Let me tell you about Korea in comparison with world-famous historical figures or relics

Do you know the difference between the Forbidden City in China and Changdeokgung in Korea? Some people abroad say that the Forbidden City in China is enormous in size, whereas Changdeokgung in Korea is too small and humble. They say this because they do not correctly understand the philosophy behind Korean and Chinese architectures. The Forbidden City in China overwhelms the surrounding landscape with its magnificent buildings to display an outside dignity drawing all eyes upon it. As a place of authority and dignity where the ruler stayed, it was designed to make sure that the castle was fully guarded with high buildings, preventing people from getting easy access to it. Meanwhile, Korean palaces were built in harmony with the surrounding nature to reveal an inner dignity. For example, if you visit Changdeokgung, you will see that Korean palaces are built in exquisite integration with the mountains in the background. This is a sharp contrast to China’s Forbidden City, which has artificial mountain with stones

around it. In other words, the Korean palaces may not possess grand and majestic magnetism but they are full of inner magnetism keeping in perfect magnetism with the surrounding charm, to look like a piece of art. At the same time, the Korean palaces reflect the reigning philosophy of the king who tried to reduce the communication gap with his people. Therefore, the palace and peoples’ homes were built near each other. Today, Korea pursues “Green Growth”, which is also in harmony with the nature, as its main vision for economic development. From this, we can see the spirit of Koreans ancestors, who endlessly sought to be in harmony with nature, in the spirit of modern Koreans.

In London, the capital of the United Kingdom, there is Trafalgar Square. At the center of the square, there is the statue of Horatio Nelson(1771– 1805), a legendary Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom. He defeated the Allied Navy at Trafalgar off the coast of Spain, when Napoleon’s French navy joined forces with the Spanish Armada to attack the England in the 19C. This was the battle of Trafalgar, one of the four greatest naval battle in world. Unfortunately, he died during this battle, but he did not want his death to be known, thinking that it might prevent England’s victory. Even at the moment of his death, he was a great hero who thought only of his home country. After the battle, England expanded the British Empire by dominating the sea and controlling trading blocks in Europe.

There was also a Korean navy admiral who was known to be as great or even better than Lord Nelson. He was Admiral Yi Sun-sin(1545-1598). During the Imjin War in 1592, he led all the naval battles to victory. He particularly led the Battle of Hansando Island, one of the four greatest naval battles in the world’s history. Anticipating the war beforehand, he was perfectly prepared for Imjin War. He created Geobukseon (Turtle ship), the first storm fleet warship in the world with an armored cover on top, this ship was built together with his men and Admiral Yi led the naval battles to victory. During the Battle of Hansando Island, Admiral Yi Sun-sin commanded and developed his famous tactic, Hakikjin, a crane wing formation that trapped the enemies by forming the semicircle, thereby defeating the enemies quickly and decisively. The secret behind the firepower was discovered in the 20th century, surprising scholars in the related fields. With his victory in the naval battle of ‘Hansando Island,’ Joseon blocked the supply route, changing the direction of the battle. Furthermore, he led the navy of Joseon. He also participated the Battle of Noryang, which marked the end of the Imjin War. Like Nelson, he was deeply wounded during the Battle of Noryang, and he requested his death be unknown until the battle ended in victory.

He saved his country at the moment of crisis. His life story has been handed down with his diary called, Nanjungilgi and other historical documents, moving even the Koreans of today with his great deeds. Like Lord Nelson, his statue stands at Gwanghwamun Square in the center of Seoul, which is the capital of Republic of Korea.

If you ask an American who the most respected president in the history is, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) would be on the top of the list. Lincoln was born in a small log cabin in Kentucky as the only son to a poor farmer. Even amid difficult conditions, he was admitted to the bar by studying on his own. He entered the political world and went on to becoming the 16th President of the United States. He was a great man not because he just was the president but because he unified the country which had been bitterly divided into south and north on the brink of the war. He also freed slaves became a landmark event in the history of human rights. Even today, Lincoln still inspires many Americans. His image is on the five dollar bill. He is the trademark of Ford Motors, a global motor company. There are numerous cities and art centers named after him. Even on the famous Mount Rushmore, known for the large rocks sculptures, his face is engraved.

