Learning from South Korea’s transformation

Our tour guide in Seoul proudly shared her experiences of traveling to at least 43 countries while expressing her deep love and pride for South Korea. She acknowledged the sacrifices of her ancestors, which played a pivotal role in shaping the country into the prosperous state it is today.

She provided a brief overview of South Korea's history, including the 35 years of Japanese occupation, the transition period under the United States, the birth of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1948, the authoritarian rule under six Republics, the three-year Korean War, and the eventual transition to a civilian democracy in 1994.

I was impressed by our guide's strong sense of national pride and her mention of the limited presence of Japanese cars on the roads due to a preference for nationalism in vehicle purchases. This led me to contemplate what we can learn from South Korea's remarkable transformation.

Research shows that South Korea transformed from an agrarian society into an urban-industrial one, achieving an average annual growth rate of about nine percent in real terms since the mid-60s. The country's per capita Gross National Product (GNP) surged from $67 in 1953 to $33,745 in 2023. Furthermore, South Korea boasts a literacy rate exceeding 98 percent, one of the highest in the world, and approximately 50-70 percent of South Korean adults aged 25-34 hold a college degree.

Read more: https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/2/learning-from-south-korea-s-transformation