tailieunhanh - What makes korea tick

This paper aims to sketch some of the defining cultural values which I believe are responsible for the Korean miracle. Some references will be made to Vietnamese culture as appropriate to deeply appreciate the similarities and as well as the differences. | VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages 27 (2011) 1‐5 What makes Korea tick? Nguyen Hoa* University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Pham Van Dong Street, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam Received 02 September 2010 Abstract. Within a short span of time since the end of the Korean War in the early 1950s, Korea has emerged on the world arena as an economic powerhouse and a success story which has been the envy of the world. Sea changes have taken place in Korea. World-wide interest in Korea as a nation, as an economy, or as a culture is generated. What is the cause behind all this?. This paper aims to sketch some of the defining cultural values which I believe are responsible for the Korean miracle. Some references will be made to Vietnamese culture as appropriate to deeply appreciate the similarities and as well as the differences. Keywords: Korea, cultural values, Gibun, Han, arranged marriage, sojourner’s mentality, cultural identity, inwardness, outwardness. * I recently made my first visit to Korea. This trip left a strong impression on me as a first timer. The vibrant streets with all the hustle and bustle were thronged with people on the move. Shops were well stocked with the best brands. People were well - dressed. Most of the cars I saw were made in Korea. Confidence exuded from the faces of those young passers by. Signs of worry and concerns were detected, too. And an intriguing question that occurred to me is what Korea is really about, and what makes it tick? This is also a question raised by Professor Choong Soon Kim, who gave me his “Kimchi and IT” as a gift on my first trip to Korea. I do not mean to say that I have absolutely no knowledge about this nation, but real and keen interests just occurred after this trip. The title of this paper is actually a line I borrow from Kim [1]. According to Choong Soon Kim, the word “Korea” acquires the metaphorical meaning of “morning calm and freshness” due to the .