Also in Korean history, there is a leader who is loved by Korean people even today as Lincoln is. King Sejong(1397-1450) was the 4th King of the Joseon Dynasty. While he was on the throne, he accomplished a great deal in politics, economics and culture. However, his greatest achievement was the invention of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet that Koreans use everyday. At the time of King Sejong, the common people could not read so they were often at a disadvantage.The king felt pity for them, so he invented Hangeul. He was the first leader who created an alphabet for his people, marking a historical, a historical event that cannot be found anywhere in world history. He was a true leader who loved people beyond their social status. For instance, he gave maternity leave of 100 days to servants, the lowest in the social rank. Thus, he fulfiled the welfare policy of the 21st century in advance. He appointed Jang Yeong-sil, a servant, to a high ranking government official position, introducing policies beyond imagination of the social system at the time.

Today, he appears on the 10,000 won bill of Korea like Lincoln. Not only that, there is Sejong Science Station on King George Island at the South Pole. The first Aegis Weapon System, KDX-III, is called the King Sejong Aegis Warship. There are also cities, roads and buildings named after him showing how much Koreans love and respect the King

Perhaps there is no one who has studied western history that does not know that it was Queen Elizabeth (1558–1603) who made the most important contribution in developing England into a great world empire.

When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1558, England was experiencing many difficulties at home and abroad. Not only religious wars and threats of surrounding powers, but also the economic depression at home made England one of the most underdeveloped countries in Europe. But Queen Elizabeth gained the public trust by appointing many talented politicians and pursuing real-life politics. As a result, she strengthened the nation and laid the foundation for England to become a great empire. Even today, the British people respect Queen Elizabeth calling the 16th century the ‘Elizabethan era’ for she became the queen of England as a 25-year-old woman, and ruled the country until her death at the age of 70. She never married and dedicated herself to developing England to be a global power. However, have you heard of the first queen in the 5000 history of Korea? At a time when only men could become kings, Queen Seondeok (?~647), the 27th ruler of the Silla Kingdom, was the first queen. During the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647), Silla had the weakest national power, compared to the other kingdoms, Goguryeo and Baekjae. From the moment she became the queen, however, she took care of her poor people at home and abroad. She pursued various policies to improve the nation and selected the two heroes, ‘Kim Yu Shin’ and ‘Kim Chun Chu’, thus laying the foundation for Silla’s unification of the three kingdoms. Nowadays, Koreans say attribute Silla’s ability to unify the three kingdoms and last for thousand years to the human resources and the leadership of nation’s leaders. Queen Seondeok came to the throne during a turbulent period, but she was a great queen who paved the way for Silla with her outstanding wisdom.

Have you heard of Alexandria, a beautiful port city in the Mediterranean? This city was built by Alexander the Great (BC 356~BC 323), or also known as King of Macedonia who built a great empire over Greece, Persia and India. Despite the fact that he ascended the throne quite young, at 20 years old, he seized the regal power immediately to build an empire through his father, Phillip IV’s influence. Phillip IV exerted the influence of Macedonia through military and diplomatic methods to surrounding city states to reinforce his sovereign power. He also trained his troops to expand the territory. Thanks to his father, Alexander the Great started to win battles with the great Persian Empire. He finally took possession of the Persian Empire to build his own empire. Unfortunately, his vast empire split into 3 countries when he died in 323, in Babylon, after his defeat in India. He only reigned for a short period of 13 years but his achievements are highly praised even today because of his prodigious tactics and the spread of Hellenistic culture which embraced the East and the West which affected generations to come until the 15th century. Like Alexander the Great, who blended the Greek and Persian cultures, there was a king in Korean history who also built vast empire

