History of Korea (ePub)

With a history so vast it is difficult to preserve the traditions
and cultures from the olden times yet Korea seems to have
maintained it despite the many invasions and situations that it
went through. Nationalism and patriotism is reflected in all the
Koreans.
Every country has their own mythology and belief of how their
people came to be and Koreans have their too. The Korean
mythology speaks of a demigod Hwan Woong who came down
on earth on Taebak Mountain which is now the Gangwon-do
Province in South Korea. The demigod met a bear and tiger
living in a cave who wished to become humans. The demigod
asked them to eat 20 cloves of garlic and refrain from sunlight
for 100 days if they wished to become man. The tiger failed
the test as it couldn't withstand the dark but after 21 days the
bear became a woman. Since there was no one for the
woman to procreate Hwan Woong turned himself into a man
temporarily creating the Korean race. Maybe this is why the
Koreans love garlic and use it extensively in their cooking.
While the mythology seems too fun to hear the history of
Korea speaks of something else. Korea happens to be one of
the most culturally homogeneous countries across the globe.
They show very few physical and cultural differences among
them. Koreans have great respect for their ancestors and
elders. Confucian culture dominates the area and it is seen in
other factors of life as well where age and marital status of a
person gives him or her certain seniority. The Koreans are
simple people today with an extensive history of their ancestors.