By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Tamara Susanti from Indonesia
Photos = Tamara Susanti
Source = desakodasari and Antara News

The main goal of Korea's Saemaul Undong, aka the New Community Movement that began in the 1970s, was to modernize villages and develop their infrastructure. The country has effectively utilized this movement over the decades to modernize the country for its people, especially those in rural areas, and raise quality of life. The program has since been exported to other countries for the same purpose under the slogan "Diligence, self-help and cooperation."

Since 2015, the tourist village of Bleberan in Gunungkidal Regency of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has collaborated with the Saemaul Undong Globalization Foundation based in Korea's Gyeongsangbuk-do Province to apply the movement to the village. I visited the village to see how the program has helped development there. I saw greenhouses and water cleaning systems for villagers through the use of solar power. Since spring water is located several kilometers from the village, the water cleaning systems gave Bleberan, a dry area, a tangible boost in meeting daily needs.





Another major achievement of the Saemaul Undong here is extraction of mineral water from nearby village springs, with the latter having huge potential. The revenue from sales of the mineral water is used to develop and improve life in the village. A multipurpose building has also been built thanks to the movement, and is now used as a training center.

A village resident told me that training continues there, with a few Korean staff teaching and mentoring students daily on the projects the foundation runs. Such training will also be held in Korea, with the village leader slated to go there. She said all the programs have improved social welfare in Bleberan and that she hopes similar programs can be also adopted by other villages in Indonesia.

The Saemaul Undong has helped Korea achieve industrialization and modernization, and the hope is that this program brings good and sustainable results for villages around the world.

wisdom117@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.