Korea - A Model of development for Other Nations?

Quite frankly it is a very spicy undertaking to pen the proper words that best present the transitions Korea has gone through these past thirty years. while my time in Korea in the middle of 1978 and 1981, I traveled extensively to every angle of the country. Quite likely I have seen more of Korea than most Koreans. But I cannot even begin to identify Yonhi-dong where my family and I lived while that earlier time - the magnificent Korean Gate standing on the property of the school my children attended is the only part of the school that remains unchanged -the office where I worked in Kwanghwamun bears microscopic resemblance to the cold dusty spaces we busy thirty years ago - no longer is there a young boy going through the offices looking for shoes to shine for the few peck won needed for his daily meal - the yakultlady doesn't seem to make the same rounds as she did before - the tabang in the basement of our offices gave way empty space - the Korean War widowed ggot lady is no longer selling flowers at the angle in the cold of winter to earn money to care for her children and ensure their instruction and her prayer of hope for their great life [both children graduated from university because of her perseverance] -the over-packed buses, belching smoke, no longer rattle along the roads, both in need of repair; its customers now ride on computer controlled subways and clean buses unmindful of the earlier days - there is now a stream flowing through the town of Seoul that was previously used as a road with a second elevated highway running above when I lived in Seoul - the astonishing Kyongbokgung, for years hidden behind the Japanese-built government structure that have now disappeared, opening up a spectacular display of astonishing Korean architecture that I was never able to feel when I lived in Seoul thirty years ago. Quite frankly, it is difficult for these old eyes to adjust to the Korea that unfolds before me today.

It practically feels as if one woke one day from a dream and saw a dissimilar country materializing magically in front of him. Of course, it is unmistakably the ensue of the vision of Korean national leaders, the hard work of government planners in harmony with the hidden sector [most of the time] and the indomitable will of the population of Korea that brought the magnificent changes we see today.

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I remember my own youth in Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s - yes, a long time ago. Life seemed so much simpler then. The pace was slower - population weren't in such a hurry, the road cars seemed to move the population colse to the city quite nicely and efficiently - families were rooted in their communities and not given to spicy every few years as is the case today - children were a blessing to be nurtured and loved rather than shuttled off to daycare centers so their parents could live the "American Dream." Our elected officials felt a greater responsibility and responsibility to their constituencies, or so it seemed. group schools were places of instruction where meeting standards dictated spicy ahead from one year to the next rather than the group adjustment concerns that so occupy United States' school systems today. whole careers were more likely spent in a single company rather than the constant changes that are experienced today because back then there existed a greater sense of loyalty from both owner and employee. In California we now run billion dollar deficits because of the excesses of government spending that seemingly has no controls whatsoever. Every special interest is met with a handout. Even those who reach the United States illegally are entitled to more than those who are diligently working to take care of their families and themselves.

A country's core is deeply affected when basal values are so unmistakably altered to reflect the most recent trend sweeping over a nation. That seems to be the case in the United States over the past any years. Our political leaders, in both parties, seem bent on convert without substantive comprehension on how our community will be affected.

During our President's new visit to Africa, we heard many comparisons in speeches and in the press about amelioration progress. It was commonplace to read political commentaries that compared the increase Domestic stock [Gdp] of Korea and Kenya in the 1960s to today. The comparisons are unbelievable in both cases.

Kenya, where I lived any times in the 1980s, is a country that should unmistakably be able to feed its citizens and furnish job opportunities for its ever increasing population. It has not been able to do whether in the 50 years since its independence. To the contrary, its leaders have squandered natural resources, failed in providing basic instruction to its citizens, allowed tribalism to detach peoples rather than seeking ways to draw population together and allowed a culture of corruption to permeate every facet of community as an thorough alternative to responsible governance. Their leaders through the years have squandered treasuries to feed their never ending avarice and unquenchable thirst for money and power with microscopic complaint and unmistakably no penalties beyond the polite rhetoric from their amelioration partners.

On the other hand, Korea's Gdp increase has been astonishing on any economic measuring scale. while the same period, it moved from an impoverished country wholly dependent on aid programs to take care of the basic needs of its population to one that produces ability products used in homes and offices and highways colse to the world. Its population enjoy a level of prosperity that goes beyond the wildest imaginations of Koreans just one generation ago. To be sure, there are challenges being faced in Korea to speak its prolonged economic increase - similar challenges that are being faced by countries colse to the world.

The Gdp Per Capita in Kenya in 1950 was 7 while Korea was at 6. Today the Gdp Per Capita for Kenya stands at practically 7 compared to Korea's unbelievable ,505 (Source: Imf World Economic Database October 2009). Those simple statistics eloquently speak volumes to the substantive failures and accomplishments of both countries.

