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

[Anonymous]

I was also surprised at the focus on schooling. To think that students would actually attend a regular session of school and then a "secondary" school to focus on exams is pretty amazing. I wonder if it would be considered more prestigious to be a "regular" school teacher or a tutor. It is no wonder why the U.S. is so far behind in education when Korean will pay thousands of dollars to further their own children's education. The fact that a child who performs poorly in school brings shame to their family leaves me wishing to be a teacher in Korea. Here, no matter what I do, I can never get all of my students or even their parents to understand the importance of education. Being a teacher must be much more satisfying when all students are attentive and hard working.

[Anonymous]

I took this class because I wanted to find a way to help my ESL students who are predominantly from East Asia better understand themselves and learn to connect with other students around them. This session was perfect. I want them to learn from one another and find more commonalities among them versus differences which I have seen has created a segregation in my classroom. We did a cross comparison of how we celebrate the dead because it is around Halloween. For my Latino students who had Dia de Los Muertos, Koreans Je Sah, Chinese Yu Lan, Mongolian Aobao, Bangladesh Janaza, etc. I didn't know how much of an influence China had in Korea until I asked the professor how come Je Sah rituals look like Yu Lan and her response was they learned it from the Chinese. Koreans also used Chinese character up until 1894.

It also helped me understand and make a few connections of my own. I have heard and experienced a separation of Koreans from other Asians such as Chinese and Japanese. They are quite offended if they are mistaken for Chinese or Japanese. Funny thing is I am Chinese and get mistaken for Korean 8/10 times. It makes sense now. Maybe because of history and such dominance of other Asian countries in Korea, an animosity was built towards the Chinese and Japanese. Maybe Koreans wanted to establish themselves as their own and not built on being someone else. It could be a cultural thing too, like how El Salvadoreans or Guatemalans want to be called Mexican. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

The Korea I was introduced to via this presentation seems so vibrant, so energetic and modern, remarkably attuned to the twenty-first century. The implicit work ethos of the Korean people has created a futuristic society, where the majority of people are technologically connected, focused on succeeding, overly materialistic perhaps, proud of their accomplishments, competitive. The family unit seems strong, with a deep-seated respect for family values, attentive to the needs of children and the older generations. Failure does not seem to be an option, hence the intense emphasis on education and career. One therefore has to wonder what happens to those that may not succeed. Is there a greater sense of shame? Are alternative or marginal life-styles respected or vilified by the greater society? Are there disaffected portions of the population as found in most other industrialized societies? If so, how does the tension between haves and have-nots play out in political debates and popular movements?

[Anonymous]

Mr. Jessel raised essential questions about the impact of industrialization in these rapidly developing East Asian economies we have been studying. I would add a question about the alienation impact of social media or is it helping to fuel social change as some have suggested with reference to the so called "Arab Spring.

[Anonymous]

The following are my notes on this session for anyone who missed or may find them useful.

Jennifer Jung-Kim

Top 10 Things to Know about Korea
1. Korea is NOT small
14th largest pop group in world 81 million Koreans
Seoul metro 25 million
L.A. is 13th largest metro

2. Korea is NOT new
Long history or govt Civil Service 958 Border since 1392.

Celadon pottery 12th cen.

Namdaemun- gate around Seoul - legoed

3. Korea is the home of many inventions
7th cen astronomy. Wood block 749, movable metal type 1239.

Turtle ships in 1592

Palace grounds in Seoul.

**Chinese official lang until 1894 (But phoenetic invented earlier)

4. Koreans have a passion for nature.
West coast is mud flats. Kyongbok Palace. Stoneware pots for food. Could be buried. Urban park in Seoul.
Ski resort,

5. Confucianism in action
Confucianism came in 4th century and dictates many family relations.

Ceremonial table. Koreans value formality in etiquette. Bowing. Education is very important.

Parents spend much money $220 to $2000 per month or more.

Formulaic-ally well rounded children. Piano is required - fencing

Student at elite private school. Parents want kids to learn English. English taught in elementary school. Also Chinese popular. 2 Billion $ to study abroad. Korean kids in Australia and New Zealand.

Korea public school teacher makes 221% of GDP. USA is 96% of GDP.

6. Korea is not a copy of China.
China was the model but Korea is different. Koreans adopted Buddhism, Confucianism into Shamanism. Christians are common. 25% Buddhist 25% Christian 50% Atheist.

7. Korea is NOT a hermit nation
South Korea is global. And glocal. Kimchi pizza. Mr. Pizza is a Korean pizza chain at Wilshire.

