Short Answer (Please choose and answer FIVE of the seven questions in your own words using complete sentences, ten points each)
1) Describe how Korean Catholics during the Chosŏn Dynasty both affirmed and challenged traditional Korean notions of morality and ritual.
The are quite a few different ways that Korean Catholics both affirmed and challenged traditional concepts of morality and ritual from the Choson Era. Traditional Choson Korea before Catholicism was one based off Confucianism (and Neo- Confucianism) basis of thinking. One that saw morality, filial piety, Social Hierarchy, Social relationships, and ritual as the normal way of life. This way of thinking had kept Korea stable for generations. (Confucianism equals morality) When
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Catholicism was introduced by the Missionary Matteo Ricci it affirmed the traditional concepts that were already in place my being seen as an accolade to Confucianism. In that in its teachings about God’s grace and forgiveness, Catholics were seen as friends to the Confucian religion, but over time these new Christian ideas would challenge the traditional concepts by banning ancestor rights, unfilially (seen as being disloyal), mixing of gender and social (spiritual) equality was seen as threat to social hierarchy that was in place. With these new threats there was also fear of religious uprisings stemming from this foreign religion. Catholicism in some ways affirmed Confucian Choson, but in others it really contested it 2) Briefly describe how, during the time period of 1904 to 1910, Korea became a colony of Japan. During 1904 – 1910 Korea rather quickly became a colony under Japanese control due to a few developments. Starting in 1904 with the Russo-Japanese war, which was fought for control of Korea. Japan would win this battle and the Japanese (troops) would not leave the Korean Peninsula. Seeing as how an Asian country such as Japan could defeat a western power they felt vastly superior to other Asian peoples. (Social Darwinism) Japan saw the Koreans and their government as weak and in need of protection (the cover the Japanese would use at first) to justify colonizing Korea. With the 1905 Protectorate treaty Japan moved move Japanese officials into Korea and took over many aspects of Korean government and policy (forcing king kojong to abdicate, disbanding the army, resident general (Ito Hirobumi). Japan said that they were protecting and reforming Korean, but they were only justifying their exploitation of Korean during this time. Japan saw themselves as the elite Asian race that should be able to colonize other weaker Asians, such as Korea. 3) Explain, using the example of Pak Kyŏngwŏn, Ch’oe Sŭng-hŭi, or Sohn Kee Chung, how the Japanese colonial government complicated Korean attempts to fulfill their career aspirations. Pak Kyongwon (Female Aviator), Ch’oe Sung hui (Korean Dancer) and Sohn Kee Chung (Korean runner) all had goals they wanted to obtain, but had to do it with the help and at the expense of the Japanese. Pak wanted to be an aviator, so she went to Japan to get her training. She was able to become a pilot during a time. They wanted her to take a Japanese name but she refused to. She was seen as a traitor to the Koreans because she embraced the Japanese technology to live out her dream. This is seen in the picture of her waving the flag and that she died on a flight from Japan to Manchuria. Ch’oe was a Dancer, who learned from a Japanese teacher and through her Japanese connections was able to popularize Korean Dancing. It was seen as new and exotic and showed that Koreans were just as capable as the Japanese. As for Sohn, he was a gifted runner who wanted to compete in the 1936 Olympics but could only do so by running for Japan, under a Japanese name ( Son Kitei). He won gold, but was very ashamed that he had to do it under the Japanese and he never ran again. With Sohn, the Korean press blotted out the Japanese flag in his picture and they were harshly punished for it. This shows the complications this man had with obtaining his dream. 4) Describe the situation the Korean peasantry faced during the colonial period and why they faced that particular situation. Korean peasants (who made up a majority of the population) had a very rough life during the colonial period. They are quite a few reasons for their disparity, but a few stick out the most. First they barely had any land to farm with (most being taken away by Japanese and Wealthy Koreans) they couldn’t even make enough after the paid their taxes (50% to rent and expenses) they didn’t even have enough for themselves to eat. (lower caloric intake) During this time period the output of rice went up 40%, but the consumption went down. This shows how drastic peasant life was. Peasants were just focused on survival during this time period. Another big contributing factor to already deplorable life of a peasant was that the Japanese has put Korean rice in the world market where it had to compete in price with other rice from all over the world. This could drive the price down or up and made it riskier for Korean farmers. One day their rice might not even be enough to pay the bills. 5) Describe how Koreans were mobilized during the Japanese colonial period and for what purposes they were mobilized. During the colonial period there were a few different ways that the Korean population was mobilized. The biggest shift was from an agricultural society (Rice bowl) to an industrialized country. This saw a 40% increase in industrialized output. With the Japanese empire expanding they needed more soldiers for the imperial army. They asked for volunteers (mostly students), but only a few went and they weren’t trusted very much. The Japanese also used conscription to fill their ranks with Korean soldiers, although most would work as prison guards for a fear of not being trustworthy. Perhaps the ones that suffered the most during this period were the woman who were forced to be “comfort women” for the Japanese army. These women were lured under false pretense that they would be used as nurses, but were forced into prostitution (not compensated) for the Japanese. These women suffered greatly and many of them died. This is still a point of tension between Korean and Japan today. Essay Question (Choose ONE of the following questions and answer it in complete sentences using your own words, 25 points) Explain, referring to specific people and events, how Koreans resisted Japanese rule. Then explain how effective you believe such resistance was and why you think that way. Koreans resisted Japanese rule in two very distinct ways.
