Korea ppt-post korean war

Post Korean War Developments:
Economic, Political and Social
National Korean Studies Seminar
Copyright 2014
Mary Connor and Sung Kim
Bringing Korea to the K-12 Classrooms

Bibliography
• Connor, Mary. Editor. Asia in Focus: The Koreas
• Cumings, Bruce. Koreas Place in the Sun
• Eckert, Carter et al. Korea Old and New
• Halberstam, David. The Coldest Winter: America
and the Korean War
• Kim Kyong-dong and the Korea Herald. Editors.
Social Change in America
• Korean Culture and Information Service. Facts
About Korea.
• Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas

Topics for Discussion
• How did South Korea become an
economic success story and a model for
rapid economic development?
• Why was there authoritarianism after the
Korean War, and what paved the way for
the democratization of South Korea?
• What are the principal changes in society
since the 1960s?

Korean War (1950-1953)
– 3 million dead (1/10th
of the
entire population
– 5 million refugees
– Millions of separated
families and orphans
– Infrastructure destroyed
– In South Korea nearly half
of the industrial capacity
and a third of the housing
was destroyed
– Korea ranked as one of the
poorest countries in the
world in 1953

Korean war (1950-1953)
Destroyed 75% of all productive capacity on the Peninsula
In South Korea there were approximately 1.3 million deaths
(civilian and military)
Seoul: 1950

Economic Success Story
• Sustained growth from
the late 60s
• 13th
-14th
largest economy
• 12th
largest trading nation
• 38th
richest country
• One of the most wired
nations in the world
• 95%-100% of South
Koreans own cell phones
• Home of companies such
as Hyundai, LG, Kia,
Samsung, and Hanjin

Reasons for Rapid Economic
Development and Modernization
(1962–1997)
• 1. Work ethic
• 2. Well educated population
• 3. Close ties between South Korean
government and business
• 4. Substantial military and economic aid
from the U.S. during the Cold War
• 5. U.S. technology and technical
expertise.
• 6. U.S. contracts to South Korea during
Vietnam War

Cheonggyecheon Stream at Night

The South Korean Economy 2011
• South Korea has made one of the most
successful recoveries from the global
economic crisis that started in 2008.
• Korea’s trade surplus was a record high in
2009 and ranked 9th
in exports.
• In 2010, foreign exchange reserves were
an all-time high.

Reasons for Current Success
• A major fiscal stimulus package and tax cuts
• Experience from the Asian economic crisis of
1997
• Corporate, public, and labor sector reforms
• Continued efforts for Free Trade Agreements to
improve growth potential
• An educated work force
• A strong work ethic.

Political Development of
South Korea
• Contact with the West in the late 19th
and early
20th
century stimulated interest in democratic
institutions.
• From 1910 to 1945 Korea suffered under the
authoritarian rule of Japan.
• From 1945-1948 an interim government was
established under the direction of the U.S. On
July 17, 1948, the first Constitution of the
Republic of Korea was adopted.

Political Development
• During the Korean War (1950-1953), South
Korea was under the direction of the United
Nations.
• After the Korean War, South Korea underwent
political upheavals in pursuit of democratic
development. As a result, the Korean
Constitution was amended nine times, the last
time on October 29, 1987.

Authoritarian Politics
• Many who praised South Korea’s economic
development after the Korean War rarely spoke
of the negative aspects of Korean politics.
• The tendency was to justify the authoritarian
politics of development and security because of
a hostile North Korea, the Cold War, and
Confucian traditions, such as the respect for
authority, or the immaturity of Korean politics.

Some Important Factors that Contributed to
the Growth of Democracy
• Student militancy
• The high level of education that exists in South
Korea
• The overwhelming support of blue collar workers
who built a modern Korea and fought hard for
democracy

Syngman Rhee (1948-1960)
• Prior to being the first president of the Republic of Korea,
Syngman Rhee was active in the Independence
Movement, imprisoned and tortured for his activities
against Japanese occupation, and elected as the
president of the Korean government in exile.
• At the age of 73, he was elected in 1948 to serve as
president. During the difficult years of the Korean War,
he became increasingly autocratic, and thousands were
executed without a trial.
• When he tried to rig his election in 1960, massive
demonstrations broke out, leading to police violence and
the death of a student. As a result, nearly all of the
students in high schools and universities hit the streets.
The National Assembly pressured Rhee to resign, and
he did.

