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Back to Religion/Philosophy in Korea
Impact of the Opening of Ports and Modernization in Korea
After Western pressure forced the Choson government to open its ports, Korea's brilliant classical tradition became fundamentally unstable. Thus, the opening of ports signaled the transition from a classical to a modern society and led to a fundamental restructuring of Korean society and culture.
The opening to the West created a tremendous cultural shock, which led to three general reactions. The first was opposition, based on the conclusion that Western power and culture would destroy Korea's culture and social order. Most Choson-era intellectuals, directly witnessing the destruction of China's social institutions and classical culture, naturally assumed this attitude. This anti-Western attitude has come to be seen as inherently conservative. The second was an attitude of positive acceptance, for some believed that in order to retrieve Choson power, reforms had to be made based upon the acceptance of Western culture and social institutions. Intellectuals of this reformist disposition claimed that Koreans should learn about the West in order to overcome the impotence and backwardness of Asia. There has been an excessive tendency on the part of historians to see this reformist attitude as pro-Western. Third, there were those who wanted a selective acceptance of Western ways, rejecting Western culture and spirit but accepting its technology and institutions. This attitude appeared in the assertion that Asian spiritual culture was generally superior, while Western technology was more advanced. This attitude was put forth by a small group of Neo-Confucian thinkers around the end of the Choson period, but their efforts could do little to alter the turbulent waves of modernization that were sweeping the country.
Attitude of Conservative Opposition
After the opening of ports, the attitude of conservative opposition has continued to manifest itself to the present day in two forms: classical Eastern religions such as Confucianism and Buddhism, and folk movements, including native Korean religions and nationalist forces.
Information provided by the Korean Embassy