1. A New Approach for Community Development
The Case of Saemaul Undong in Korea
JiHong Kim
KDI School

2. More than one billion people live under One Dollar a Day
Poverty Issues in Asia
The majority of world poor live in Asia
70% of them live in rural areas
Development disparity between sectors,
regions, gender.
More than one billion people live under One Dollar a Day
Rural Community Development is the Direct Measures for Poverty Alleviation in Rural Asia and
for Cure of Disparity

3. Transformation of the Korean Economy (1945~2005)
A. Growth Trend
Liberation
from Japanese
Colonial Rule
6 Five-Year-Economic-
Development Plans
Financial
Crisis
2005P
1980
1962
1970
1995
5,000
10,000 67 87
11,432
7,355
1953
Per Capita (US$)
GNI
1990
1945
16,291
OECD
Member
100(1964)
1,000(1977)
1998
먼저 한국경제가 1945년 이후 2000년까지 55년간 걸어온 길을 간략히
말씀 드리겠습니다.
지난 50여년간 꾸준한 성장을 실현하여 1960년대 초 100달러 미만이었던 1인당 국민소득은 2000년에는 1만 달러 수준으로 증가하게 되었습니다.
해방과 한국전쟁 이후 극심한 가난에 직면에 있던 한국은 1962년부터 경제개발 5개년 계획에 주력하게 되었습니다.
1962년부터 1991년까지 6차에 걸친 경제개발 5개년 계획을 수립하고 추진하면서 한국경제는 근대경제의 틀을 마련하게 되었고 이를 토대로 그 후에도 지속적인 경제성장을 이룰 수 있었습니다.
그러나 1980년 국내외 여건 악화로 인한 경제침체와 1997년 겨울 외환금융 위기 등 어려움을 겪기도 하였습니다.

4. Changes in Employment Structure Changes in GDP Structure
B. Changes in Industrial Structure
Changes in Employment Structure
Changes in GDP Structure
Service Sector
Agriculture /
Fisheries
Service Sector
Agriculture / Fisheries
1960
36.8
47.3
Manufacturing
15.9
Manufacturing
이러한 지속적인 경제성장의 결과, 국민경제는 농림  어업분야 중심에서 제조업과 건설  유통 등 서비스 중심의 산업구조로 변화되어 왔습니다.
1962년에는 국민의 63%가 농림어업에 종사하였으나 1999년에는 농림어업 종사자는 불과 11%에 불과하고 이제 대부분의 국민은 제조업 그리고 건설  유통  통신  금융 등의 서비스 분야에 종사하게 되었습니다.
Agriculture /
Fisheries
Agriculture / Fisheries
2005
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Service Sector
Service Sector

5. Rural Communities in 1960s
One of Least Developed Countries in the World
GNP/Capita: US$ 87 in 1962
Poor Infrastructure
Car accessible villages: 60%
Electricity accessible villages: 20%
Repeated natural disasters
Low agricultural productivity
Rural poverty ratio in 1967: 34% in absolute term.
Rural Development was an urgent Issue for poverty alleviation
and for reduction of income disparity (social instability).

6. Community Development Program in Korea
Introduced CD Program in 1958
Pilot Villages: 818 villages in 1960s
Agricultural Production
Infrastructure Development & Housing
Education, Healthcare, Nutrition …etc.
But, not put down roots successfully in Korea
Introduced Saemaul Undong program in 1971

7. Saemaul Undong: New Village Movement
Derived from Community Operational Mechanism
Village community is an autonomous body
Village Community is a social organization
Community leadership
Various social organizations
People identify problems & needs of
community
Solve problems in the way of self-help
and cooperation

8. Initiation of Saemaul Undong: 1971
Distribute 350 bags of cements & ½ ton of steels
to each rural village through out the country
Ask to do with these materials what community
people want for common purpose
Induced motivation/development needs/ participation/mobilization/empowerment
Government provided supporting measures
:Training, financial & administrative support/technical support

9. SU Performance: 1972~1981 Total US$ 7,203.2 Million Invested
Government invested 51%
Community people invested 49%
- 64,686km of rural road were developed
- 6,187km of rural road paved
- 82,596 new bridges were built
- 39,231 community halls were built
- 258,000 houses were newly built
- 3,047 villages were reconstructed
International communities have questions
“Why people participated in SU so enthusiastically?”
---Communication, Competition, Commitment

