The Saemaul Undong in Historical Perspective and in the Contemporary World

Abstract

Initiated by the government of President Park Chung-hee in 1970, the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement) became a nationwide program of rural development that by the end of the decade had spread to cities as a national symbol of the Korean way of government-guided participatory development. Originating as village modernization projects based on materials provided by the government and village self-help cooperation, it was subsequently linked with the advent of the Green Revolution in rice production. The successes attributed to the Saemaul Undong are manifold. Village upgrading and heavily subsidized rice production together raised rural household living standards and incomes to the level of urban households. South Korea also approached selfsufficiency in rice production. Village projects had a snowball effect, with one success encouraging another, leading to substantial village improvements in a relatively short period of time. Local-level officials became more efficient in implementing public programs and were better able to support village and agricultural needs. As a source of unity and national identity, the Saemaul Undong also became a prominent slogan and symbol of a Korean way of development.