This blog post examines whether change is an essential condition for progress or a risk of losing identity. Let’s explore together the direction of balanced change.
The Industrial Revolution, hailed as a revolution that changed human history, began in 17th-century Europe—the West. Most nations that built numerous colonies and flaunted their power under the banner of modern imperialism were also Western. This can be attributed to the fact that, at least until modern society, the West was significantly more advanced scientifically and economically compared to the East. Several factors enabled the West to advance ahead of the East. Numerous scientific discoveries led to technological progress, and the West embraced monetary systems and capitalist economies earlier than the East, successfully combining these to generate vast wealth. Furthermore, Western societies achieved capital accumulation through the development of commercial and financial systems, which greatly contributed to fostering new industries and technological innovation. These economic conditions enabled large-scale social change in the West. This, in turn, fostered political stability and institutional development, laying the groundwork for further strengthening military power. Summarizing this, it is explained that this was due to an attitude of acknowledging ignorance and being willing to embrace new observations over past traditions.
But can we say that an attitude solely focused on accepting new things always yields good results? From a historical perspective, there are numerous examples where extensively embracing new ideas yielded positive outcomes. The most representative cases are China’s Self-Strengthening Movement and Japan’s Meiji Restoration. Comparing the two, China’s Self-Strengthening Movement adopted the motto ‘Chinese essence, Western utilities’ and only accepted weapons. In contrast, Japan’s Meiji Restoration not only adopted American weapons and military supplies but also changed the names of administrative units. This difference became a crucial factor determining the subsequent destinies of the two nations. China subsequently suffered defeat in multiple wars, had its territories, resources, and various privileges seized by imperialist powers, and saw parts of its homeland become colonies. Japan, conversely, developed into a major power that controlled numerous colonies, including parts of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, and Southeast Asia, and initiated World War II. The Korean Empire also experienced failure with the Gwangmu Reform, which adopted the motto ‘old roots, new branches’. Fundamentally, change is a prerequisite for strengthening. Before Samsung Electronics’ strengthening, there was Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s statement: “Change everything except your wife and children at home.” Similarly, Korea underwent significant changes in its industrial structure and way of life to become the modern economic powerhouse it is today.
Does change then always yield good results? Of course not. ‘Critical acceptance’ is absolutely necessary from a long-term perspective. Unconditional acceptance of new things inevitably brings side effects. Every culture and society has its own suitable form. Therefore, even if external innovations are based on advanced technology, they may not fit the culture or lifestyle of the accepting side. In the past, Korea maintained a tributary relationship with China and imported many things from there, including calendars and agricultural manuals, which were adopted directly from China. At that time, China was far more advanced than Korea, so it was likely assumed that products based on the advanced technology of a developed nation would be superior to Korean ones. However, calendars must be tailored to each country’s specific sunrise and sunset times. Moreover, since China and Korea naturally have different climates and soil conditions, farming based on Chinese agricultural manuals and methods was unsuitable for Korea. Consequently, in the early Joseon period, the independent calendars Chiljeongsan and Nongsa Jikseol were developed and began to be used according to Korea’s actual conditions. The results were significantly better than when Chinese methods were used.
Furthermore, the unconditional adoption of new cultural elements can cause social disruption. When a society’s traditional values and belief systems collapse due to abrupt change, individuals and communities experience identity confusion, which can lead to social instability. Even in modern society, when new technologies and cultures rapidly infiltrate, we often see various conflicts arise as they clash with existing social structures. These conflicts frequently escalate into political and social problems, becoming factors that hinder the development of society as a whole.
One of the most crucial elements in the formation of a culture is ‘identity’. While refusing to alter all past lifestyles under the banner of tradition may seem to run counter to the tide of modern societal change, blindly accepting and changing everything simply because it comes from another culture amounts to nothing more or less than erasing one’s own culture and identity. Maintaining a degree of distinctiveness and individuality while changing what needs to be changed is essential for gaining greater competitiveness in future society.
Moreover, it is certainly not the case that there is nothing to learn from tradition. Sometimes, discoveries surpassing modern technology emerge from tradition. The case of Dr. Tu Youyou of China, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, illustrates this well. Dr. Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, a substance used to treat malaria, inspired by the contents of the ancient Chinese medical text Zhufu Bijifang, written around AD 340. The text recommended drinking boiled wormwood decoction as a treatment for “fever sickness.” Recognizing that the symptoms of fever sickness closely resembled malaria, Dr. Tu hypothesized that wormwood could be a malaria treatment. Her research led to this Nobel Prize-winning discovery.
Success never comes without change. However, as numerous cases have shown, completely disregarding tradition inevitably leads to significant side effects. Abandoning tradition can diminish a society’s identity and competitiveness. It is not unconditional change, but the critical acceptance of change—the appropriate harmony between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’—that builds a successfully developed society. Such a balanced approach is the key to achieving both sustainable development and social stability.
