Evolution Korea
When it comes to the battle over evolution, Korean scientists aren't taking their chances. The Society for Textbook Revise (STR) has been battling to have the Archaeopteryx and horses taken out of textbooks, saying they are typical symbols of evolutionism.
에볼루션 게이밍 with their emphasis on the world's success and the importance of education, still dominate the culture of the country. However, Korea is looking for the new model of development.
Origins
The growth of Iron Age cultures brought more sophisticated states to the Korean Peninsula, such as Goguryeo and Baekje. They all developed their own culture that merged with the influence of their powerful neighbors and they also adopted various aspects of Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Buddhism however shamanism continued to be practiced.
Goguryeo the first of the Korean kingdoms, was the first to establish their own system of government. It established a king-centered system of government in the early 2nd Century. It expanded its territory into Manchuria and the northern part of the Peninsula through an array of conflicts that drove the Han loyalists from the region.
It was during this time that a regional confederation emerged known as 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 became known as Goryeo and this is how the name Korea was born. Goryeo was a prosperous commercial economy, and was a centre for education. Its people cultivated crops and raised livestock such as sheep and goats, and they created furs out of them too. They wrote poetry and masked dance-dramas such as tallori and sandaenori and celebrated an annual festival known as Yeonggo in December.
The economy of Goryeo was stimulated by the booming trade with other nations, including the Song Dynasty of China. Byeongnando was the gateway to Gaeseong, the capital of Gaeseong. Traders came from Central Asia, Arabia and Southeast Asia. Silk and medicinal herbs were among the products they brought.
Around 8,000 BCE the Koreans began to establish permanent settlements and cultivating cereal crops. They also developed polished stone tools, pottery and began organising themselves in clan societies. The Neolithic Age continued until the 12th Century BC. At the time, Gija, a Shang dynasty prince from China, is said to have introduced high-culture to Korea. Up until the 20th century, a lot of Koreans believed that Dangun and Gija gave Korea its people and their traditional culture as well as their culture.
Functions
Korea's previous development model, which emphasized the role of capital accumulation by the state and government intervention in industry and business, aided in rapid economic growth that catapulted it from being one of the world's poorest countries to the ranks of OECD countries in just three decades. But this system was also plagued by moral hazard and outright corruption which made it unsustainable in a global economy of trade liberalization, openness and democratic change.
The current crisis has revealed the weaknesses of the previous model, and it is likely that an alternative model will emerge to replace it. Chapters 3 and 4 explore the genesis of Korea's business-government risk partnership, and demonstrate how the rise of business actors with an interest in maintaining this model prevented it from making fundamental changes. These chapters, which focus on corporate governance and financial resource allocation, provide an in-depth analysis of the root factors that led to the current crisis and suggest ways to proceed with reforms.
Chapter 5 examines possible paths for Korea's post-crisis paradigm of development by examining both the legacy of the past as well as the new trends created by the IT revolution. It also analyzes the implications of these developments for Korea's political and social structures.
The most important finding is that there are many emerging trends that are changing the nature of power and will decide the future of the country. For example, despite the fact that political participation is still highly restricted in Korea new forms of political activism bypass and challenge political parties, thus transforming the democratic system in the country.
Another important finding is that the influence and power of the Korean elite has diminished. A large portion of the population feels disengaged from the ruling class. This indicates the need for greater civic participation and education 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 incorporated into 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 that is the driving force behind innovation. In addition, the government has recently increased investments in infrastructure projects to help economic growth and encourage social equity.
In 2008 Lee Myung-bak's administration announced five leading indicators in an attempt to establish a new system of development with a focus on change and practicality. It attempted to streamline the government's organization and privatize public companies with greater efficiency, and to overhaul administrative regulations.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea has been working on a plan of economic integration with the rest of the region and beyond. Exports of high-tech consumer electronics and advanced manufacturing techniques have become a major source of income. The government is also pushing Saemaeul Undong, which is an emerging community movement to transform the country from one that is primarily agricultural into one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country has a high quality of life and offers many benefits to its employees including maternity leave and job stability. Employers are also required to purchase accident insurance, which covers payments for work-related illnesses or injuries. It is also typical for companies offer private medical insurance to cover illnesses not covered by National Health Insurance.
South Korea is viewed as a success model for many developing countries around the world. The global financial crisis of 1997, which swept Asia and the world, challenged this notion. The crisis shattered the conventional wisdom about Asia’s miracle economies, and prompted an entirely new understanding of the role of governments in regulating risky private activities.
In the wake of this change it appears that Korea's future is still uncertain. A new generation of leaders have embraced the image of an "strong leader" and begun to experiment in market-oriented policies. On the contrary, a strong domestic power base has made it difficult to implement fundamental change.
Advantages
The revival and influence of creationists is a major obstacle for Korean science in its efforts to inform the public about evolution. The majority of Koreans support teaching evolution to students, but a small group led by Bun-Sam Liu (the head of the Society for Textbook Revise, STR) is advocating for its removal from textbooks. STR believes that teaching evolution encourages "atheist materialism" and creates an "unhopeful" worldview for students, which could cause students to lose faith in humanity.
The roots of this anti-evolutionary sentiment are a bit ambiguous 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 exacerbated public mistrust of the scientific community.
In the end the study's findings about the widespread vulnerability highlight the need for targeted policy interventions that can mitigate them preemptively. As Seoul continues to work towards becoming a cohesive urban landscape, these findings serve as an impetus for the creation of a united push for more inclusiveness in its policies.
In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, pinpointing vulnerable neighborhoods and their occupants is crucial to develop detailed compassionate policy measures to ensure their safety and welfare. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Jjokbangs for instance, reflects socio-economic disparities which could increase vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.
To overcome this, South Korea requires a more inclusive and diverse civil society that can bring together all communities to address the most pressing issues of the city. This requires a fundamental shift in the structure and power of institutional politics. The Blue House can mobilize a large bureaucracy, and also use the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, and the intelligence bureau to exert influence on the political scene. These agencies are not under the scrutiny of the parliamentary bodies or independent inspectors. This gives the president the ability to dictate their own vision on the rest of the nation. This is a recipe that can lead stagnation and polarization of the country.