SOUTH KOREA: Shaping a New Era...
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DEAR EDUCATOR....
An "appointment by acclamation," reported the International Herald Tribune in October 2006, as South Korea's Ban Ki-moon was chosen to become the new Secretary-General of the United Nations. " 'My tenure will be marked by ceaseless efforts to build bridges and close divides,' " promised the veteran diplomat in his acceptance speech. Then, as if to guarantee that pledge, he commented on the world region from which he comes to the UN table: " 'Asia is a region where modesty is a virtue,' he said. 'But the modesty is about demeanor, not about … goals. It does not mean the lack of commitment…. Rather, it is quiet determination to get things … [done].' "

In Ban's remarks we might also find a mirror of his native culture. Today's South Koreans are deeply conscious of their centuries-old heritage. ("Many consider Korea to be the most Confucian society in the world," observed Pictorial Korea in June 2006.) But they are also vigorous participants in the global community. Their government is joined with other nations in pursuit of such long-range goals as nuclear fusion. And their business leaders work at the continued expansion of a very high-tech economy. ("South Korea [is] the world's most wired country," observed The New York Times in April 2006.) As visitors to South Korea quickly discover, the blend of modernity with tradition is a hallmark of this once isolated kingdom....

Cultural continuity between past and present is just one of the many social studies themes your students can explore with this unit on South Korea. Using pages developed especially for classroom courses, your students will go a long distance toward understanding a truly great people.... Plus! They can also work on their comprehension skills! See LE's new section on sharpening students' Social Studies Reading Skills, as they learn more about South Korea today.

CURRICULUM STANDARDS
This unit is appropriate for high school courses in world history, world regions, international relations, and contemporary issues. It has been written to help students achieve standards of learning (SOLs) suggested by the following guidelines: National Standards for World History (NSH), Expectations of Excellence (EOE), and National Geography Standards (NGS). Thus, students using the unit should be better able to:

• "identify the human characteristics that make specific regions of the world distinctive." — Standard 10, "Human Systems" (NGS)

• "[illustrate] how changing perceptions of places and environments affect the spatial behavior of people." — "How To Apply Geography to Interpret the Past" (NGS)

• "apply key concepts such as time, chronology, causality, change, conflict, and complexity to explain, analyze, and show connections among patterns of historical change and continuity." — "I. Time, Continuity, and Change" (EOE)

• "analyze how such countries as South Korea ... have achieved economic growth." — "Era 9: The Twentieth Century Since 1945," Standard 2 (NSH)

• "analyze ... consequences of the world's shift from bipolar to multipolar centers of economic, political, and military power." — "Era 9: Major Global Trends Since World War II," Standard 3 (NSH)

CRITICAL TERMS
Public speakers in political and economic forums often use the term Korea when speaking of the Republic of Korea. However, when students research this country, they'll find that most sources use South Korea and North Korea as index or catalog terms. (And another variation: Entering the term Korea on the Google News search facility turns up a mix of articles on both countries.) This unit uses South Korea for the post-1948 period and Korean when referring to the time before that — or to the people's culture.

Other terms that you may want to preview include: annexation, broadband technology, Buddhism, Confucianist, consumer-robot industry, currency-exchange rate, cyberspace, demarcation line, dynasty, economic issues, Eurasia, free-trade agreement, global economy, impoverished, industrial center, innovation, media specialist, myth, nuclear-weapons program, peninsula, purchasing power (defined within text), truce, unicameral, and wired (as in: connected to the Internet).

WIDENING CIRCLES....
LE's unit has been developed around a "widening-circles" approach to the study of modern-day societies. South Korea is explored first as a nation, next as a member of a geopolitical region, and finally as a participant in global affairs. Running through all three student pages are underlying questions: What challenges — and what opportunities — do South Koreans face, in the 21st century? How might their history on the peninsula affect their perception of today's world? In what sense are they shaping a new era at home and abroad? You may want to use those questions — as well as the "Ponder This..." questions at the end of each page — to evaluate students' grasp of what they read.

