Culture of Korea

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This article is about the traditional culture of Korea. For the modern culture, see Culture
of North Korea ﾧ and Culture of South Korea ﾧ.

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Dancheong, decorative paintings

on a building at Gyeongbok
Palace

Lotus lantern festival

The traditional culture
of Korea refers to the
shared cultural heritage
of the Korean Peninsula
ﾧ. Since the mid-20th
century, the peninsula
has been split
politically between
North and South,
resulting in a number of
cultural differences.[1]
[2][3][4] Before Joseon
Dynasty ﾧ, the practice
of Korean shamanism ﾧ
was deeply rooted in
the Korean culture.[5]
[6]

Contents
[hide]
1Traditional arts
1 1.1Dance
2 1.2Painting
3 1.3Crafts
4 1.4Ceramics
5 1.5Music
2Lifestyle
6 2.1Homes
7 2.2Gardens
8 2.3Clothing
9 2.4Cuisine
10 2.5Tea
11 2.6Festivals of the lunar calendar
12 2.7Beliefs
3World Heritage Sites
13 3.1Jongmyo Shrine
14 3.2Changdeokgung
15 3.3Bulguksa
16 3.4Tripitaka Koreana and Haeinsa
17 3.5Hwaseong
18 3.6Namhansanseong
19 3.7Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong
20 3.8Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa sites
21 3.9Gyeongju Area
22 3.10Complex of Goguryeo Tombs
23 3.11Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty
24 3.12Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Traditional arts[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean art ﾧ
Dance[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean dance ﾧ

Jinju geommu
Music, there is a distinction between court dance and folk dance. Common court dances
are jeongjaemu (정재무) performed at banquets, and ilmu (일무), performed at Korean
Confucian rituals. Jeongjaemu is divided into native dances (향악정재, hyangak
jeongjae) and forms imported from Central Asia and China (당악정재, dangak jeongjae).
Ilmu are divided into civil dance (문무, munmu) and military dance (무무, mumu). Many
mask dramas and mask dances are performed in many regional areas of Korea.[7] The
traditional clothing is the genja, it is a special kind of dress that women wear on festivals.
It is pink with multiple symbols around the neck area.
Traditional choreography of court dances is reflected in many contemporary productions.
Taekkyeon ﾧ, a traditional Korean martial art, is central to the classic Korean dance.
Taekkyeon, being a complete system of integrated movement, found its core techniques
adaptable to mask, dance and other traditional artforms of Korea.
Painting[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean painting ﾧ

Korean horseback archery in

the fifth century
The earliest paintings found
on the Korean ﾧ peninsula are
petroglyphs ﾧ of prehistoric
times. With the arrival of
Buddhism ﾧ from China ﾧ, different techniques were introduced. These techniques
quickly established themselves as the mainstream techniques, but indigenous techniques
still survived.
There is a tendency towards naturalism with subjects such as realistic landscapes, flowers
and birds being particularly popular. Ink is the most common material used, and it is
painted on mulberry paper or silk ﾧ.
In the 18th century indigenous techniques were advanced, particularly in calligraphy and
seal engraving.
Arts are both influenced by tradition and realism. For example, Han’s near-photographic
"Break Time at the Ironworks" shows muscular men dripping with sweat and drinking
water from tin cups at a sweltering foundry. Jeong Son ﾧ’s "Peak Chonnyo of Mount
Kumgang" is a classical Korean landscape of towering cliffs shrouded by mists.[8]
Crafts[edit ﾧ]

Blue and White Porcelain Peach-Shaped Water Dropper from

the Joseon Dynasty 18th century

Lacquer drawer with

mother-of-pearl inlay,
at the National Museum
of Korea in Seoul
There is a unique set of handicrafts produced in
Korea ﾧ. Most of the handicrafts are created for a
particular everyday use, often giving priority to the
practical use rather than aesthetics ﾧ. Traditionally,
metal, wood, fabric, lacquerware ﾧ, and
earthenware ﾧ were the main materials used, but
later glass, leather or paper have sporadically been used.
Ancient handicrafts, such as red and black pottery, share similarities with pottery of
Chinese ﾧ cultures along the Yellow River ﾧ. The relics found of the Bronze Age ﾧ,
however, are distinctive and more elaborate.
Many sophisticated and elaborate handicrafts have been excavated, including gilt crowns,
patterned pottery, pots or ornaments. During the Goryeo ﾧ period the use of bronze was
advanced. Brass ﾧ, that is copper ﾧ with one third zinc ﾧ, has been a particularly popular
material. The dynasty, however, is most prominently renowned for its use of celadon ﾧ
ware.
During the Joseon ﾧ period, popular handicrafts were made of porcelain and decorated
with blue painting. Woodcraft was also advanced during that period. This led to more
sophisticated pieces of furniture, including wardrobes, chests, tables or drawers.
Ceramics[edit ﾧ]
Main articles: Korean pottery and porcelain ﾧ and Celadon ﾧ