Park Chung-Hee (1963-1979)
• Park Chung-Hee was elected in 1963 and was reelected
in 1967 and in 1971.
• During Park’s leadership, he took a strong stand against
communist infiltrators and developed strong relations
with the U.S. The economy grew rapidly, per capita
income soared, and exports rose by 30% per year.
Meanwhile, he managed to consolidate his power and
manipulated the Constitution to remain in office
indefinitely. By the end of 1972, he had transformed the
presidency into a dictatorship.
• In 1979, he was assassinated by the director of the
Korean C.I.A.

Chun Doo-Hwan (1979-1988)
• In 1979, General Chun Doo-Hwan carried out a coup,
became president, declared martial law, and ruthlessly
suppressed popular demonstrations.
• In the midst of this political crisis, the bloody Kwangju
uprising of students and citizens occurred, resulting in
possibly 2,000 casualties, and causing anti-government
sentiment that lasted for years.
• Although Chun promised a new era, he continued to rule
autocratically. When student demonstrations led to the
brutal murder of a Seoul National University student,
riots broke out throughout Korea. Chun was
subsequently forced to step down in 1988.

Roh Tae-Woo (1988-1993)
• Roh Tae-Woo served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars,
rose through the ranks, and became a general.
• After serving in Chun’s administration, he ran for the
presidency and won because the opposition candidates
split the vote. Roh committed himself to democratization,
and a new constitution included the direct election of the
president by popular vote.
• He was charged and convicted of amassing $650,000 in
secret political donations and sentenced to prison. He
was later pardoned.

Kim Young-Sam (1993-1998)
• In 1993, Kim Young-Sam was sworn in as the
first civilian president of Korea. Once in power,
Kim established civilian control over the military
and tried to make the government more
responsive to the electorate.
• Kim supported reforms to eliminate political
corruption and abuses of power. The economy
grew at a rapid rate.
• His popularity declined in his last year of office
because of corruption in his administration and
the Asian economic crisis of 1997.

Kim Dae-Jung (1998-2003)
• Kim’s inauguration was significant because it
was the first peaceful transfer of power from an
entrenched ruling part to an opposition party.
• His administration was challenged by corruption
scandals in government and the Asian crisis, but
his policies led to recovery and repaying bailout
loans ahead of schedule.

Kim Dae-Jung (1998-2003)
• Kim is primarily remembered for his policy of
engagement with North Korea (the Sunshine
Policy), his meeting with Kim Jong-Il ( the leader
of North Korea), and becoming the recipient of
the Nobel Peace Prize.
• His popularity at home diminished when his sons
were charged with accepting bribes and that he
secretly paid North Korea $100 million to get
P’yongyang to agree to the summit meeting in
2000.

Roh Moo-Hyun (2003-2008)
• His administration was hurt by corruption scandals,
partisan politics, his decision to send troops to Iraq, and
his support for the continuation of the Sunshine Policy.
• In his first year of office, the National Assembly voted to
impeach him for violating an election law; however, the
Constitutional Court overturned this decision.
• He feared that the U.S. would start a war to eliminate
North Korea’s nuclear programs and worked at
strengthening the alliance with the U.S.
• After his presidency, there were persistent charges of
corruption during his administration. In May of 2009, he
committed suicide.

Roh Moo-Hyun (2003-2008)
• He feared that the U.S. would start a war
to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear
programs and worked at strengthening the
alliance with the U.S.
• After his presidency, there were persistent
charges of corruption during his
administration. In May of 2009, he
committed suicide.

Lee Myung-Bak (2008-2013)
• Lee Myung-Bak, the former mayor of Seoul and
a former top Hyundai executive, won a landslide
victory, became president in 2008, and turned
South Korea away from a decade of liberal
governance.
• One of the primary developments during his
presidency has been increased tension on the
peninsula as Lee has carried out a hard line
policy with North Korea.

Ongoing Challenges
• Persistent political corruption has
contributed to a widespread sense of
public cynicism.
• Although South Korea is now democratic,
the political system includes intense
partisan rivalry as well as paralysis in the
decision-making process.

