How Did South Korea Succeed? (1)

Koreans are known as a nation that has existed as an independent kingdom on the Korean Peninsula for many years. Koreans, who have a colorful historical background, have been living on the Korean peninsula for tens of centuries. When we look at the recent history of Korea, we see that following the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the peninsula was occupied by Japan, which completed its development in this period and became an imperial power.

Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945)

After this invasion, Japan continued to use the Korean peninsula as a stepping stone and industrial base for its invasions in the Asian Continent, and embraced the peninsula. As a matter of fact, Korea has completely become a Japanese colony since 1910. Despite having the same rights as the Japanese on paper, the Korean people, who could not benefit from these rights in practice, paved the way for the rise of nationalist feelings as a result of this inequality. The Japanese Government, which focused on industrialization since the 1930s, turned the Korean Peninsula into an industrial base and everything produced was used to meet the needs of Japan's enormous military power in the Second World War. During this period, the Korean economy also underwent serious changes. Japan, which dictated that the agricultural products (especially rice) needed by the Japanese people be met from the Korean Peninsula between 1910-1930; In the years close to the outbreak of the Second World War, he considered it necessary to focus on industrialization in Korea.

South Koreans; They observed the Japanese practices how the early "authoritarian bureaucratic structure" worked, and experienced the functioning of the system by living. Korean industry, which served the Japanese during this period, indirectly contributed to the development of its industrial infrastructure. By 1945, eight cement factories with a total capacity of 1.7 million tons, thirty-five electrical equipment factories, ship engine, locomotive and wagon factories, many textile and weaving looms, and shoe, plywood, leather and other light industry products factories were located in Korea. was operating.

The Japanese defeat at the end of World War II put an end to the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. After the Japanese had to leave the peninsula, the US occupation forces began to settle on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Government of Occupation (1945-1948)

On August 15, 1945, the commander of the American army, General Douglas MacArthur, divided the peninsula with a line based on the 38th parallel with "Order Number One". The northern part was left to the Soviets, the southern part to the Americans. On top of that, the USA; It has completely occupied South Korea since September 1945. The Republic of South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) based on democracy in the south and the Republic of North Korea, which adopts communism in the north, were established. The South became the sphere of influence of the US Military Government, while the North was left to the Soviets. As a result, in 1945, the Koreans had to endure the bitter consequences of being divided into two as a nation, within the framework of different ideologies.

The US Army Military Government ruled the country until 1948. During this period, America transferred $350 million to South Korea through Syngman Rhee, which it saw as the leader of South Korea. While this resource was thought to be used for the industrialization of the country and for the import of food and fertilizer, a significant part of the resource was used for the South Korean army, citing the impending threat of North Korea. In 1948, the American Military Government handed over the administration of the country to the South Korean Government headed by Rhee.

Syngman Rhee era (1948-1960)

After the split, the majority of heavy industry facilities (including chemical facilities) are on the North Korean side; an agriculture-based structure and light industry facilities remained on the South Korean side. After the war, some 700,000 Japanese industrial workers were repatriated to Japan by the US military government. After this, industrial life in South Korea has almost come to the point of extinction. In the same parallel, 1 million Korean workers from Japan, 1.8 million from North Korea and 120,000 Korean workers from Manchuria had to return to South Korea, which resulted in an uncontrolled population growth in the country.

This situation brought with it high unemployment and poverty in the country. Under these conditions, the USA, which allowed South Korea to hold elections, consented to the establishment of the Republic of South Korea as an independent country on August 15, 1948, under the Presidency of Syngman Rhee. The US army, partially withdrawing from the country, left South Korea alone with the Soviet-backed North Korea led by Kim Il Sung, who pursued the policy of unifying the peninsula as a single country under its rule.

The struggle that the USA started with the Soviets and the Chinese, centered on the Korean Peninsula, which is one of the important points of the containment policy in Asia Pacific, brought along geopolitical security. 

