Science and technology in Korea
Encyclopedia
Like most other regions in the world, science and technology in Korea has experienced periods of intense growth as well as long periods of stagnation.
Past kingdoms and dynasties in Korea
were often invaded and the aftermath of these conflicts caused the various governments to divert funds to reconstruction rather than cultural or scientific development. During the Joseon Dynasty
Korea was under the effects of Neo-Confucianism
and had a status system which prevented most citizens from being educated or even literate. Moreover, Joseon society had a negative view toward scientists and gave them no formal support. The exception to this is the reign of Sejong the Great and a few other sovereigns of Joseon who realized that Korea's isolationist Hermit kingdom
policy was a failure and prevented the flow of new ideas and technology to Korea.
ic stone tool
technology, a highly efficient and useful way of making and maintaining a flexible prehistoric toolkit. The Palaeolithic also marks the beginning of a long period of plant and human interaction in which people undoubtedly adopted a number of wild plants for medicinal use.
Archaeological evidence from Gosan-ri in Jeju-do
indicates that pottery was first made c. 8500-8000 BC. People depended on gathering, hunting, and fishing as the main source of food until the Middle Jeulmun Period
(c. 3500 to 2000 BC) when small-scale cultivation of plants began.
Farmers of the Mumun Period
began to use multiple cropping
systems of agriculture some time after 1500 BC. This sophisticated technological advance in food production irrevocably altered the subsistence
systems of the Mumun and hastened the beginnings of intensive agriculture in the Korean Peninsula. Korea and adjacent areas of East Asia
seem to have been a part of the domestication
region of soybean
(Glycine max) between 1500 and 500 BC.Paddy-field
agriculture, a highly complex system of wet-rice cultivation, was also introduced into the southern Korean Peninsula during this period.
Widespread archaeological evidence shows that after 850 BC the technology for heating homes changed. Before 850 BC pit-houses were heated using fire from various kinds of hearth
s that were dug into the floor of the pit-house. After 850 BC, hearths disappeared from the interior of pit-house
architecture and was likely replaced with some kind of brazier
-like technology in Hoseo, Honam
, and western Yeongnam
.
Bronze objects were exchanged into the Korean Peninsula from the outside before 900 BC. However, the moulds
for bronze casting from Songguk-ri
and an increased number of bronze artifacts indicates that people in the southern part of the peninsula engaged in bronze metallurgical production starting from c. 700 BC. Several hundred years later iron production was adopted, and Korean-made iron tools and weaponry became increasingly common after approximately 200 BC. Iron tools facilitated the spread of intensive agriculture into new areas of the Korean Peninsula.
Until recently, Koreans were thought to have invented under-floor heating, a system they call "ondol
". It was first thought to have been invented by the people of North Okjeo (modern-day Russia
's maritime province) around 2,500 years ago. However, the recent discovery of a c. 3,000 year-old equivalent indoor heating system in Alaska
has called current explanation into question. The absence of prehistoric and/or ancient ondol features in the area between the two archaeological sites makes it unlikely that the two systems might have come from the same source.
The production of hard-fired stoneware
ceramics, in which clay is vitrified
in kilns at >1000°C, occurred first in the Korean Peninsula during the Three Kingdoms Period.
This period is notable for the establishment of industrial-scale production of pottery and roof tiles. This involved the adoption of climbing kiln
or 'dragon kiln' technology sometime between AD 100-300.
One of very few examples of science and technology during the Three Kingdoms of Korea
that has survived until this day is the Cheomseongdae
, which means "star gazing platform" and is one of the oldest observatories
installed on Earth. It was built during Queen Seondeok's rule. The tower is built out of 366 pieces of cut granite which some claim represent the 366 days of the lunar year and has 12 base stones which supposedly represent the twelve months of the year. The design is said to be strongly influenced by Buddhism
.
The nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa
, which was commissioned by Queen Seondeok after the main temple was finished, is reputed to be the largest premodern Korean stupa ever built. It was reported to be 80 metres in height. Only its foundation stones remain today but they attest to the mammoth proportions of the original structure.
in 1234. This invention made printing easier, more efficient and also increased literacy, which observed by Chinese visitors was seen to be so important where it was considered to be shameful to not be able to read. The Mongol Empire
later adopted Korea's movable type printing and spread as far as Central Asia. There is conjecture as to whether or not Choe's invention had any influence on later printing inventions such as Gutenberg's Printing press
. When the Mongols
invaded Europe
they inadvertently introduced different kinds of Asian technology. There is however, no evidence that the movable type was among them or that it had ever reached Europe.
During the late Goryeo Dynasty, Goryeo was at the cutting edge of shipboard artillery. In 1356 early experiments were carried out with gunpowder weapons that shot wood or metal projectiles. In 1373 experiments with incendiary arrows and "fire tubes" possibly an early form of the Hwacha were developed and placed on Korean warships. The policy of placing cannons and other gunpowder weapons continued well into the Joseon Dynasty
and by 1410, over 160 Joseon warships had cannons onboard. Choe Mu-seon
, a medieval Korean inventor, military commander and scientist, introduced the widespread use of gunpowder to Korea
for the first time and created various gunpowder-based weapons. The weapons were created because of Japanese pirates (Wokou
) frequently raiding Korea's coastal regions. Choe obtained knowledge of gunpowder from a Chinese merchant named Lee Yuan despite the fact that it was against Mongol law. Lee was at first reluctant but eventually came around because he was impressed by Choe's patriotism and determination. Choe later impressed the Koryo court and King U which then built him a laboratory and a factory geared solely toward gunpowder. He invented the first Korean cannon
s and other weapons such as the Singijeon
(a variation of Chinese Fire arrows) and later the Hwacha
which were first built in 1377 and are widely considered to be the first true MRLs
. These weapons were a vast improvement over the previous rocket weapons with one of the key features was that it could fire up to 200 rockets at one time.
The Joseon Dynasty
under the reign of Sejong the Great was Korea's greatest period of scientific advancement. Under Sejong's new policy that allowed Cheonmin
(low-status) people such as Jang Yeong-sil
to work for the government. Jang is one of Korea's most famous inventors. When he was very young he built machines to help make worker's jobs easier such as aqueducts, canals among others. Jang eventually was allowed to live at the royal palace where he led a group of scientists to work on advancing Korea's science.
Some of his inventions were an automated (self-striking) water clock
, the Jagyeokru which worked by activating motions of wooden figures to indicate time visually was invented in 1434 by Jang Yeong-sil
, who later developed a more complicated water-clock with additional astronomical devices, as well as an improved model of the previous metal movable printing type created in the Goryeo Dynasty. The new model was of even higher quality and was twice as fast. Other inventions were the sight glass
, and the udometer.
Also during the Joseon Dynasty Heo Jun
, a court physician wrote a number of medical texts, but his most significant achievement is Dongeui Bogam
, which is often noted as the defining text of Traditional Korean medicine
. The work spread to China
and Japan
, where it is still regarded as one of the classics of Oriental medicine
today.
The highpoint of Korean astronomy was during the Joseon period, where men such as Jang created celestial globes which could, whether day or night, allow the instrument to be updated on the positions of the sun, moon, and the stars among other devices Later celestial globes (Gyupyo, 규표) could measure time changes according to the seasonal variations.
The apex of astronomical and calendarial advances made under King Sejong was the Chiljeongsan, made up of compiled computations on the courses of the seven heavenly objects (five visible planets, the sun, and moon)
developed in 1442. This work made it possible for scientists to calculate and accurately predict all the major heavenly phenomena, such as solar eclipses and other stellar movements.
Honcheonsigye
is an astronomical clock created by Song I-yeong in 1669. The clock has an armillary sphere with a diameter of 40 cm. The sphere is activated by a working clock mechanism, showing the position of the universe at any given time.