The first being generally violent, beginning with Righteous Armies, who tired to violently resist the Japanese. After this in 1909 (Thomas) An Chunggun shot and killed Ito Hirobumi, This An hoped would show that Ito was a liar and a traitor to both Korea and Japan. An would be tried and executed. Next attack that falls into this category is the March 1st movement (March 1, 1919) in which a demonstration was held and violently put down, this brought a new turn of events with new players. Yu Kwansun was a participate in the March 1st movement and was subsequently tried and executed as well. Both her and Thomas Chunggun also demonstrate another way of resistance to the Japanese. Through religion, both were Christians (Thomas catholic and Yu protestant) has been educated by religion. The Japanese couldn’t be too tough with Christianity because it had to save face with the western world. The execution and persecution of religious freedom would evoke Christian missionaries to bring attention to the Japanese colonial governing of Korean. Another two acts that fall under this violent category are the assassination attempts of Japanese officials by Yi Pong-Chang (Sakuradamon Incident 1931) and Yun Pong-gil (Hongkon Park 1932). Both were unsuccessful and orchestrated by a nationalist Kim Ku. Next attempt at resistance would be a more passive route demonstrated by Koreans. This would evolve things such a nationalist parties and leaders rising and trying to resist the Japanese by getting people to become serious about national pride. People like Cho Mon Sik and his buy Korean movement was an example of this. As time progressed the Japanese would increase control and tried to assimilate the Korean population by having them speak only Japanese, change their names to Japanese ones, having them bow towards the palace, and visiting Shinto shrines (Japanese religion) The Koreans used passive means to resist these attempts of
assimilation. Such as not changing their names, or bowing, and by making excuses not to visit the shrines. I don’t believe the violent acts of resistance were effective at all. An killed a hero, who was not even in a position of power anymore. The way that An went about his killing of Ito made him look bad and that he had a personal vendetta against Ito, not about Korean independence. As for the March 1st movement it was successful at first, but it brought new people’s attention toward Japanese resistance. As for Ku’s orchestrated assignation attempts, I view them as pointless and unnecessary. The Japanese were to good at control and surveillance to allow violent means to disrupt them. The violent acts of resistance were always met very harshly and could cause others to get hurt because there were on such a small scale to effect change. The passive means were a lot more successful in resistance terms because they allowed Koreans to maintain their culture and stay “independent” in a sense. Koreans resisted assimilation well for the most part and were still able to keep a Korean identity even though they were under the control of the Japanese. I think their passive efforts were much more successful. The Japanese were too powerful for the Koreans to resist by any drastic means. I feel like any attempt to push out the Japanese would be very reckless. “if you can’t beat them, join them.” That was the best route for Korean resistance.
The deeply rooted history of a Confucian paradigm in Korea has for long limited women’s roles and rights. In the male-dominated and patriarchal society, women’s roles remained in the domestic sphere, where they were required to be submissive. However, with the introduction of westernization and modernity in the 1920s, modern generation was rapidly incorporated into colonial modernity. Korean women began to “redefine the Korean female identity” by displaying the “new woman” characteristics, in which some literate women initiated to “enhance their education, determine their own physical appearance, and contribute to the debate about changing gender roles and expectations”(Yoo, p.59) Fearing the threat of the emergence of the “new women” with
Clark, Donald N. "1. The Story of the Korean People." Culture and Customs of Korea. Santa
Answer the following questions (in at least 5 well thought out and developed sentences each):
In addition, the leader’s death was around two decades ago, yet there are over 500 statues of him (Bristow). It is remarkable that North Korea’s life and culture are different from South Korea’s. Bristow writes about these cultural differences between the isolated North and allows the reader to compare and contrast with the developed South. It is true that status symbolizes respect and honor for their past leaders, but North Korea’s massive erection of statues – coupled with the belief that the leader is still alive today – is an uncommon idea that is rooted in an isolated and repressive country. In terms of religion, North Koreans believe in Buddhism and Confucianism, whereas South Koreans believe in Buddhism and Christianity. The differences show that both of these countries stand on the opposite sides of the religious pole. North Korea favors a religion that is widely held by the Chinese, while South Korea embodies a religion that is expressed by the West. Confucianism, at its most basic principles, includes a leader ruling over its people, whereas Christianity pushes for individuals in a society to make important decisions. While
There were some individuals that tried to meaningfully address the issue of national security. In particular, Queen Min recognized the clear need for modernization and strengthening of military (from the class lecture). Unfortunately, acting in the name of self-interest, some individuals chose to riot out of jealousy. Robinson wrote “In 1881 the military reorganization created a new Special Skills Force intended as a demonstration unit for military modernization. This force, however, created resentment within the rank of traditional units…disaffected soldiers rioted in Seoul, demanding back pay” (p. 17). Rather than heralding Korea’s step towards modernization and strengthening of military, some old guards chose to threaten Korea’s security via creating chaos (even if they had a legitimate reason for doing so). This was a clear demonstration of a group putting their own interests above their country’s
Fukuoka, Yasunori “Koreans in Japan: Past and Present,” Saitama University Review, vol. 31, no.1, 1996.
