Saemaul Undong in Korea and Challenges for Replication to Myanmar

Abstract

Saemaul Undong, a Korean community development movement initiated in early 1970s, was the most successful movement for rural transformation of Korea into a modern state within a short period of time. This paper attempts to portray how Korean experience of rural transformation be a lesson to other developing countries in order to overcome their rural poverty. Indeed, Saemaul experience of we can do spirit is helpful to share to developing countries. Yet, the paper concludes that blindly adopting the Saemaul Movement model definitely does not produce successful result so developing countries should carefully study their own enabling environment and devise workable and practical solutions of their own. The study is to explore Koreas Saemaul Undong specially focused on Good Governance, Community Participation and National Leadership, and its replication to Myanmar, and what the challenges will be replicating it.