Kangnido, a Korean made map of the world was created in 1402, by Kim Sa-hyeong (김사형, 金士衡), Yi Mu (이무, 李茂) and Yi Hoe (이회, 李撓). The map was created in the second year of the reign of Taejong of Joseon
. The map was made by combining Chinese, Korean and Japanese maps.
Hangul
, the only featural alphabet
in current use for a national language
, was promulgated by Sejong in 1444.
technology, North Korea's hardware developments have been lagging behind; however its software developments have been sound and are being expanded. In general, software development is on a high level and it could become a major export item in the future, along with world-class voice recognition, automation and medical technology. North Korea has developed its own operating system
, the Red Star
, and has an intranet
network named Kwangmyong, which contains censored content from the Internet
. North Korean IT specialists demonstrate a high degree of technological literacy.
The Korean Committee of Space Technology
is the country's national space agency. The KCST is controlled by the National Defense Commission, and operates in parallel with several other major institutions, such as the State Academy of Sciences and the Artillery Guidance Bureau
. As of 2010, two space launch facilities are operational - the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in North Hamgyong province, and the Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center in North Pyongan province. Kwangmyŏngsŏng-class satellites were launched from the former site by means of Paektusan
and Unha
rockets. So far, a total of three launch attempts were made, although none of them was successful.
North Korea is also researching and deploying various military technologies, such as GPS jammers, stealth
paint, midget submarine
s and human torpedo
es, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, anti-personnel lasers and ballistic missiles.
Scientific and technological development in the South Korea at first did not occur largely because of more pressing matters such as the division of Korea
and the Korean War
that occurred right after its independence. It wasn't until the 1960s under the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee
where South Korea's economy
rapidly grew from industrialisation and the Chaebol
corporations such as Samsung
and LG
.
As of 2008 South Korea ranked 5th highest in terms of R&D.
Park Kye-jung, CEO of Ace Electronics, won the Gold and Silver prizes for his invention of motor and motor-equipped gear at the 23rd Invention and New Product Exposition, he took the gold medal with his invention of a special device that converts vibrations from a running car into electric power. During the INPEX held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sixteen Korean inventions received awards, including four gold prizes, three silvers, three bronzes and six special prizes. The Pittsburgh INPEX had inventors from 20 countries, contenders from Australia, Germany, the United States and 11 other countries submitted 160 items.
Seoul is ranked as the world's "leading digital city" and a "tech capital of the world" South Korea is also among the world's most technologically advanced and digitally-connected countries; it has the third most broadband Internet users among the OECD countries and is a global leader in electronics, digital displays, semiconductor devices, and mobile phones.
Formally disgraced scientist, Hwang Woo-suk
led a bio-engineering team that created three living clones of a dog that died in 2002.
Korea also exports radioactive isotope production equipment for medical and industrial use to countries such as Russia, Japan, Turkey and others.
Korea has a full-fledged space partnership with Russia and has launched the Arirang-1
and Arirang-2
which both have surveillance cameras equipped.
In robotics
, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) competes with the Japanese company Honda
with its humanoid robot
HUBO
. Honda's ASIMO
and KAIST's HUBO lines are the two of very few humanoid robots that can walk. The first HUBO was developed within a span of 3 years and cost 1 million USD.
In renewable energy
, South Korean scientists at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
in cooperation with the University of California, Santa Barbara
successfully developed an organic photovoltaic power cell with energy efficiency of 6.5 percent.
Past kingdoms and dynasties in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
were often invaded and the aftermath of these conflicts caused the various governments to divert funds to reconstruction rather than cultural or scientific development. During the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
Korea was under the effects of Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism is an ethical and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty....
and had a status system which prevented most citizens from being educated or even literate. Moreover, Joseon society had a negative view toward scientists and gave them no formal support. The exception to this is the reign of Sejong the Great and a few other sovereigns of Joseon who realized that Korea's isolationist Hermit kingdom
Hermit kingdom
Hermit kingdom is a pejorative term applied to any country or society which willfully walls itself off from the rest of the world. The Joseon Dynasty of Korea was frequently described as a hermit kingdom during the latter part of the dynasty...
policy was a failure and prevented the flow of new ideas and technology to Korea.
