Nominally democratic with opposition parties and elections, Rhee and his Liberal Party supporters did not refrain from using bribery, electoral manipulation, and strong-armed tactics to maintain power. His Liberal Party had no real ideology other than perpetuating Rhee’s rule and using his administration to personally advance the political and economic fortunes of its members. Syngman Rhee, the first president who had served since 1948, governed in an authoritarian manner but was unable to provide the effective leadership that South Korea needed to create a stable political system and pull itself out of poverty. South Korea’s economic development in the first eight years after the Korean War was hindered by political upheavals and pervasive corruption. On the surface, at least, there seemed little to suggest that South Korea in 1961 was on the eve of one of the most dramatic economic transformations in history. By contrast, South Korea during this time was characterized by political corruption and turmoil, sluggish economic growth, and dependency on massive aid from the United States. However, in the first eight years after the conflict, North Korea carried out an impressive recovery under a highly organized, purposeful government that appeared to be laying the foundations for a modern industrial society. Already poor prior to the war, neither country had very promising prospects for the future. In 1953, both North and South Korea were shattered by the destructive three-year Korean War that left upward of two million dead and cities and towns in ruin. Re-envisioning Asia: Contestations and Struggles in the Visual Artsĭownload PDF Introduction: South Korea Lags Behind the North.

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Rapid development state of survival