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South Korea, one of the poorest countries on earth in 1948 when it was founded, has achieved miraculous growth in 60 years. Having become the world's 13th-largest economy through industrialization and democratization, the republic is rushing to join the ranks of advanced countries. What has made that great leap possible? To mark the 60th anniversary of Liberation Day on Friday, the Chosun Ilbo selected six secrets to South Korea's success.
¨ç Education Fever
Following Korea's 1945 liberation from Japanese colonial rule, many North Koreans escaped from the Communist rule in the North to the South. The intensified struggle for survival due to the growing population density gave rise to strong education fever. The only resources available in the ruins from the 1950-53 Korean War were manpower. Many say it was because of education that the republic was able to make a new start under such circumstances.
Citizens braved great hardship to educate their children. Education was the surest investment to improve one's position in society as well as a tool of achieving maturity. Education provided the quality human resources for economic growth. Behind it lay the passion and sacrifice of parents, invested in the future of their children.
But now, to train manpower for the new multifarious production and creativity required in the 21st century, some say our education formula has to be changed.
¨è Leadership
There are many calls for a re-evaluation of the political leadership that achieved compressed industrialization in an extremely short tradition of democracy. The roles of leaders were much more important in the initial period of nation building, when institutions were still fragile, they say, and strong leadership was needed for the survival and development of the republic, a bastion of the Cold War. Syngman Rhee secured national security by effectively controlling the military and police and forming an alliance with the U.S. Park Chung-hee's strong leadership, despite political side-effects, eventually freed South Korea from the vicious cycle of poverty.
¨é Hope and Courage
Not one of the past 60 years was without a crisis. But Koreans have overcome all of them. Some have even said that Koreans have special genes that always turn misfortune into fortune. Others also say the Protestant work ethic that came to Korea with missionaries seeking practical development through diligent labor was well matched with capitalism in the process of industrialization.
¨ê High Spirits
Since the 1960s Koreans freed themselves of fatalism and burned with a "can-do" spirit. The results in turn fueled self-confidence, and that produced greater enthusiasm. The enthusiastic, free and engaging Korean temperament, once freed from grievances, became a tremendous potential. "You can do it if you try" was a specific and practical expression of high spirits, an almost mystic prophesy of self-realization.
¨ë Solidarity
Koreans, though they appear to be extremely individualistic, were united whenever national strength was called for. During the 1988 Seoul Olympics, pickpockets went on ¡°strike" and vowed not to steal money from foreigners, while citizens willingly observed no-driving days. During the 1997-98 financial crisis, citizens launched campaigns to donate gold accessories. And in a massive oil spill over the west coast, numerous citizens rushed to the scene and cleaned the rocks one by one.
¨ì Quick-Quick Culture
The "ppalli-ppalli" or quick-quick culture, unique to Korea, has been criticized as a symbol of the rough-and-ready approach. Koreans are so impatient that they grab the cup from a vending machine in advance. A new affirmative assessment has emerged, however, that it was this very impatience that was the driving force for compressed industrialization and super-speed information technology.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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