Labor protest with guest workers.

Rain Korean pop sensation.

Tom and Toms is a Korean chain coming to L.A.

8. Korea is technologically advanced
52.5 million mobile phones in Korea.

Media pole - touch screen computer. Take photo of yourself. Bus times. When is next bus coming. Movie times restaurants.

Hyndai ship building - largest ship building company in the world.

39 million internet users

9. Korea cannot be ignored
China, Russia, Japan

Olympic medals. Model for democratizing nations. In 1988 it democratized. Student groups, labor groups, middle class, religious groups came together.

1980 the illegal government crushed civilian protests. In 1996 they went to jail.

Protests over Iraq, and beef imports.

10. Koreans want to be reunified.
Reunification flag. 687K South Korean soldiers

11*.) Korean women have not been quiet and submissive.
Queen Sondok 7th century.
Yu Kwansun
Middle Aged housewives have social and financial clout. Wife makes major decisions about money.
Female prime minister in 2006-07

Presidential candidate.

*******

Who are the Koreans?

Siberian people spread many directions into America and into Korea.
Early archeology Scythian-Siberian culture.

Linguistic with Mongolian, Manchurian, Siberia.
Gramatically similar to Japanese but different.

Early village period 6000-2000 BCE.
Pit dwellings, pottery, agriculture, stone tools, semi migratory, shamanism.

Neolithic stone knives.

Bronze 1000 BC to 300 BCE
locally made bronzes, stone cist tombs. Dolmens. Rice cultivation. Larger villages.

Early Iron Age 300 BCE
Larger kingdoms building up.

Earliest date town-states to form single large (city-states) formed a confederation in 4th cen BCE. Very small towns.

Wiman Choson 194-108 BCE founded by refugees of border wars. Agrarian kingdom. Wiman controversy - was Wiman Chinese?

Four Han Chinese Commanderies
Chinbon, Imdun, Xuantu, Loloang were these Korea?

Three Han (Korean Han) Town-states to confederated kingdom. Eventually they become the 3 Kingdoms.

Puyo in Manchuria, Korguryo in south near Yalu River.

Silla is prounced Shilla.

Korean calendar goes to mythical founding in 2333 BC for mythical founding.

3 Kingdoms period
Korguryo 37 BCE 668 CE Chumong is the founder the legendary founder. Archery was a big deal for the people. Nomadic horse people. Tomb of the dancers. Knight in armor. King Kwanggaeto great expander of the kingdom. Stele gives the details of the reign. Some say the Japanese archeologists rubbed out some things.

Paekche - Not much information

Silla founder was Pak Hyokkose had an egg birth. Bone rank system. Kingship rotated between 3 clans. but then it broke down. All Kings from Kim clan but queens from the Pak clan.

Queen Sondok
Queen Chindok

If hallowed bone married true bone than children are lower bone rank.

They were hallowed bones. It was more important to be hallowed bone than male. Eventually the rulers were true bones.

Crown is like Siberian head gear.

Buddhism - piece of Syrian glass. Arabic descriptions of Elsilla.

Bone rank system was rigid and everything. Relative gender equality. Council of Nobles (Hwabaek Council) makes important decisions. King cannot declare war without the council of nobles. Military state.

Hwarang school for aristocratic youths.

Taxes (what kind?)

Trade
Science astronomy
Writing systems
Literature and Arts
Buddhism

Buddhism was official religion in 4th cen.

Buddhist terms
Karma interconnection of human events
Nirvanna nothingness
samsara transmigration of souls
Sutras - teachings
4 noble truths and 8 fold path.

Life is Painful
Desire causes pain
abandon desire to cease pain.

Sinification of Buddhism
*Filial piety
*state protectionism
*direct state control
*material control
*appeals to elite and commoners.
*division of sects: Scholastic, Meditational, Devotional.

Shamanism and Buddhism compatible
Shaman dieties given Boddisatva status
King as living Buddha
Buddhism is cultural interchange
Contributions of Koreans to Buddhism
Privileging of Textual Buddhism - aristocrats control this (language?)

Maitreya statue in 7th century. (Buddha of the future?)

****
Korean cultural center 5505 Wilshire Blvd. KCCLA.org

Korean art at LACMA

Pacific Asia museum has a Korea gallery

***

Silla expands.

Later Silla No more hallowed bones so true bones are high house. Struggle between king and aristocracy.
Capital vs. Periphery
Flourishing Times.