Prehistory
At the end of the Palaeolithic, people of the Korean Peninsula adopted microlithMicrolith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
ic stone tool
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
technology, a highly efficient and useful way of making and maintaining a flexible prehistoric toolkit. The Palaeolithic also marks the beginning of a long period of plant and human interaction in which people undoubtedly adopted a number of wild plants for medicinal use.
Archaeological evidence from Gosan-ri in Jeju-do
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
indicates that pottery was first made c. 8500-8000 BC. People depended on gathering, hunting, and fishing as the main source of food until the Middle Jeulmun Period
Jeulmun pottery period
The Jeulmun Pottery Period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 8000-1500 BC.. It is named after the decorated pottery vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage consistently over the above period, especially 4000-2000 BC. Jeulmun means...
(c. 3500 to 2000 BC) when small-scale cultivation of plants began.
Farmers of the Mumun Period
Mumun pottery period
The Mumun pottery period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 1500-300 BC This period is named after the Korean name for undecorated or plain cooking and storage vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage over the entire length of the period, but...
began to use multiple cropping
Multiple cropping
In agriculture, multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same space during a single growing season. It is a form of polyculture. It can take the form of double-cropping, in which a second crop is planted after the first has been harvested, or relay cropping, in which...
systems of agriculture some time after 1500 BC. This sophisticated technological advance in food production irrevocably altered the subsistence
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
systems of the Mumun and hastened the beginnings of intensive agriculture in the Korean Peninsula. Korea and adjacent areas of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
seem to have been a part of the domestication
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
region of soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
(Glycine max) between 1500 and 500 BC.Paddy-field
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
agriculture, a highly complex system of wet-rice cultivation, was also introduced into the southern Korean Peninsula during this period.
Widespread archaeological evidence shows that after 850 BC the technology for heating homes changed. Before 850 BC pit-houses were heated using fire from various kinds of hearth
Hearth
In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven often used for cooking and/or heating. For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature...
s that were dug into the floor of the pit-house. After 850 BC, hearths disappeared from the interior of pit-house
Pit-house
A pit-house is a dwelling dug into the ground which may also be layered with stone.These structures may be used as places to tell stories, dance, sing, celebrate, and store food. In archaeology, pit-houses are also termed sunken featured buildings and are found in numerous cultures around the world...
architecture and was likely replaced with some kind of brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
-like technology in Hoseo, Honam
Honam
Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to North and South Jeolla Provinces....
, and western Yeongnam
Yeongnam
Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....
.
Bronze objects were exchanged into the Korean Peninsula from the outside before 900 BC. However, the moulds
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
for bronze casting from Songguk-ri
Songguk-ri
Songguk-ri is a Middle and Late Mumun period archaeological site in Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. Songguk-ri is a settlement and burial site that is important in the study of Korean prehistory. It is registered as Historical Site No. 249...
and an increased number of bronze artifacts indicates that people in the southern part of the peninsula engaged in bronze metallurgical production starting from c. 700 BC. Several hundred years later iron production was adopted, and Korean-made iron tools and weaponry became increasingly common after approximately 200 BC. Iron tools facilitated the spread of intensive agriculture into new areas of the Korean Peninsula.
Until recently, Koreans were thought to have invented under-floor heating, a system they call "ondol
Ondol
An ondol, also called gudeul, in Korean traditional architecture, is underfloor heating which uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor...
". It was first thought to have been invented by the people of North Okjeo (modern-day Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's maritime province) around 2,500 years ago. However, the recent discovery of a c. 3,000 year-old equivalent indoor heating system in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
has called current explanation into question. The absence of prehistoric and/or ancient ondol features in the area between the two archaeological sites makes it unlikely that the two systems might have come from the same source.
Three Kingdoms Period
Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic ware with a fine texture. Stoneware is made from clay that is then fired in a kiln, whether by an artisan to make homeware, or in an industrial kiln for mass-produced or specialty products...
ceramics, in which clay is vitrified
Glass transition
The liquid-glass transition is the reversible transition in amorphous materials from a hard and relatively brittle state into a molten or rubber-like state. An amorphous solid that exhibits a glass transition is called a glass...
in kilns at >1000°C, occurred first in the Korean Peninsula during the Three Kingdoms Period.
