Saemaul Undong

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Saemaul Undong
Saemaul Flag
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
새마을運動
Revised RomanizationSaemaeul undong
McCune–ReischauerSaemaŭl undong
Education of Saemaul leaders

The Saemaul Undong (

assassination of Park Chung-hee
.

Overview

The movement promoted self-help and collaboration among the people during its first phase, as the central government provided a fixed amount of raw materials to each of the participating villages free of charge and entrusted the locals to build whatever they wished with them. The government first selected 33,267 villages and provided 335 sacks of cement. 16,600 villages that demonstrated success were then granted additional resources of 500 sacks of cement and a ton of iron bars.[2]

The New Community Movement did much to improve

modernization
movement.

However, despite the Saemaul Movement's great success in reducing

migration from the villages to the cities by the country's younger demographic.[3] Moreover, the government-led centralized system caused corruption
, such as misuse of funding, and changed South Korea's environment.

Recognizing these problems, the

developing countries
.

Many developing countries in Africa are paying attention to the implications of the Saemaul Undong.[4][5] Through the program such as Yonsei-KOICA Master's Degree Program, the Korean government is helping officials working in developing countries to design and implement new policies and programs in the context of national development policies.[6][7]

A 2022 study attributed the initiative with shoring up support for Park Chung Hee's authoritarian regime. The initiative had persistent effects, leading to greater support for the dictator's daughter when she was democratically elected in 2012.[8]

Criticism

During the late 1960s and 1970s when the policy started being implemented under the regime of President Park, local traditions and beliefs were suppressed, akin to the

Misin tapa undong ("to defeat the worship of gods"), also described as "movement to destroy superstition") reached its peak during the Saemaul Undong period. Old zelkova trees that had stood at village entrances and have traditionally served as guardian figures were cut down in order to erase "superstition".[9] Practitioners of Korean shamanism were harassed, essentially destroying centuries old Korean traditions.[10]

In addition, Saemaul Undong meetings were often used to identify political dissidents and reinforce dedication to Park's military regime.[11] Under The Presidential Trust Commission, it was found that 334 individuals were killed, 1,744 were killed[clarification needed], and 7,328 people were falsely incarcerated largely due to expressing anti-government beliefs in connection to Saemaul Udong.[12][failed verification]

Basic steps

The Korea Saemaul Undong Center explains how Saemaul Undong was practiced in the 1970s in South Korea in five steps:[13]

Step 1. Basic Arrangements

  1. Three elements of Saemaul Undong: people, seed money, basic principles
  2. Forming a Core Group 1: Leaders
  3. Forming a Core Group 2: Working groups
  4. Incorporating a Core Group 3: Existing organizations
  5. Forming a Core Group 4: Sectoral organizations
  6. Raising Seed Money 1: Through sample cooperative projects
  7. Raising Seed Money 2: Through cooperative works

Step 2: Operation of Projects

  1. Establishing principles and standards for selecting projects
  2. Planning a project
  3. Persuading villagers 1: Setting a model to villagers
  4. Persuading villagers 2: Encouraging 'you can do it’ spirit
  5. Collecting consensus 1: Small group meetings
  6. Collecting consensus 2: General meeting of villagers
  7. Letting everybody play a part
  8. Preparing and managing public property
  9. Establishing the local Saemaul Movement Center
  10. Encouraging 'we are the one' spirit
  11. Cooperating with other communities and the government

Step 3: Main Stage of Project Operation

  1. Project 1 for living environment improvement: Improving the houses
  2. Project 2 for living environment improvement: Eliminating inconveniences in the village
  3. Project 3 for living environment improvement: Creating an environment for increasing income
  4. Project 1 for income increase: Removing the obstacles
  5. Project 2 for income increase: Launching cooperative projects
  6. Project 3 for income increase: Commercializing things around you
  7. Project 4 for income increase: Introducing new ideas
  8. Project 5 for income increase: Modifying distribution system
  9. Project 6 for income increase: Operating a factory
  10. Consolidating community 1: Enhancing morals and communalism
  11. Consolidating community 2: Providing a cultural center and other facilities
  12. Consolidating community 3: Establishing a credit union

Step 4: Final Stage of the Project

  1. Sharing the results and celebrating the success
  2. Sharing the long-term prospects
  3. Stabilizing of joint funds
  4. Encouraging the Activities of sectional organizations
  5. Regularizing meetings for technology research
  6. Establishing a village hall
  7. Publishing a local newspaper
  8. Establishing a partnership with other regions and government offices
  9. Setting up a sisterhood relationship with foreign countries

Step 5: Feedback at National Level

  1. The government creates a favorable environment
  2. The government provides supplies and funds
  3. The government establishes a comprehensive support system
  4. The government provides intensive information and technology education at the Saemaul Training Center

See also

References

  1. ^ "South Korea - The Agricultural Crisis of the Late 1980s". www.countrydata.com. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  2. ^ "The historical background behind the New Community Movement". Pohang Municipal Government. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  3. ^ Boyer, William; Byong Man Anh (1991). Rural Development in South Korea: A Sociopolitical Analysis. London: University of Delaware Press. pp. 75–76.
  4. ^ "All publications" (PDF).
  5. ^ "South Korea's Saemaul Undong in Africa".
  6. ^ https://koica.yonsei.ac.kr/contents/about.htm?id=3
  7. ^ KOICA 석사학위연수 가이드라인
  8. S2CID 251297631
    .
  9. ^ "Koreana : Korean culture & arts". www.koreana.or.kr.
  10. ^ "Koreana : Korean culture & arts". www.koreana.or.kr.
  11. .
  12. ^ "Pathways to Transitional Justice in the Arab World ― the Asia Pacific Experience".
  13. ^ "Five Steps of Saemaul Undong". Korea Saemaul Undong Center. Retrieved 30 October 2017.

External links