South+Korea+-+Introduction



=**Introduction **=

South Korea's dramatic transformation, from aid recipient after the devastating 1950-53 Korean War, to member of the OECD in 1996, is a remarkable achievement. South Korea’s rapid raise to international economic powerhouse was due to what Park Eung-kyuk, president of the Korea Institute of Public Administration, describes as, “… a unique development model in that the government focused more on economic development than on developing democracy,” other important driving forces were “… the passion of the leadership and the government’s roles, can-do spirit, the enthusiasm for education and civil campaigns to develop the nation, and the team spirit originated from the military culture.” (Jung, 2010). The importance of education in South Korea’s economic miracle was recently commented on by U.S. President Barack Obama when he said, “In South Korea, teachers are known as “nation builders,” …”.

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