This period is notable for the establishment of industrial-scale production of pottery and roof tiles. This involved the adoption of climbing kiln
Anagama kiln
thumb|250px|right|Anagama kiln 1 Door about wide2 Firebox3 Stacking floor made of silica sand4 Dampers5 Flue6 Chimney7 Refractory archThe anagama kiln is an ancient type of pottery kiln brought to Japan from China via Korea in the 5th century.An anagama consists of a firing chamber with a...
or 'dragon kiln' technology sometime between AD 100-300.
One of very few examples of science and technology during the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
that has survived until this day is the Cheomseongdae
Cheomseongdae
Cheomseongdae is an astronomical observatory in Gyeongju, South Korea. Cheomseongdae means star-gazing tower in Korean. Cheomseongdae is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia, and one of the oldest scientific installations on Earth. It dates to the 7th century to the time of kingdom of...
, which means "star gazing platform" and is one of the oldest observatories
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
installed on Earth. It was built during Queen Seondeok's rule. The tower is built out of 366 pieces of cut granite which some claim represent the 366 days of the lunar year and has 12 base stones which supposedly represent the twelve months of the year. The design is said to be strongly influenced by Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
The nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa
Hwangnyongsa
Hwangnyongsa, or Hwangnyong Temple, is the name of a former Buddhist temple in the city of Gyeongju, South Korea. Built in the 6th century, it was the center of state-sponsored Buddhism during the Silla and Unified Silla eras...
, which was commissioned by Queen Seondeok after the main temple was finished, is reputed to be the largest premodern Korean stupa ever built. It was reported to be 80 metres in height. Only its foundation stones remain today but they attest to the mammoth proportions of the original structure.
Goryeo Dynasty
During the Goryeo Dynasty the world's first metal movable type printing was invented by Choe Yun-uiChoe Yun-ui
Choe Yun-ui was a Korean civil minister during the Goryeo Dynasty. Choe Yun-ui compiled the Sangjeong yemun with another 16 scholars. They collected all courtesies from ancient to present and published 50 copies....
in 1234. This invention made printing easier, more efficient and also increased literacy, which observed by Chinese visitors was seen to be so important where it was considered to be shameful to not be able to read. The Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
later adopted Korea's movable type printing and spread as far as Central Asia. There is conjecture as to whether or not Choe's invention had any influence on later printing inventions such as Gutenberg's Printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
. When the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
invaded Europe
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
they inadvertently introduced different kinds of Asian technology. There is however, no evidence that the movable type was among them or that it had ever reached Europe.
During the late Goryeo Dynasty, Goryeo was at the cutting edge of shipboard artillery. In 1356 early experiments were carried out with gunpowder weapons that shot wood or metal projectiles. In 1373 experiments with incendiary arrows and "fire tubes" possibly an early form of the Hwacha were developed and placed on Korean warships. The policy of placing cannons and other gunpowder weapons continued well into the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
and by 1410, over 160 Joseon warships had cannons onboard. Choe Mu-seon
Choe Mu-seon
Choe Mu-Seon was a medieval Korean scientist, inventor, and military commander during the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon Dynasty...
, a medieval Korean inventor, military commander and scientist, introduced the widespread use of gunpowder to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
for the first time and created various gunpowder-based weapons. The weapons were created because of Japanese pirates (Wokou
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
) frequently raiding Korea's coastal regions. Choe obtained knowledge of gunpowder from a Chinese merchant named Lee Yuan despite the fact that it was against Mongol law. Lee was at first reluctant but eventually came around because he was impressed by Choe's patriotism and determination. Choe later impressed the Koryo court and King U which then built him a laboratory and a factory geared solely toward gunpowder. He invented the first Korean cannon
Korean cannon
Cannon in Korea were first developed by Choe Mu-seon, for exclusive use by the Goryeo Army. Several types were made and saw successful action during the Mongol invasions of Japan...
s and other weapons such as the Singijeon
Singijeon
Singijeon or Shinkichon is a multi-launch rocket invented by Korean general Choe Mu-seon in 1377, during the Goryeo Dynasty under King U...
