Readings on Modern Korea (3/2)

[Anonymous]

The main feeling I gleaned from this article is that Korea has maintained a unique identity and has remained prosperous throughout its history. it seems to me that the physical size of the peninsula and the large population have forced Koreans to live communally and to strive for harmonious relationships. Its long history of a civilization has resulted in a rich history and dynamic culture.

I believe their culture is unique and diverse because of the early inventions of printing. The resulting literacy through their love of scholarship has obviously led them to prosperity. This education combined with their manufacturing and technical capabilities has certainly accelerated the pace to achieve a high ranking among world leaders in business and culture.

When considering the current political situations of both Korean nations, I do become perplexed though. It is difficult for me to grasp why the two nations have not made further attempts to reunite. Koreans seem to be an industrious and intelligent people, their impact on East Asian history and world culture is a testament to that. Why then have they been such stubborn separatists for over half a century? Surely the dominance of the United States and The Soviet Union with the Chinese presence during The Cold War was a major influence. But the amount of time that they have remained separate does seem like a waste.

[Anonymous]

Edward Shultz’s “Top Ten Things to Know about Korea in the 21st Century,” mentions various significant and informative descriptions about the history and modernization of Korea. To begin with, I found the fifth strand to be the most poignant to me. The fifth category, “You can still see Confucianism in action on the Korean Peninsula,” is the concept that I can identify with the most. During the lecture, the Professor demonstrated images of Koreans honoring the past lives of their ancestors by displaying an array of food. This is a tradition that is similar to my Mexican background that was instilled on me as a child. Like Confucianism, respecting our elders and honoring their memory is what builds on the reciprocal relationship that allows people to keep their memory alive.
edited by dcoronel on 3/5/2013

[Anonymous]

I was particularly intrigued by the article about the shift away from Korean’s preferring boys to them now preferring girls. Specifically, I am interested in how the researchers say that the shift occurred when the economy opened up jobs to women. I am going to use this article in both my economics class and my cultural anthropology class because I have discussed these ideas fro, different perspectives across cultures.

[Anonymous]

I am also intrigued by the fact that girls are preferred in Modern Korea. This made me think of the current "shortage" of women in China and how much more difficult it is for a male to get a wife. How cool is it that Korea is increasing equality amongst men and women.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Dear Colleagues,

Please see below for the readings for Modern Korea. Professor Jennifer Jung-Kim will be lecturing on the Korea segment of our seminar series this Saturday at USC.

Best,
Yingjia

[Author]

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