Response Paper 1

Response Paper 1

Donovan Lee

GST 397: U.S.- Asia Relations

Prof. Kevin Y. Kim        

Word Length 498

        Yes I was persuaded and agree that Gordon Chang argument on ideologies of race affect the US- Korea War. Americans believe that Korea should become civilized like Japan and China, so they decided to make a treaty with them instead of taking over the country. In the expenditure, the two representatives were Low and Rodger. Rodger believes that Korea needs to be dominated by America in order to become civilize instead of a treaty mention on page 10, “He and other expedition members saw Asia as weak and needing domination. (Chang) ” Both Low and Rodger don’t understand Korean policy where they don’t meet foreigners and let them in the country which later caused a problem.

        “Korea was the last bastion of true Confucian morality and order, china and japan having been corrupted when they were forced to engage in regularized relations with the westerners. To uphold civilization, in their view, required resisting the westerners and isolating virtue. (Chang Page 9)”. Low and Rodger didn’t know Korean had a policy of no intercourse, which made them wait until they could talk with an official with high rank. Because Low and Rodger kept waiting, they felt like they were being ignored and ended up having a small voyage head into the country. From the small voyage that was heading into Korea caused both side of countries interpretation from one another. Korea ended up firing at Low and Rodger but weren’t hitting the boat just to scare them away. The Korean only shot because the small voyage broke one of their policies which they responded to protect their country. Mention in Chang article, “Koreans attack Low and his crew because they believe they were attacking their country by lying about being friendship in order to get pass there wall like the French attack.”

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