President Park was certainly a controversial figure in 20th century history; however, there is no doubt that Korea would not have experienced its escape from poverty and its unprecedented economic growth without Mr Park's strong (and some say tyrannical) vision and leadership, and the organized sacrifice, hard work, and relentless struggle of the Korean people.
The people who call him tyrannical are either Communist sympathizers or are very ignorant. No one would deny that he was not a very nice leader but I feel that he had no choice but to be brutal to his opponents as they were very corrupt and did not have the nation's interests in mind. Also South Korea was under threat from the North, which was more advanced at the time and Park had to be very tough to keep the nation alive. His techniques are morally questionable but he got the job done and even as a "dictator" did more for the country than any other president in ROK's history
MarcellusTheGreen Don't forget Foreign Aid from multiple countries and organizations helped too. We all know money doesn't grow on trees, and it's not like the country is flourishing with natural resources. I think ANY country can recover and flourish economically when given billions in Foreign Aid, and provided National Security so the country can focus on its economy. Isn't this what happen to Japan and Germany? I usually hear Koreans say that Japan still had its industry in tact, but didn't the US help rebuild this too? So what about Germany? Japan also economically recovered quickly didn't it? What's the common denominator between the two?
***** I believe it was a "shit hole" like you said because it was an isolationist country. It was starting to improve and industrialized when it was occupied by Japan. Also, billions in aid doesn't necessarily mean just money. us-foreign-aid.insidegov.com/l/161/South-Korea Also, committees were built to teach South Korea economics, politics, industrialization, and military organization. These were not learned or discovered overnight. Couple that with the fact the even until today, the US defense umbrella has ALLOWED South Korea to focus on recovery.
@@andrewcho9779 sorry but he was a tyrant. he helped boost korea's economy but he was ruthless and violent. my father was part of the student protests during that time, where many of his friends were captured, and sometimes even killed.
Well Korea's military isn't exactly voluntary. I doubt generals are that young to be Starcraft players. The generals now are probably people born in the 60's and maybe 50's.
@akfvsand you didn't know anything about the state of affairs to domestic and foreign at that time. was he dictator? yes he was dictator but only to spies from north and reactionaries in the south. democratization doesn't come without industrialization. if it came without industrialization that would be disaster
The source of him was true devoted heart for mother nation. He said "When our children and grandchildren asks 'What our front generation did for us and our nation?', We must told them we did work, work, work hard for you and our nation."
Wow...despite my extensive reading on the Korean peninsula, I would not have guessed that (the Republic of) Korea's economy was that terrible following the advent of independent rule. Kudos to Mr. Park for everything he did for his great nation...
Wow.. This nation it's an example. I just hope that one day, my nation, tired of injustice and corruption will be able to assume it's destiny in such incredible way, like the Korean people did it, regards from Colombia..
Park Chung Hee is definitely the reason S. Korea is what it is today!! I was born and played by the Han river in the 60's. Very smelly and dirty from what i remembered. Then i grew up in the U.S. since 69'. I visit Korea every year now and it keeps changing, for the better. So, modern.
@master universe blah blah blah blah yeah keep repeating what you read, LMFAO what are you talking about? The only thing Japan has ever done is invade other countries commiting mass genocides, which your piece of shit government continuously lies to it's people and world about. Just look at what's going on in Japan right now with covid19. Japan is a past by-gone country with a government stuck in the glories of 90s and with ignorant citizens that will blindly follow the government to abyss. Japan you had a good run much you guys are not relevant anymore. Nice try NOT.
I admit, I'm a complete outsider. But sometimes--just occasionally--I wonder if a monarchy of one kind or another, might be successful in some cases. After all, Korea, Vietnam, and some other countries had kings on the 19th and even into the 30th Centuries.
The development of South Korea is indeed a miracle. It reflects the fact that biggest resource of the country are not just natural resources, but true leadership.
I think you don't know well about south korea history. ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty made the miracle of the Han river possible. ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty is Lee seung man's typical achievement.Unfortunately, In South korea, if someone say "Park chung hee is the greatest president. He achieved the miracle of Han river, many south Koreans say "You stand by dictator!!!! He was communist and pro-Japanese ." (pro- Japanese group's image for korea is traitor) In fact, he wasn't communist and pro-Japanese.
