The Manipulation of History in South Korea seen through the Lens of Francis Bacon’s Four Idols

This paper attempts to observe how a country might choose to shape its identity and image over the course of history. This constructed identity may be very different from what people perceive as reality. So why, and how, does this disparity occur? It might happen for a whole host of historical, circumstantial, or, even, nefarious reasons. Certainly, people will find it easier to follow a simplified narrative or story than the gamut of complexities and idiosyncrasies that construct the actual truth of the situation. Francis Bacon classified fallacies and misunderstandings as falling under four distinct categories: Idols of the Tribe, Idols of the Cave, Idols of the Marketplace and Idols of the Theatre. Having looked to establish a methodological and philosophical premise, the paper then seeks to support this argument with evidence and examples from a particular case study: South Korea. These will serve to show in real terms precisely what is meant by the distortion of truth and how it can serve or sever a state’s position in terms of international relations and its position on the wider global scale. It will help us bring Bacon’s theory closer to modern life.