A celadon incense
burner from the Goryeo
Dynasty with Korean
kingfisher glaze
The use of earthenware
ﾧ on the Korean
peninsula goes back to
the Neolithic ﾧ. The
history of Korean
Ceramics ﾧ is long and
includes both Korean
pottery a later
development after the
traditional use of coils
and hammered clay to
create early votive and
sculptural artifacts.
During the Three Kingdoms period ﾧ, pottery was advanced in Silla ﾧ. The pottery ﾧ was
fired using a deoxidizing flame, which caused the distinctive blue grey celadon color ﾧ.
The surface was embossed with various geometrical patterns.
In the Goryeo period, jade green celadon ware became more popular. In the 12th century
sophisticated methods of inlaying were invented, allowing more elaborate decorations in
different colours. In Arts of Korea, Evelyn McCune states, "During the twelfth century,
the production of ceramic ware reached its highest refinement. Several new varieties
appeared simultaneously in the quarter of a century, one of which, the inlaid ware must be
considered a Korean invention."[9] Neither the Chinese nor the Japanese had produced
inlaid celadon, which was unique to Goryeo wares. William Bowyer Honey of the
Victoria and Albert Museum of England ﾧ, who after World War II wrote, "The best
Corean (Korean) wares were not only original, they are the most gracious and unaffected
pottery ever made. They have every virtue that pottery can have. This Corean pottery, in
fact, reached heights hardly attained even by the Chinese."[10]
White porcelain ﾧ became popular in the 15th century. It soon overtook celadon ware.
White porcelain was commonly painted or decorated with copper.
During the Imjin wars ﾧ in the 16th century, Korean potters were brought back to Japan ﾧ
where they heavily influenced Japanese ceramics.[11]Many Japanese pottery families
today can trace their art and ancestry to these Korean potters whom the Japanese captured
by the thousands during its repeated conquests of the Korean peninsula.[12][13][14]
In the late Joseon period (late 17th century) blue-and-white porcelain became popular.
Designs were painted in cobalt blue on white porcelain.
Music[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Music of Korea ﾧ

Pungmul
There is a genre
distinction between
folk music and court
music. Korean folk
music is varied and
complex, but all
forms maintain a set
of rhythms (called 장
단; Jangdan) and a
loosely defined set of melodic modes. Korean folk musics are Pansori ﾧ (판소리)
performed by one singer and one drummer. Occasionally, there might be dancers and
narraters. They have been designated an intangible cultural property in UNESCO's
Memory of the world ﾧ,[15] and Pungmul ﾧ (풍물) performed by drumming, dancing and
singing. Samul Nori is a type of Korean traditional music based on Pungmul, and Sanjo ﾧ
(산조) that is played without a pause in faster tempos. Nongak ﾧ (농악) means "farmers'
music".
Korean court music ﾧ can be traced to the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1392.
Korean court musics include A-ak ﾧ, Dang-ak ﾧ and Hyang-ak ﾧ. Korean music is still
played and sung a lot.

Lifestyle[edit ﾧ]
Homes[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean architecture ﾧ
Traditional house,
hanok (한옥)

