Reflections on Session #6 (10/30) on Korea

[Anonymous]

This session on Korea was very interesting and an eye opener about Korea. I was surprised to learn that Korea has such a great influence from China, but at the same time it is its own country. The fact that they had developed print systems in the form of wood tablets way before anybody else was interesting. I always thought that Gutenberg was the first one to come up with the first printing press, but it seems that the idea was older than him. Korean society is also an interesting point both Koreas seem to want unification but I guess that they want it on their own terms. Education is a very important issue in Korea and it seems that passing tests and getting the best education is the most important ideal for the Korean family. I wonder what the future will bring to this nation that is strong and with such a rich culture.

[Anonymous]

I studied Korean history before. Professor Jung-Kim did a great job presenting bird's eye view of Korean history in just 2 1/2 hours. Since I knew many of the details, yesterday's presentation was extremely helpful to aligning all my previous knowledge about Korean history in chronological order. However, I thought it would have been better if the professor Jung-Kim focused on later years of Yi dynasty to current events.
edited by jkim on 11/1/2012

[Anonymous]

From the Yucatan Peninsula (Mayan) to Iberia (Spanish and Portuguese seaborne empires) to the Italic Peninsula (Roman and Renaissance) and the Balkan Penininsula (Greek) and now the Korean Peninsula. The Korean religious leader Rev. Moon has discussed the role geography plays in geo-politics and cultural spheres of influence around the world and throughout history. Professor Jung-Kim did clarify that Korean cultural concepts of geomancy are more related to immediate topographic features such as basins, hills, mountains, rivers, etc. Yet I remain fascinated by the ideal that certain key peninsulas around the planet have fostered sophisticated and complex civilizations with creation myths, printing technology, administrative structures with some sort of civil service examinations, albeit practically restricted to upper privileged classes with access to literacy and formal education. Thank you for providing periodical popular literature for our review. I am motivated to learn more and even to visit the Korean Peninsula some day.

[Anonymous]

This book which is also subtitled "The Struggle for the Soul of a New China, by Philip P. Pan is a fascinating read which focuses on the "momentous struggle" which is taking place in the world's most populous country. Though I have only read the introduction and first chapter so far, it is clear that Pan, a notable journalist with the Washington Post, posits that the introduction of free market capitalism in the People's Republic of China will not necessarily result any time soon in a more democratic society as measured by Western standards. In the eyes of the Communist Party according to Pan's observation, "China is too big, too poor, too uneducated for democracy, which would lead to chaos and civil war. Only one-party rule could ensure stability....and only stability could guarantee the economic growth needed to make the country strong." He goes on to point out the Party refused a state funeral for Zhao Ziyang the then general secretary who refused to order military force against student protesters in Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. I remember watching the aftermath of that struggle from Brazil, where I was doing research for my doctoral dissertation focused on democratization of school administration in Latin America's most populous and spacious nation.

[Anonymous]

Reading the Korean literature assigned to us revealed to me that the concubine cultural feature produced two brothers, one legitimate, one illegitimate with the latter becoming a defiant rebel who took from the rich and gave to the power. Interesting parallel with one of my favorite English heroes.

[Anonymous]

The lecture on early Korean history made me think about how land disputes often are connected to migration patterns. Currently, in Asia, the dispute over group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and as the Diaoyu (in China) or Tiaoyutai Islands (in Taiwan) has been heating up. Japan argues that it surveyed the islands in the late 19th century and found them to be Terra nullius (Latin: land belonging to no one); subsequently China accepted Japanese sovereignty until the 1970s. The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China argue that documentary evidence prior to the First Sino-Japanese War indicates Chinese possession and that the territory is accordingly a Japanese seizure that should be returned as the rest of Imperial Japan's conquests were returned in 1945. Although the United States does not have an official position on the merits of the conflicting claims, the islands are included within the U.S. Japan Security Treaty meaning that a defense of the islands by Japan may compel support from the United States military.

[Anonymous]

The bone-rank system developed in the Silla Kingdom of southeastern Korea during the fifth and sixth centuries CE. The designation of a person's hereditary bone-rank signified how closely they were related to royalty, and thus what rights and privileges they had in society. Because the bone-rank system is a rigid caste system, students can compare it to India's caste system or feudal Japan's four-tiered system.

[Anonymous]

It was very informative for me to find out about their education beliefs. The fact that the students go to evening or night school after being at school throughout the day is just amazing. Having the parents being the driven force certifies the importance of an education. The students have to learn a foreign language and they have to take other courses that will make them a well rounded person. That is Awesome! I just imagine what the United States public education system would be like if the U.S.A. had the same dedication and involvement from parents and the government . Go Korea!

