The Saemaul Undong, also known as the New Community Movement, New Village Movement, Saemaul Movement or Saema'eul Movement, was a political initiative launched on April22, 1970 by South Korean president Park Chung-hee to modernize the rural South Korean economy. The idea was based on the Korean traditional communalism called Hyangyak (향약, 鄕約) and Dure (두레), which provided the rules for self-governance and cooperation in traditional Korean communities. The movement initially sought to rectify the growing disparity of the standard of living between the nation's urban centers, which were rapidly industrializing, and the small villages, which continued to be mired in poverty. Diligence, self-help and collaboration were the slogans to encourage community members to participate in the development process. The early stage of the movement focused on improving the basic living conditions and environments, whereas later projects concentrated on building rural infrastructure and increasing community income.[1] Though hailed as a great success by force in the 1970s, the movement lost momentum during the 1980s due to the unexpected assassination of Park Chung-hee.
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 infrastructure in rural South Korea, bringing modernized facilities such as irrigation systems, bridges and roads in rural communities. The program also marked the widespread appearance of orange tiled houses throughout the countryside, replacing the traditional thatched or choga-jip houses. Encouraged by the success in rural areas, the movement spread through factories and urban areas as well, and became a nationwide modernization movement.
However, despite the Saemaul Movement's great success in reducing poverty and improving living conditions in rural areas during its first phase, income levels in urban areas were still higher than income levels in rural areas after the rapid industrialization of South Korea. The government-led movement with its highly centralized organization proved to be efficient in the 1970s and early 1980s, but it became less effective after South Korea entered into a more developed and industrialized stage, which diminished the momentum of the movement. The relatively low income levels in rural areas compared to urban areas became a major political issue in the late 1980s – one that no government intervention was able to fully solve during the first phase – and the movement proved ultimately inadequate in addressing the larger problem of 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 South Korean government changed the centralized structure of the movement by empowering civil society to lead the movement. Since 1998, the Saemaul Movement has entered into the second phase, focusing on new issues such as enhancing voluntary services in the community and international cooperation with 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 Cultural Revolution in communist China which happened at the same time. The movement 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, and 7,328 people were falsely incarcerated largely due to expressing anti-government beliefs in connection to Saemaul Udong.[12]
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
Three elements of Saemaul Undong: people, seed money, basic principles
Forming a Core Group 1: Leaders
Forming a Core Group 2: Working groups
Incorporating a Core Group 3: Existing organizations
Forming a Core Group 4: Sectoral organizations
Raising Seed Money 1: Through sample cooperative projects
Raising Seed Money 2: Through cooperative works
Step 2: Operation of Projects
Establishing principles and standards for selecting projects
Planning a project
Persuading villagers 1: Setting a model to villagers
Persuading villagers 2: Encouraging 'you can do it’ spirit
Collecting consensus 1: Small group meetings
Collecting consensus 2: General meeting of villagers
Letting everybody play a part
Preparing and managing public property
Establishing the local Saemaul Movement Center
Encouraging 'we are the one' spirit
Cooperating with other communities and the government
Step 3: Main Stage of Project Operation
Project 1 for living environment improvement: Improving the houses
Project 2 for living environment improvement: Eliminating inconveniences in the village
Project 3 for living environment improvement: Creating an environment for increasing income
Project 1 for income increase: Removing the obstacles
Project 2 for income increase: Launching cooperative projects
Project 3 for income increase: Commercializing things around you
Project 4 for income increase: Introducing new ideas
Project 5 for income increase: Modifying distribution system
Project 6 for income increase: Operating a factory
Consolidating community 1: Enhancing morals and communalism
Consolidating community 2: Providing a cultural center and other facilities
Consolidating community 3: Establishing a credit union
Step 4: Final Stage of the Project
Sharing the results and celebrating the success
Sharing the long-term prospects
Stabilizing of joint funds
Encouraging the Activities of sectional organizations
Regularizing meetings for technology research
Establishing a village hall
Publishing a local newspaper
Establishing a partnership with other regions and government offices
Setting up a sisterhood relationship with foreign countries
Step 5: Feedback at National Level
The government creates a favorable environment
The government provides supplies and funds
The government establishes a comprehensive support system
The government provides intensive information and technology education at the Saemaul Training Center
^Hong, Ji Yeon; Park, Sunkyoung; Yang, Hyunjoo (2022). "In Strongman We Trust: The Political Legacy of the New Village Movement in South Korea". American Journal of Political Science. doi:10.1111/ajps.12716. S2CID 251297631.
^"Koreana : Korean culture & arts". www.koreana.or.kr.
^"Koreana : Korean culture & arts". www.koreana.or.kr.
^Seo Jungmin; 김성문 (2015). "Civil Society under Authoritarian Rule: Bansanghoe and Extraordinary Everyday-ness in Korean Neighborhoods". Korea Journal. 55: 59–85. doi:10.25024/kj.2015.55.1.59.
^"Pathways to Transitional Justice in the Arab World ― the Asia Pacific Experience".
^"Five Steps of Saemaul Undong". Korea Saemaul Undong Center. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saemaul Undong.