Traditional
farmer's house;
Folk Village,
Seoul
Korean traditional
houses are called
Hanok ﾧ (Hangul ﾧ:한
옥). Sites of residence are traditionally selected using traditional geomancy ﾧ. Although
geomancy had been a vital part of Korean culture and Korean Shamanism ﾧ since
prehistoric times, geomancy was later re-introduced by China during the Three Kingdoms
ﾧ period of Korea's history.
A house should be built against a hill and face south to receive as much sunlight as
possible. This orientation is still preferred in modern Korea. Geomancy also influences
the shape of the building, the direction it faces and the material the house is constructed
with.
Traditional Korean houses can be structured into an inner wing (안채, anchae) and an
outer wing (사랑채, sarangchae). The individual layout largely depends on the region and
the wealth of the family. Whereas aristocrats used the outer wing for receptions, poorer
people kept cattle in the sarangchae. The wealthier a family, the larger the house.
However, it was forbidden to any family except for the king to have a residence of more
than 99 kan. A kan is the distance between two pillars used in traditional houses.
The inner wing normally consisted of a living room, a kitchen and a wooden-floored
central hall. More rooms may be attached to this. Poorer farmers would not have any
outer wing. Floor heating (온돌, ondol ﾧ) has been used in Korea since prehistoric times.
The main building materials are wood ﾧ, clay ﾧ, tile ﾧ, stone ﾧ, and thatch ﾧ. Because
wood and clay were the most common materials used in the past not many old buildings
have survived into present times.
Gardens[edit ﾧ]

Hyangwonjeong, a
garden in
Gyeongbokgung,
Seoul
The principles of
temple gardens
and private
gardens are the same. Korean gardening in East Asia ﾧ is influenced by primarily Korean
Shamanism ﾧ and Korean folk religion ﾧ. Shamanism emphasizes nature and mystery,
paying great attention to the details of the layout. In contrast to Japanese and Chinese
gardens, which fill a garden with man made elements, traditional Korean gardens ﾧ avoid
artificialities, trying to make a garden "more natural than nature".
The lotus ﾧ pond is an important feature in the Korean garden. If there is a natural stream,
often a pavilion is built next to it, allowing the pleasure of watching the water ﾧ. Terraced
flower beds are a common feature in traditional Korean ﾧ gardens.
The Poseokjeong site near Gyeongju ﾧ was built in the Silla ﾧ period. It highlights the
importance of water in traditional Korean gardens. The garden of Poseokjeong features
an abalone-shaped watercourse. During the last days of the Silla ﾧ kingdom, the king's
guests would sit along the watercourse and chat while wine cups were floated during
banquets.
Clothing[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Hanbok ﾧ
See also: List of Korean clothing ﾧ

Hanbok

Hwarot, bridal robe

Bride's Robe (Hwalot),

19th century, Brooklyn
Museum
The traditional dress
known as hanbok (한복, 韓
服) (known as joseonot [조
선옷] in the DPRK ﾧ) has
been worn since ancient times. The hanbok consists of a shirt (jeogori) and a skirt
(chima).
According to social status, Koreans used to dress differently, making clothing an
important mark of social rank. Impressive, but sometimes cumbersome, costumes were
worn by the ruling class and the royal family. These upper classes also used jewellery to
distance themselves from the ordinary people. A traditional item of jewellery for women
was a pendant in the shape of certain elements[which?] of nature which was made of
precious gemstones, to which a tassel of silk was connected.
Common people were often restricted to undyed plain clothes. This everyday dress
underwent relatively few changes during the Joseon period. The basic everyday dress was
shared by everyone, but distinctions were drawn in official and ceremonial clothes.
During the winter people wore cotton-wadded dresses. Fur was also common. Because
ordinary people normally wore pure white undyed materials, the people were sometimes
referred to as the white-clad people.
Hanbok are classified according to their purposes: everyday dress, ceremonial dress and
special dress. Ceremonial dresses are worn on formal occasions, including a child's first
birthday (doljanchi ﾧ), a wedding or a funeral. Special dresses are made for purposes such
as shamans, officials.
Today the hanbok is still worn during formal occasions. The everyday use of the dress,
however, has been lost. However, elderly still dress in hanbok as well as active estates of
the remnant of aristocratic families from the Joseon Dynasty. Though this may be
changing with something of a modern interest in the traditional dress among some of the
young.[16]
Cuisine[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean cuisine ﾧ