Steinberg, David I., and Donald N. Clark. "Review of The Kwangju Uprising: Shadows over the Regime in South Korea." The Journal of Asian Studies 47.3 (1988): 662-63. Print.
Although Judaism and Confucianism appear to be on different realms of the religious spectrum, they have similar traditions deriving from dissimilar roots. The significance of family in Confucianism is strongly upheld by the filial piety rooted within all of the traditions and beliefs. Meanwhile, Judaism’s emphasis on God’s word as being the ultimate path for a righteous life is supported throughout the Jewish adherence to the special laws commanded by God. Whether the foundation of the religion is rooted from filial piety or God’s commandments, both Judaism and Confucianism reflect similar standards in family rituals, religious beliefs, and moral conduct.
Legend states that in 2333 BCE, Tan'gun, grandson of the Creator, established the kingdom of Choson, or “Morning Freshness”, and thus the Korean people were began. Surrounded on three sides by Russia, China, and Japan, the Korean people have had to endure hundreds of attempts at invasion and domination, including four hundred years of Chinese military rule over the kingdom of Choson, Mongol invasions during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and, most recently, Japanese Colonization from 1910 to 1945. (Soh, 2006) This has caused the people of Korea to adapt parts of other cultures while still maintaining a strong cultural identity of their own.
These rituals can be seen as a reaffirmation of their cultural identity and resilience. By engaging in ancestral worship and preserving these traditions, they actively reclaim and maintain elements of their heritage that external forces have threatened. At this point, they don’t have anything left as every part of their identity has been taken away. However, in a way, these practices serve as a source of strength, grounding them in a sense of belonging and continuity amid the challenges of their time. Through small acts of resistance, such as preserving traditional dietary habits despite scarcity and government policies, Koreans in Lost Names demonstrate their determination to hold onto their cultural identity amidst external pressures.
The book I chose for this book review assignment is titled Korea Old and New: A History by author Carter J. Eckert along with other contributing authors Ki-baik Lee, Young Ick Lew, Michael Robinson and Edward W. Wagner. The book is published at Korea Institute, Harvard University in 1990. The book consists of 418 pages and it is more of a survey of Korean history and reference type of book, rather than selected readings on modern Korean politics. I chose this book because it is a complete survey of Korean history from the ancient Choson period up to the economic boom of the 1990's, a span of over 2000 years. Each chapter covers a different period, but they all share the same organization of describing the social, cultural, political, philosophical and scholarly aspects of the period in respective subsections. This made it easier to later refer to previous chapters and compare different periods in order to learn the comprehensive history of Korea.
Korea adopted Confucianism as the guiding principle for reform with the founding of the Chosôn Dynasty in 1392. For women in Korean society, this meant virtual doom. The Chosôn period is considered to be the dark age for women's culture and women in general. The philosophy of Confucianism considered the relationship between man and woman to be the root of all human relations. The union between man and woman is regarded to be the foundation of human morality. In Confucianism, there is a hierarchical order between man and woman that is cosmologically sanctioned. This order must be maintained for the proper functioning of the human order and society. To accomplish this, human passions had to be kept in check. Thus, Confucianism drew a clear distinction between the woman's domestic sphere and the man's public sphere. To Confucianist, the law of nature gave women an inferior and subordinate position in all aspects of life.
...ate the tea culture in Korea. Buddhist ceremonial tea was first brought to Korea by the monks who had come back from China to bring Buddhist culture to Korea. Although it was already used in ancestral ceremonies, it then became widely used in Buddhist ceremonies. It remained this way until Confucianism took over in the 14th century and tea became prohibited (Overview).
1945 marked the end of World War II and the end of Japan’s reign in Korea. Korea had been under Japanese rule since the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910. During this time, Korea had been brutally treated by Japan. The Korean language was suppressed as well as traditional Korean culture. Japan forced Korean people to take Japanese surnames and took many “comfort women” otherwise known as sex slaves for the Japanese military. As a result, the diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan were strained. Japan was determined to forget the past and deny many of the things that happened while Korea was determined to not move past it. There have been disputes between the two countries about acknowledging comfort women and territories, many sprouting up from World War II and before. While there has been improvement, the relationship between Japan and Korea is strained, mainly due to Japan’s unwillingness to remember and apologize for the past and Korea’s stubbornness to not move on from the past.
The religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are alike in many ways but they also share many differences. Judaism and Christianity use the bible in their holy scriptures, while Islam does not. Jesus Christ is a part of all three religions as Christianity and Islam developed from Judaism. Many believe that the three religions worship, pray to, and focus on the same god. They believe this as many of the prophets are they share much in common as they share many beliefs. However, the followers of the three religions pray differently and in different places. the religions believe that their god created the world and everything in the world. The three Abrahamic religions have different histories, yet they share many similarities and difference.