(a variation of Chinese Fire arrows) and later the Hwacha
Hwacha
Hwacha or Hwach'a is the world's first multiple rocket launcher developed and used in Joseon Korea. It had the ability to fire up to 100 steel-tipped rockets, or 200 Singijeon flaming arrow projectiles from a range of 500 yards in multiple salvos...
which were first built in 1377 and are widely considered to be the first true MRLs
Multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
. These weapons were a vast improvement over the previous rocket weapons with one of the key features was that it could fire up to 200 rockets at one time.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
under the reign of Sejong the Great was Korea's greatest period of scientific advancement. Under Sejong's new policy that allowed Cheonmin
Cheonmin
Cheonmin, or "vulgar commoners," were the lowest caste of commoners in dynastical Korea. They abounded during the Goryeo and Joseon periods of Korea's agrarian bureaucracy. Like the caste system in India, this social class was largely hereditary and based on certain professions considered...
(low-status) people such as Jang Yeong-sil
Jang Yeong-sil
Jang Yeong-sil was a prominent Korean scientist and astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty . Although Jang was...
to work for the government. Jang is one of Korea's most famous inventors. When he was very young he built machines to help make worker's jobs easier such as aqueducts, canals among others. Jang eventually was allowed to live at the royal palace where he led a group of scientists to work on advancing Korea's science.
Some of his inventions were an automated (self-striking) water clock
Water clock
A water clock or clepsydra is any timepiece in which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into or out from a vessel where the amount is then measured.Water clocks, along with sundials, are likely to be the oldest time-measuring instruments, with the only exceptions...
, the Jagyeokru which worked by activating motions of wooden figures to indicate time visually was invented in 1434 by Jang Yeong-sil
Jang Yeong-sil
Jang Yeong-sil was a prominent Korean scientist and astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty . Although Jang was...
, who later developed a more complicated water-clock with additional astronomical devices, as well as an improved model of the previous metal movable printing type created in the Goryeo Dynasty. The new model was of even higher quality and was twice as fast. Other inventions were the sight glass
Sight glass
A sight glass or water gauge is a transparent tube through which the operator of a tank or boiler can observe the level of liquid contained within.-Liquid in tanks:...
, and the udometer.
Also during the Joseon Dynasty Heo Jun
Heo Jun
Heo Jun was a court physician of the Yangcheon Heo clan during the reign of King Seonjo of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. He was appointed as a court physician at the age of 29. He wrote a number of medical texts, but his most significant achievement is Dongui bogam, which is often noted as the...
, a court physician wrote a number of medical texts, but his most significant achievement is Dongeui Bogam
Dongeui Bogam
The Dongui Bogam is a Korean medical book compiled by the royal physician, Heo Jun and was first published in 1613 during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. The title literally means “Mirror of Eastern Medicine”. The book is regarded important in traditional Korean medicine and one of the classics of...
, which is often noted as the defining text of Traditional Korean medicine
Traditional Korean medicine
Traditional Korean medicine developed with the influence of other traditional medicine. Its techniques in treatment and diagnosis are both similar and unique to other traditional medicine...
. The work spread to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where it is still regarded as one of the classics of Oriental medicine
Oriental medicine
Oriental medicine is a collective term for several types of medicine practiced in the Orient and/or the East.Under Oriental medicine is understood:* Traditional Chinese medicine* Traditional Korean medicine* Kampo...
today.
The highpoint of Korean astronomy was during the Joseon period, where men such as Jang created celestial globes which could, whether day or night, allow the instrument to be updated on the positions of the sun, moon, and the stars among other devices Later celestial globes (Gyupyo, 규표) could measure time changes according to the seasonal variations.