He was Gwanggaeto the Great(374~412), the 19th king of Goguryeo. He also came to the throne at a young age of 18 years old. Like Alexander the Great, his father, King Gogugyang and his uncle, King Sosurim established a foothold in politics, military and culture expanding his territory over Manchuria. Therefore, as soon as he became king, he attacked Baekje in the south to get the land, won a naval battle with ancient Japan and advanced to Inner Mongolia in the north. Inner Mongolia was used as a strategic distribution base to hold China in check and stop people moving southward from the northern region. Likewise, he secured the base by expanding the territory to develop the economy. An unique culture of Goguryeo flourished through cultural exchanges. Since then, he expanded the territory within the Korean Peninsula to keep Japan in check. He expanded to Liadong peninsula in the southernwest and the whole area of Manchuria in the north. In this way, he developed a vast territory stretching from the Korean Peninsula to Manchuria. Then, Goguryeo had an influence on the relationship between Eastern and Western Asia through cultural exchanges with surrounding neighbors, Central Asia and India. The history of Gwanggaeto the Great has been passed on to this day with carvings on the gravestones of the royal tomb of Gwanggaeto the Great and Jungwon Goguryeo-bi (Jungwon Goguryeo Stele). With this, Koreans learn about foreign policy in the past and the remarkable tactics of Gwanggaeto the Great.

Who comes to your mind when you think of the most famous Western philosopher? Many people will pick Aristotle (BC 384-322) who, along with Socrates and Plato, is the most influential scholar. He was the most influential Greek philosopher who laid the foundation for the development of the Greek philosophy into a comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Particularly, he is more familiar to us as the teacher of Alexander the Great. In Korean history, Yi Hwang (1501-1570) was the most prominent scholar as well as the teacher of the most powerful ruler. Yi Hwang, like Aristotle, contributed to creating and developing Eastern philosophy. Many great rulers of Joseon Dynasty wanted him as their teacher so that they could gain his wisdom. Many of his disciples, like ‘Yu Seong-ryong’, saved the nation in times of crisis and became great leaders in society. His teaching and spirit still remains in all corners of Korean society even after 500 years. Like Aristotle, the learning and philosophy of Toegye(penname of Yi Hwang) Yi Hwang spread beyond borders.

Many scholars in China and Japan are already conducting on him as a subject of respect and learning. His 45 books of 11 kinds were published in the Edo period of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Japan, greatly influencing the Kimon and Kumamoto Schools, the mainstream of modern Confucianism. Moreover, in China, the home of Confucianism, Liang Chi Chao, the representative philosopher during the Enlightenment, praised Yi Hwang as a saint, calling him ‘dear Yi Buja(李夫子)so far away’. Yi Hwang’s influence was not limited to Japan and China. Many Toegye Yi Hwang’s research institutes were built in the world, including Asia, the Americas and Europe, to disseminate and develop his learning, which shows that his teaching and influence are now spreading across the world.

What comes to your mind when you think of ceramics? Most Western people will think of ‘Bone China’. The name ‘Bone China’ originated from Great Britain in the 1800s. From a long time ago, Western people loved to eat meat and enjoyed hot tea. If they put hot tea in the porcelain, it often broke because of the heat. The English tried to make improvements by using animal bones to make heat-resistant porcelain. This new product was called ‘Bone China’.

However, do you know that Korean ceramics are gaining the world’s attention? Until the 17th century, recently Korea and China were the only countries to make porcelain. Even in historical documents from China claim that Korea’s Goryeo Cheongja is the origin of ceramics. They indicate that “Goryeo Cheongja is the best in the world” emphasizing its global value. China is not the only country that believes so. A naturalist in the UK highly praised Goryeo Cheongja highly by saying, “the best Korean ceramics are the most elegant and truthful and possess all the advantages of ceramics, revealing the fact that it is the product of a happy people’ in his book titled <Chinese and Far Eastern countries’ ceramics> in 1945.

