Republic of Korea, A Model of Spectacular Growth

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a peninsula covering an area of 100,140 sq. km, of which about 70% is mountainous. It has a population of about 48 million people, of whom 47% have no religion, 23% are Buddhists, 18% Protestants, 11% Catholics, and 1% belong to other religions. It is well known throughout the world for its spectacular growth over the last 30 years. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution of Korea. As a result, a large number of people believe in no religion and concentrate on their present life, comforts and happiness.

The Mongolian-race people are simple and social, reflecting the broader Asian culture. Males earn and give money to their wives and enjoy food and drinks. They even bow down to their wives while asking for money and love: “Ton juseyo, sarange juseyo” every day! The females are the backbone of the country, as they look after the family, finances, farming and jobs.

Rice still remains the staple food of most Koreans. A Korean meal is accompanied by various side dishes. A traditional Korean meal is not complete without kimchi, a mixture of various pickled vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, radish, green onion and cucumber. Kimchi is prepared with red chilli powder and garlic and soaked in a tasty liquid.

People traditionally did not get vegetables for many months because of the cold climate. In late November or early December, Korean families used to prepare enough kimchi to last through the long winter. The kimchi was stored in large clay jars, partially buried in the ground to maintain the temperature and retain its flavour. Now, refrigerators are used to preserve kimchi. It is considered a hot food because of the large quantity of red chillies, though it is not as hot as Indian food. People eat almost everything, including fish, eels, crabs, octopus, chicken, duck, pork, dogs, etc. Pork and coffee have become popular among the new generation of Koreans.

The creation of Hangul in the early Joseon period was a key turning point in the history of Korean literature. King Sejong the Great (1392–1450), one of the wisest and most outstanding kings in Korean history, developed the Korean written language, ‘Hangul’, with the help of scholars.

The Korean alphabet has 24 characters—14 consonants and 10 vowels. They are unique because the consonants are made by following the shape of the pronunciation organs, while the vowels are made by combining three elements—‘․’, ‘ㅡ’ and ‘ㅣ’—which symbolize the sun, earth and people, the most fundamental features of the universe. Every Korean word is made up of combinations of consonants and vowels.

For us, a few sentences were particularly important: “An nyong ha se yo” to greet someone; “Ol ma ye yo” to ask the price; “Kka kka ju se yo” to demand a discount; and “Gam sa Ham ni da” to express thanks.

Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945 and was liberated in 1945. It was almost destroyed in the civil war between 1950 and 1953 and subsequently divided into North Korea and South Korea, following Communist and Capitalist Governments respectively. Russia supported the North Korean communist troops in their efforts to destroy South Korea, while the USA guarded South Korea against attacks. Approximately 28,000 US soldiers are camped here to guard the country.

Both brother countries spend very large amounts of their budgets on defence, much like Pakistan and India. United together, Korea can surpass Japan.

South Korea has followed Capitalist Economic Policies based on Export-Oriented Industrialization. Its industrial sequencing started with Labour-Intensive Industries such as textiles, garments and toys; moved to Capital-Intensive Industries such as electronics, cars, ships, oil refineries and civil works; and then progressed towards High Value-Added Industries.

It has 10% large, 20% medium and 70% small industries. The size of its economy is 15th in the world, and its export ratio is 43.4%. Samsung, LG, Hyundai and PASCO are market leaders in electronics and home appliances, cars and construction respectively.

The story of Samsung is very encouraging for any entrepreneur. It started as a small company making black-and-white televisions in 1969 and, by 2011, had reached revenues of $148.9 billion with an operating profit of $14.7 billion. It became the global No. 1 in TV, monitors, smartphones, DRAM, DDI and NAND flash, and global No. 2 in printers and LCD panels. Sony of Japan was trailing in losses, while Samsung was competing with Apple.

Another thrilling story is that of a poor young man who stole a cow from his father, sold it and came to the city. He worked in a rice shop, lifted bags on his shoulders and travelled by bicycle, eventually developing the giant industrial group PASCO in the construction industry. Such stories are examples of the strength and dedication of Koreans to grow.

In 1963, workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors accounted for 63% of the total labour force. This figure dropped to 6.6% in 2010. By contrast, the share of the tertiary industry grew from 28.3% of employed people in 1963 to 76.4% in 2010. In the 1970s and 1980s, the government focused on cultivating a skilled workforce.

President Park Chung-hee (1960–1978), who gave a mould to the country to follow the path of Development Dictatorship, said, “In human life, economics precedes politics or culture.” A large number of people believe that religion is an obstruction to growth, as it kills the desire of people to become the best.

The country, with a GNI per capita of $63 in 1953, $1,000 in 1977, $11,385 in 1995, $7,000 in 1997 during the financial crisis, and $20,320 in 2007, had reached $29,010 in 2010.

It was a country receiving Grant-in-Aid in the form of consumer goods until 1960; received development assistance in the form of technical cooperation and loans during 1960–70; and became a donor country since 1990. It established the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in 1991 and joined the OECD/DAC in 2010.

Korea organized the Asian Games in 1986 and the Olympic Games in 1988. Korean youths are very good at archery, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, badminton, boxing, shooting, table tennis, weightlifting and handball.

Some say that Korea is an American puppy. They are copying America. Christian faith has made strong inroads into the country. Coffee has replaced tea. People prefer pork to seafood. They have followed the same democratic model as the USA, with a directly elected President and two parliamentary houses, Congress and Senate.

The American President lives in the White House; the Korean President lives in the Blue House. The USA started FEMA (Federal Emergency Management System), while Korea started NEMA (National Emergency Management System). But Koreans are marching ahead by copying Americans in the interest of the people of Korea.

Korea has a lot to offer visitors: a peninsular country with picturesque valleys, mountains, rivers and beaches; ancient temples, royal palaces, sculptures, pagodas, archaeological sites, fortresses, folk villages and museums.

Seoul, the capital, is the world’s 10th-largest city. The glittering façades of soaring skyscrapers and bustling traffic represent its vibrant present. Busan is the second-largest metropolitan city, with beautiful beaches located in the southeast of the country. Jeju, a honeymoon island, is a centre of tourist attractions.

Don’t miss a chance to visit the Republic of Korea—A Model of Spectacular Growth.

Gam sa ham nida

Punamchand Parmar, INDIA

22/4/12

Participant of the training programme “Climate Change & Disaster Prevention”, 29 March 2012 to 18 April 2012.