The apex of astronomical and calendarial advances made under King Sejong was the Chiljeongsan, made up of compiled computations on the courses of the seven heavenly objects (five visible planets, the sun, and moon)
developed in 1442. This work made it possible for scientists to calculate and accurately predict all the major heavenly phenomena, such as solar eclipses and other stellar movements.
Honcheonsigye
Honcheonsigye
The Honcheonsigye is an astronomical clock created by Song I-yeong in 1669. It is designated as South Korean national treasure number 230.The clock has an armillary sphere with a diameter of 40 cm. The sphere is activated by a working clock mechanism, showing the position of the universe at any...
is an astronomical clock created by Song I-yeong in 1669. The clock has an armillary sphere with a diameter of 40 cm. The sphere is activated by a working clock mechanism, showing the position of the universe at any given time.
Kangnido, a Korean made map of the world was created in 1402, by Kim Sa-hyeong (김사형, 金士衡), Yi Mu (이무, 李茂) and Yi Hoe (이회, 李撓). The map was created in the second year of the reign of Taejong of Joseon
Taejong of Joseon
King Taejong was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great.-Founding of Joseon:...
. The map was made by combining Chinese, Korean and Japanese maps.
Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
, the only featural alphabet
Featural alphabet
A featural alphabet is an alphabet wherein the shapes of the letters are not arbitrary, but encode phonological features of the phonemes they represent. The term featural was introduced by Geoffrey Sampson to describe Hangul and Pitman Shorthand...
in current use for a national language
National language
A national language is a language which has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country...
, was promulgated by Sejong in 1444.
North Korea
In computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
technology, North Korea's hardware developments have been lagging behind; however its software developments have been sound and are being expanded. In general, software development is on a high level and it could become a major export item in the future, along with world-class voice recognition, automation and medical technology. North Korea has developed its own operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, the Red Star
Red Star OS
Red Star OS is a North Korean Linux-based operating system. Development started in 2002 at the Korea Computer Center. Prior to its development, computers in North Korea typically used English versions of Microsoft Windows. , it is on version 2.0...
, and has an intranet
Intranet
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network...
network named Kwangmyong, which contains censored content from the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. North Korean IT specialists demonstrate a high degree of technological literacy.
The Korean Committee of Space Technology
Korean Committee of Space Technology
The Korean Committee of Space Technology is the state-controlled space agency of North Korea. Very little information on it is publicly available. It is known to be founded sometime in the 1980s, and most likely is connected to the Artillery Guidance Bureau of the Korean People's Army...
is the country's national space agency. The KCST is controlled by the National Defense Commission, and operates in parallel with several other major institutions, such as the State Academy of Sciences and the Artillery Guidance Bureau
Artillery Guidance Bureau
The Artillery Guidance Bureau , also known as Missile Guidance Bureau is the strategic missile forces of North Korea. The AGB is a major division of the Korean People's Army that controls North Korea's nuclear and conventional strategic missiles...
. As of 2010, two space launch facilities are operational - the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in North Hamgyong province, and the Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center in North Pyongan province. Kwangmyŏngsŏng-class satellites were launched from the former site by means of Paektusan
Paektusan (rocket)
The Paektusan, also transliterated Baekdusan or Pekdosan is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, derived from the Taepodong-1 intermediate-range ballistic missile...
and Unha
Unha
The Unha or Eunha is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which experts say utilises the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile...
rockets. So far, a total of three launch attempts were made, although none of them was successful.
North Korea is also researching and deploying various military technologies, such as GPS jammers, stealth
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
paint, midget submarine
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
s and human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
es, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, anti-personnel lasers and ballistic missiles.
South Korea
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
that occurred right after its independence. It wasn't until the 1960s under the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
where South Korea's economy
Economy of South Korea
South Korea has a market economy which ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP and 12th by purchasing power parity , identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. It is a high-income developed country, with a developed market, and is a member of OECD...
rapidly grew from industrialisation and the Chaebol
Chaebol
Chaebol refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. They are global multinationals owning numerous international enterprises. The term is often used in a context similar to that of the English word "conglomerate"...
corporations such as Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
and LG
LG Group
LG Corp. is the second-largest South Korean conglomerate company following Samsung, and it is headquartered in the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. LG produces electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Display,...