Goryeo Cheongja has received much praise for its ‘creativity’ and ‘color’. The potters of Goryeo made a unique celadon. The inlay technique was used to carve patterns on the surface to be filled with metals and jewels. It was originally developed in Egypt and introduced to the Korean Peninsula via Central Asia and China. At that time, no master craftsman of the East or West applied the technique to ceramics. Therefore, it was very innovative and creative that Koreans applied this technique to ceramics. Moreover, the color of Goryeo Cheongja was more beautiful and elegant than Chinese ceramics which were produced in mass at that time. With such elegance, it is no wonder that it was praised as the best ceramics in the world in the 12th century. In this way, Korea’s Goryeo Cheongja is estimated to be a major Korean relic of the blended cultures of the East and the West because it accepted Chinese ceramics’ culture to develop it into a unique product to be distributed all over the world without imitating it completely.

Major media like Time Magazine, BBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported that “movable metal type printing” is the greatest invention in the last 1,000 years. With movable metal type printing, the public became the main player in producing and expanding information rather than just receiving information unilaterallyfrom people in power, as they did in the past. As a result, landmark events like the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution and the Democratic Revolution took place in the history of the Western world. The revolutionary value of movable metal type printing, as a means of information popularization, is becoming all the more significant with today’s Internet.

However, do you know which country was the first to develop the great movable metal type printing? Many will think of Germany, since many people be-lieve that Gutenberg’s 42-line Bible, made in 1455 in Germany, was the oldest metal type printed book. However, this is not true. This is because ‘Jikji’ was already published in 1377 using movable metal type in Korea, 78 years before the Gutenberg Bible. Even though the original was not preserved, another book titled “Sangjeong Yemun (Detailed and Authentic Codes of Ritual and Etiquette)” was made with metal type around 1230, according to some documents. The movable metal type printing that was made in Korea had a great influence on Asian World including Japan. In the 16th century, two Japanese books entitled “Jikei Kyouki(時慶卿記)” and “Kangakumon(勸學 文)” included the fact that the copper type and the wooden type printing of Korea were passed on to Japan. In 2001, UNESCO listed Korea’s Jikji on their Memory of the World Programme. Since then, Jikji has gradually become known to the people in the world. Korea, in 21st century has now grown to be one of the top IT powerhouses in the world. This was only possible because of the great invention like “movable metal type printing”.

The Koryuji Temple, the oldest temple in Kyoto with a 1000 year history, was built in 603. Therefore there are many relics in the temple, including the wooden statue of the half-seated Mireuk bosal which was registered as the national treasure of Japan in 1951 for the first time. The statue of the Buddha, 124cm high, is made from a pine tree. Its beauty is well known throughout the world. A German existential philosopher Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) highly praised the statue, saying that he had never seen a piece of art that showed such a true peaceful appearance of human existence. But not many people are aware that this statue of Buddha was originally transferred from Korea.

Have you seen Korean national treasure No.83, the bronze statue of half-seated Mireuk-bosal? This piece is exhibited as ‘The Smile of Buddha.’ This statue looks just like the statue in Japan with its well-proportioned posture, the wrinkles in Buddha’s cloth expressed in elegantly three dimensions, the eyes, nose and mouth on the exquisite face, and the quiet smile at the corners of the mouth. However, this is not the only proof that the statue was transferred from Korea to Japan. The material with which the wooden Buddha was made was pine which does not grow in Japan. Many ancient books in Japan including ‘Nihon Shoki (Chronicle of Japan)’, ‘Fuso Ryakuki’, a Japanese historical document recorded that the statue of Buddha was transferred from Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom. Therefore, not only Korean but Japanese scholars acknowledge the fact that the statue of half-seated Mireuk-bosal was transferred from Korea. Korea, China and Japan have been located geographically close from ancient times ago so they have been in close contact and developed a unique culture respectively. Among them, Korea was the messenger to link the Chinese and Japanese cultures to create a new culture which changed Asia. There are many such examples.

