Confucianism in Korea

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Chugyedaeje , a ritual ceremony, in Jeju , South Korea

Confucianism in Korea is a form of Confucianism that developed in Korea . Because of its geographical location, Korea has always been under the influence of China , so Confucianism was exported to Korea through Chinese culture . Today the moral system, ways of life, laws and Confucian ways of thinking are deeply rooted in everyday Korean life.

history

At the time of the Three Kingdoms of Korea in the 1st millennium AD, the Goguryeo Empire was heavily influenced by Chinese culture and Confucianism. Originally the kingdom kept its own traditions, but slowly most of them disappeared. The Baekje kingdom, however, later adopted Confucianism directly. This influenced the administration, the culture and especially the arts. Silla was the last of the three kingdoms to adopt Confucianism.

Confucianism finally gained a foothold in Korea under King Seongjong. After the universities introduced a Confucian curriculum, it was spread throughout the empire. The king had an altar built in the palace for ancestor veneration, which has since been part of the permanent court ceremony. During the Joseon Dynasty , Confucianism was the state philosophy. The rulers put the ideas into practice. Many training centers with a Confucian curriculum were established. Until the time of King Sejong (1418–1450), all subjects at the universities were influenced by Confucianism.

The main occasions for ceremonies in Korean Confucianism are of age, marriage, death (funerals), and the anniversary of the death of ancestors. Although Confucianism is no longer the official state philosophy today and only a minority practices it according to the old tradition, the influences are still present in modern everyday life.

literature

  • Donald Baker: Korean Spirituality. University of Hawai'i Press, 2008
  • Byong-ik Koh: Confucianism in Contemporary Korea. In: Tu Wei-ming: Confucian Traditions in East Asian Modernity. Harvard University Press, 1996
  • Ministry of Culture of Korea : A Handbook of Korea (Korean Overseas Information Service). 2003
  • Ki-baik Lee: A New History of Korea ; Harvard University Press, 1984
  • James B. Palais: Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions. University of Washington Press, 1995

Web links

Commons : Confucianism in Korea  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files