However statistics like these do not give us a proper perspective about the heart of a country and its people. It does serve the purpose of comparing levels of relative amelioration that the United Nations and World Bank use to guide their policies and budget of resources. But these institutions and others like them seem unwilling to address the basal needs of population in the amelioration of nation states. Rather they seem more intent on satisfying the appetites of despots who are accountable to no one and ferret away a percentage of the largess of the world donors into hidden bank accounts colse to the world with impunity. The United Nations and its partners have shown over the years to be a perpetuator of the status quo. It uses the dire statistics from the so-called Third World to draw sympatric responses where substantive changes are naturally not possible given the current state of governmental affairs in those countries.

World media outlets from time to time run pictures of desperate women and children without any hope to feed the guilt of the "haves" to do more. Yet those same media sources do microscopic to warn about the facts that present to why those women and children are so desperate. So we send our money and feel great for it.

We dare not offend; we dare not examine responsible leadership in those impoverished countries; we dare not express outrage at the senseless tragedy of men, women and children who were given no voice in building a great life but only suffered unspeakable pains of hunger as their bodies withered to frail skeletons awaiting death; we dare not expose the mindless killings of whole villages where war is a constant daily feel with no rational comprehension of why. How can we tolerate the status quo in such circumstances?

But this is a paper about the Republic of Korea. The ranting about the United Nations, World Bank and other international funding organizations may seem out of place. But let's see if the next few pages might tie the two together.

The changes Korea has undergone over the past thirty years are suited on any measuring scale. But why was Korea so thriving and Kenya seemingly left behind, along with a host of other nations colse to the globe? Is there whatever unique in the Korean feel from which others can learn?

The book, The Rush To Development, published in 1993,analyzed the amelioration successes Korea had achieved. The author, a professor at Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon, correctly argued that Korean economic advances were more the ensue of a very controlled state planning mechanism that had microscopic to do with free store economics. The professor went on to advise that the repressive and unbalanced nature of South Korea's increase process, shows how the country is now facing serious economic and political difficulties. In 1993, all that may well have been true.

Academic studies of the type found in The Rush to amelioration seem to carry with them a built-in bias upon which the statistical facts withhold the facility of the author. I unmistakably lack the scholastic qualifications to challenge the assumptions of the author. However, I am comfortable in spicy studies that miss the core of a country. The fact of the matter is that Korea's Gdp per capita grew from ,220 in 1993 to an astonishing ,929 in 2008, more than a 240% +increase (Source:World amelioration Indicators database, World Bank,September 15, 2009). That is not to advise the learned professor was wrong in his analysis. Rather it serves to underscore how severely flawed most writers are in tackling Korea. It should not come as a surprise because, quite frankly, Korea is one of the more involved nations in the world.

But what makes Korea so different? Is it merely the grouping of peoples unified in a single race and language that helped to propel their economic amelioration that launched them onto the world stage? possibly it was merely the fact of a culture tied to Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism and Christian thoughts and values? Or was it possibly more the circumstances that found Korea in the crosshairs in the middle of the major powers of the world at the windup of the Korean War hostilities that resulted in an infusion of important financial and military aid? Or maybe it was the coincidence of a geographic location with its severe winters and scorching summers that naturally moved the population forward? Or was it more naturally the confluence of it all that made Korea what it is today?

Here is what I have come to conclude:

Nation building is greatly enhanced when leaders are able to clearly and effectively present a vision for their nation over economic and group spheres. As the Republic of Korea emerged from the Korean War, it had the advantage of one of the major stumbling blocks to real amelioration on its side: ethnic unity combined with a single shared language. One need only look at the experiences of nations over Africa and Southeast Asia to see the challenges that decelerate nation building colse to the single issue of language and ethnic and racial diversity. Kenya boasts more than 40 tribes among its population with 62 spoken languages. The Kenyan feel is not unique among so-called third world nations. The same situation is found over much of Sub-Sahara Africa.

In the Republic of the Philippines, where lived from 1981 to 1984, its population is made up of eight dissimilar ethnic groups speaking 170 dissimilar languages of which 10 are determined major language groups - by any fair estimation it is a daunting task to bridge such a diverse group of peoples into a unified nation with shared nation building goals.

If language and ethnic unity are the foundation of a country then culture and religion are the fabric that binds the nation together. Buddhism and Christianity form the core of religion in Korea - but basal each is the strong affect of Confucianism that runs deep into the life of Korea. Although Shamanism remains an affect in Korea, its impact is felt much less among its predominately urban population. The impact of religion needs to be clearly underscored in comprehension nation development. The cultural and religious underpinnings of a nation furnish the core values that are important to a sustained economic development; it is the important aspect that unites the country's population and provides the order for growth. unmistakably Buddhism and Christianity are very safe bet and detach trust systems. But for the purposes here, the prominent part in nation amelioration is that "religious organizations" become a willing or unwitting partner in the amelioration process. At the very least, they furnish supplemental withhold to those forgotten in the introductory implementation of nescient government programs in the areas of health, instruction and welfare while undergirding community at large with a unity of spirit - in most cases. Of procedure there are marked exceptions where political-religious spheres clash as is unmistakably seen in the Middle East in the middle of Islam and Judaism and other parts of the world.

