# South Korea Excises (Some) Evolution from School Textbooks Due to Creationist Demands **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197 "2012-06-05T21:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/1 "2012-06-05T21:22:28Z")
[http://www.nature.com/news/south-korea-surrenders-to-creationist-demands-1.10773](http://www.nature.com/news/south-korea-surrenders-to-creationist-demands-1.10773) Relevant bits (you should still read the whole article though): > [@](#): > > A petition to remove references to evolution from high-school textbooks claimed victory last month after the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) revealed that many of the publishers would produce revised editions that exclude examples of the evolution of the horse or of avian ancestor Archaeopteryx. The move has alarmed biologists, who say that they were not consulted. > [@](#): > > The campaign was led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), which aims to delete the “error” of evolution from textbooks to “correct” students’ views of the world, according to the society’s website. The society says that its members include professors of biology and high-school science teachers. > [@](#): > > The STR is also campaigning to remove content about “the evolution of humans” and “the adaptation of finch beaks based on habitat and mode of sustenance”[…] > [@](#): > > Until now, says Dayk Jang, the scientific community has done little to combat the anti-evolution sentiment. “The biggest problem is that there are only 5–10 evolutionary scientists in the country who teach the theory of evolution in undergraduate and graduate schools,” he says. Having seen the fierce debates over evolution in the United States, he adds, some scientists also worry that engaging with creationists might give creationist views more credibility among the public. This is terrible, I don’t think I’ll find many people here who disagree. This goes completely beyond “teach the controversy”, they’re actually getting evolution REMOVED from textbooks. Now, I’m going to be fair, they haven’t succeeded in excising evolution, just certain examples, and it’s possible this is as far as the publishers and regulatory agencies are willing to go. However, it does seem like if they’re willing to just haphazardly remove things without even consulting any biologists, things could fall out of control pretty damn quickly. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/2 "2012-06-05T23:08:57Z")
Is there something you wished to debate? Or should I move this to The BBQ Pit (rants) or IMHO (polls)? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/3 "2012-06-05T23:28:30Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Is there something you wished to debate? Or should I move this to The BBQ Pit (rants) or IMHO (polls)? Put it in IMHO, I was mostly putting it here since news like this more or less inevitably ends up here anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/4 "2012-06-06T00:13:30Z")
Off to IMHO until someone decides to debate some aspect of it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/5 "2012-06-06T00:16:52Z")
I do note, reading through the linked article, that it seems that the Korean body politic is simply scientifically illiterate. (Not that the U.S. is not.) There are several statements to the effect that it is not a religious antipathy to evolution, but a general ignorance propelling the effort. (Of course, it could turn out that the Korean Creation Research group is heavily funded by the U.S. group, but they are still appealing to general ignorance, not the Bible.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/6 "2012-06-06T00:30:11Z")
Aren’t most Koreans **Buddhists?!** I’ve never heard Buddhism has any brief for Creationism. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/7 "2012-06-06T00:34:41Z")
A large plurality (nearly 50%) are atheist or agnostic. Combined Christians make up about 30%, and about 20% are Buddhist. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/8 "2012-06-06T00:35:58Z")
A large number of Koreans are fundamentalist Protestant, it sends out more Christian missionaries per capita than the USA ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/9 "2012-06-06T02:42:57Z")
Well, they had a nice country while it lasted. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/10 "2012-06-06T02:46:19Z")
Stuff like this never gets any press in Korea. One word about Japanese textbooks revising their history and the whole country goes apeshit. There’s not a lot of religion in Korean politics, but I think Koreans in general lean towards agnostic than atheist. They’re certainly very superstitious. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/11 "2012-06-06T02:50:16Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Stuff like this never gets any press in Korea. One word about Japanese textbooks revising their history and the whole country goes apeshit. Seriously, once in a Japanese religion course the professor, on a bit of a tangent, told me (since I had a laptop) to go to Google news and search for “korea japanese history textbook” (or something similar) and tell him how long ago an article was posted. 