Bibimbap
Rice ﾧ is the staple food ﾧ of Korea.
Having been an almost exclusively agricultural country until recently, the essential
recipes in Korea are shaped by this experience. The main crops in Korea are rice, barley ﾧ,
beans ﾧ and Gochujang (hot pepper paste), but many supplementary crops are used. Fish
ﾧ and other seafood ﾧ are also important because Korea is a peninsula.
Fermented ﾧ recipes were also developed in early times, and often characterize traditional
Korean food. These include pickled ﾧ fish and pickled vegetables. This kind of food
provides essential proteins ﾧ and vitamins ﾧ during the winter.
A number of dishes have been developed. These can be divided into ceremonial foods
and ritual foods. Ceremonial foods are used when a child reaches 100 days, at the first
birthday, at a wedding ceremony, and the sixtieth birthday. Ritual foods are used at
funerals, at ancestral rites, shaman's offerings and as temple food.
A distinguishing characteristic of Temple Food is that it does not use the common five
strong-flavoured ingredients of Korean cuisine ﾧ--(garlic ﾧ, spring onion ﾧ, wild
rocambole ﾧ, leek ﾧ, and ginger ﾧ), and meat.
Kimchi ﾧ is one of the famous foods of Korea. Kimchi is pickled vegetables which
contain vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, iron, calcium, carotene, etc. There are
many types of kimchi including cabbage kimchi, spring onion kimchi, cucumber kimchi,
radish ﾧ kimchi, and sesame kimchi.
For ceremonies and rituals rice cakes ﾧ are vital. The colouring of the food and the
ingredients of the recipes are matched with a balance of yin and yang ﾧ.
Today, surasang ﾧ (traditional court ﾧ cuisine) is available to the whole population. In the
past vegetable dishes were essential, but meat consumption has increased. Traditional
dishes include ssambap ﾧ, bulgogi ﾧ, sinseollo ﾧ, kimchi ﾧ, bibimbap ﾧ, and gujeolpan ﾧ.
Tea[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean tea ﾧ
Originally tea was used for ceremonial purposes or as part of traditional herbal medicine
ﾧ. Some of teas made of fruits, leaves, seeds or roots are enjoyed. Five tastes of tea are
distinguished in Korea: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent.
Festivals of the lunar calendar[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Korean calendar ﾧ

Daeboreum
The traditional Korean
calendar ﾧ was based on
the lunisolar calendar ﾧ.
[17] Dates are
calculated from Korea's
meridian ﾧ.
Observances and festivals are rooted in Korean culture. The Korean lunar calendar ﾧ is
divided into 24 turning points (절기, jeolgi), each lasting about 15 days. The lunar
calendar was the timetable for the agrarian society in the past, but is vanishing in the
modern Korean lifestyle.
The Gregorian calendar ﾧ was officially adopted in 1895, but traditional holidays and age
reckoning ﾧ are still based on the old calendar.[17][18] Older generations still celebrate
their birthdays according to the lunar calendar.
The biggest festival in Korea today is Seollal (the traditional Korean New Year ﾧ). Other
important festivals include Daeboreum ﾧ (the first full moon), Dano ﾧ (spring festival),
and Chuseok ﾧ (harvest festival).
There are also a number of regional festivals, celebrated according to the lunar calendar.
See also Public holidays in North Korea ﾧ and Public holidays in South Korea ﾧ.
Beliefs[edit ﾧ]
Main articles: Korean shamanism ﾧ, Korean Buddhism ﾧ, and Korean Confucianism ﾧ

Haeinsa
The original
religion of
the Korean
people was
Shamanism ﾧ,
which though
not as
widespread
as in ancient times, still survives to this day. Female shamans or mudang are often called
upon to enlist the help of various spirits to achieve various means.
Buddhism ﾧ and Confucianism ﾧ were later introduced to Korea through cultural
exchanges with Chinese dynasties. Buddhism was the official religion of the Goryeo
dynasty, and many privileges were given to Buddhist monks during this period. However,
the Joseon period saw the suppression of Buddhism, where Buddhist monks and temples
were banned from the cities and confined to the countryside. In its place a strict form of
Confucianism ﾧ, which some see as even more strict than what had ever been adopted by
the Chinese, became the official philosophy.[19] Korean Confucianism ﾧ was epitomized
by the seonbi ﾧ class, scholars who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives
of study and integrity.
Throughout Korean history and culture, regardless of separation, the traditional beliefs of
Korean Shamanism ﾧ, Mahayana Buddhism ﾧ and Confucianism ﾧ have remained an
underlying influence of the religion of the Korean people as well as a vital aspect of their
culture.[20] In fact, all these traditions coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years. They
still exist in the more Christian South[21][22][23] and in the North, despite pressure from
its government ﾧ.[24][25]

World Heritage Sites[edit ﾧ]

