Evolution Korea
Korean scientists don't take any chances in the debate over evolution. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to get rid of Archaeopteryx, horses and other symbols of evolution from textbooks.
Confucian traditions, with their focus on achieving success in the world and the high value of learning still dominates the culture of the country. But Korea is in search of a new development paradigm.
Origins
The growth of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states like Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. They all developed a unique cultural style that merged with influences of 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 to impose their own form of government. It consolidated its power in the late 1st century and established a king-centered rule system in the 2nd century. It expanded its territory to Manchuria and the north of the Peninsula through an array of wars that drove the Han loyalists from the area.
During this period, a regional confederation called Buyeo was established. In the Samguk yusa of the 13th century, Wang Geon's name was listed as the king. Buyeo was later referred to as Goryeo and that is how the name Korea was born. Goryeo was a great commercial state and also a place of learning. Its inhabitants cultivated crops and raised livestock, such as sheep and goats, and they created furs out of them too. They wrote poetry and dance-dramas with masks like sandaenori or tallori and they held an annual festival called Yeonggo in December.
Goryeo's economy was boosted by brisk trade with other nations as well as the Song Dynasty of China. Byeongnando was the gateway to Gaeseong, the capital of Gaeseong. Traders came from Central Asia, Arabia and Southeast Asia. Among the goods they brought were medicinal herbs and silk.
Around 8,000 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 began to organize themselves into clan societies. The Neolithic Age continued until the 12th Century BC. At this time Gija, a prince of the Shang dynasty of China is believed to have introduced a higher culture to Korea. Many Koreans believed, up until the 20th century, that Gija and Dangun gave Korea their people a basic culture.
Functions
Korea's previous model of development, which emphasized state-led capital accumulation, government intervention in business and industry as well as rapid growth in the economy that took it from being one of the most deprived countries in the world to the ranks of OECD nations in a mere three decades. However, this model was plagued by corruption and moral hazard and was not sustainable in a global environment of trade liberalization, liberalization and democratization.
The current crisis has exposed the weakness of the old paradigm, and it is likely that an alternative model will emerge to replace it. Read Significantly more and 4 look at the roots of Korea's government-business risk partnership, and demonstrate how the emergence of economic actors with an interest in the preservation of the system impeded it from adopting fundamental reforms. These chapters, which concentrate on corporate governance and financial resource allocation, provide an in-depth analysis of the root causes of this crisis and suggest ways to proceed with reforms.
Chapter 5 examines the possible routes of Korea's evolving development paradigm during the post-crisis time frame, examining both legacies inherited from the past and the new trends generated by the IT revolution and globalization. It also examines the implications of these developments for Korea's social and political structures.
A major finding is that a variety of emerging trends are altering the power structure in Korea and it is these developments that will determine the course of the country's future. For instance, despite the fact that political participation is still a major issue in Korea, new methods of political activism bypass and challenge the power of political parties, thus transforming the democratic structure of the country.
Another important point is that the power and influence of the Korean elite has decreased. A large portion of society feels disengaged from the ruling class. This indicates the need for more civic education and participation as well as new ways 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 the willingness of people to make difficult decisions.
Benefits
South Korea is the world's ninth-largest economy and sixth fastest growing. It has a substantial and growing middle class and also a strong research and development base that drives innovation. Additionally, the government has recently increased its investment in infrastructure projects to aid economic growth and promote social equity.
In 2008, Lee Myung Bak's administration introduced five indicators of leadership in an attempt to establish a development system that emphasized changes and practicality. It attempted to streamline the government's organization and privatize public companies with higher efficiency, and also to reform administrative regulations.
Since the end of the Cold War, South Korea has been pursuing a strategy of economic integration with the rest of the region as well as beyond. Its exports of advanced manufacturing technology and high-tech consumer electronic products have become a significant source of income. The government has also been promoting Saemaeul Undong, which is an emerging community movement to transform the country from one that is primarily agricultural to one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country enjoys a high standard of living and provides many benefits to employees such as maternity leave, and job stability. Employers are also required to purchase to accident insurance, which provides the cost of workplace-related illnesses or injuries. It is also typical for businesses to offer private medical insurance to cover ailments that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
As a result, South Korea has been seen as a model of prosperity for many emerging countries around the world. However, the global financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997 challenged this perception. 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 activities of private business.
In the wake of this transformation it appears that Korea's future isn't clear. On the other side, a new era of leaders has embraced the image of a "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 reemergence and influence of creationists is a major obstacle for Korean science in its efforts to educate the public on evolution. The majority of Koreans are in favor of teaching students about evolution however a small group headed by Bun-Sam Lim (the head of the Society for Textbook Revise, STR) is advocating for the removal of evolution from textbooks. STR argues teaching evolution promotes the idea of a "materialist atheism" and presents an "unhopeful worldview" for students. This could cause them to lose their 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, supported by powerful conservative think tanks, business interests and other influential organizations, has also led to a growing distrust of the scientific community.
In the end, the numerous vulnerability discovered in this study point to an urgent need for targeted policy interventions to mitigate the risks. As Seoul continues to pursue its goal of becoming a cohesive urban environment, these insights serve as an impetus for the creation of a united push for more inclusion in its policies.
In the COVID-19 case, identifying the most vulnerable neighborhoods and their inhabitants is essential for the development of precise, compassionate policies that will bolster their welfare and security. The COVID-19 epidemic's disproportionate impact on Jjokbangs, for example, reflects socio-economic disparities which could increase vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.
To overcome this, South Korea needs a more inclusive civil society that brings all communities together to tackle the city's biggest challenges. This requires a fundamental shift in the structure of the institution, starting with the power of the president. The Blue House is able to mobilise a large bureaucracy and strategically leverage the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and intelligence bureau, which all lack any checks from parliamentarians or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president the ability to impose their vision on the rest the country. This is a recipe that can result in polarization and stagnation of the country.