On last May 8th, President Park Geun-hye delivered an about 34-minute speech in English before a joint session of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. It was a wonderful speech, which received 40 applauses including 6standing ovations. Her speech recapitulated the story behind the development of the Republic of Korea since the Korean War until present. Let usfollow the story.
“When the guns fell silent in the summer of 1953, Koreans were surviving on 67 dollars a year. Six decades later, Korea is one of the top five car producers and the eighth-largest trading nation. Some call this the ‘Miracle on the Han River.’ But for those of us in Korea, it was anything but a miracle. And it wasn’t just built from within. Koreans worked tirelessly in the mines of Germany, in the jungles of Vietnam, and in the deserts of the Middle East. These are the people-the proud Korean people-I am so honored to serve as President.”
Excerpt from the full text of President Park’s speech at a joint session of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on May 8, 2013.
1. When the guns fell silent in the Korean War
The Korean War in 1950 completely destroyed the land, industry, livelihood of the people of the Republic of Korea, whose newly established government was not even two years old. Besides the millions of deaths of soldiers and civilians, countless have become beggars, orphans, widows, and wounded soldiers. The actual damage caused by the war was technically impossible to count. Yet, according to the government at the time, it was estimated that 44% of the plant buildings, 80% of the generation facilities, and about 40% of the houses in the South were destroyed.
2. Per capita income
In 1960, South Korea’s per capita income was $79, indicating an absolute poverty. In today’s value, it is about $533. One has to live on $1.5 (1,700won) per day with that amount of income.
3. Trade volume
With the launch of 5-year economic development plan in 1962, the economy of Korea grew, mainly in light industry and textile industry. In 1966, GoldStar inc. produced the first black and white television in Korea. In 1970, heavy metal industry expanded rapidly along with the launch of New Community Movement, or Saemaul Undong, opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway, and establishment of Pohang Iron & Steel Co. and shipbuilding yards. In 1976, Hyundae Motors succeeded in producing Pony, a unique Korean model. In 1980, per capita income exceeded $5,000. In 1997 the country went through Asian financial crisis (a.k.a. “IMF crisis”) yet overcame it successfully. In 2000s, Korea made great achievements by becoming an IT power nation, the first in semiconductor manufacturing and shipbuilding, the fifth car and steel producer, and the eighth largest trading nation in the world.
4. In the mines of Germany
In December 1963, Korean laborers were sent to the mines of Germany as minors. Until October 1977, 7,844 laborers entered Germany.
46,000 people flocked in response to the recruitment for 500 miners with high school education to be sent to Germany. Korean women entered into the work force to Germany; over 10,000 women were sent as nurses by 1974.
The foreign currency that minors and nurses earned in Germany was an enormous amount for the level of Korean economy at the time. Total of $101,530,000 were sent to Korea since 1965, which accounted for as much as 1.9% of the total exports of the time. The minors worked over 12 hours per day in the mines deeper than 1,000 meters underground. Young nurses wiped icy-cold corpses with alcohol wipes. The money they earned from distant foreign countries by shedding tears and blood became the seed money that made the “Miracle on the Han River” possible.
5. In the jungles of Vietnam
Korea’s participation in Vietnam War from 1964 to 1973 played a major role in reviving the nation’s economy. Despite the criticism that the country made money in exchange for the lives of young men who participated in other country’s war, it is undeniable that the participation in the war facilitated modernization of Korean military and a leap in the Korean economy.
The foreign currency earned from Vietnam alone was $872.5 million. Of that, $178.3 million was sent from military personnel, accounting for 20.4%. The rest 80% included: exports to Vietnam, provisions for the army, money sent from engineers in Vietnam, and income from construction and outsourcing in Vietnam. Korea’s sovereign credit ratings improved. Foreign aid and loan flooded into Korea and a door to export of goods and services opened wide.
6. In the sizzling desert of Middle East
From 1965 to 1973, the volume of construction orders from the Middle East was merely $24 million.
From 1974 the Korean government actively participated in bidding for construction contracts
of the Middle East, the land shunned by laborers of developed countries. Such disfavor was due to its poor working environment with high temperatures and sandblasts, as well as being off-limits to women and alcohol. Yet Korean construction companies and laborers rushed to the construction sites in this deserted land of the Middle East. The bid amounted to $89 million in 1974 and $7.982 billion in 1978.
7. “Miracle on the Han River” flows on as “Korean Wave”
The term “Korean wave” was coined as the Korean pop culture became popular around the world, starting from Asia in 2000s. Actually, the original Korean wave started with Saemaul Undong in 1970s, which has been exported to 74 countries to this day. The world today envies South Korea for such a rapid success in both industrialization and democratization in only 50 years since her liberation.
The “Miracle on the Han River” was not limited to a mere improvement of the livelihood of her people.
Evangelism is also blossoming in South Korea as she has been sending out Christian missionaries to 169 countries abroad. The publishing of the History of Redemption series is stirring up a divine Korean wave in all corners of the earth, including America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. The miracle story of the Republic of Korea- the nation that God protects-is still unfolding.
By reporter Ji Keun-wook
