Korea: 50 Years Ago

[Anchor Lead]

Korea’s economic transformation in the last 50 years is the subject of a lot of discussion here, but we don’t often have the opportunity to look back on the early years of the industrialization of the country. Our next report takes us back in time to get a glimpse at what life was like in Korea 50 years ago.

[Pkg]

On June 25, 1966 all eyes in Korea were fixed on Jangchung Stadium. It was the night when boxer Kim Ki-soo defeated his taller and more skilled western opponent, to become the first Korean to win the world boxing championship.

[Soundbite] Hong Su-hwan(Fmr. boxing world champion) : "It showed that Koreans could also become champions. It boosted the nation's morale."

Korea's confidence helped the nation achieve a double-digit GDP growth rate for the first time. Korean civil technicians were dispatched to Vietnam following military troops to earn money in the Southeast Asian market. Students had to compete fiercely to enter colleges, and the publication of study materials began in earnest.

[Soundbite] Ju Ik-jong(Nat'l Museum of Korean Contemporary History) : "After the Korean War, Korean society was quite gloomy as it had to receive help from the U.S. Koreans worked hard to achieve economic growth on their own."

Koreans have worked hard over the past 50 years to improve their lives, demonstrating their industriousness and pioneering spirit.