Confucianism's impact in the amelioration of Korea shares an equally prominent role in Korea's development. Confucian understanding and teachings brought to Korea the significance of instruction that stresses the moral amelioration of the personel prominent a respectable life - out of which those educated by such a system will bring those leanings to the governance of a nation with a foundation of moral virtue rather than repressive laws. In the case of Korea, this is another basal building block to its amelioration successes.

Many would argue that Korea was naturally "blessed" with an infusion of capital resources when hostilities of the Korean War ended. That, they would argue, is the genesis of Korea's economic amelioration success. To a safe bet extent, that is not a false seminar - but it is too simplistic an answer. Clearly, the United States, Germany, and other nations brought a huge influx of desperately needed capital to fuel the economic amelioration of Korea. But there is a key unlikeness in the way in which this largess was put to use in the case of Korea.

Many countries while the 1950s through the 1980s received gigantic amounts of financial aid from discrete governments and governmental organizations but without any clear plan for its use. In the case of Korea, the much maligned President Park, Chung-Hee, gathered the best Korean economic minds to institute a far reaching economic amelioration plan for the country. While ruthless in many aspects of his Presidency, there is no denying his achievements in laying a very firm foundation for the economic amelioration that resulted in the "Miracle of the Han." I have yet to find any hint of personal corruption by President Park or members of his immediate family - he was a supreme patriot - at times heavy handed, yes - but a patriot nonetheless.

Another aspect that is not given the due notice it deserves on why Korea became such a huge economic success has to do with its geographic location. naturally stated Koreans have no option but to work hard while the spring, summer and autumn months in order to survive through its often very harsh winters. looking at economic amelioration from that perspective one can begin to realize an indisputable trend: spicy north and south from the equator one can see that the further one moves toward the North and South Poles the more often one sees economic successes with amelioration aid resources.

But the truth of the matter is that the economic amelioration successes enjoyed by the Republic of Korea are the ensue of the confluence of all the aforementioned. The fact of a single language and unified ethnic grouping coupled with sound moral instruction going back any hundred years had a basal impact on the foundations established to build the economic engine in Korea. Its geographic location also influenced its amelioration strategy that took into notice the harsh atmosphere and the dependence on imports. A strong leader grabbed leadership of the country in the 1960s with a very clear vision of where the country had the capacity to go in its economic future utilizing the financial resources of its economic partners in an sufficient implementation of a well conceived Korean economic plan that fit the needs and priorities of Korea and Koreans.

It was not an economic plan mandated from the outside. This was a important component. The leadership of the Republic of Korea well understood it sat in the middle of the two major super powers. As a ensue it knew that it had more leverage in decisions spicy the budget of scarce financial resources to its small country. As a result, it could stand more firmly on the accomplishment of plans that directly tied to its own priorities rather than those of some master planner sitting in New York or Geneva who had other ideas for the use of the funds. To its credit, the Republic held firm on its goals and objectives with unbelievable safe bet results enjoyed by Korea and Koreans.

I cannot avoid another aspect that was an important but microscopic known [outside of Korea] contributor to the economic successes of Korea. It is called Saemaul Undong. It is a unique agenda that other nations have tried and failed to emulate. To understand the meaning of the words is to understand the goals of the program. Sae means progressive renewal based on past feel - continually grow on your accomplishments. Maul means regional and group communities such as villages- Undong naturally means "movement." Thus the meaning behind the Saemaul Undongideal can be summarized as follows:

Improving and changing our regional community into a great place to live a great life. Creating a great life for my community and neighbors as well as myself Achieving both spiritual and material well-being Building a great place for ourselves and future generations.

This agenda engaged all levels of community in the amelioration of the Republic. Once a settlement or an area became a part of the Saemaul Undong,they received a flag - every new completed action brought with it a certificate and a banner to add to the flag. In the first year 335 sacks of cement were provided to 35,000 villages over the nation. normal meetings among villagers decided on the most worthy project. In the second year another 500 sacks of cement and one ton of steel wire were supplied by the central government. Competition ensued among villages to see which settlement would receive the many recognition. Very soon the flags were overtaken by the banners testifying to the accomplishments of local citizens who volunteered their time and expertise to build a medical town or a school or a community center. everybody became a partner in the amelioration process of Korea as the central government concentrated on gigantic infrastructure projects that would allow hidden commerce to build its factories and begin contentious in world markets.

