Evolution Korea
Korean scientists aren't taking any risks in the fight over evolution. The Society for Textbook Revise has been fighting to get rid of Archaeopteryx as well as horses and other evolutionist icons from textbooks.
Confucian practices that emphasize the world's success and the importance of learning, still dominate the culture of the country. However, Korea is in search of an entirely new model of development.
Origins
The development of Iron Age culture brought more sophisticated states like Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla to the Korean peninsula. All of them had their own distinct cultural style that merged with influences from their powerful neighbours. They also adopted elements of Chinese culture, including Confucianism, Buddhism and shamanism.
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 to Manchuria and the northern part of the Peninsula by a series wars that drove the Han loyalists from the region.
It was during this time that a regional confederation grew up named Buyeo. similar site was given the title king and his name was recorded down in the 13th century Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms). Buyeo was renamed Goryeo and, consequently, the name was adopted by Korea. Goryeo was a major commercial state and also a place of learning. The people who lived there cultivated crops and raised livestock like goats and sheep and they made furs from them as well. They danced in masked dramas like tallori and sandaenori. And they held a festival every year in December, which was called Yeonggo.
The economy of Goryeo was stimulated by the booming trade with other nations which included 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. Silk and medicinal herbs were among the goods they brought.
Around 8,000 BCE The Koreans began establishing permanent settlements and cultivating cereal crops. They also invented pottery and polished stone tools and started organising themselves into 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. 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, focusing on state-led capital accumulation and government intervention in business and industry and a rapid economic growth and a rapid rise from one of the poorest countries in the world to the ranks of OECD nations in just three decades. The system was plagued by moral hazards and outright corruption. It was therefore not sustainable in a world economy marked by trade liberalization, liberalization, and democratization.
The current crisis has revealed the weakness of the existing paradigm and it is likely that another model will replace it. Chapters 3 and 4 examine the genesis of Korea's business-government risk partnership, and demonstrate how the emergence of economic actors who have an interest in maintaining this model prevented it from adopting fundamental reforms. These chapters, which focus on corporate governance and financial resource allocation, offer a comprehensive analysis of the root causes of this crisis, and suggest strategies to move forward with reforms.
Chapter 5 examines the possible avenues for Korea's post-crisis development paradigm evolution and examines both the legacy of the past, as well as the new trends triggered by the IT revolution. It also examines how these changes will impact Korea's current social and political structures.
The most important finding is that there are a variety of emerging trends that are changing the nature of power and will affect the future of the country. For instance, despite fact that political participation is still extremely restricted in Korea new methods of political activism are able to bypass and challenge political parties, thus transforming the democratic structure of the country.
Another important point is that the influence and power of the Korean elite has diminished. A large portion of society feels disengaged from the ruling class. This suggests a need for more efforts at civic education and participation, as well as for new models of power sharing. The chapter concludes by saying that the success of Korea's new paradigm for development will be determined by how well these trends can be incorporated and whether people are willing to make difficult decisions.
Benefits
South Korea is the world's ninth-largest economy and sixth fastest growing. It has a growing middle class and an R&D-based base that is the driving force behind innovation. The government has also recently increased its investment in infrastructure projects to support economic growth and encourage social equity.
In 2008, Lee Myung Bak's administration announced five leading indicator in an attempt to create a development system that emphasized changes and practicality. The administration made efforts to streamline government organization and privatize public companies for greater efficiency, and reform administrative regulations.
Since the end of Cold War, South Korea pursues a strategy of the integration of its economy with the rest of the world and beyond the region. Exports of advanced manufacturing technology as well as high-tech consumer electronics have become an important source of income. The government has also been encouraging Saemaeul Undong, which is a new community movement, to transform the country from a society which is primarily agricultural to one that is focused on manufacturing.
The country has a high standard of living and provides many benefits to employees such as maternity leave, and job stability. Additionally, employers are required to subscribe to accident insurance which covers costs for work-related illnesses or injury. It is also typical for businesses to offer private medical insurance that provides protection for illnesses that are not covered by the National Health Insurance.
In the end, South Korea has been thought of as a model for success for many of the developing nations around the globe. However the global financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997 challenged this notion. The crisis challenged the myths about Asia's miracle economies, and led to an entirely new understanding of the role of government in regulating risky private ventures.
It appears that Korea's destiny is still uncertain in the following changes. On one side, a new era of leaders has embraced the image of being a "strong" leader and started to explore market-oriented policies. A strong domestic power base makes it difficult to implement any radical change.
Disadvantages
The reemergence of creationists is a major hurdle to Korean science's efforts in educating 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, the head of the Society for Textbook Revise (STR)--is pushing for its deletion from textbooks. STR believes that teaching evolution is promoting an "materialist atheism" and presents an "unhopeful worldview" for students. This can cause them to lose their faith in humanity.
The roots of this anti-evolution sentiment 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. In addition the one-sided populism of the federal government, aided by powerful conservative business interests and think tanks, aggravates public distrust of the scientific community.
In the final analysis the study's findings regarding widespread vulnerabilities highlight a need for targeted policies that can reduce them before they occur. These findings will assist Seoul to achieve its goal of becoming a cityscape that is harmonious.
In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the most vulnerable areas and their inhabitants is essential for crafting detailed and compassionate policies to ensure their safety and wellbeing. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Jjokbangs, for example is a reflection of the socio-economic differences that can increase vulnerability to both natural and man-made disasters.
To overcome this, South Korea needs a more inclusive civil society that brings all communities together to solve the city's most pressing challenges. This requires a fundamental change in the structure of institutional politics beginning 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 do not have any oversight from the parliamentary bodies or independent inspection agencies. This gives the president a lot of power to impose their vision on the rest of the country. This recipe could lead to polarization and stagnation of the country.