Float poetry in fake streams to each other.

Parhae
Founder Tae Choyong est Chin than called it Parhae in 713
Population was Malgal (who were they?)
Parhae - Tang - Silla - Japan relations
Loss to Khitan Liao in 926.

Parhae used heated floor system like the Korguryo.

Ruling elite of the Parhae go to Koryo and are welcomed. Parhae, northern dynasty and Silla southern dynasty.

Silla decline after King Kyongdok 742-765, problems in Bone rank system. increased trade with Tang China. Headrank 6 they go to Tang China and take exam and do well in China. Rise of local warlords

Queen Chinsong 887- bad reputation.

Restorationist movements Good, bad, ugly. (See Hurst reading)***

Wang Kong usurps throne to found Koryo. - 29 wives married right after. Marriage alliances. 25 wives in first 6 months of consolidating rule.

King Kwangjong
Slave review act 956 if wrongly enslaved in war then could lodge a complaint.
Civil Service 958
Bureaucracy
Take power from warlord families
"protected appointment" system
Royal Confucian academy 992

Koryo with Jurchen and Khitans to the north.

Koryo did not want bone ranks.

Aristocrats
Freeborn - did not own land. paid rent, tribute tax. corvee labor.
Occupation based
Slaves
Outcasts

Koryo culture - Confucianism, Buddhism, Geomancy, Literature and history. History of the Three Kingdoms. Shows the three kingdoms as degrading.

Geomancy Toson picked out the best locations Pyongyang west, Kaesong center, Seoul south, Kyongju east.

Koryo at risk
King v. aristocracy - fighting amongst aristocracy.
King Injong 1122 attempts to oust him.

Many people vie for power in Koryo.

Royal Library. Families have private academies.

Highest monks - National preceptor, Royal preceptor - two highest monk positions.

Buddhist hierarchy is tightly tied to aristocracy. Corruption in monks.

Koryo Tripitika 81,000 blocks.

12th century Chogye Sect 12th century -- sudden enlightenment but polished with textual study.

Mid Koryo - civil officials become more powerful rather than military officials. Military officials revolt in 1170 and entrone King Myongjong who is really a figurehead and it becomes feudal. Ch'oe family rises in power but civil service continues in power.

Peasant and slave rebellions Manjok 1198. Some slaves were freed and promoted some slaves felt slighted and they revolted.

Mongol Invasion of the 13th century. The royal family flees to Kanghwa Island. Peasants and monks fight the Mongols while Choe leaders abandon them.

Korean princes married to Mongol pricesses. The son in law nation.

Heavy tribute to Mongols

King Kongmin allies with Ming China to defeat Yuan dynasty.

Yi Songgye takes over in 1388.

Choson Dyansty Yi Songgye becomes King Taejo.

Complex government. Aristocrats assert authority but king can bypass.

Abolished private army. Examination system.

Yangban - aristocrats can take civil service
Secondary status - technical officials, local functionairies. Illegitamate sons and their offspring.
Peasants- farmers, artisans, merchants.
Lowborn - butchers, grave diggers, kisaeng (courtesans), shamans
Slaves

Choson copied Ming China.

King Sejong
Hall of worthies
Made everyone literate with a phoenetic writing system. Aristocrats did not like the idea and wanted to keep classical Chinese as writing system. Commoners and women taught each other the writing system. Invented 1443 but not official until 1894.

Choson struggles with Japanese pirates. Turns raiders into traders.

Jurchen in North who later found the Ching Dynasty.

Koryo dynasty Buddhist temples grew rich but Choson it was not supported.

Confucianism
ideology not religion
must re-attain golden past through everyone knowing their place an staying there.
Top down order as moral exemplars. Mandate of Heaven.

Women were generally female. A female can be spirit possessed by an aristocratic male. Mediates between mortal and spiritual realm.

Shamans have loud ceremonies dancing drinking etc.

Women are supossed to follow father, husband and son.

Neo Confucianism became metaphysical in Korea

Currency does not become prominent until 19th century.

Rightous Armies wage guerilla warfare.

Turtle boats to defend against Japanese invasions of Hideyoshi

18th century is relative peace but then young kings and queen dowagers become strong in 19th century.

Elite Yangban

Corruption in govt.

Growing interest in popular culture in 19th century.

Source material
McCain - foundation myth bear woman starts.

Princess Hyeong - crown prince went murderous and could not become king. Father has son trapped and killed. Princess writes memoires. All four memoirs Habouch translated memoirs.

