A History Of Korean Science And Technology

Originally this book was published in Korea under the title Were There Sciences in Korean History? in Korean. The author selected two dozen topics from the history of science in Korea, to present a survey of Korean science to the general public. Now this is translated into English for international readers, with slight modifications to the original Korean version. This is author's way of interpreting Korea's proud scientific traditions, as well as his interpretations of why Korea had to be late in the introduction of advanced Western sciences in the nineteenth century and thereafter, hopefully for the better understanding of Korean history for the general readers, as much as professional historians.

Utilizing rare pictures and offering detailed explanations of the heritage of traditional Korean science from the Bronze Age to the Joseon Dynasty, this book takes a fresh look at the history of Korean science.

South Korea has attained spectacular economic success in recent decades. It has reached the status of a Newly Advanced Economy, with challenges increasingly mirroring those faced by other advanced economies. These include the necessary upgrading of the labor force, the frictions of switching to a national system of innovation adapted to leadership in R&D, market-based economic policies that reflect the government’s difficulties in foreseeing future technological developments, and the consequences of social change for the innovation system and policy-making. In the forthcoming book the parallel challenges for innovation and technology for the Republic of Korea and other advanced economies will be analyzed more thoroughly with an international perspective in mind. This comparison and international benchmarking will allow policy makers and scholars to better appreciate how much the country has already moved into the circle of globally leading economies and what can be done to consolidate and strengthen its position.

It might surprise Western scientists to learn that there were periods in Korean history when the level of scientific achievement was the highest in Asia. This is the proposition that Dr. Sang-woon Jeon sets forth in the first comprehensive and systematic survey of Korean science to appear in any Western language. Dr. Jeon points up Korea's unique contributions to the history of science and technology as well as the country's role as a bridge between Japanese and Chinese science and civilization. Much of his discussion of Korean science focuses on instruments which he describes in great detail in chapters on astronomy, metereology, physics and physical technology, and geography and cartography. Faced with the considerable difficulty of writing a history based on inadequate written records, Dr. Jeon has made use of available artifacts and other materials which have received little attention either in East Asia or the West. He has also summarized historical research in Korean science to the present and compiled an extensive bibliography.

It might surprise Western scientists to learn that there were periods in Korean history when the level of scientific achievement was the highest in Asia. This is the proposition that Dr. Sang-woon Jeon sets forth in the first comprehensive and systematic survey of Korean science to appear in any Western language. Dr. Jeon points up Korea's unique contributions to the history of science and technology as well as the country's role as a bridge between Japanese and Chinese science and civilization. Much of his discussion of Korean science focuses on instruments which he describes in great detail in chapters on astronomy, metereology, physics and physical technology, and geography and cartography.Faced with the considerable difficulty of writing a history based on inadequate written records, Dr. Jeon has made use of available artifacts and other materials which have received little attention either in East Asia or the West. He has also summarized historical research in Korean science to the present and compiled an extensive bibliography.

The Korean government believes it can turn the country into one of the top 10 competitive economies by 2010. This volume offers an in-depth analysis of the Korean innovation system and shows how its science and technology policies actually work. As Korea’s economy is now reaching the status of a newly advanced economy, the book also takes a close look at ongoing structural changes in the course of economic globalization.