Korean Culture Report Essay

From the earliest times in Korean history, martial arts have impacted every facet of Korean life. Martial arts in Korea have remained fluid and ever changing as a result of movement and connections of other cultures and countries throughout Asia. It is difficult for us as Americans to understand just how significant of an impact martial arts had on everyday life during this time in Korean history; however, we can look into multiple key relationships to attain a better understanding of just how much that influence had throughout the Korean peninsula. The history of Korean martial arts is rooted in their deep connection to Korean government, culture, and religion.

One of Director Park Chan Wook’s most renowned works is the film Oldboy (2003). At face value, this film appears to be a regular mystery-thriller film. However, after further analysis, there are many parallels to contemporary Korean history and society. These parallels, or allegories, become more apparent upon review of the film. The film contains references to Korea’s tumultuous history and contemporary culture, highlighting the multiple disappointments felt by the Korean people (Seth). The main character Oh Dae-su also stands in for the “average” Korean citizen while his adversary, Lee Woo-jin, represents upper class citizens, or chaebols, in Korea. After analyzing these points, this paper argues that Oldboy does in fact serve as a socio-political allegory for problems faced in contemporary Korea. Problems that are addressed include democratization, class structure and privilege, capitalism, and the importance of power and money in Korea (Kim).

Ancient korea differs from the modern koreas, in that it was separated into four kingdoms, and half of it was located not on the korean peninsula, but in modern day china and russia. As stated before, ancient Korea was separated into four kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, and Kaya. Goguryeo, the largest, was mostly located in modern china, russia, and north Korea, while the others were squished in the southern half of south Korea.

In fact, the pursuit of bureaucratic excellence inspires Shao-Yu to venture to the capital to take part in the government-administered tests. Many characters allude to the high status offered by performing well which, when put next to the original commentaries in the Analects, reveal the enduring importance of knowledge and learnedness in Korean culture.

On May 3, Jubilee, Justus and I will be traveling to Korea for three weeks, in handcuffs. Ever since I broke the news, Justus has been proselytizing to his classmates about having fun in Korea -- theme parks, toy shopping, and the whole shebang. His enthusiasm has prompted his teacher to plan a farewell party for him, taking the opportunity to educate the class on the Korean culture and society. I am equally elated about the trip, especially the prospect of trying different types of deliriously tasty food. Exploring the cities I have not yet visited is also part of the plan, which includes a two-and-a-half hour flight to Taiwan, an island roughly the size of West Virginia where I had spent part of my childhood from age nine to twelve.

The goal of this project was to use CBPR methods to collaborate with partners in the Korean community to address oral health among particularly vulnerable Korean elderly adults in NYC. We worked with Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York (KCS), to assess oral health needs among older Koreans, their community, and family caregivers, and use the information collected to develop a targeted oral health intervention(s). This research can potentially impact approximately 5000 Korean seniors through KCS. My responsibilities were the following: 1) Convened an Advisory Group of five members from the Korean Community: In order to gain familiarity with the Korean community in NYC, and gain insight into the oral health needs and challenges of the Korean senior population, I convened the Community Advisory Group of Korean stakeholders every three months; 2)

South Korea will often be described as a high-tech and peaceful nation. Especially when compared to the neighboring dictatorship of the North. Beyond the colorful lights of Seoul the country is filled with civil unrest. Young adults and teens are faced with an oppressive modern society watching and waiting for them to make a mistake. IU’s album Chat-Shire depicts the social issues of being a woman in South Korea.

Culture today is not like the culture in ancient times, but some of the things they had back then are still around today. Culture includes all aspects of daily life, including: religion, art, entertainment, music, food, traditions, and social expectations. The cultures in ancient Rome and ancient Korea were vastly different from one another. This was due to the fact that both Rome and Korea are in different parts of the world, and as a result their food, traditions, and celebrations were unique to each civilization.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you moved to a completely different country? What about a country in eastern Asia, more specifically, South Korea? life in korea as a native is much much different from life as an alien dumbass why else would i be writing this essay.if you were to move to south korea here’s what you should expect as a complete and utter alien to south korea.

In the photograph of Park Jong-chul’s student-lead demonstration at the Korea University of Seoul in 1987 [fig. 1], there are hundreds of bodies, united together, facing against the military police of recently-elected Roh Tae-woo. What is not seen in this photograph, however, is the underlying sentiments that turned each individual into a member of this mass. What is really at play in the minds of these students is the ideology of minjung. The concept obtained political meaning in the mid-1970s, becoming a major movement in the 1980s that sought political, social, and cultural change. Commonly translated into “the mass of the people” or simply “mass” or “the people,” minjung was used as a way of categorizing all strata of society that were “victimized” by the Park Chun Hee regime not only politically, but economically, socially, culturally, and religiously as well. In this fight for the mobilization of the oppressed – a fight for democracy – it was not only students and workers who became politicized, but even producers of culture, such as writers and artists. This essay will focus on this latter movement, specifically looking at the “minjung art” movement in a heavily politicized South Korea of the 1980s. This essay will first dissect the meaning of minjung and culture before taking a close look at several pieces of minjung art and the way art became a political tool. Through an examination of minjung, art, and minjung art, this essay will analyze the relationship between

Grains have been one of the most important staples of the Korean diet. Early myths of the foundations of various kingdoms in Korea center on grains. One foundation myth relates to Jumong, who received barley seeds from two doves sent by his mother after establishing the kingdom of Goguryeo.[4] Yet another myth speaks of the three founding deities of Jeju Island, who were to be wed to the three princesses of Tamna; the deities brought seeds of five grains which were the first seeds planted, which in turn became the first instance of farming.[5]

“We risked our lives for a South Korean dream, but If a war breaks out, should I fight South Koreans or should I shoot at my relatives in the North?” asks Ri Kyong” The Republic of Korea was small a country which was located in the far eastern edge of Asia. It was separated when the Korea War started in 1950 and lasted until 1953. At that time it turned into two different countries, which are known today as North Korea and South Korea .Thereafter these two countries have attempted to find ways to advance their power and wealth compared to the other, and work their way through the world’s exponential growth in all forms of technology. These days whoever walks through an exhibition can

South Korea has had an incredible journey in the past sixty years. It had been burned to the ground in a vicious civil war, and is now a top fifteen world economy and is rapidly becoming world's plastic surgery leader. It is known that American culture has come to dominate South Korea's culture in more ways than one. But the area in which it made great inroads is Korean ageism. Since America has gained cultural dominance over South Korea following America’s introduction of cosmetic surgery, they have become fixated on beauty enhancements, thus causing age discrimination to be rife. This group culture of ideal normalcy symbolizes America’s cultural dominance over South Korea.

In the years following the collapse of Asia’s economy in 1998, South Korea turned to alternative exports to assist in both the restructuring of the nation’s financial strength and its reputation in international markets. As a result, pop-cultural exports such as films, television dramas, pop music and celebrities associated with these forms of media discourses have found growing popularity in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan; as well as many other East and Southeast Asian countries. This growing popularity of pop-cultural exports has proved to be a tool in constructing a contemporary national image and encouraged the emergence of the ‘Korean Wave’. According to Huang (2009) ‘Hallyu’ or the ‘Korean Wave’ refers to the “...popularity of South Korean culture in other Asian countries” however, with the increased availability of digital media and the increase of social networking, the definition of Hallyu has recently grown to include Western Societies.

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.