BACKGROUND ON STUDENT PAGES
As you introduce this unit to students, ask them to recall moments in past centuries when particular groups of people helped to "shape a new era"; ask how (and where) that same process might be occurring today, in the 21st century. And then urge students, as they read each of the three Student Text Pages in this unit, to watch for examples of how South Koreans are now shaping a new era. Here's some additional information about key themes and topics on these pages, plus a few "TIPS" for exploring them with your class:

2b.   Arts and technology. More than a millennium ago, Koreans committed themselves to a process of unification that unfolded slowly over the course of centuries. The students' "Region" page mentions the kingdom of Silla, which conquered, and then united with, two other regional kingdoms (Baekje and Goguryeo) to form a unique state covering most of the Korean Peninsula. Students interested in reading about this march toward unity (and the many threats that continued to challenge Korea, in succeeding centuries) will find excellent material on South Korea's official Web Site, Korea.net. (Follow the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the page that opens.) For much of this period, Koreans were also leaders in both the arts and technology. Among their achievements was hanji — a fine, long-lasting paper made from the bark of mulberry trees. In later centuries, they developed a soft-glazed porcelain that is still prized by collectors. And you might want to tell students about this achievement, too: Of the many invasions that Korea has endured, at least one led to advanced technology! TIP: Urge students to research Korean admiral Yi Sun Shin (also spelled Yi Sunsin), who — in the 1590s — developed iron-reinforced warships ("turtle ships"), to defeat a Japanese invasion. Admiral Yi is a great naval hero, and students will find many accounts of him and his ventures on the Internet. Perhaps they could deliver their reports as though they were news correspondents, reporting in "real time" from one of Yi's turtle ships during a naval battle!

2c.   "Secret" agreements. The tragic post-World War II division of Korea resulted from "secret" agreements made at Western summits in Cairo, Yalta, and Potsdam. TIP: Urge students to research those agreements, then have them debate such questions as: Where Korea was concerned, did the agreements foster peace, or problems? Could/Should this kind of decision-making process by "big" powers be tolerated in today's world? What role in Korea did those agreements lead the USA to play, after 1948?

2d.   Reconciliation — step by step? The "Ponder This" segment of the "Region" Page includes a brief summary of efforts by six nations in February 2007 to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. A series of "six-party" talks brought together representatives of China, Japan, Russia, the USA, and the "two Koreas." As reported from South Korea, the outcome of their meetings was an agreement on several points, including: (a) the step-by-step denuclearization of North Korea, (b) the beginning of bilateral talks between that nation and the USA ("aimed at resolving … bilateral issues and moving towards full diplomatic relations"), and (c) cooperation by the other five parties in providing "economic, energy, and humanitarian assistance" to the North. The talks were covered heavily by the world press. And there's a wealth of material on that topic at the official Korea.net Web Site. (Select the "Six Party Talks" link on the home page.) TIP: What might be less apparent to onlookers is the impressive record of efforts by the Republic of Korea to establish links of peace and cooperation with the North — especially after 2000, when the South's (then) president, Kim Dae-jung, launched his "Sunshine Policy." As a lesson in the kinds of efforts that peacemaking can involve, you might suggest that students break into teams for a Google search — or a search at the Korea.net Web Site — to look for information on the following topics: (a) the Gaeseong (or Kaesong) Industrial Complex in North Korea, where South Korean entrepreneurs now employ 11,000 North Koreans; (b) the tourist site at Mt. Geumgang (or Kumgangsang) — located in the North, funded from the South; (c) South Korean aid to the North; (d) inter-Korean trade. Trade between the two Koreas was legalized in the late 1980s, and South Korea is now the North's second-largest trading partner. Suggest that students keep a file of their notes dealing with these and other forms of North-South relations — diplomatic, economic, cultural, etc. At an appropriate wrap-up time, ask students to write an editorial on what they conclude are the best approaches for achieving permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.