[Anonymous]

I read an article by a Jewish Rabbi who had to go to 2 schools in US since his early elementary school years. After finishing regular public school, he had to go to Hebrew afternoon to evening school until his college year. When he graduated from college, this Rabbi had two degrees. It is not uncommon both in Korea and US to have their children to study extra curricular beyond public schooling, if they want to be ahead of others.

[Anonymous]

Session #6 was informative, succinct and to the point. I like the presenter’s enthusiasm, vivid visual examples, clarity of each subject matter she presented in the photographs, including the humor she interspersed in the delivery of the subject. I was profoundly impressed with the evidence she presented about all things Korean and the inherent uniqueness to Korean cultural roots and traditions. The presentation dispelled several myths; no doubt arise from cultural illiteracy. I particularly appreciated learning about the Korean ethnic background, descendants and lineage. The most revealing aspect of the lecture was to find out the fierce devotion and value the Korean people place on education for their children. Contrary to popular belief that all Orientals/Asians are the same; and that they are the smart minority, it really comes down to the collective effort on prioritizing what is important in their society. Education seems to be the pivotal point from which all else gears-up, engage and permeates societal consensus. The amount of wealth per capita invested in education appears to be a national preoccupation. No wonder the level of industrialization is phenomenal there is a “buy in” in the value of education, perhaps a great personal sacrifice and financial hardship for the collective good.

[Anonymous]

I think Korean history is fascinating. How a relatively small nation/culture survived and even thrived in the shadow of the behemoth Chinese empire is remarkable. I've been to Korea, and I'm familiar with the Korean community in Los Angeles from my days on the school board. Now I have many Korean students in my AP World History classes. I have shared with them some of what I learned from last week's lecture, and they were very pleased to hear me speak of Silla, Koryo, etc. I think that the combination of humility and persistence that characterized Korea throughout its history can be seen in the Korean community in Los Angeles. The humility of being a smaller population in a big city (humbled especially during the riots of 92) combined with the persistence that has produced such a renaissance in "Mid-Wilshire" as Korean offices, hotels, banks, boutiques, malls, cafes thrive up and down the boulevard. This is a reflection of how the country of Korea survived the aggressive Tang dynasty through the kowtow and then prospered from the trade that followed.

[Anonymous]

Truly an amazing history that goes so far back! With such a rich past and a promising future, it is incredible, not to mention ironic, that there exists such a contrast between both hemispheres of Korea. Obviously, history teaches us that divisions can run very deep, yet I am convinced that it would be Korea’s greatest feat if it were able to overcome a split that has been so provoked and fed by outside empirical influences, especially as we are not only talking about a common people with a common history, but also, we are talking about historical continuity as well as a vast cultural affinity which I am certain outshines any recent modern political incongruences.

On another note, it is unbelievable that conditions are as they are in Korea for educators (as well as for students). Though the integrity of the educator is something to be envied from where we are here, I do wonder about the inner workings of the educational system there; i.e. emphasis on standardized tests; what the teacher preparation programs are like; what, if any, extent do Freirian ideas permeate throughout schools’ academic visions, etc.

[Anonymous]

I went to Pasadena Session yesterday since I could not attend today's in UTLA. Though I am Asian, familiar with both Chinese and Korean history, I never was exposed to Japanese history from1600 - 1900. Truly three hours of lecture was not enough for me. I was able to see Japanese - Korean relationship through the eyes of Japanese decent historian, and it was an eye opening opportunity for me.

[Anonymous]

The session was a valuable experience. When looking at Eastern Asia, it’s important for students to understand that just because regions contain cultural commonalities, it does not mean the people within are the same. Korea often gets left out of the high school history books – just to be mentioned briefly in the World Wars. Therefore, many of my students come to me with the idea that Korea is just a “little China.” In addition, I really enjoyed the breakdown of the “Top 10 Things” article. I’m going to have my geography class read the article and write their own for other countries. I would have liked to hear more about Korea’s historical interaction with neighboring countries.

[Anonymous]

Wow!!! It has been a week since last class and I am still processing the information. I was always under the impression that because the Japanesse, Chinesse, and the Korean were close in geographical area, they must then be related or have a common ancestry. As the professor pointed out, their ancestry is not the same as the other countries and it was/is not because they wanted to differentiate from the others with any negative aspect, but because they have different ancestry. I was a very informative lecture and important for me to use this information in my class in order to dispel some of the same sentiments with my students.

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