No contest to late President Lee Syng Man (Syngman Rhee)'s record. In a so war-ravaged country like the Taehan Minkuk, it's not an easy task to govern by democratic ways. However he managed to keep a certain amount of freedom for his people despite what Messrs Lederer (''A nation of sheep''), James Cameron & Co wrote in their trash papers & books. Politics are not nice : President Rhee at first was the best alternative to dictatorship for South Korea. But over the years, he who was old and broken in body, became more and more cantakerous, and dourly authoritarian, and came to be at odds with his vice-president John Chang Myon , who was perhaps the most honest statesman in the whole of the Taehan Minkuk history. He led the first true parliamentary democratic government after President Syngman Rhee was ousted by popular demonstrations, which were bloodily repressed, but no common measure with the daily repression in Kim-country. The students who had helped to oust Rhee and who succeeded only because the government didn't send in the army, now turned to play at revolution (no doubt that commie agents from Kim prodded them) for the sake of trouble making. It's always so with the hotheadedness of youth. They want their way right here right now, but don't know where and how to begin, and end up wallowing in endless agitation as if it's a game. One good example was Thailand back in 1973, and the aftermath in 1976. Prime Minister Chang didn't want to repress in the name of law and order, so he was overthrown by the General Park-Chung-Hee-led military coup one year after Rhee. General Park was exactly what the mercurial and anarchic students deserved. If they didn't want Park, then they could have chosen (pun not unintended) Kim. In the face of such an implacable enemy from the North, no trouble-making agitation would be tolerated. Yet it's a tribute to the Taehan Minkuk's resolution and American influence to stay the Democratic course, that South Korea didn't fall under iron-heeled dictatorship. To those Taehan Minkuk citizens who howl jackal-like that President Park was a dictator, tell them to have a look at just north of the 38th Parallel to know what a dictator is and does.
The amazing successes of South Korea and Singapore seem to suggest that developing a nation's economy as well as democratic institutions at the same time is impossible to do right, at best institutions get hijacked by corrupt elites hindering further progress and at worst corruption and incompetence prevent progress to begin with, so it would appear that for a country starting from abject poverty a period of authoritarian rule is beneficial in the long run. Rwanda is similar, they call it Singapore of Africa now, its current president is authoritarian by any standard, there's no opposition, no political free speech, but they managed to weed out corruption and their economy is thriving.
Why didn't the Philippines stayed as a prosperous nation unlike 대한민극. I hope that we Filipinos will develop and reach the title as an asian tiger once again 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
From my observation, authoritarian leaders like Marcos, Park, and Lee Kwan Yew tend to be more effective for developing a poor nation with uneducated population. If only people(opposition) back then were cooperative with Marcos, we could've transformed the economy into a fully-industialized nation along with other east asian countries back in 1980's. Being a democratic while in stuck in a developing stage, it just slowed down the momentum because of unstable politics, and big corporations tends to assert their influence.
i will not completely disagree with you, USA did help korea and japan to rebuild their home country. But the fact is that these japanese and koreans worked their hands and knees off to reach where they are today. It was an opportunity given by USA and it was taken gracefully by these people you must acknowledge this fact. By the way even today USA is providing funds to various countries but they choose to remain ruins (pakistan, saudi arabia and iraq) Its the people's attitude that counts.
Yeah and the Koreans North of the 38th Parallel "worked their hands and knees off'' too to reach where they are today : serving the vampire Kim die-nasty.
amazing history of s-korea i love south they are one of the nicest people ive known i have alot of korean friends in the philippines saranghamnida korea i just dont know if i write it down correctly hahahahaha
Korea was in deep shit back in 1960s. But Germany helped S.Korea. in 1965 we received more than $5 billion from Japan for WARCRIME compensations. Park Chung Hee used that money to make factories. Then S.Korea engaged in Vietnam war and earned billions of dollars worth of paycheck to construct the Express ways in S.Korea Japan's participation after world war 2 was financial And by that means both Japan and S.Korea benefited from that. we owe Japan for that? well Japan must give that anyway
@redwhitedude The reason why South Korea now is trailing Japan in technology and Philippines is 10 years behind technology.. cannot make its own cars or its own brand of electronics and relies on US or etc Because Philippines and Filipinos lack sense of History.. that lead to low national self esteem Filipinos cannot give something that would compare to the King Sejong.. or Yi Soon-Shin or other heroic ancient historical background like Koreans which also affected the psych.
this man is the solid proof to the statement "dictatorship is not necessarily bad". south Korea wouldn't be the 4th economy today if it wasn't for this so called "dictator". huge respect for Korea and her hard-working people from middle east 🙏
he is like stalin... they did lots of bad things, but it was necessary in order to modernize the country you can either live in the past, or you can move forward.
