A study on grassroot leadership profiles in Korea

Saemaul Undong Revisited: A Case of State–Society Dynamics in Social Capital Mobilisation, Focusing on the Role of Local Leaders in South Korea of the 1970s

“…A belief in rural development, a strong sense of responsibility, creativity and high achievement, as well as a willingness to serve and sacrifice, were some of the personal traits required for, and indeed common among, successful Saemaul Leaders. A survey comparing two villages (a rapidly developing community versus a stagnant village) supports the importance of the Leaders' quality, or ‘developmental leadership qualities’ (Kim, ).…”

“…The Saemaul Undong is a campaign initiated by the late President Park Chung Hee in his speech at a local meeting in 1970, with the slogan of diligence, self‐help and cooperation. Designed to transform rural villages into more cooperative, more productive and more modern—in other words, aiming at rural transformation and development—the Saemaul Undong is often defined as a ‘planned, government‐led and top‐down movement for social change’ (Kim, : 2). The initiative was launched in 1971 with 335 packs of cement being distributed, free of charge, to each of 33 267 rural villages (Korea Saemaul Undong Centre website).…”

“…Kwon, ; Park, ; Park, ; Han, ). At the onset of the Movement in April 1970, for example, the Korean government designed a new framework for its rural development strategy, along with re‐arrangement of its administrative channels, assigning each village a Saemaul Undong Leader ( Saemaul Undong 1973 by Ministry of Home Affairs and New Village Movement General Guideline by Saemaul Undong Central Council, as cited by Kim, : 3). Administrative support was maximised: the Movement was under what was then the most powerful ministry, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).…”