3.   Student Text Page No. 3: "In Today's World." South Korea's new campaign to promote the consumer robotics industry is used to introduce students to the nation's goals for the 21st-century. Plus: other growth industries on the drawing board; South Korea's high-tech achievements; the role of the government in guiding economic growth and in helping people prepare for change; the nation's trade partners; its foreign policy concerns.

3a.   Robots! Are students fascinated by the idea of robots in their future? (Perhaps robots are in their homes already, sweeping across floors!) As the introductory paragraphs of this unit's "World" Page indicate, the production of consumer robots is certainly on the minds of South Koreans. (So are nine other industries of the future — as the April 2007 issue of Korea Policy Review informs us, in an article titled "Government Launches Project for Next-generation Growth Engines." See "More Resources," below, for steps to retrieve this article.) TIP: You may want to team up with a teacher from the Science Department, to help students understand the basic science and technology driving the robotics industry. In that case, the transcript of an in-depth NOVA interview with robot specialist Hans Moravec would be an interesting — though lengthy — reading assignment for your class. A great follow-up to reading it might be a debate on one of Moravec's closing remarks: "I think there will come a time when robots will understand us better than we understand ourselves — or understand each other." TIP: Or, you may want students to explore the personal, social, and economic impact of having robots at our elbows (doing multiple tasks at home and in the workplace, providing information and other services to individuals in public places, etc.). In that case, urge them to research the topic — after which a group of volunteers might write (and stage) a play involving robots in our future!

3b.   Government's role. By this point in their use of the unit's materials, students will have come across a number of references to the role that South Korea's government plays in the country's economy. Now, in the "Preparing" segment of the "Region" Page, they will find examples of how that government (under its "Vision 2030" program), directly influences the lives of its citizens: providing free Internet service for students, online education for adults, retraining for retirees, etc. TIP: Tell students that "Vision 2030" is, in part, a result of South Korea's concern about several converging trends: the nation's birth rate is declining, the ratio of seniors to the rest of the population is increasing, and automation continues to displace employees. In addition, jobs are shifting to countries with lower-paid workers. Discuss the connection between these trends and South Korea's "Vision 2030" policies. Then ask students to write an editorial on the role they think government should play in helping its citizens adjust to big new social and/or economic trends.

3c.   Global reach. In recent years, South Korea's role in regional and world affairs has been steadily expanding. In 2003, it was one of the first nations to send (non-combat) troops to Iraq, to aid in that country's post-war reconstruction. And it has played an increasingly important (and delicate) diplomatic role in efforts to build peace in Northeast Asia — especially on the Korean Peninsula itself. TIP: Encourage students who visit Google News regularly to be on the lookout for similar accounts of one country's diplomatic and material efforts to benefit another country — or to help resolve a crisis in which that country may be involved. From time to time, have the "newswatchers" report on their findings, using a world map to point out the locations of such countries. Ask students: What factors might explain this trend in today's world?

3d.   Overview. To be sure students understand why South Korea's current success is so impressive to the rest of the world, you might want to help them review the chronology of major Korean-related events over the past century: TIP: Have students research and develop a timeline for major events in the recent history of Korea/South Korea, starting with the peninsula's annexation by Japan in 1910 and moving up through the Korean War to the early 21st century. (They'll find material for this timeline on all three student pages.) Then discuss: How might each major event have shaped South Korea's post-war decision to concentrate so intensely on economic development? What do you think accounts for South Korea's change from a policy of isolation (when it was a kingdom) to a policy of international and world involvement?

SOCIAL STUDIES READING SKILLS
Realizing that the recent Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) will exert a mounting pressure on social studies teachers to emphasize reading skills with secondary school students, LE offers the following tips for use with this unit (see also LE's Reading Skills in the Social Studies):

* Identifying (and using) context clues. Helping students to expand their social studies vocabulary can take a great deal of time and energy. So it's a good idea to pass along some "self-help" tips. Here are two: Students working online might get in the habit of consulting The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. And those working without handy references might want to practice looking for context clues to the meaning of unfamiliar terms and phrases. Here, for example, are four terms from this unit's Student Text Page No. 1: "As a Nation" (possible answers in italics):