Although I support Park Chung Hee, this documentary sort of glosses over the negatives of his rule such as executions of suspected leftists, imprisonment, concentration camps, little regards for workers rights, and just violently suppressed any political oppression. It was necessary at the time but the documentary should have went over this.
@toshimoshi no.in 1973,park ordered arrest of hana club members and tried to destory hana club.chun doo hwan told park that 'hana club is serve only park jung hee and no one else.you need royal men like us.' so park didnt get rid of hana club.park jung hee was a brutal dictator that he used to torture many south korean senators, 1979 october 26th he said'in first republic president lees guard ordered fire to civilans so he got hanged,but im president! who will give me death punshment?
Korea is tiny? Korea has 70 million people. 20 million of them live in deepshit in DPRK 50 million of us live in S.Korea The total size of Korea wont even go half of Japan SO HOW IS KOREA TINY? Tiny in Economy? so $1 trillion USD GDP was tiny?? Japan has $5 trillion USD GDP Countries in Europe has same GDP with S.Korea sometimes at around $1 trillion - $3 trillion You saved our won. modernized Korea And why should we be thankful if you actually did that FOR YOUR OWN INTEREST anyway?
Blah blah blah blah. Trying to take all the credit. FYI America helped Japan so don't think that japan did everything themselves. History says that in the first millenia AD Japan was reliant on imports from Korea. You forget that Japan and Korea didn't normalize relations until 1965 until that point it was all US aid. You need to brush up on your history. Without normalization how could you have given aid and knowhow? As to the 1997 crisis it was through the IMF not solely by Japan.
Japan would have been nothing without Korea. Korea IS special despite all the adversity Korea made it this far. Korea did challenge china. Why do you think china tried to invade multiple times. Being tributary state doesn't mean slave. FYI Japan did send tribute to china not as frequently as Korea. People like you are deluded to think that Japan will continue to be above everybody else.
Geological advantage? It is off the coast of mainland asia and it is earthquake prone. It really isn't as advantageous as Korea when it comes using it to get to china. Political big power? Japan really hasn't had effective politics. There is way too much infighting and it can't really move quickly to deal with issues. Other countries have viewed Japan as being a drag. In the long run politics can bring down other areas of the country.
in the middle of NE asia, pretty strategic spot I might add. Political big power? As in effective politics something that Japan lacks. Korea may meet all your criteria but it does have more than enough. Let's look at Japan since these are the things you seem to be measuring countries for being effective. A big market? Well 120 million but it is shrinking in the long run Japan will become small perhaps smaller than Korea. Resources? Nope. Japan is heavily dependant on trade like Korea.
Korea isn't a "tiny economy". Unless you think $1 trillion is "tiny". It has survived and made it this far despite the adversity and the ridiculous claims from people like you claiming to have "developed" Korea. It is a good sized country of 50 million. Resources? Do you notice how a lot of well endowed countries tend to be poor so having resources isn't necessarily and indication of success or a prerequisite for it, look at african countries. Geological advantage? Korea is situated right smack
FTA is to facilitate trade of goods and flow of money by reducing red tape and tariffs. You are taking my comments out of context. Korea did manage to get FTA through with the EU and US. Japan however is stuck in mud because of its politics. If countries find dealing with japan frustrating because Japan can't move fast enough they'll ignore Japan. Japan will be isolated because other countries would find they can't work with it.
Heck your politics is slow as molasses. Korea got FTA done yet what has Japan done? They are painfully slow politically. Do you think other countries like to deal with countries that are slow as molasses politically? They'd bypass Japan if they get frustrated. BTW Obama when he responded to congratulatory messages from other world leaders called them up but Noda wasn't one of them.
So former presidents have been arrested how is that a manifestation of the condition of the country? Your politics is a manifestation that Japan is not adapting and is riddled with lots of infighting. Which also happens to be a reflection of the corporate culture in Japan as well, lots of infighting in Japanese corporations. Korea on the other hand despite former presidents getting arrested it continues to surge forward.
No, I don't understand you. It is a sore spot for you since Japanese firms have made a misstep in this area and are marginalized. Certainly Japan does provide parts but that is one problem the yen is too expensive so parts will try to be sourced from somewhere else. The way everything is Japan is just rolling over playing dead. Its shipbuilding market share has been decimated and the aren't doing anything while chinese are grabbing market share while Korea is adapting.
