The Korea Question

What is national identity? This question may seem to be to simple to even bother answering. The easy answer is that national history is the events in a nation’s past that, when put together, unify all aspects of life in that nation. From this rough definition it would make sense that all of the nations in the world have a national identity. However, this question is not as black and white as it may seem. Some people believe that a nation whose history is nothing more than occupation by other countries should not be considered an independent nation. This can be seen very well in the case of Korea, which ahs had a history filled with Chinese, Japanese, and western influence. However, though Korea has strong ties to all of these imperialistic powers; it still shows aspects that are uniquely Korean. Korea has a history that includes dominance, subservience, and reemergence.

The people of the Korean peninsula have had a very colorful history. Through the period of the Later Bronze Age the Korean peninsula experienced significant political development. Perhaps the most important of these developments was the creation of the walled-town states. The six walled-town states of the Korean peninsula are seen in Chinese record

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The Korean tribes, despite the broad Chinese and Japanese hegemony throughout its history, have developed a culture that is uniquely Korean.

Two of the principle innovations of the Yi Dynasty were the redistribution of farmlands and the advancement of Confucianism at the expense of Buddhism. People who talk alike not only understand each other, they also feel a strong kinship. Much of Manchuria remained out of the reach of Silla’s armies. Language and culture are inextricably intertwined. This strictly Korean alphabet was fully adequate as a medium of communication to serve all the needs of discourse, for “the high and the low, the noble and the despised.

Chao-hsien was able to use the Chinese influence to strengthen allowing it to subdue its neighbors. The Korean temperament is well adjusted to the possibility, and necessity of making choices. For Chong, reality consisted of the circumstances that must be dealt with . After the collapse of the Mongol Empire Koryo fate was imminent. Although these reforms were not adopted the received widespread recognition as a special Korean interpretation of Confucian ethics . They had no way to fight off invaders and were bound for failure.

Another Korean Philosopher, Yi I, founded the “Ki School” of Neo-Confucanism.

Among these philosophers was Chong Tojon, who guided the constitutional character of the Choson dynasty away from Buddhism to Confucianism. Above all, he renounced the Buddhist view that the phenomenal world is an illusion.

Approximate Word count = 1813
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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