Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Pakistan Suh Dong-gu has said that the ‘saemaul’ movement for rural development of Korea was recognised by United Nations and now his country was supporting various projects in Pakistan for the uplift of rural areas. He was speaking on Tuesday here on the topic of Saemaul Undong, which literally means new village movement.

Ambassador of Korea to Pakistan Suh Dong-gu said that Saemaul movement is frequently cited by many international experts as one of the most effective initiatives to eliminate rural poverty, thus increasing the productivity and income of the rural areas.

He took glimpses from the history of economic development in Korea from independence on August 15th 1945 up to the end of the 1950s; the Korean economy was left desolate after years of colonial exploitation and the Korean War in 1950. “We were able to accomplish full-fledged economic development in the 1960s and 1970s” he said.

He said that it was mainly thanks to the harmonious combination of the top-to-bottom approach in the form of a 5-year economic plan and the bottom-to-top approach in the form of Saemaul movement. “If you ask me what the keys of the movement are, I can tell you three elements: first, ‘can-do spirit,’ second, ‘mobilisation of all members of the rural community,’ third, ‘incentives based on performance.”

He said that due to these efforts, Korea was able to achieve economic stabilisation and globalisation in the 1980s and 1990s. In September last year, a special high-level event on the Saemaul movement was held at the United Nations. At the event, Korean President Park Geun-hye welcomed the initiatives of OECD and UNDP to draw on the Saemaul Movement in creating a new paradigm of rural development for the developing countries.

“I am very happy to note that since 2009 Korea has made serious efforts to transfer the spirits and methodology of the movement to about 20 developing countries around the world,” he added. Professor Dr. Un-sung Jeon of Kangwon University said that Korea’s economy in the 1950’s was in the less redeveloped countries of the world, but after focusing on rural development, it is now the 12th economy of the world.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Rural Support Program (NRSP) Rashid Bajwa said that Pakistan also tried to use the Korean model of rural development, but had not yet fully succeeded into it. He said the Korean model is the only way to reduce rural poverty in Pakistan. Vice Chancellor of Arid Agricultural University Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmed and Dr. Yong Yoon of Chulalongkorn University also spoke on the occasion.