It is reminiscent of the early days in the making ready of towns in the western United States. In those days there were no taxes being collected from the population from their earnings. If a school was needed, the town folks volunteered their time and materials to build the school. So too, if a house or a barn was destroyed by fire or some other disaster, the town's population helped its neighbor in their time of need That helpful volunteer spirit seems to have been lost in the United States in the intervening years. We seem to have become too busy in our daily lives to be seriously concerned with our neighbors - now we would rather the government take care of it for us - until of procedure we begin to see the costs that are involved. Then we begin to grumble and complain. It sometimes feels like the heart of our country has been lost.

In the final part of a recently completed Korean Tv drama [yes, I watch them; I can't help myself] entitled, in English, "Brilliant Legacy,"["Chal Lan Han Yu San"], the grandmother is talking with her grandson about a mother's heart and love of her children. She tells him about two children who take the heart from their mom in order to sell it in the store for some money. As they are running into town, the child keeping the heart stumbles and falls and the heart falls upon the ground. When the children rush to pick up the heart and brush off the dirt, the heart says to the children "Are you all right?" Even at the loss of her life, the mother's love never ends.

I worry sometimes about the "heart" of the United States - I do not mean in terms of the current political events in the United States. Rather my concern is the eroding of basic system upon which our country was founded. There is too much gray in our community today and not enough black and white. By that I do not mean to imply we should not convert with the times and adjust to the realities of advancements in society. But there must be some basal truths that furnish the keystone of a community - those basal truths should not be yielded without serious seminar among the citizens of a country.

We are in the midst of such a seminar right now in the United States. As the seminar moves forward, I hope the core values of my country remain intact - that our leaders will have a long view on the implication of policies that will impact generations to come.

I had an spicy seminar with my eldest son not too long ago. We were talking about Korea and how the current generation has no real comprehension or appreciation of what the earlier generation of Koreans went through so the current generation could enjoy the fruits of their efforts. I was sharing with him [for probably the 20thtime] the experiences my wife went through as a child growing up in Seoul. I was reminding him how Yongbok and her family were eating dinner on the evening of June 25, 1950 when a policeman burst through their front door yelling that the North Koreas were a mere mile north and coming south quickly. Yongbok and her two siblings, mom and father, left food on the table, grabbed a consolidate of personal belongings and rushed out the door. She walked for six days to a distant settlement where she and her family could take refuge. Along the way, she saw mutilated bodies, burned homes and withstood the fear of bombs exploding all colse to her. She had three surgeries while the war years and had to feel the cutting of her leg without the aid of even a local anesthesia - she was naturally held down on the table by her parents and some nurses while her leg was cut open.

I was lamenting that it is too bad the current generation lacks any comprehension of its past history - they seemingly live only in the present. But as the words came out another examine immediately emerged: Why does the current generation need to "understand and appreciate" what the earlier generations experienced? Why should there be a concern about changing values in the United States or Korea - times convert as do circumstances, so why's it important?

But it does not convert our present reality to focus on what brought us to this point in time - the sacrifices of past generations, the difficulties they endured, or the threats experienced beyond their country's borders - rather it is instructive to ensure the succeeding generations realize what is enjoyed today came at a price paid for by a former generations.

The Republic of Korea is now a full economic partner on the world stage. Its amelioration successes are staggering. And to be fair, the United States, and the Us group for International amelioration in particular, can share a sense of pride in the unique partnership that was forged in the developmental process of Korea. Millions of dollars were invested in the infrastructure of a country that had been left in rubble following the end of hostilities in the Korean War. It was an investment with an uncertain future; particularly in light of what was happening in other parts of the world with similar infusions of money in the amelioration of other less industrialized countries.

It seems to me, however, that neither the United States nor other amelioration partners were prepared for the remarkable success experienced by Korea. Very quickly, the U.S. Trade procedure experts were clamoring to apply the brakes on the export engine that had been fueled by American dollars. Soon Congress joined in the call for trade restrictions on Korean exports and greater entrance to the Korean domestic market. Could it be that the United States and the other donor nations never unmistakably unbelievable a return on their investment? Or if they did, had they determined how they would deal with that type of success? It seems to me there is every indication that the acknowledge to both questions is a resounding "Yes."

But the case of the Republic of Korea is very unique. I am doubtful the Korean feel can be duplicated in the less industrialized nations of the world. Korea naturally had too many factors coming together at once to not be a success. It is the spicy character of the Korean population that is the important unlikeness that is spicy the country forward. That is not unmistakably duplicated. But as Korea continues to prosper and improve its horizons colse to the world it must be cautious of possible consequences reaching into its core as a country.

I am mindful of the heart in the story told in the Korean drama: The "heart" of our countries is that sometimes illusive part that represents the character of who we are as a nation, what we believe to be basal possession and how we present ourselves on the world stage.

As of late, I have been hearing the heart of America request "Are you all right?"

So the examine for my Korean friends is what is the "heart" of Korea saying to you?

Korea - A Model of development for Other Nations?

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