Japan and Korea Essay -- History Historical Korea Japan Essays

lacquer and KoreaDid Japan modernize or exploit Korea? Scholars have debated this question with slide fastener throughout this century. I do non believe the answer is so black and white. While looking at the history of the colonization, evidence of both should face. The word colonization alone generally means to move into some other bulks land and exploit resources. However, substantiative results can appear during a negative situation.Regardless of what point of view an individual takes, on that point is no doubt that Japan has dramatically influenced Korea. This is common with most nations in the industrialization period or the modernization period. Think about it, each treaty endorsed between nations leads to policy change. The lessons learned from previous agreements, back up in creating new policies.Korea, suggested by Cummings, was a buffer zone between china and Japan. China acted as the big brother or role type for Korea. Culture, language prises and society its elf developed by free choices do by the Korean government. However, China was always ready to step in if Korea seemed to get to powerful or weak. Cummings makes this relationship sound as if everything was all right as long as Korea depended on the tutelage of China and respected Chinas dominance of the region. Japan although at times respected Chinas power believed that if Korea would consider themselves represent to China Japan could take the role of the regional superpower. Japan also, at times thought they were superior to both China and Japan and should curb them both into the Japanese empire and at times had been fairly prospering in dong so.Many factors allowed the Japanese colonization of Korea. For one, Korea had adopted an isolationistic philosophy early in its history. Cummings has said many times that when you landed in Korea the first question asked was when are you leaving? In addition, Korean tradition did not place a high value on trade. Cummings went on to sa y that Korea was the only place that when a profit was made, it was not a joyous occasion. Do not be mis direct by that statement that would leave one to think that Korean people were inferior and should be exploited, for I do not believe that at all. The Confucianism heritage did not believe in profit. However, equitability was not forbiddened. Such led to the tributary and cultural exchanges between Korea and China. These beliefs... ...er Japanese control, as well as to keep Korea profitable for Japan.Did Japan modernize Korea? No. Did the Japanese aid in the beginning of Koreas industrialization period? Yes, the infrastructure and applied science forced upon Korea definitely gave the Korean people a foundation to industrialization.The chore I have in saying that Japan modernized Korea is that modernization in general has a positive connotation. I do not want to become a victim to the cliches of one race blaming some other for certain hardships. However, I propose this questio n, Did the Japanese occupation lead to positive modernization of Korea or the divisiveness that has haunted Korea for almost fifty years?I will not say that if Japan did not invade Korea that Korea would be unified today, or am I willing to say that another(prenominal) country would not have tried to colonize Korea. I do believe that Korea when their society was ready would have mobilized themselves to become an industrialized nation. I also believe that when they would have come to that point that they would have enjoyed the akin type of success in growth rate that was present from the ripe 1960s. The only difference is when would Korea start.