1. annexation. If students have not already learned that this term applies to the takeover of one political entity by another (in this case, Korea's annexation by Japan), they can at least gather that it involved the Koreans' loss of independence. Context clue: the follow-up phrasing "Koreans … had expected to regain independence after Japan's defeat."
2. hanbok. This Korean term refers to traditional Korean attire (one that has appropriate versions for men and women). Context clue to the general meaning: the set of comparisons within which the term occurs: "past and present," "just as comfortable in jeans and tees as in hanboks"
3. innovation. Obviously, this is an expression that could be applied to people in any field of endeavor. Here, it refers to the discovery and introduction of a new way of doing business. Context clue: the earlier reference to "recent decades," when "their lives were shaped mostly by the customs of earlier generations" and "at work promotions were rewards for … company loyalty" stand in contrast to the sentence in which the terms "business" and "innovation" occur: "South Koreans are starting to form businesses where innovation is prized."
4. river. Here, we have a truly familiar term being used as a metaphor. While poetry is always subject to interpretation, students should be able to see the poet's use of the river as a symbol — possibly for "humanity," or for Korea itself. Context clue: The near-personification of the river as being "imprisoned" by the past," "living today," etc.

* Sequencing related events. The "Comeback" segment of the "Nation" Page provides an excellent example of sequenced events that are closely related (though not necessarily part of a cause-effect relationship). Possible approaches: (a) If you work with students who have reading difficulties, give them a scrambled-order list, and ask them to place the items in correct sequence. (b) With more advanced readers, you might ask them to develop the list on their own, under the title "Stages in the Growth of South Korea's Economy: 1950-Present." Here are the "Comeback" stages, in abbreviated form — and in the sequence identified on the "Nation" Page:

* financial support by the ROK for start-up light industry
* growth of light industries (food processing, appliances)
* concentration on producing goods for export
* introduction of heavy industries, such as machinery, cars, chemicals, electronics
* rapid multiplication of exports
* achievement of economic "miracle"

"Asian Leaders Sign Energy Pact at Landmark Summit." Bill Tarrant. The Washington Post. January 15, 2007. ASEAN leaders, together with the heads of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand hold a major summit.

"Background Note: South Korea." U.S. Department of State. January 2007.

"Ban Ki-moon Appointed As Next U.N. Secretary-General." International Herald Tribune. October 13, 2006.

"English Camps Reflect S[outh] Korean Ambitions." Anthony Faiola. The Washington Post. November 18, 2004. Some South Koreans spend up to a month in immersion compounds ("camps"), to learn English.

"Full Text of Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement." ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. February 13, 2007. Outcome of six-party talks.

"Hans Moravec." NOVA interviews a Principal Research Scientist at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. October 1997. An expert explains four generations of robots!

"In a Wired South Korea, Robots Will Feel Right At Home." Norimitsu Onishi. The New York Times. April 2, 2006.

Korea and East Asia. Kenneth B. Lee. Westport, CT: Praeger. 1997

"Korea, South." CIA World Factbook. March 15, 2007.

"Making City Sense." OECD Observer. May 2006. A reference to Seoul's large metropolitan region.

"On His Ancestor's Wings, a Korean Soars to the U.N.". Martin Fackler. The New York Times. December 22, 2006. A unique glimpse of both the "traditional" and the "modern" within a South Korean village, at the moment when Ban Ki-moon is chosen to be the UN's Secretary-General.

"Opening Remarks … at the Special Conference of the International Federation of Journalists" Roh Moo-hyun. March 12, 2007. South Korea's president summarizes the various ways in which his country has reached out to the North in recent years.

"Seoul." Lonely Planet. Current.

"South Korea, U.S. Seal Last-minute Trade Deal." Kelly Olsen, Associated Press. USA Today. April 2, 2007.

"What is ITER?" Long-term nuclear fusion project linking China, the EU, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the USA. In Latin, "iter" means "the way.”

Looking for a wider range of general resources? Check our Teachers' Room Page!