The Positive Achievements
• What has changed represents a greater diversity of
voice through a greater range of constituencies than in
the past. Different interest groups, generations, and
genders are now shaping the political climate
• The current constitution represents a major
advancement in the direction of democratization. It
includes the curtailment of presidential powers, the
strengthening of the power of the legislature, and
additional devices for the protection of human rights
• In particular, the creation of a new, independent
Constitutional Court plays a vital role in making Korea a
more democratic and free society

The Attainment of Democracy
• The development of civil society and civilian
control over military has been achieved
successfully in spite of the embedded cultural
values that supported authoritarian rule for
decades.
• All in all, throughout the six decades since the
establishment of the country, it is possible to say
that South Korea has taken major strides in
terms of modernization, industrialization and,
most importantly, democratization.

Social Change in Korea
• Since the end of the Korean War, rapid
economic growth, industrialization, and
urbanization caused a radical change in
the class structure.
• The social classes of traditional Korea
have essentially disappeared, and more
opportunities exist for social mobility.

Migration to the Cities
• Between 1945 and 1960, the population of the
cities grew by 30%. Most of this growth was the
result of the migration of rural people to urban
areas for factory work.
• A significant number of the factory owners were
former landlords who made the transition from
owning land in the countryside to becoming
owners of businesses or professionals.
• Now more than 80 percent live in cities.

The Middle Class
• One of the most significant changes is the
formation of a new middle class consisting
of civil servants, salaried white-collar
workers, and professionals with
specialized training, such as architects,
engineers, journalists, and university
professors. Teaching positions are now
considered middle class

The Middle Class
• Between 1960 and 1980, the new middle
class grew from 6.6 % to 17.7% and the
old middle class (shopkeepers, small
business owners, self-employed
professionals, and craftsmen) grew from
13% to 20.8% of the population.
• A new upper middle class (economic and
social elites) increased from 0.9% to 1.8%

Distinctions between Middle
and Upper Class
• Careers in government and academia have
maintained the same level of prestige as he
past.
• Whether a white-collar worker is middle or upper
middle class depends on such variables as the
size and prestige of the company.
• For government employees and corporate-
salary men, status is often based on age and
advancement up the career ladder.

Distinctions between Middle
and Upper Class
• Those who have positions of power in the
government, military, and large business
conglomerates have more status than the
average government worker, business owner, or
salaried person.
• Graduates of the most prestigious universities
have more status than graduates of low-prestige
colleges

Industrial Workers and Farmers
• Between 1960 and 1980 the proportion of
industrial workers expanded from 8.9% to 22.6
percent of the labor force.
• During the same time period landowning
farmers, the rural lower class, and agricultural
laborers declined in numbers; they were 64% of
the population in 1960; 31.3 percent in 1980,
and approximately 25% in the 1990s.
• The rural population in 1960 was 14 million. Now
it is only 3.4 million.

International Migration
• Labor shortages have led to the migration of
workers from other parts of the world
• Men in rural areas have difficulty in finding
spouses and are consequently marrying women
from Vietnam, China, and the Philippines.
• With the increase in multicultural families,
cultural and racial diversity are becoming a
reality in rural Korea.
• In 2006, 11.9% of the marriages were
international. In some rural areas racial diversity
is 41%.

Additional Changes in Society
• Koreans are marrying later (between 28 and 31)
and are having fewer children than in the past.
Polls indicate that 25.7% of the men and 48.6%
of women do not think marriage is necessary.
• The size of families has declined from 6.8 in
1960 to 3.3 in 1995. By 2006, South Korea’s
birthrate was 1.08%, one of the lowest in the
world.

Additional Changes in Society
• In the past, three generations lived together.
Now there are more single family households,
single parent households, and elderly couples
living alone.
• Few divorced until fairly recently. Now the
divorce rate in South Korea is among the
highest in the world.
• Koreans are living longer (76.5 for men and 83.3
for women). Approximately 10% of the
population is over 65.

Topics for Discussion
• How did South Korea become an
economic success story and model for
rapid economic development?
• Why was there authoritarianism after the
Korean War and what paved the way for
the democratization of South Korea?
• What are the principal changes in society
since the 1960s? Have there been similar
changes in society in the United States?

Korea ppt-post korean war

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