Giving in South Korea: A Nation of Givers for the Population under Public Assistance

Abstract

South Korea has a relatively short history in philanthropic development. Before the late 1980s, South Korea was a recipient of the foreign philanthropic supports from economically advanced countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany and others. Due to the economic hardship after the Korean War, there was little development in domestic charity and philanthropy until the mid-1980s. Instead of charity and philanthropy, mutual aid — such as mutual insurance — long served as a source of great relief for the predominantly poor Korean people. The tradition of mutual aid among South Koreans has remained very strong even after achieving the industrial advancement and economic growth in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, South Korea also opened a new door to philanthropy after the late 1980s, aided by three socio-economic and political events: a successful political transition from the authoritarian dictatorship to democracy; a successful economic transformation, called ‘Miracle on the Han River’; and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Especially through the democratization process, the citizens became increasingly aware of diverse social issues such as welfare, human rights, environmental issues and others, providing a basis for their participation in resource mobilization projects of diverse nonprofit organizations (NPOs).