Development support as education aid or labor trade? South Korean nurses in West Germany (1965–1976)

Abstract

Over 10,000 South Korean nurses were sent to West Germany in the 11-year period between 1965 and 1976. It is known that they were dispatched because of South Korea’s need for capital and expertise after the Korean War (1950–1953). To assist in this endeavor, West Germany helped South Korea through development support (educational aid). However, Korean nurses were not simply trainees since they had received a proper education and qualifications. Thus, this “educational aid” could critically be termed little more than “labor trade” because the highly educated nurses were forced to take work with lower wages than their background warranted.