Official website
February 01, 2023
saemaul, undong, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, templates, tools, available, a. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as Reflinks documentation reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation September 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Saemaul Undong also known as the New Community Movement New Village Movement Saemaul Movement or Saema eul Movement was a political initiative launched on April 22 1970 by South Korean president Park Chung hee to modernize the rural South Korean economy The idea was based on the Korean traditional communalism called Hyangyak 향약 鄕約 and Dure 두레 which provided the rules for self governance and cooperation in traditional Korean communities The movement initially sought to rectify the growing disparity of the standard of living between the nation s urban centers which were rapidly industrializing and the small villages which continued to be mired in poverty Diligence self help and collaboration were the slogans to encourage community members to participate in the development process The early stage of the movement focused on improving the basic living conditions and environments whereas later projects concentrated on building rural infrastructure and increasing community income 1 Though hailed as a great success by force in the 1970s the movement lost momentum during the 1980s due to the unexpected assassination of Park Chung hee Saemaul UndongKorean nameHangul새마을운동Hanja새마을運動Revised RomanizationSaemaeul undongMcCune ReischauerSaemaŭl undong Contents 1 Overview 2 Criticism 3 Basic steps 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksOverview EditThe 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 infrastructure in rural South Korea bringing modernized facilities such as irrigation systems bridges and roads in rural communities The program also marked the widespread appearance of orange tiled houses throughout the countryside replacing the traditional thatched or choga jip houses Encouraged by the success in rural areas the movement spread through factories and urban areas as well and became a nationwide modernization movement However despite the Saemaul Movement s great success in reducing poverty and improving living conditions in rural areas during its first phase income levels in urban areas were still higher than income levels in rural areas after the rapid industrialization of South Korea The government led movement with its highly centralized organization proved to be efficient in the 1970s and early 1980s but it became less effective after South Korea entered into a more developed and industrialized stage which diminished the momentum of the movement The relatively low income levels in rural areas compared to urban areas became a major political issue in the late 1980s one that no government intervention was able to fully solve during the first phase and the movement proved ultimately inadequate in addressing the larger problem of 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 South Korean government changed the centralized structure of the movement by empowering civil society to lead the movement Since 1998 the Saemaul Movement has entered into the second phase focusing on new issues such as enhancing voluntary services in the community and international cooperation with 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 EditDuring 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 Cultural Revolution in communist China which happened at the same time The movement 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 and 7 328 people were falsely incarcerated largely due to expressing anti government beliefs in connection to Saemaul Udong 12 Basic steps EditThe Korea Saemaul Undong Center explains how Saemaul Undong was practiced in the 1970s in South Korea in five steps 13 Step 1 Basic Arrangements Three elements of Saemaul Undong people seed money basic principles Forming a Core Group 1 Leaders Forming a Core Group 2 Working groups Incorporating a Core Group 3 Existing organizations Forming a Core Group 4 Sectoral organizations Raising Seed Money 1 Through sample cooperative projects Raising Seed Money 2 Through cooperative worksStep 2 Operation of Projects Establishing principles and standards for selecting projects Planning a project Persuading villagers 1 Setting a model to villagers Persuading villagers 2 Encouraging you can do it spirit Collecting consensus 1 Small group meetings Collecting consensus 2 General meeting of villagers Letting everybody play a part Preparing and managing public property Establishing the local Saemaul Movement Center Encouraging we are the one spirit Cooperating with other communities and the governmentStep 3 Main Stage of Project Operation Project 1 for living environment improvement Improving the houses Project 2 for living environment improvement Eliminating inconveniences in the village Project 3 for living environment improvement Creating an environment for increasing income Project 1 for income increase Removing the obstacles Project 2 for income increase Launching cooperative projects Project 3 for income increase Commercializing things around you Project 4 for income increase Introducing new ideas Project 5 for income increase Modifying distribution system Project 6 for income increase Operating a factory Consolidating community 1 Enhancing morals and communalism Consolidating community 2 Providing a cultural center and other facilities Consolidating community 3 Establishing a credit unionStep 4 Final Stage of the Project Sharing the results and celebrating the success Sharing the long term prospects Stabilizing of joint funds Encouraging the Activities of sectional organizations Regularizing meetings for technology research Establishing a village hall Publishing a local newspaper Establishing a partnership with other regions and government offices Setting up a sisterhood relationship with foreign countriesStep 5 Feedback at National Level The government creates a favorable environment The government provides supplies and funds The government establishes a comprehensive support system The government provides intensive information and technology education at the Saemaul Training CenterSee also EditOrder of Saemaeul Service Merit Demographics of South Korea Economy of South Korea History of South Korea Chollima MovementReferences Edit South Korea The Agricultural Crisis of the Late 1980s www countrydata com Retrieved 13 July 2009 The historical background behind the New Community Movement Pohang Municipal Government Retrieved 30 October 2017 Boyer William Byong Man Anh 1991 Rural Development in South Korea A Sociopolitical Analysis London University of Delaware Press pp 75 76 All publications PDF South Korea s Saemaul Undong in Africa https koica yonsei ac kr contents about htm id 3 KOICA 석사학위연수 가이드라인 Hong Ji Yeon Park Sunkyoung Yang Hyunjoo 2022 In Strongman We Trust The Political Legacy of the New Village Movement in South Korea American Journal of Political Science doi 10 1111 ajps 12716 S2CID 251297631 Koreana Korean culture amp arts www koreana or kr Koreana Korean culture amp arts www koreana or kr Seo Jungmin 김성문 2015 Civil Society under Authoritarian Rule Bansanghoe and Extraordinary Everyday ness in Korean Neighborhoods Korea Journal 55 59 85 doi 10 25024 kj 2015 55 1 59 Pathways to Transitional Justice in the Arab World the Asia Pacific Experience Five Steps of Saemaul Undong Korea Saemaul Undong Center Retrieved 30 October 2017 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saemaul Undong Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saemaul Undong amp oldid 1136440370, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
