Beatrice+Park

8)	Write a short reflection of what you learned from these readings. With the benefit of hind site and knowledge of China and Japan, would Korea had been better off if it had “opened up to the west.”

"To advocate peace" by following the will of foreign countries and opening the nation might be a "disgrace" but it will bring some merits to Korea; for an example, technology. The "flying boat" and the failure in constructing an engine boat shows a great example that the Chosun Dynasty needed more modernized technology and knowledge. Yet conservative Koreans might fear "opening up to the west" and the society might fall into a chaos - for an example, the aristocratic Yangbans would oppose religions or philosophies from the west, such as democracy, which might demolish the social structure and make the peasants question the Yangban's authority. My opinion is that the Chosun Dynasty will get a chance to modernize through western influences but on the other hand will have to face some disorder.