Danger from what? Making money swap deal does not mean desperation. Just like FTA does not mean Korea is a colony of US or EU. Banks come and go. There are several banks that have gone bankrupt or are in trouble doesn't mean the economy is on the brink. I don't see rating agencies downgrading Korea. Japan has been downgraded. The won has been increasing in value as of late. If I were you I'd worry about Japan. I'd worry about Sony, Panasonic and so forth before talking about Samsung.
Yet Japan has the largest debt in the developed world and all that won't do jack to help it out. If Japan tries to sell all that to repatriate the yen it would be such a huge amount that it will make the yen appreciate even more and cause Japan's stuff to become even more expensive. Japan is hollowing out. So some Korean banks will go under big deal. It's not that big of a news. Bankruptcies and business failures happen all the time even in the best of times.
I though China had the most credit in the world. Too bad this won't help Japan get out of its sorry debt situation. Korea's debt is peanuts compared to Japan. Japan's current account is deteriorating. It's debt is more than 2x that of its GDP. No country in the developed world has a debt as massive as Japan's relative to their size of GDP. Korea got out of the mess in 1997 stronger than before something that Japan has yet to do since the bubble burst in 1990.
I find your language amusing. Japan recovered from WWII with american money if you follow your rationale, there fore it isn't that the japanese did the recovery it is the US aid that did the recovering. Nice logic there. You could give a country aid but how effectively it is utilized is up to that country not the aid giver. A lot of the stuff credited to Japan was actually developed somewhere else so by the same token Japan is misleading the world by claiming it as its own invention.
well you have to understand that Korea was a poor country even 20 years ago. when I 1st visited korea in 1990 it was extremely poor & extremely dirty korea has only really become wealthy since 97 Asian Financial crisis bocz it was able to liberalize credit and move quickly into the international market (and btw surrender large parts of its economy to world/jewish oversight) no country develops on its own but Korea has done it by herself more than Japan did was heavily dependent on the US
Filipino phones for me are actually.. NOT BAD as of quality.. The BAD is its MARKETING is BAKYA.. and the BRAND name.. MyPHONE.. parang hindi pinagisipan.. unlike Phone Brands LIKE Nokia,Samsung,SonyEricsson,Sharp,Panasonic,Toshiba,HTC LG,Motorola,Fujitsu,Kyocera and more. If i will market a phone for Filipinos.. if it promotes Filipinoism Its a good start to put functions like OLD EMOTICONS noong 2000 gawing more animated.. para nostalgic yet present And the PHONE designs are BAD.. seriously
For the LAND SIZE.. NO 90 million is very "KASYA" for the size of Philippines The PROBLEM is the GDP.. "AND" average standard of living on an average person in Philippines.. napaka EXTREME sa MANILA palang.. 60% of Philippines lives in MEDIOCRITY of $3 - $10/day 30% Enjoys Upper Class they can enjoy Malling on Sundays for not so expensive 20% ONLY Lives comparably to Koreans or Japanese or earning more than P2000/day as individual..
Philippines is also overpopulated for a small country. Both rich and poor lacks the discipline for proper family family. (I've observed this from ALL my friends, workmates, relatives and etc.) And I do agree that even if the country does manufacture it's own car...people would still end up buying foreign brand. (Philippines DOES have it's own cellphone brand but most people even the locals would laugh at it and downgrade at it.) just my 2 cents.
@redwhitedude Don't worry, there is no country which can't develop with huge assistance and investment from Japan. It is Korean nature ignoring it. I'm not intending to blame Koreans because they are such kind of race. Koreans are good at school but too impudent to respect morale and ethics of other cultures, that is why they are looked down from world. How much money have been given to Korea from Japan, and how many legal accusation have been made against Korean companies may surprise you.
@Lee7676 People in power all did something shady. But that doesn't and shouldn't take away achievement a man has done. Park deserves credit for putting in foundation of Korea's development. Many Koreans and political pundits are so Extreme black and white. You find a fault in one man, they try to discredit everything about them. No one is perfect. These are men not gods. Even the best CEO and managers of the world are considered success if they make right calls 51% of the time.
