Conflict in Values in South Korea

When Western missionaries and traders began arriving in Asia during the seventeenth century, most Koreans continued to be resistant to outside influences. Nevertheless, by the early eighteenth century, many Korean leaders began thinking that Western influences could have a positive impact on the nation's economic growth. Thus, many Koreans at that time began thinking that "foreign ideas in general and European commercial enterprise in particular should be seriously considered" (Kim 58). In the late eighteenth century, Christian ideas in the form of Catholicism began making their way to Korea. Many Korean scholars were attracted to Catholicism and the concepts of "Western Learning" which it embraced. However, by the early nineteenth century, many other Koreans had come to resent the influence that Western ways of thinking were havin

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ash between traditional and Western values, has resulted in a sense of conflict among the Korean people, some of whom accept Westernization and some of whom reject it. Western influences in South Korea today can be seen in such things as television, entertainment, clothing styles, architecture, art, and music. Because of such influences, "a drastic change occurred in moral and ethical values and practices among urbanized Koreans as modern social relations and a modern way of thinking and acting became widely accepted" (Nahm 510). This has resulted in conflict among older Koreans who favor the traditional approach to culture and society, and younger Koreans, many of whom have accepted the Westernized values of the modern way of life. At the same time, however, there is a strong sense of tradition even among those South Koreans who have accepted Western values. In particular, the influence of Confucianism and its impact on social structure remains strong in South Korea today. Thus, "despite numerous modern changes, South Korean society remains traditional in many respects" (513). In this regard, it has been noted that "the vast majority of Koreans maintain their traditional conservatism and behavioral patterns" (513). One w
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Approximate Word count = 1607
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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