Evolution Korea
Korean scientists aren't taking chances in the fight over evolution. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to eliminate Archaeopteryx as well as horses and other evolutionary icons from textbooks.
Confucian practices, with their emphasis on the importance of success in the world and their high value of education still dominate the culture of the country. However, Korea is searching for a new paradigm of development.
Origins
The development of Iron Age cultures brought more sophisticated states to the Korean Peninsula, including Goguryeo and Baekje. Each of them developed a unique cultural style that blended with the influence from their powerful neighbours. They also adopted aspects of Chinese culture including Confucianism, Buddhism and shamanism.
Goguryeo was the first of these kingdoms to implement its own version of government to the Korean people. It established a king-centered system of governance in the early 2nd century. Through a series wars it wiped out the factions that were loyal to the Han dynasty from the north of the peninsula and expanded its territory into Manchuria too.
At this time, a regional confederation called Buyeo was established. In the Samguk yusa of the 13th century Wang Geon's name was mentioned as king. Buyeo was later referred to as Goryeo and this is the reason why the name Korea was born. Goryeo was a prosperous commercial state, and was a centre for education. They raised sheep, goats and other livestock and created furs from them. They wrote poetry and masked dance-dramas like sandaenori or 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 which was the entrance to Gaeseong's capital city. Gaeseong. Among the goods they brought were medicinal herbs and silk.
Around 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 developed pottery and polished stone tools, and began forming clan societies. The Neolithic Age lasted until the 12th century BC. Around this time, Gija, a Shang dynasty prince from China is believed to have introduced high culture to Korea. Many Koreans believed, until the 20th century, that Gija and Dangun gave Korea their people and basic culture.
Functions
Korea's old development model that emphasized the importance of state-led capital accumulation as well as government intervention in industries and business, contributed to rapid economic growth that took it from one of the world's poorest nations to the ranks of OECD countries within three decades. This system was fraught with moral hazard and corruption that was outright. It was therefore not sustainable in an economy characterised by trade liberalization and democratization.
The current crisis has exposed the flaws of the current model, and it is expected that a new model will replace it. The chapters 3 and 4 explore the origins of Korea's government and business risk partnership and demonstrate how the emergence economic actors that had an interest in maintaining this system prevented Korea from adopting fundamental changes. By focusing on corporate governance and the allocation of financial resources the chapters provide a detailed analysis of the root causes of the crisis, and point towards ways to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 traces the possible routes of Korea's development paradigm evolution in the post-crisis time frame, examining both the legacies of the past and the new trends generated by the IT revolution and globalization. It also analyzes the implications of these trends for Korea's social and political structures.
The most important finding is that there are a variety of emerging trends that are transforming the nature of power and will determine the future of the country. For example, despite the fact that political participation is still highly restricted in Korea, new methods of political activism bypass and challenge the power of political parties, thereby transforming the democratic system in the country.
Another important fact is that the power and influence of the Korean elite has decreased. A large segment of society feels disengaged from the ruling class. This is a sign of the need for more civic involvement and education as well as new models of power sharing. The chapter concludes with the statement that the success of Korea's new development paradigm will be determined by how well these trends can be incorporated and whether people are willing to make difficult decisions.
Benefits
South Korea has the ninth largest economy in the world and the sixth fastest-growing. It has a growing middle class and an extensive R&D infrastructure which drives innovation. In addition the government has recently increased investment in infrastructure projects to support economic growth and promote social equity.
In 2008, Lee Myung-bak's administration announced five indicators that would be used in an attempt to create a new development system with a focus on improvements and practicality. The administration made efforts to streamline government operations and privatize public corporations with more efficiency, and reform administrative regulations.
Since the conclusion of the Cold War, South Korea is pursuing a strategy for the integration of its economy with the rest of the world and beyond the region. Exports of high-tech consumer electronics and advanced manufacturing techniques have become a major source of income. In addition, the government has been encouraging the Saemaeul Undong (New Community Movement) initiative, which is transforming the country from an agricultural one to one focused on manufacturing.
The country also enjoys an excellent standard of living, and provides various benefits to employees, such as maternity leave and job security. Employers are also required to subscribe accident insurance, which covers the cost of work-related illnesses and injuries. It is also a common practice to have companies offer private medical insurance plans to cover ailments that are that are not covered by National Health Insurance.
As a result, South Korea has been seen as a model of success for many developing countries around the world. The global financial crisis of 1997 which swept 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 risky private economic activities.
It seems that Korea's fate is not certain in the following changes. On the other side, a new generation of leaders has embraced the image of a "strong" leader and begun to explore market-oriented policies. On the contrary, a strong domestic power base has made it difficult to make fundamental changes.
Advantages
The reemergence of creationists is a major obstacle for Korean science's efforts to inform the public about evolution. While the majority of Koreans are in favor of teaching evolution in schools, some creationist groups, led by a microbiologist called Bun-Sam Lim, who is 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 paints an "unhopeful" perspective for students, which can cause them to lose faith in humanity.
The reasons behind anti-evolutionary opinions are a 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 think tanks and business interests, aggravates public distrust of the scientific community.
The wide-ranging vulnerability identified in this study highlight the need for urgent targeted policy interventions that can reduce these vulnerabilities. These insights will help Seoul to achieve its goal of becoming an urban landscape that is cohesive.
In the COVID-19 case, identifying most vulnerable neighborhoods and their inhabitants will be essential to crafting specific, compassionate policies that improve their wellbeing and security. For instance, the extreme impact of the pandemic on Jjokbangs reflects socio-economic disparities that can compound vulnerability to natural and manmade catastrophes.
To overcome this, South Korea needs a more inclusive civil society that can bring all communities together to solve the city's most pressing challenges. 에볼루션코리아 requires a fundamental shift in the structure of institutional politics, starting with the power of the presidency. At present, the Blue House is able to mobilize a vast bureaucracy and politically leverage the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and intelligence bureau, which all lack any checks from parliamentary bodies or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president the power to impose their vision on the rest the country. This is a recipe that can lead stagnation and polarization of the country.