Kim Ho Namuchon- women poet.

Robinhood tale taking place in Korea.

Hangu is Korea.

[email protected]

[Anonymous]

A few years ago I picked up Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars for my classroom library.

http://www.amazon.com/Sondok-Princess-Stars-Korea-D/dp/0439165865/ref=la_B000APUB18_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352834942&sr=1-2

As far as Amazon is concerned it might be out of print. In any case it may be available in various libraries. It is written for probably about 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

It is refreshing to observe that in Korea, as in China and Japan, there is no dominant monotheistic religion to taint the national character. Such countries, historically and in the present, have a tendency to enforce conformity, breed fanatics, and persecute dissidents (heretics, witches, free-thinkers). And when new factions emerge, conflicts erupt, religious wars, crusades, Jihads. A clear separation of church and state is important. I admit to being quite thrilled to learn that half of Koreans are probably atheists. Those who have the inclination to profess a faith ought to have their rights protected, but not the right to impose their moral code on the state. Traditions are cultural assets that can enrich a society, yet society still continues to evolve seeking ever more egalitarian and conscientious formulae to benefit humanity and the planet. With the ebb and flow of Shamanism, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Marxism over the millennia, the East Asian countries have garnered a reverence for a variety of philosophical schools and dogma. With so many influences, people can elect to adopt a balanced set of secular values to abide by.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed this session. I always felt very uncomfortable about Asian genetics. Sometimes it seemed like comparing the French and English, only a slight difference. But now I see I was way off course. Their differences go way back.
I was really surprised that Kore was the elder brother to Japan. It was very interesting to think that the Japanese were painting themselves pink, much like the British being painted blue when Rome was around, and Korea had the high culture. I wonder if that part of the argument they appear to be continuing to have. Everyone wants to out distance their older subling.
I also was very interested about the feamale shamen in Korea. I have seen some very strong willed Korean women. I wonder if that's where it comes from Since I tend to think of Asian culture as more male dominant.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed this session very much. I was impressed with how much the Korean culture is committed to scholarship. A few of my Korean friends have told me how much they studied in school all day, and then went to another school to study after school! This was confirmed by my friend Geoff who tutors at a school in Korea Town called Boston. This tutoring school that was opened up by a Korean women who believed Korean families would pay a lot of money to have their children tutored after school in the States, even if it meant working another job! This could be an interesting conversation to have with my students about the value of education and why it is so important in Korea. It is my understanding that the job market is sooooo competitive, Koreans HAVE to do everything possible to gain an edge. This could be a way into discussing and comparing Korea with the US and how economics plays such an important role in cultural values.

[Anonymous]

This session was an eye-opener experience for me. I made the ignorant assumption that most Southeast Asian countries were the same. This class has made me realize that I was wrong and that in fact all of them are very unique. I have always been intrigued by buddhism and this session discussed upon that topic. It was discussed that Buddhism was official religion in 4th century. Some of the concepts discussed in this session were
Karma interconnection of human events
Nirvanna nothingness
samsara transmigration of souls
Sutras - teachings
4 noble truths and 8 fold path.

One concept in Buddhism that I am fascinated with is Life is Painful and that Desire causes pain and in order to cease suffering one must abandon desire.

[Anonymous]

I am amazed to know how series education is taken in Korea. Parents willing to pay thousands of dollars for "extra" schooling, wow!! here, in Souther California, students do not take advantage of free, quality, one on one "tutoring". Its unbelievable how both cultures differ in values. I wonder, what would it be if parents were just a bit more involved? Forget about paying for extra curricular activities, just involved enough to make sure high schoolers make it to school on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Education is the door to the future! The children are amazing to attend school almost all day! I am sure that it is a sacrifice for both the parents who do not see their children through out the day, and the children that do not see their parents. Education is something that is very valuable and cherished in Korea, as it should be. It is amazing that the children learn are required to learn a foreign language and take multi-culture courses to make them well rounded of the world.

[Anonymous]

Americans are unaware of the cultural history of Korea as distinct from China and Japan. (The same lack of awareness applies to views of Latin American countries.) I am glad to have overcome that myopia. We learned from our sessions on Japanese history that Korea had a strong influence on Japan, and from this session that Korea has a complex and unique history starting thousands of years ago. That uniqueness is evident today also because Korean culture is very distinct from its neighbors.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Dear Colleagues,

Please post your thoughts/reflections on our Korea session with Professor Jung-Kim.

Best,
Yingjia

[Author]

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