The thesis analyzes South Korean rural development programmes implemented from 1968 to 1986. It examines the respective planning goals, implementation methods, and outcomes of two Korean development programmes: the Rural Non-Farm Employment Programme and Saemaul Undong. The theoretical framework for this analysis is based on a comparison of the Functional Integration Approach (FIA) and the Territorial Development Approach (TDA). FIA theory has been developed mainly by consultants from the United States Agency for International Development (e.g., Dennis A. Rondinelli). These theorists assume that rural underdevelopment stems from the lack of urban technology and information. Accordingly, they see that transfer of urban technology is the key to rural economic development. The theory prescribes the promotion of rural trade centres and networks bridging urban and rural areas. TDA theory has been modelled by John Friedmann and his colleagues. It is a bottom-up, people-oriented approach. Advocates of this approach emphasize even distribution of economic power, while those of FIA focuses on economic growth. The TDA theory proposes that planners involve intended beneficiaries in decision-making processes, and help poor people directly. TDA attempts to close the urban/rural linkages selectively, since it is thought that some urban influences are harmful to rural development. TDA has been criticized as unfeasible since in most countries it requires significant reforms of the existing power structure. The Korean Rural Non-Farm Employment reflects some aspects of FIA theories, and Saemaul Undong some aspects of TDA. The non-farm employment programme has been planned by professional planners in national planning agencies. The planners have attempted to promote manufacturing industries in selected rural centres. However, the programme has not been successful in creating more rural employment for poor people. A major reason for this appears to be that the programme promotes employment opportunities which are inappropriate to the skills of the rural poor. Saemaul Undong was initiated by the late president Chung-Hee Park. The programme was implemented by central politicians, local administrators, and rural people. Goals of development were not purely economic. Rather, they included social development and the programme focused on areas regardless of economic potential. It has improved the quality of rural infrastructure, technology, and people's confidence, combinations of which may be a basis for long-term development. It has also improved rural gross income, though the growth has necessitated increased expenses. From the analysis of the two Korean rural planning programmes, the thesis concludes that TDA, as exemplified by Saemaul Undong, is a promising regional planning strategy. Specifically the thesis concludes that planning for rural development in countries like Korea should include the following TDA approaches: 1) involve beneficiaries in the decision-making process, 2) employ appropriate local inputs and knowledge, 3) facilitate linkages among rural institutions, as well as between rural people and government agencies, and 4) assist innovation from within rural areas. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

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South Korea experienced extraordinary economic growth in the period from 1960 to 1990. From a backward economy in the 1950’s, South Korea has been transformed into an urban industrial society with high levels of managerial and technical competence within governments, corporations and local communities. This dissertation examines Korea’s remarkable economic growth from the theoretical level and the local level. It presents an integrative framework, based on a review of the conventional theories and perspectives of modernization, dependency, world-system, and the New International Division of Labor (NIDL). The research documents the central government’s industrial policies and its collaboration with the corporate sector in the policy practice. It then analyzes economic, social, and environmental impacts of the two partners on local communities. The impacts in the industrial city of Ulsan are compared to the conditions in the traditional city of Kyungju. This case study includes survey research, which was designed to obtain public opinion on a wide variety of issues, from three different groups: government officials, corporate managers, and citizens. The research leads to the following conclusions. In contrast to Neo-Marxist arguments, well coordinated actions between the government and the private sector have a positive effect on industrial development, notwithstanding some constraining forces from the external world. Industrial growth in Korea did create a better Quality of Life for the general public. It supports some elements of the world-systems urban theory, such as emphasis on internal and external forces, internal dynamics within a developing country, and the relationships among world core, national centers, and smaller cities. Writings by Peter Dickens, Armstrong and McGee and Hagen Koo are shown to be useful for this kind of research. The thesis does not support the thread of the traditional dependency theory and the NIDL thesis. Industrialization in Korea did not marginalize the general public. Rather it improved the Quality of Life for the public, which is supported by the opinion survey indicating that more than three quarters of the sample respondents see that their Quality of Life has improved. Rapid industrialization in Korea caused social and environmental problems especially in the industrial cities. The survey result indicates that ninety four percent of the respondents from Ulsan regard environmental pollution a ‘very’ serious problem for the city, while the equivalent number for Kyungju was twelve percent. The survey result also shows that the public is now concerned more with social issues, such as a clean environment and a more equal distribution of wealth, than economic growth. As people’s awareness has expanded substantially to include elements of a better Quality of Life, both the local government and citizens agree there are problems with the conventional approach to industrial promotion. Although the strong views are held, neither the national nor local government have developed coherent policies to deal with this new phenomenon. The national government has expanded the roles of provincial and municipal governments in policy development, and this will include the election of local mayors and governors in 1995. It will provide a forum for better definition of the problem and more opportunities for their resolution.

Since the end of the Second World War the security of South Korea has been dependent on the actions of the United States, whose chief interest was to block communist expansion in the free world. Throughout the Cold War the U.S. was interested in defending South Korea from communist attack and by doing so to maintain stability in Northeast Asia. The close military relationship between the two countries was a direct result of this strategic consideration. With the end of the Cold War, the strategic and military commitments of the United States have changed and thanks to the economic downturn, the United States has tried to cut defense expenditure. Without an apparent enemy, the U.S. post-Cold War strategy now focuses on keeping a peaceful world, favorable to the United States by preventing regional conflicts and promoting human rights. As expected, the number of soldiers in forward bases throughout the world, including South Korea, has been reduced. But for North Korean nuclear development, the force withdrawal program declared by the Bush administration would have been executed as scheduled, forcing South Korea to take a leading role in defending the country by the end of this century. A conventional war in the Korean Peninsula will not seriously affect the strategic interests of the United States in Asia as long as the security of Japan is not threatened. The South Korean military might be able to stall the invasion of North Korea for some time until the international community responded. The United States no longer needs to sacrifice American lives by being directly involved in a military conflict in Korea. If this was the case, the scene would be more clear in which South Korea will be forced to take a leading role and allow the majority of U.S. forces in Korea to leave.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-130).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Johns Hopkins University, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 415-426).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Southern California, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-204).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 512-538).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-162) and index.