This resulted in the transfer of width problems to the peninsula. After the Second World War, it was understood by the Americans that the US presence and force deployment in the peninsula would not be long-term unless it helped South Korea, which became dependent on the US for its basic needs and defense. Thus, South Korea, which started to receive American aid intensively, predicted that the foreign aid received would be cut off one day. Meanwhile, the advice of American experts, who said that the country should engage in agriculture and mining in order to develop, was not taken into account by the South Korean government. South Koreans preferred to determine their own development strategies. As a result, the government focused on developing light industry branches with a temporary strategy based on import substitution in designated areas. It has endeavored to overcome foreign dependency and to increase the economic capacity of the country again. The Government of South Korea, which developed the modern education system inherited from the Japanese and preserves/continues the essence of the Japanese system in education; Within the framework of equality of opportunity for all its citizens, it has pioneered the benefit of all the educational opportunities that the country can offer, even if it is limited, the rapid development of human capital and the sending of Korean youth to study in Western countries. The land reform announced in June 1949 ended landlordism in the country. Thus, the ideal that the people are "equal in poverty" and that social and economic development will be realized with the participation of all layers was desired to prevail throughout the country. Land reform made it possible to eliminate the landlord class, which was an obstacle to the state.

Meanwhile, when the North Korean forces began to occupy the territory of South Korea in June 1950, the USA decided to support South Korea on June 26, 1950. As an extension of this decision, it has almost become a battle arena between the Western and Eastern Blocs during the Cold War period.

The young population of South Korea, mostly living in rural areas, was drafted into compulsory military service in the war against North Korea. These young people had the opportunity to get to know the soldiers of the other armies they fought with, and to absorb their modern life and technology. Besides the devastating results of the war, this war contributed to the development of human capital throughout the country.

Finally, when the war on the Korean Peninsula ended on July 27, 1953, it was registered that the two Koreas were completely separated from each other.

After the war, the South Korean Government tried to make the development process work from where it left off. Since the civil bureaucracy has not yet developed in the country, the advanced military bureaucratic structure, which served with foreign armies in the war and whose international experience has increased, settled in the center of the country over time. The government gave importance to the construction of power plants for industrial production, textile and cement production. In order to reduce import dependency, steps have been taken to carry out fertilizer and steel production domestically. In the economy, which generally showed improvement, industrial production increased by 14% on average every year during the Rhee period. Despite this, the country's resources were not sufficient for defense expenditures and economic expenditures. During this period, South Korea was supported by an average of 200 million US dollars each year. US aid continued on a regular basis until the mid-1960s. According to American sources, a total of $12 billion in American aid was given to South Korea between 1945 and 1965.

After the Japanese left in 1945, some South Korean businessmen managed to become the owners of some of the companies left over from the Japanese companies. These companies are in the status of a large family company (şaböl) gathered under the same roof and operated in a similar structure to the Japanese zaibatsu model. Rhee provided financial resources to the shamöl holders through government contracts, and in return, he maintained his power for many years by getting the political support of these groups.

Park Chung-hee Era (1961-1979)

Meanwhile, revolutionary student movements, which began in the early 1960s in response to mismanagement and the spread of bribery, increased throughout the country. The harsh intervention of the government in the April 6 demonstrations caused 130 deaths and more than 1000 injuries (Becker, 1991: p.53). Rhee, who wanted to suppress these events in a bloody way, had to resign as a result of the picture that emerged. The government established by the Democratic Party, which won the subsequent elections, was not successful enough in establishing the deteriorated order and economic life in the country. On top of that, the turmoil in the country continued to increase. Police measures were not sufficient to calm the turmoil and conflict environment in the country. In this chaos environment, some 3,600 young people led by Major General Park Chung-hee, who led an army of 600 000 men, 

The military officer overthrew the government with the coup they carried out on May 16, 1961, closed the parliament and seized the administration.

The new constitution prepared by the junta was accepted in December 1962 with the support of 78.8% of the people. The Constitution has given the power to have the main say in the administration of the country to the head of state, which will be elected by the people's direct votes. Park won the presidential election, which he entered as the Republican Democratic Party candidate, with 46.6% of the vote, and his party took 110 out of 175 seats and had a parliamentary majority. Park, who devoted his life to the development of his country in a very determined and faithful way; During his education life in Japan, he had the opportunity to closely examine Japanese development, especially the Meiji period. When he took power in his country, he took the Japanese model as his guide. The development methodology followed by Japan fifty years ago has been replicated in new ways unique to South Korea, along with the lessons learned by Park. On the other hand, under the Meiji administration; While it was seen that the development of the country took place with a collective effort in an environment in accordance with the principle of separation of powers, where decisions were discussed in the council consisting of equals, Park ruled his country for 18 years without interruption, with the decisions he took as a single man and without being subject to restrictions. While South Korea was a backward country, it became a developed country under the leadership of Park and realized its historical transformation.

(To be continued)

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