Have you heard of a saying that if you want to stay healthy, you should change to a Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean diet is synonymous with healthy eating in the Western world, originating from people’s diet in Mediterranean countries like Italy and Greece where people eat less milk products, meat, poultry and saturated fat but eat more vegetables, fruit, fish, olive oil, grains and nuts. In February 2010, a Columbia University research team, in the US, found that the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of stroke, dementia and heart disease. In addition, other research conducted by a medical journal discovered that people on a Mediterranean diet had a 30 % less chance of becoming depressed than those on an ordinary diet. It is not surprising that the Mediterranean diet is known as the king of all healthy diets because it is good for people’s mental and physical health. However, do you know about Hansik, the Korean food, which is a healthy diet better than the Mediterranean diet? The nature of Hansik is based on health. In Korea, there is a saying that the roots of ‘medicine’ and ‘food’ are the same so if you eat well, it will be like taking a good medicine. In the past, Koreans think first of people’s health when they prepare food. For example, if you look at the ingredients of major Korean dishes like Bibimbap, Japchae and Galbijjim, you will see that the ratio of animal and vegetable foods is 20 to 80, keeping in harmony. Historically, Koreans thought that food was the link between nature and man so they developed recipes which could bring out the natural flavor and taste of the ingredients when they prepare food. “Namul”, or wild vegetables, is a popular Korean dish prepared to bring out its natural flavor by simply mixing or boiling the vegetables without damaging the nutrients of the original ingredients.

Korean food also reflects the profound philosophy of the ‘Yin-yang and the Five Elements’ refers to the philosophy that all things can be divided into yin and yang. In Hansik, vegetables with roots in the soil are regarded as ‘yin’ while vegetables which bear fruits above soil, animals or fish are ‘yang’. Moreover, according to this philosophy, all things are composed of the Five Elements, metal, wood, water, fire and earth. It means that 5 colors, tastes and recipes must be considered when cooking. For example, Bibimbap is the most popular food, Hansik, reflected well of Yin-yang and the Five Elements. The ingredients of Bibimbap are rice, red pepper paste, wild vegetables, water parsley, bean sprouts and Korean-style raw beef. In this way, the yin-yang of the ingredients are in harmony with the Obangsaek(5 colors), yellow (middle), blue (east), white (west), red (south) and black (north). Today, many researchers at home and abroad are studying Hansik with ‘nature’, ‘health’ and ‘Oriental philosophy’ as its ingredients. ‘Health,’ an American health journal has designated Kimchi, the main Korean dish, as one of the Five Healthiest Foods in the world.

I am sure that everyone knows about Stonehenge, one of Ten Wonders of the World. Stonehenge, which means “stones hanging in the air “,is a relic in Southern England made up of 80 huge stone monuments of 8 meters high and weighing 50 tons. In 2008, a joint research team from 5 universities in England announced in a newspaper that Stonehenge was the tomb of powerful men of the region in 3000 BC. But some people believe it was used to as a “temple” to perform ancestral rites for God or an observatory to observe stars in the sky. Furthermore, some people say that it would not have been possible for people in 3000 BC to make the 80 huge stones stand. The purpose of Stonehenge has not been identified so far. For this reason, it was chosen as the most typical Wonder of the World.

Similarly in Korea, there are Goindols(Dolmens), a world wonder like Stonehenge. The Goindols are a World Heritage which shows the megalithic culture of the prehistoric age. Korea is a country of Dolmens with as many as 30,000 examples, about 70% of the world’s Dolmens. In particular, many mysterious Dolmens, with a lot of holes, are found in all parts of the Korean Peninsula. Some scholars who have studied the size and condition of the holes identified them as an ancient astronomical chart corresponding to zodiac signs. They also concluded that the Dolmen astronomical chart was made around 3000 BC, 1800 years before the Babylonian astronomical chart of the Mesopotamian civilization in 1200 BC which was known as the cradle of the ancient civilization.