There are a number of designated UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage Sites ﾧ in Korea ﾧ.
Jongmyo Shrine[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Jongmyo ﾧ
The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage Site ﾧ list in 1995 and
is located in Seoul. The shrine is dedicated to the spirits of the ancestors of the royal
family of the Joseon Dynasty ﾧ. It is heavily influenced by Korean Confucian ﾧ tradition.
An elaborate performance of ancient court music ﾧ (with accompanying dance) known as
Jongmyo jeryeakis performed there each year.
When it was built in 1394 it was to be one of the longest buildings in Asia ﾧ. There are 19
memorial tablets of kings and 30 of their queens, placed in 19 chambers. The shrine was
burnt to the ground during the Imjin wars ﾧ, but rebuilt in 1608.
Changdeokgung[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Changdeokgung ﾧ
Changdeokgung ﾧ is also known as the "palace of illustrious virtue". It was built in 1405,
burnt to the ground during the Imjin wars in 1592 and reconstructed in 1609. For more
than 300 years Changdeokgung was the site of the royal seat. It is located in Seoul ﾧ.
The surroundings and the palace itself are well matched. Some of the trees behind the
palace are now over 300 years old, besides a preserved tree which is over 1000 years old.
Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage ﾧ list in 1997.
Bulguksa[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Bulguksa ﾧ
Seokguram Grotto
Bulguksa ﾧ is also known as the
temple of the Buddha Land and
home of the Seokguram Grotto.
The temple was constructed in
751 and consists of a great
number of halls. There are two
pagodas placed in the temple.
The Seokguram grotto is a hermitage of the Bulguksa temple. It is a granite sanctuary. In
the main chamber a Buddha statue is seated. The temple and the grotto were added to the
UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage list in 1995.
Tripitaka Koreana and Haeinsa[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Haeinsa ﾧ
See also: Tripitaka Koreana ﾧ
Haeinsa ﾧ is a large temple in the South Gyeongsang ﾧ province. It was originally built in
802 and home to the Tripitaka Koreana ﾧ wood blocks, the oldest Buddhist wooden
manuscripts in the world.[26] The carving of these wood blocks was initiated in 1236 and
completed in 1251. The wood blocks are testimony to the pious devotion of king and his
people.
The word Tripitaka ﾧ is Sanskrit ﾧ and stands for three baskets, referring to the Buddhist ﾧ
laws of aesthetics. The Tripitaka Koreanaconsists of 81'258 wood blocks and is the
largest, oldest, and most complete collection of Buddhist scripts. Amazingly there is no
trace of errata or omission on any of the wood blocks. The Tripitaka Koreana is widely
considered as the most beautiful and accurate Buddhist ﾧ canon carved in Hanja ﾧ.
The site was added to the UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage ﾧ list in 1995.
Hwaseong[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Hwaseong Fortress ﾧ
See also: Korean fortress ﾧ

