Introduction to Korean culture, society
and politics
Inhoud
1. Ethnocentrism, culturalism & stereotypes.........................................................................................2
1.1. Ethnocentrism.............................................................................................................................2
1.1.1. Sinocentrism.........................................................................................................................2
1.2. Culturalism...................................................................................................................................3
2. Shamanism.........................................................................................................................................3
3. Confucianism......................................................................................................................................6
3.1. Confucianism: an overview..........................................................................................................6
3.2. Introduction and development of Confucianism in Korea...........................................................7
3.3. Confucianism and Contemporary Korea......................................................................................9
4. South Korea today (political history)..................................................................................................9
4.1. Division of Korea..........................................................................................................................9
4.2. Foundation of Republic of Korea.................................................................................................9
4.3. A dictatorial regime...................................................................................................................10
4.4. South Korea’s democratization..................................................................................................10
4.5. South Korea’s institutions today................................................................................................11
4.6. Economy....................................................................................................................................12
4.7. Society: population....................................................................................................................12
4.8. Society: Urbanization.................................................................................................................12
4.9. Society: Mass media..................................................................................................................13
5. The Korean War (1950-1953)...........................................................................................................13
5.1. Origins........................................................................................................................................13
5.1.1. The division of Korea..........................................................................................................13
5.1.2. Who initiated......................................................................................................................13
5.2. North-Korean invasion...............................................................................................................13
5.3. Belgium and Korea.....................................................................................................................14
6. North Korea......................................................................................................................................14
6.1. A communist dynasty................................................................................................................14
6.2. Korean Worker’s Party...............................................................................................................14
6.3. Chuch’e/Juche/Dtchoutché Idea...............................................................................................15
6.4. Political: Korean People’s Army.................................................................................................15
6.5. Nuclear weapon program..........................................................................................................15
1. Ethnocentrism, culturalism & stereotypes
1.1. Ethnocentrism
Definition of ethnocentrism: technical name for this view of things, in which one’s own group
is the centre of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it
William Sumner
Lévi-Strauss (text on Toledo)
o French anthropologist from Brussels. Was persecuted for being of Jewish roots in
WOII. Eventually chairman of college de France.
o Wrote ‘Race & Histoire’, published by UNESCO
Key Ideas:
Ethnocentrism as a universal trait of humanity (i.e. indigenous <->
white colonists)
Humanity as covering all forms of human species is a recent concept
1952: Congo as a colony of Belgium
1945: Japan lost war (lost Korea as colony)
1962: Algeria as a colony of France
Ethnocentrism Korea – Belgium diplomats:
o First treaty with China and Japan in 1866
o Opening of Korea due to the USA: 1876 and first treaty with Western power in 1882
o Diplomatic relations: 1901
o Situation in Korea followed by Belgian diplomats especially via ministers in China and
Japan and Belgian consul in Shanghai
o Questions of sources:
Westerners usually not allowed to enter Korea before conclusion of treaties
Few contacts with Korean diplomats posted abroad
Newspapers
Hearsays
Contacts with other diplomats posted in China and Japan
Belgian diplomats and several direct contact with Korean diplomats = excellent opinion of
Koreans smart, serious and good-willing
1.1.1. Sinocentrism
Hierarchical system of international relations that prevailed in East-Asia
o At the centre, the Chinese dynasty legitimated by the Mandate of Heaven, regarded
itself as the most prominent civilization
China was “surrounded by barbarians”: Turks, Japanese, Koreans, Mongols, Indochinese,…
Only China had an emperor, Son of Heaven, other countries only were allowed in their eyes
to have kings
The important Tribute System: prevailed in East-Asia from the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220
CE) – 19th century
o i.e. The book of the latter Han (oldest doc remaining mentioning Japan)
Treatise of Eastern Barbarians: Emperor granted gold imperial seals, in
return the Country of Na sent envoys back to the Chinese capital, offering
, tribute and formal New Years’ greetings (so i.e. Japan was allowed
themselves to be called king of Na of Han)
Ends in the 1st Sino-Japanese war (1894 – 1895): Japan wins
Leads to the Shimonoseki treaty (1895): 1 st article states that China recognizes the full
independency of Korea and the tribute payment from K -> C will cease
Japan wanted to take Korea out of the atmosphere of China (so they could later colonize
them)
1.2. Culturalism
Sociological approach that places great emphasis on culture to explain how a society works
o Culture conditions/determines the behaviour of individuals Cultural determinism
Personality (ego) is a socialized expression of human nature (id), particular
culture (super-ego) Freud
Ruth Benedict: Patterns of Culture: “a culture, like an individual, is a more or less consistent
pattern of thought and action”
Each culture chooses from “the great arc of human potentialities” only a few
characteristics which became the leading personality traits of the persons living with that
culture
o Wrote a book on Japan: “Chrysanthemum and the Sword”
To understand and predict the behaviour of the Japanese during the war
Most important features of Japanese culture: culture of shame (Shame of capture) <->
culture of guilt (Western) Notion of guilt is missing from the Japanese -> Samson: ‘they
have never been tortured by the sense of sin’
o Received criticism on book:
“Anthropology at a distance” Benedict never went to Japan
Law: Considering Japan as homogenous overlooks class differences which
influence people’s behaviour
Philosophy: The Japanese described are not representative, they are just
ultranationalist soldiers Benedict only interviewed prisoner soldiers
Ethnology: There is no people who uses word ‘guilt’ as frequently as the
Japanese, the ‘culture of shame’ concerns only the class of the bushi
Criticism against culturalism
o 1. Culturalism leads to (over)simplification and overlooks differences existing within
a same culture can lead to stereotypes
Bourdieu: Cultural norms vary depending on social milieu, people see things different
standing in different classes
You have to go more in detail and keep class in mind
o 2. Culturalism has a tendency to see as specific a cultural trait that can be, in fact,
observed in other cultures
Perfection as a Korean cultural trait not only in Korea, i.e. opera is also a form of
perfection
2. Shamanism
Can be defined as a religion in which humans request the help of a spirit through the
mediation of a shaman
o Still prevails in age of modernization
o Shrines, offers, protector gods (of villages), exorcism, ancestors
o Long before introduction of Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity
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