My short stay here at Gyeonggi-do, Gunpo City, South Korea is my third time experience in my life to be away to live in another country though in a short period of time, away from any of my immediate members of my family. The first was my seven days stay at Glendale City, California in 1994, the second time was my 28 days stay in Canada in 2011 but of course with my 3-first cousins who were the untiring hosts and my tour guides.
Gunpo City is a beautiful mountain City. Where low-lands in South Korea are preserved for an agricultural landscape. The central hub of Gunpo is Sanbon New Town, the pedestrian "street of culture" is a bustling commercial district full of restaurants, bars, clothing boutiques, noraebangs (video karaoke bars) and other typical fixtures of a City. This City has several parks with thick forest. It's the only City that I know where trees abound. This is the best place, a highly urbanized, and industrialized area but pollution-free (air and noise) if not nil it's minimal. Video karaoke bars are sound proof from the outside. Music, songs and sounds are only confined to the respective rooms within the establishment.
While in the Philippines, I have the luxury of times to be with the family of my daughter Aldine and Rey with grand child Cecile Angela in Cebu City having lots of playful time with her especially 'dama' and chess. And sometimes savoring the scenic beauty of my hometown at Bacuag, Surigao del Norte, Mindanao with the family of my eldest son Don Don with his wife Maybelle where I dedicated my song composition entitled "My Love My Sweet Home". To complete my way of life as a retiree is to apportion my time in California with my 3 kid's families, Bebet and Francis, Bobot and Katherine, and Ebb and Louella, but as expected I have to stay there much longer as always.
Now blot from the blue it appeared in my mind to slice my family time and visit South Korea, one of the Asian Countries that is now known to be highly industrialized, the beautiful and peaceful country which like Japan have fully attained recovery from the ravage of war and has improved much the living conditions of their people and able to transformed them into a patriotic and well-disciplined nationals. Gunpo City has high ways similar to that of U.S. high ways but the City streets are narrowed too like Philippines with double parking vehicles but neatly arranged with no mess and no junks visible. All their traffic lights are operationals and drivers find it easy to obey simple traffic rules with less traffic jams at all. Through my observation the Korean people could very well give their 100% love, loyalty and patriotism to their country without doubt and much ado because their government provided them with livelihood, jobs, welfare to the unemployed, health care, shelter and education to those in need. Politic is well defined and politicians truly serve their constituents.
Where the Philippines faltered? As we're being told, President Park Chung-Hee of South Korea was the contemporary of President Ferdinand Marcos when Philippines was still then second to Japan in Asia during that time few score of years had drifted by as far as the economic situation of the nation was concerned. South Korea is able to industrialize its country today and develop their economy impressively, this can be gleaned thru:
1. Electronics and automotive products can be found across the globe.
2. A leader in high-speed internet, a semiconductor memory, flat screen monitors, mobile phones.
3. Rank first in shipbuilding, the third in the production of tires, the fourth in synthetic fibers, automotive fifth, and sixth in the steel industry
4. Rank 12th in nominal GDP, low unemployment and a relatively equitable in income distribution.
The economic transformation of South Korea was spectacular. In less than 30 years, South Korea developed rapidly from an agricultural country to an industrial and commercial country. General Park Chung-Hee, who got into power in a military coup in 1961 was able to radically improve the economy of South Korea through his authoritarian regime. His policies that made this country attain economic growth in a relatively short time was possible due to his role being a military man. He began his military career in the Japanese colonial army. Park Chung-Hee established a government that relies on the strength that comes from the military bureaucrats, and technocrats. In short it's called Bureaucratic Authoritarian Regime. He implemented the modernization of South Korea through economic industrialization and export expansion that directed by the state. He brought a clear direction to the policy paradigm of South Korea that's called national renaissance through modernization. One of the developmental state policies of President Park was the systematic transfer of technology in order to industrialize. Advance industrial technologies from the West acquired.The smooth transfer of technology from the West and abroad was ensured by the government and see to it that a system was created for learning and diffusion of what was transferred. The motivation behind the transfer of technology policy was their concern for national survival and driven strongly by the desire to put South Korea equal with other developed countries in the West. Most industries in South Korea benefited immensely from the Foreign Direct Investment flows and the transfer of technology from Japan, which began since reopening of diplomatic relations between the two countries. South Korea government also obtain foreign loans from both Japan and the United States of America.
One of the famous legacies of Park Chung-Hee is Saemul Undong. Saemul Undong is a movement that aims to develop and modernize the rural areas. The goal is to inspire the spirit of independence and self-reliant and to create a village movement, induce cooperation among members or give mutual assistance in order to improve the lives of local people (Bayanihan system in the Phils.). To reduce the economic gap between the villager and the urban communities, President Park launched the New Society movement with purpose as enlightenment of the rural people through the "new public education" to change the shape of the views and behaviour of traditional ties and rural poverty trap, helped develop the craft and thrift, spirit of cooperation and self-help and modernize rural communities. A truly monitored projects of Saemul Undung made new community projects that generate modernization of village public housing, construction of roads and drains, constuction of sanitation systems, and provide knowledge of science and technology for rural communities, rural industries and marketing facilities. New community movements provide favorable outcomes. It's a community based integrated rural program whose objectives were to generate economic, social and attitudinal change. The country was able to build its industrial strength so powerful although not backed by adequate resources. The success of South Korea's economic development lies in the ability of human beings, especially in leadership related to strategy of the policy that implemented, a corruption-free leadership and governance. South Korea's economic miracle has been achieved until this time not only of the government factor but also because of the support of South Korean society itself. The working culture, high working ethic and devotion to the domestic products made domestically produced products of South Korea consumed by the domestic (patronized by the people) and international market. The attitudinal change of its people instilled positively during the era of Martial Law when President Park declared it, and above all their patriotism and love of the country is the essence that encompass the entire spectrum of political governance. The glaring discipline is seen and manifested shown in the community, no garbage mess, traffic rules are followed, rural and urban areas are clean. Peaceful community, no nuisance or public disturbance. Street cleaning and collection of garbage are done during dawn or early morning time. Private companies or individuals are given corresponding duties and responsibilities to clean their respective areas and to police their own ranks. People are cooperative to their government because the leaders are truly serving the people. People's welfare are afforded genuinely to the less fortunate people especially to the jobless, to the elders even to the family of immigrants. Assistance are given to every citizens in the form of foods, shelter, and all other basic services. There's no reason why the people will not reciprocate their love and loyalties to the government. Donald Gregg said on President Park Chung-Hee, "He choose his people really well. And he gave them support, he got them land, he got them financing, he got them all kinds of elbow room so that they could really drive these projects forward. And it was very impressive."
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