'Show me the money'
By Mark Peterson One of the primary cultural symbols of any country are the figures they put on their money. In most cases these figures are historic people. The United States has a law that only deceased people can appear on the money; by contrast a living Queen Elizabeth in on the currency of many countries in the commonwealth (like the Bahamas, where several years ago I visited and was surprised to see the Queen staring back at me when I looked at the new money in my hands).Who is on the money in Korea, and what does it mean?When the 1,000 won note came out, the powers that be had decided that a true cultural hero was the 16th century Confucian scholar, Yi Hwang, known also as Toegye. Soon thereafter, the descendants and disciples of the “other 16th century pillar of Confucian philosophy,” Yi I, better known as Yulgok, were able to get their man on the 5,000 won note. The 10,000 won note has the image of the great Confucian king, Sejong. The theme so far has been Confucianism. Two Confucian scholars and a king whose primary legacy was Confucian scholarship. He was
