shaping the moral system, the way of life, social relations between old and young, high culture, and is the basis for much of the legal system. Confucianism in Korea is sometimes considered a pragmatic way of holding a nation together without the civil wars and internal dissent that was inherited from the Goryo dynasty, and before.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
From its location, Korea has always been greatly influenced by China, the big neighbor to the west and south. The influence of Buddhism in the Korean educational, moral, and political systems was the first major intellectual import; Confucianism came to Korea in the Three kingdoms period alongside of Buddhist teaching. The Goguryo Kingdom (37 BC - 668 AD) was inspired and strengthened by Chinese culture and Confucianism, but initially maintained its own customs and traditions. The Pekje Kingdom (18 BC - 660 AD), on the other hand, adopted Confucianism. This shaped the administrative system and the culture and arts. Shilla (57 BC - 935 AD) was the last kingdom to accept the Confucian way of life at the highest levels of administration. King Songjong of Goryo was a key figure in establishing Confucianism. This was facilitated by the establishment in 1398 of the Seongyungwan – an academy with a Confucian curriculum – and the building of an altar at the palace, where the king would worship his ancestors. In other words, Confucianism is part of Korea’s DNA.
CONFUCIANISM’S MAIN CATEGORIES
   There were three main categories of Confucianism which involved “becoming a person” (being conscientious and altruistic), rites used to act as guidelines for proper conduct, and the ultimate goal of developing virtue. All of these were used to live one’s life in “the way” believing that “a virtuous life would bring one into harmony with the cosmic will of an impersonal heaven.” The main goal of Confucius’ teachings was to benefit society and set a status of how people should be, especially rulers. Confucius’ had always hoped to be an adviser to a great ruler whom he could instruct and create the “perfect” state. Such concepts as thinking for one’s self and re-examining one’s one self premises are not likely to be seen respected in Chinese culture today (the same is valid for Korea).  Even when Confucianism was first beginning emperors did not take too kindly to the ideas. The first emperor of the Ch'in (Qin) dynasty ordered 460 scholars to be buried alive because they were accused of slandering the emperor’s name and teaching “heretical ideas to confuse the public.” He also ordered all of Confucius’ writings to be burned except for the copies in the Imperial library. Later on under the Han Dynasty Confucian ideas were embraced and even used as guidelines for future officials and leadership.
CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY AND CONFUCIANISM
Today, the landscape of Confucian schools, temples, places of ancestral worship, and scholarship have been minimized, if not put to the side as historical artifacts worthy only of tourists, scholars, or neglected preservation. However, Confucian values arguably still have an immense influence on the psyche of the Korean people. Moreover, Confucianism is not necessarily regarded as a religion, allowing one to be a Taoist, Christian, Muslim, Shintoist or Buddhist and still profess Confucianist beliefs.
Strong elements of Confucianist thought still exist in day-to-day administrative and organizational hierarchies, but the fixtures and services which brought these into being have disappeared. With Confucianism taken out of the school curricula and removed from the daily life of Koreans, the sense that something essential to Korean history is missing has led to a rebirth of Confucianism in the late 1990s. Foreign scholars have also developed an interest in Korean Confucianism as an overriding element of governance that maintained a newly-arisen elite within Korea dependent on all the cohesive devices of Confucianism from the 14th century onwards.
CONFUCIAN CERIMONIALS
The most important ceremonies of Korean Confucianism were those that celebrated the coming of age, marriage, death, as well as the anniversary of the death of the ancestors. Funerals had the greatest impact on the lives of ordinary people. Although Confucianism is no longer the ruling ideology, its influence on the contemporary Korean society is not difficult to spot. Contemporary Confucianists are attempting to bring back a Confucian based college or university that will educate a new generation of scholars. In many cases older temples are being restored by cities for tourist purposes.
The highly authoritarian, male-dominated system is reflected in the paternalistic and male-dominated Korean culture. The country's emphasis on education and respect for ancestors also comes from the teachings of Confucius.

KOREA:
1. SOCIAL ELEMENTS AND CHANGES
2. CULTURAL ELEMENTS AND CHANGES

CHANGES IN KOREA’S MODERN THINKING AND SOCIETY

1. From the “Hermit Kingdom” to a capitalist society
2. Women’s liberation an affirmation trend
3. Conflict between “new-generation” (Shin SaeDe) and traditional values
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