an effort to establish a new system of development with the emphasis on changes and practicality. It aimed to streamline government organization, privatize public companies with greater efficiency, and reform administrative regulation.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea pursues a plan of integration of its economy the rest and beyond the region. Exports of high-tech consumer electronics as well as advanced manufacturing technologies have become an important source of income. Additionally the government has been pushing the Saemaeul Undong (New Community Movement) initiative, which has transformed the country from an agricultural one to one focused on manufacturing.
The country has a high standard of living and provides numerous benefits to its employees including maternity leave and job stability. Employers are also required to subscribe accident insurance, which covers payments for work-related illnesses or injuries. In addition, it is common for companies to provide private medical insurance that offers protection for illnesses that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
In the end, South Korea has been considered a model of success for many of the developing nations around the globe. However, the global financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997 challenged this view. The crisis challenged the myths about Asia's miracle economies, and led to an overhaul of the role of governments in regulating risky private ventures.
In the wake of this shift the Korean future is still unclear. On click hyperlink , a new generation of leaders has embraced the image of an "strong" leader and started to experiment with market-oriented policies. On the contrary, a strong domestic power base has made it difficult to implement radical 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 support teaching evolution to students however a small group led by Bun-Sam Lim (the director of the Society for Textbook Revise, STR) is insisting on the removal of evolution from textbooks. STR argues that teaching evolution promotes "atheist materialism" and paints an "unhopeful" worldview for students, which could cause students to lose faith in humanity.
The reasons behind anti-evolutionary 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. Additionally the one-sidedness of the federal government, aided by powerful conservative business interests and think tanks and business interests, has led to a growing distrust of the scientific community.
In the end, the study's findings on widespread vulnerabilities highlight a need for targeted interventions that can mitigate them preemptively. These insights will help Seoul to achieve its goal of becoming an urban landscape that is harmonious.
In the COVID-19 case, identifying vulnerable neighborhoods and their occupants will be essential to crafting precise, compassionate policies that improve their wellbeing and safety. For example, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Jjokbangs is a reflection of the socioeconomic disparities that could increase vulnerability to natural and manmade catastrophes.
To overcome this, South Korea requires a more inclusive and diverse civil society that can bring together all communities to tackle the most pressing problems of the city. This requires a fundamental shift in the structure and power of institutional politics. At present, the Blue House is able to mobilize a vast bureaucracy and influence the political power of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and intelligence bureau, all of which are not subject to oversight by the parliamentary bodies or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president a lot of power to dictate his vision to the rest the country. This is a recipe for political polarization that could lead to stagnation and polarization within the country.