Evolution Korea
Korean scientists aren't taking any risks when it comes to the debate over evolution. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to remove the Archaeopteryx as well as horses and other symbols of evolution from textbooks.
Confucian traditions with their emphasis on the importance of success in the world and the high value of education still dominate the culture of the country. However, Korea is in search of a new development paradigm.
Origins
The development of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states like Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. They all developed a unique culture that was influenced by the influence of their powerful neighbours and also embraced various aspects of Chinese culture, especially Confucianism and Buddhism while shamanism remained to be practised too.
Goguryeo was the first of these kingdoms to implement its own system of government on the Korean people. It established its authority at the end of the 1st century and established a king-centered ruling system by the early 2nd century. It expanded its territory into Manchuria and the northern part of the Peninsula with an array of wars that drove the Han loyalists from the area.
During this period the regional confederation of Buyeo was created. In the Samguk yusa of the 13th century Wang Geon's name was mentioned as king. Buyeo was later referred to as Goryeo and that is how the name Korea came to be. Goryeo was a thriving commercial state and also a place of learning. They raised sheep, goats and other animals and made furs from them. They performed masked dance dramas such as tallori and sandaenori, and held a festival every year in December. It was called Yeonggo.
Goryeo's economy was boosted by the booming trade with other nations as well as the Song dynasty of 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 Our Site began to establish permanent settlements and cultivating cereal crops. They also developed pottery and polished stone tools, and began forming clan societies. The Neolithic Age lasted until the 12th century BC. At this time Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty in China, purportedly introduced a high culture to Korea. Many Koreans believed, right up to the 20th century that Gija and Dangun gave Korea their people a basic culture.
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 in just three decades. The system was plagued by moral risks and even corruption. It was therefore unsustainable in a world economy characterized by liberalization, trade, and democratization.
The current crisis has revealed the weaknesses of the current paradigm and it is likely that another model will replace it. Chapters 3 and 4 look at the genesis of Korea's business-government risk partnership and explain how the development of business actors with an interest in maintaining this model prevented it from making fundamental changes. By focusing on corporate governance and financial resource allocation These chapters provide a detailed analysis of the root causes of the crisis and provide suggestions to the best ways to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 traces the possible routes of Korea's development paradigm evolution in the post-crisis period, exploring both legacies inherited from the past as well as new trends triggered by the IT revolution and globalization. It also examines how these trends will affect Korea's political and social structures.
The main conclusion is that there are several emerging trends that are transforming the nature of power and will determine the future of the country. For instance, despite the fact that participation in politics is still a major issue in Korea new methods of political activism bypass and challenge political parties, thereby transforming the country's democracy.
Another important finding is that the influence and power of the Korean elite has waned. A large section of society feels disengaged from the ruling class. This indicates the need for more civic participation and education as well as new ways of power sharing. The chapter concludes by saying that the success of Korea's new development paradigm will be determined by the extent to which these trends can be combined and whether 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 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 released five indicators as an effort to create a development system that emphasized changes and practicality. It attempted to streamline government operations and privatize public companies with greater efficiency, and reform administrative regulations.
Since the ending of the Cold War, South Korea pursues a plan of integration of its economy the rest of the world and outside the region. Its exports of advanced manufacturing technology and high-tech consumer electronic products have become a significant source of income. The government is also encouraging Saemaeul Undong, which is a new community movement, to transform the country from one that is primarily agricultural into one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country has a high standard of living and provides many benefits to employees including maternity leave and job stability. Additionally, employers are required to subscribe to accident insurance that covers payments for work-related illnesses or injury. It is also common for businesses to offer private medical insurance plans to protect against illnesses that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
South Korea is viewed as an example of success for many emerging nations across the globe. The global financial crisis of 1997 which swept through Asia, challenged this view. The crisis shattering the conventional wisdom about Asia's miracle economies and caused a fundamental rethinking of the role of the state in managing the risky activities of private business.
In the wake of this change it appears that Korea's future is still uncertain. A new generation of leaders have taken on the image of an "strong leader" and have begun to explore market-oriented policies. On the other hand, a strong domestic power base has made it difficult to implement radical changes.
Advantages
The reemergence and resurgence of creationists is a major obstacle to Korean science's efforts in educating people about evolution. While the majority of Koreans favor teaching evolution in schools some creationist groups -- led by a microbiologist called Bun-Sam Lim, 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 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. The one-sided populism, supported by powerful conservative think tanks, business interests and other influential groups has also led to a growing distrust of the scientific community.
In the end, the study's findings on numerous vulnerabilities point to the need for targeted policies that can reduce them before they occur. As Seoul continues to pursue its goal of becoming a cohesive urban landscape, these findings can be used to inspire a unified push for greater inclusion in its policies.
In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying vulnerable neighborhoods and their occupants is essential for crafting detailed and compassionate policies to bolster their safety and welfare. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Jjokbangs for instance, is a sign of socio-economic inequality that can compound vulnerability to both natural and man-made catastrophes.
To overcome this, South Korea requires a more inclusive and diverse civil society that can unite all communities to address the most pressing problems of the city. This requires a fundamental change in the structure of the institution, starting with the power of the presidency. Currently, the Blue House is able to mobilize a huge bureaucracy as well as politically leverage 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 huge power to force his or her vision on the rest of the nation. This is a recipe for the emergence of partisanship, which can lead to stagnation and polarization throughout the country.