Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Troll_Bait]

I bet this will lead to a mad scramble to find evidence that Korean history is, in fact, 9 kajillion bazillion years old, tracing its lineage back to an ancient protozoan mutant that was distinctly Korean.


9,000-year-old artifacts found on occupied land in Caledonia, Ontario

[luvnpeas]

A quick wiki-check suggests that Korea has been occupied for 40,000 years, and pottery shards date back 10,000. North America is never going to compete with the Afro-Euro-Asian landmass for early civilization, at least not if the land-bridge theory is correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_archaeological_periods_%28Korea%29

Nice picture. I'm not sure "troll" properly describes that kind of bait.

[Troll_Bait]

I was being facetious, not serious. Yes, Korea has an ancient history, one that is older than North America's, and one that they can be proud of.

I do get annoyed by the constant mantra of "5000 years of history" because it's not true. It's been said that, "History repeats itself, and historians repeat each other." In Korea's case, however, it isn't just historians, it's the whole populace, and the deluge of propaganda has been so successful that even foreigners are parroting this tripe.

Let's look here. The founding of Gojoseon/the Korean nation, by the legendary (mythical?) Tangun took place in 2333 BC. 2333 + 2007 = 4340. That's 660 years short of 5000.
According to some texts, Tangun (which may have been a title based upon an actual figure, the way Roman emperors after Julius Caesar were called "Caesar") ascended to the throne in the first year of the reign of Yao, which has been placed from 2357 BC to 2256 BC. Let's be generous and take the earliest date. 2357 + 2007 = 4364. That's still 636 years shy of the so-called "5000 years."

It wouldn't be an issue with me if this lie weren't being used as a club with which to beat other nationalities into feeling inferior.

OK, rant over.

And thanks for the compliment (or was it?) on my avatar.

[Return Jones]

5000 years in Korean age, not American age.

[tzechuk]

[blynch]

[kotakji]

This stems from the uniqueness of the Korean 4 seasons as well as the special age-defying properties of Kimchi that caused the Korean year to be 412 days long. So of course when you account for time based on the enforced imperialistic standard of the west (365) you get the equivalent of 5000 years.

[Son Deureo!]

[Cerebroden]

5,000 or 40,000 what's that head start gotten you?

[J.B. Clamence]

Technically, the history of a country begins with the dawn of civilization, not the dawn of human inhabitation. The first civilization which can be classified as "Korean" (although the Chinese disagree) was Koguryeo, which was founded in 37 BC. That gives Korea a 2000 year history. I don't know who came up with this "5000 year" nonsense, but it's been taught so early in school and so often that no one questions it. It's pretty sad.

[dmbfan]

mmm........It does not take a rocket scientist to put this one together.


Pure, Korean blood? Yeah right.

They are nothing but a mix of Chinese and Northern Manchurians.


5,000 years of history? Hmmm.........so, what all have they accomplished in that vast span of time?

.............yeah, a history of getting invaded and conquered every other 100 years or so.


cheers.

dmbfan

[Bingo]

If I was Korean I'd embrace the 2000 year angle, rather than the 5000 year one. It's less humiliating. Having contributed nothing to the world over two millennia is embarrassing enough. Having no scientific breakthroughs over five millennia. Well, that's simply not very dynamic. :D

[luvnpeas]

Hangeul is a perfectly reasonable candiate for outstanding intellectual achievement. Demanding scientific discoveries from thousands of years ago is absurd. There is a fair amount of puffery in Korean national pride, but Americans are in no position to complain. Maybe some of you are New Zealanders. What have you accomplished other than racist oppression of Maoris and kissing England's ass? Canadians have been more impressive, kissing American and English ass simultaneously. To my knowledge, Koreans have never oppressed or enslaved an ethnic group: sometimes bragging rights go with what you don't do.

[doggyji]

[mithridates]

The number 5000 doesn't come from Dangun but from a time before that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Chi-Woo_the_Great_of_Baedalguk