2 Hours ago. So far I’ve done it every month or so for a chuckle, there’s almost consistently a Korean article lambasting Japanese history textbooks about something or other (usually WWII) within 3 days of searching, often it’s within half a day. Like clockwork. (Not that Japan doesn’t kind of deserve it) ETA: > [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > There’s not a lot of religion in Korean politics, but I think Koreans in general lean towards agnostic than atheist. They’re certainly very superstitious. In Japan (according to the aforementioned religion course and my personal experiences with a couple people at least), there’s a lot of “I don’t really believe it but it can’t hurt so I’ll do this/avoid doing this just in case”, is Korea kind of the same way? ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/12 "2012-06-06T04:18:02Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > In Japan (according to the aforementioned religion course and my personal experiences with a couple people at least), there’s a lot of “I don’t really believe it but it can’t hurt so I’ll do this/avoid doing this just in case”, is Korea kind of the same way? On the contrary, some people have noted that whatever ideology/philosophy Koreans believe in (be it Confucianism, Communism, or Christianity), they tend to be “true believers”, sort of like how some French loyalists were more loyalist than the King himself. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/13 "2012-06-06T04:19:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, they had a nice country while it lasted. Yes because Korea is doomed because of this one event despite going from being one of the world’s poorest countries to one of the wealthiest in a half century and surviving military dictatorship, a Stalinist/National Socialist neighbour, and the IMF. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/14 "2012-06-06T04:45:07Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > In Japan (according to the aforementioned religion course and my personal experiences with a couple people at least), there’s a lot of “I don’t really believe it but it can’t hurt so I’ll do this/avoid doing this just in case”, is Korea kind of the same way? Sometimes. But they can be pretty adamant about certain things. Most people would say they don’t REALLY believe in superstitions, but wouldn’t let their daughter marry on an unlucky day, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/15 "2012-06-06T04:45:45Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Sometimes. But they can be pretty adamant about certain things. Most people would say they don’t REALLY believe in superstitions, but wouldn’t let their daughter marry on an unlucky day, for example. Although I’ve gotten away with clipping my nails after dark. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/16 "2012-06-06T05:59:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Although I’ve gotten away with clipping my nails after dark. What’s the superstition there? Is it that you can’t trim your nails, or that it’s unlucky to do so after dark? And are there any specific things that are supposed to happen to you? And does being an American temper the superstitions your parents expect you to believe? For example, would Koreans living back in Korea be able to trim their nails after dark? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/17 "2012-06-06T06:05:38Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Sometimes. But they can be pretty adamant about certain things. Most people would say they don’t REALLY believe in superstitions, but wouldn’t let their daughter marry on an unlucky day, for example. Perhaps this comes from the purported Korean unwillingness to challenge authority - even an “authority” as nebulous as superstition. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/18 "2012-06-06T06:06:41Z")
**South Korea Excises (Some) Evolution from School Textbooks Due to Creationist Demands** _Hmph._ This would never happen in North Korea. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/19 "2012-06-06T07:26:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What’s the superstition there? Is it that you can’t trim your nails, or that it’s unlucky to do so after dark? And are there any specific things that are supposed to happen to you? > > And does being an American temper the superstitions your parents expect you to believe? For example, would Koreans living back in Korea be able to trim their nails after dark? I’m not sure, something about a ghost eating your nails and taking on your form. That’s the version I’ve heard anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197/21 "2012-06-06T10:08:17Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Yes because Korea is doomed because of this one event despite going from being one of the world’s poorest countries to one of the wealthiest in a half century and surviving military dictatorship, a Stalinist/National Socialist neighbour, and the IMF. :rolleyes: You _really_ don’t get the concept of sarcasm, do you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-excises-some-evolution-from-school-textbooks-due-to-creationist-demands/624197.md?page=2)