10. Saemaul Undong: New Village Movement A Definition:
A Rural Community Development Movement
- Betterment of Living Conditions
through
Income, Infrastructure, Living Environment, and
Community Building
in the Ways of Self-help and Cooperation
under the Government Sponsorship

11. Goals Immediate goals Ultimate goal
Improving living condition of individuals
in the way of self-help and cooperation
with community resources & outside support
Ultimate goal
Building a better and sound community by community people
Building a strong nation

12. Spiritual Enlightenment
Dimensions
Income Increase
Self-help
&
Cooperation
Improve Living
Environments
Infrastructure
Building
Spiritual Enlightenment
&
Social Interaction

13. Strategies Government Initiating Bottom-up Approach
Village Community as Development Unit
Government Initiating Bottom-up Approach
Integrated Approach
Comprehensive Approach
More Support for the Better Performance
Two tier Change Agents

14. 1. Village Community as Development Unit
Village as a Community (closed community)
Social interaction & common ties
Administrative unit
Planning & Development unit
Changing the Role of People
:from consumers or clients to ‘co-producer’ of public services

15. 2. Bottom-up Approach Bottom - Up Approach
(The Continuity of Development Process)
(People’s Participation based on Community Autonomy)
Village Community
Felt Needs for
Development
Develop Projects
By Village People
Implementation
The SU
- Economic Affordability
- People’s Empowerment
Leadership
Social Organizations
Social Norms for Cooperation and Self-help

16. Government Initiating Bottom-up Approach
Top-Down Approach
Supporting Measure
(Subsidy, Training,
Supervising)
Induce Felt Needs, Providing Motivation for getting sustainability
Community-based Bottom - Up Approach
(The Continuity of Development Process)
(People’s Participation & Empowerment based on Community Autonomy)
Village Community
Implementation
The SMU
Felt Needs for
Development
Develop Projects
By Village People

17. 3. Integrated Approach National Policy Supporting Measure
for the SMU Program
Supporting Measure
(Financial, Training, R&D Administrative Support,
Institutional Renovation)
SMU Action Plan
(Community Level)
(Horizontal and vertical integration)

18. National Policy for Supporting SU Program the Case of Korea
Dual price policy for guaranteeing income
Agricultural income increase policy
Side job income increase policy
Rural industrialization policy
R&D and agricultural extension program
Agricultural cooperative fostering policy
Farm mechanization policy
Agricultural infrastructure development policy
Rural education, med-care policy

19. 4. Comprehensive Approach at the Micro Level SU Program (horizontal integration)
 Agriculture development
 Non-agriculture development
 Agricultural Production Infrastructure
 Social Infrastructure
 Housing
 Building Community Center/Credit Union
 Community Beautification
 House Cleaning & Beautification
 Renovation of Community Institutions
 Vitalization of Community Festivals
 Supporting Youth Activities
 Drinking Water Supply
 Kitchen Improvement
 Toilet/ Bathroom Improvement
Income Generation
Infrastructure Building
Community Building SU
Socio-Cultural
Development
Health &
Sanitation

20. 5. More Support for the Better Performance
Support more for the better performed community
Reward villages leaders for the success
Increase subsidy for the better performance: electrification, cash. Road, etc
Small repeated success & Follow-up program: re-enforce mechanism
Reduce subsidy for poor performance and let them bench marking the successful villages (market conforming)
Continuous support until the community reaches
to the level of self-reliance & empowerment

21. 6. Change Agents and Good Partnership (Vertical Integration)
Government Authority
(State & Local)
Saemaul Leader
(village leader)
Local Government
Officers
Village Community
(Two Tire system)

22. SaeMaUl leader as Change Agent
Personal satisfaction of Saemaul leader
- respect from community
- lunch and training with big figures
- rivalry among Saemaul leaders
Positive Motivation & Commitment
Continued Training and Support
Shared Vision
Changing Role of Women

23. Implementation Process
Government Policy
(Subsidy, Guideline)
Village Community
Felt/Induced Needs for Development
Setting Priority of Development
Organization of
Village Development Committee
Project Formulation & Goal Setting
(5-Year Development Plan)
Change Agents
(Supervising,
Training &
Extension Service)
Project Approval & Implementation
Evaluation and Feed Back

24. Conclusions Based on Community Operational Mechanism
Government initiating & supporting measures motivate people to participate
Government supporting policies facilitated micro community development programs
Government guidelines guaranteed community autonomy
Community initiative and empowerment for action plan formulation
Partnership between Local government & community
Process of Capacity Building and Leadership
Contributed to the sustainable community development &
modernization of the nation through attain can do spirits