.
As of 2008 South Korea ranked 5th highest in terms of R&D.
Park Kye-jung, CEO of Ace Electronics, won the Gold and Silver prizes for his invention of motor and motor-equipped gear at the 23rd Invention and New Product Exposition, he took the gold medal with his invention of a special device that converts vibrations from a running car into electric power. During the INPEX held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania sixteen Korean inventions received awards, including four gold prizes, three silvers, three bronzes and six special prizes. The Pittsburgh INPEX had inventors from 20 countries, contenders from Australia, Germany, the United States and 11 other countries submitted 160 items.
Seoul is ranked as the world's "leading digital city" and a "tech capital of the world" South Korea is also among the world's most technologically advanced and digitally-connected countries; it has the third most broadband Internet users among the OECD countries and is a global leader in electronics, digital displays, semiconductor devices, and mobile phones.
Formally disgraced scientist, Hwang Woo-suk
Hwang Woo-Suk
Hwang Woo-suk is a South Korean veterinarian and researcher. He was a professor of theriogenology and biotechnology at Seoul National University who became infamous for fabricating a series of experiments, which appeared in high-profile journals, in the field of stem cell research...
led a bio-engineering team that created three living clones of a dog that died in 2002.
Korea also exports radioactive isotope production equipment for medical and industrial use to countries such as Russia, Japan, Turkey and others.
Korea has a full-fledged space partnership with Russia and has launched the Arirang-1
Arirang-1
Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21, 1999. This was the first satellite built primarily by South Korean engineers, although previous foreign-built satellites had been launched by...
and Arirang-2
Arirang-2
Arirang-2, also known as KOMPSAT-2, is a South Korean multipurpose satellite. It was launched from Plesetsk, Russia at 4:05 PM KST on 28 July 2006. It began to transmit signals at 11 PM the same day. Like the earlier Arirang-1 satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang...
which both have surveillance cameras equipped.
In robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) competes with the Japanese company Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
with its humanoid robot
Humanoid robot
A humanoid robot or an anthropomorphic robot is a robot with its overall appearance, based on that of the human body, allowing interaction with made-for-human tools or environments. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots...
HUBO
HUBO
HUBO is a walking humanoid robot, head mounted on a life-size walking bipedal frame, developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and released on January 6, 2005...
. Honda's ASIMO
ASIMO
is a humanoid robot created by Honda. Introduced in 2000, ASIMO, which is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility", was created to be a helper to people. With aspirations of helping people who lack full mobility, ASIMO is used to encourage young people to study science and mathematics...
and KAIST's HUBO lines are the two of very few humanoid robots that can walk. The first HUBO was developed within a span of 3 years and cost 1 million USD.
In renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, South Korean scientists at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology , formerly known as the Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology , is a leading research oriented institute of Korea located in Gwangju, South Korea...
in cooperation with the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
successfully developed an organic photovoltaic power cell with energy efficiency of 6.5 percent.
Works cited
- Barnes, Gina L. 2001 State Formation in Korea: Historical and Archaeological Perspectives. London: Curzon
- Crawford, Gary W. and Gyoung-Ah Lee 2003 Agricultural Origins in the Korean Peninsula. Antiquity 77(295):87-95.
- Kuzmin, Yaroslav V. 2006 Chronology of the Earliest Pottery in East Asia: Progress and Pitfalls. Antiquity 80: 362–371.
- Lee, Sung-joo. 1998. Silla - Gaya Sahwoe-eui Giwon-gwa Seongjang [The Rise and Growth of Society in Silla and Gaya]. Seoul: Hakyeon Munhwasa.
- Seong-Rae, Park. 2005. Science and Technology In Korean History, Excursions, Innovations and Issues.
- Sang-woon, Jeon. 1998. A History of Science in Korea.