I have thought of these when i was talking my I.T course. North Korea an economically isolated country.. can desperately plant on its barren soil.. make its own cellphone.. hardwares.. tv.. radio.. dvd player. computer parts. small sedan cars like Pyonghwa Hwiparam and some buses The Average North Korean earns $5/day ( But has no guarantee of FOOD security Only 60% of North Korea are in proper weight the rest of 40% are malnourished The Average Filipino NOW earns more than $7/day ( and FREE )
@moontokyo The controversy was that Park didn't get enough money for compensation for the colonial period. Regardless the aid money and technical assistance from Japan by itself did not help the development of Korea there were other factors, i.e. the vietnam war and the significant US aid that Park manage to extract from the US. I'm not to suprised that Japan's contribution is downplayed other countries will end up doing the same thing about foreign aid in the textbooks.
Right now the special country is Korea. Japan has sluggish politics, continues to deficit spend and racks up debt. Their current account is deteriorating. Their debt is 230% of GDP. Japanese firms by enlarge are not doing terribly well.
Japan owes a lot to the US too if that is how you want to put Korea's development as owing to Japan. Japan was given access to US markets and knowhow as well as US aid. Also didn't Korean War jumpstart Japan's economy. I guess Japan owes Korea too.
If it's practically useless why did Japan take so much interest in it?? Japan was a world power from the 19th century. G7 membership? Look at Japan now it doesn't seem to show that it is that special.
Lol. without Yi Soonshin, SKorea would be a part of Japan, and Park Jung Hee wouldn't have any country to help. King Sejong was a man of intelligence that greatly helped Early Korea's development. I think it's fair to say they all singlehandedly contributed to Korea's history and its development. I still can't say you said Yi Soonshin is not significant. He literally singlehandedly weakened Japanese advances...
Long range missiles and nuclear bomb is the only thing that NK has left. They pretty much lost the ideological/economic battle to SK. Brinksmanship is the only thing they got left.
@redwhitedude You are ignoring the investment of annexation period. And you haven't read any articles which beyond allied and Korean aristocrat propaganda it seems.
if what you say was true, then in South America, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina were developed. USA market had been opened for almost every country, but morons and corrupts presidents with no ambition of seing their countries developed in mayority of time is what makes the difference. In my nation Venezuela we had our Park Chung Hee too, his name Perez Jimenez, he did more for Venezuela in 6 years than the corrupts that arrived after. Venezuela had the first nuclear reactor even before Japan.
none nation become strong and acheves the development just with foreing invesment, it doesn't matter how much help or money you get from others, what matter is what you do with this help. South Korea used their limited monetary resourses in new industries from being a really weak nation of 79US$ in 1950 to a real power of 27,800US$ at 2009, what a hard path had been it? only old koreans knows it. In 1950 nobody would gave a light of hope for South Korea, they has the mind of confucian fenix
I agree mate, Marcos is actually imo the best Philippine president it's just his wife was the main reason that led him to take money from the government.
well, I respect Park Chung Hee very much but to ascribe it all to a single man seems a bit much, regardless of what the government does, people have to do the heavy lifting and Korean people have done it very well.
Wow! At one time the Vietnamese were terrified of Korean soldiers and American Soldiers had to be taught to stop killing their Allies. My father in law won a Presidents medal from Park Chung Hee.
While I give credit where it's due and Park deserves alot of credit for his leadership and direction, it wasn't he and him alone who caused the miracle. The bulk of credit should go to the people of Korea who sacrificed so much and worked so hard to get to where they are today.
What an epic. The "miracle of the Rhine" seems to pale in comparison. Market economy is a riskier route to take for an authoritarian ruler than the state controlled economy (i'm making a general point here). People can't be controlled to anywhere near the same extent due to not being dependent on the state for an income/career/benefits. But by that same token, if the economy is doing well, people are well fed and housed, there won't be much need either (except to keep an eye on the members of the cult of the red star, of course).
Great report. I think Koreans now are more appreciative( at least those old enough to remember) of what he has accomplished. In the 80s people were fresh out of his repressive regime so they were chaffing at his regime.
Also I"m Chinese and one of the most common jokes I hear from mainland commentators is how inflated the Chinese GDP is. The joke goes that in order to improve development statistics, an official would order a bridge to be built, destroyed, rebuilt, etc. until the target spending is reached. Since the destruction of infrastructure still requires consumption, the GDP is raised but in reality there was no improvement in economic well being.
General theory of economy exposed by Bataille makes total sense when you analyze the korean development and how they achieved investment in a short piece of time
Some people say that South Korea has developed even though Park Chunghee wasn't there. And they say all achievement occured just only by citizen's effort. They ignore the president's decisions and leadership intentionally. I really want to ask them what is the "Leadership"? According to their logic, why people respect generals or presidents or kings? They achived all only by themselves without citizens?