A frontal view of the west gate

and watch tower
Hwaseong ﾧ is the fortification of
the city Suwon ﾧ south of Seoul ﾧ in South Korea ﾧ. Its construction was completed in
1796 and it features all the latest features of Korean fortification known at the time. The
fortress also contains a magnificent palace used for the King's visit to his father's tomb
near the city.
The fortress covers both flat land and hilly terrain, something rarely seen in East Asia ﾧ.
The walls are 5.52 kilometres long and there are 41 extant facilities along the perimeter.
These include four cardinal gates, a floodgate ﾧ, four secret gates and a beacon tower.
Hwaseong was added to the UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage ﾧ list in 1997.
Namhansanseong[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Namhansanseong ﾧ
See also: Korean fortress ﾧ
Namhansanseong became a UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage Site ﾧ in 2014.[27]
Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Kaesong ﾧ
The Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong became a UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage Site
ﾧ in 2013.[28]
Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa sites[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites ﾧ
The sites of Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa were added to the UNESCO ﾧ list of World
Heritage ﾧ in 2000. These sites are home to prehistoric graveyards which contain
hundreds of different megaliths ﾧ. These megaliths are gravestones ﾧ which were created
in the 1st century B.C. out of large blocks of rock ﾧ. Megaliths can be found around the
globe, but nowhere in such a concentration as in the sites of Gochang, Hwasun and
Ganghwa.
Gyeongju Area[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Gyeongju Historic Areas ﾧ
The historic area around Gyeongju ﾧ was added to the UNESCO ﾧ list of World Heritage
ﾧ in 2000. Gyongju was the capital of the Silla ﾧ kingdom. The tombs of the Silla rulers
can still be found in the centre of the city. These tombs took the shape of rock chambers
buried in an earthen hill, sometimes likened with the pyramids ﾧ. The area around
Gyeongju, in particular on the Namsan ﾧ mountain, is scattered with hundreds of remains
from the Silla period. Poseokjeong ﾧ is one of the most famous of these sites, but there is
a great number of Korean Buddhist ﾧ art, sculptures, reliefs, pagodas ﾧ and remains of
temples ﾧ and palaces ﾧ mostly built in the 7th and 10th century.
Complex of Goguryeo Tombs[edit ﾧ]
Main article: Complex of Goguryeo Tombs ﾧ
The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs ﾧ lies in Pyongyang ﾧ, Pyong'an South Province, and
Nampo City, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea ﾧ. In July 2004 it became the first
UNESCO ﾧ World Heritage ﾧ site north of the 38th parallel.
The site consists of 63 individual tombs from the later Goguryeo ﾧ, one of the Three
Kingdoms of Korea ﾧ. It was founded around northern Korea and Manchuria ﾧ around 32
BC, and the capital was moved to Pyongyang in 427. This kingdom dominated the region
between the 5th and 7th century AD.
ased on the central role of the United States in this system, South Korea achieved a
significant leap forward since the end of World War II. South Korea’s advancement came
in three steps. Step one came with the establishment of the country in 1948. The next step
came with industrialization during the 1960s and 1970s. Step three was the
democratization wave of the 1980’s. Throughout this process, as a strong supporter of
South Korea, the United States contributed to the development.

In 1945, South Korea welcomed liberation from 36 years of Japanese colonial rule. Three
years later, it established a government based on liberal democracy and a market
economy. As the result of industrialization during the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea has
now grown to become a key global economy from the world's poorest and most hopeless
country.

During the process of development, two competing forces formed in South Korea: those
in favor of industrialization and those democratic forces rallying around the opposition
party. The conflict continued until the first half of 1980s. Democratization was completed
in 1986 when the decision was made to directly elect the president. Until that time, South
Korea had only directly elected its president a few times since the founding of the country
in 1948.

Throughout this process, South Korea has practiced the values of liberal democracy and
the principles of a market economy modeled on the efficient U.S. system. In addition,
South Korea has fostered three new values: peace, reconciliation and development.

Peace

The South Korean people learned the importance of peace through their three-year
experience during the Korean War, which began in 1950. The Korean War began at a time
when communism had spread to many parts of the world. South Korea and the United
States blocked this spread together. Since the cease-fire of Korean War, South Korea has
enjoyed relative peace and successfully developed both its economy and political system.
By contrast, North Korea has rejected peace and immersed itself in preparing for
aggression.

Reconciliation

South Korea has reconciled twice with a once aggressive neighbor. In 1965, South Korea
established diplomatic relations with Japan which invaded the Korean Peninsula and
ruled it as a colony for 36 years. Because of this diplomatic reconciliation, South Korea
and Japan became partners in fostering the peace and prosperity of Northeast Asia. South
Korea also established diplomatic ties with China in 1992 in spite of Beijing’s invasion of
South Korea with the help of North Korea. Since then, South Korea has contributed to
China’s open door policy and economic development.

Development

South Korea has achieved a high level development over the past 70 years. This success
has made it a model for developing nations in Asia and Africa. Many of these countries
have worked to learn from South Korea’s success.
With the first three steps of its development complete, South Korea is now embarking on
the fourth and fifth. These entail unifying the Korean Peninsula and taking on the role of
stabilizer for the peace in Northeast Asia. These two steps will contribute to peace in
Northeast Asia and ensure the national interests of the United States and South Korea.
They cannot be achieved without the absolute trust and support of the U.S. people and
government.

South Korea can now foster its values of liberal democracy and the market economy as
well as peace, reconciliation and development. I truly hope that these values can
contribute to the prosperity of many countries, including developing countries through
cooperation between South Korea and the United States.

So far the United States has not shared these values with North Korea or China, but only
with Japan and South Korea in Northeast Asia. Based on these universal values, South
Korea has achieved global success and has given hope to many developing nations. This
is the primary main reason I hope the United States continues to highly regard
cooperation with South Korea.