UNDERSTANDING SOUTH KOREA'S RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND ITS TRADE-OFFS FROM A MULTIDIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The development of South Korea has been an object of study for decades, especially with a focus on extracting lessons for future emerging nations. This paper aims to review its path of development from 1870 until 2020 from a multidimensional perspective that will prove that areas such as freedom, health or education are as important as economics, and it will show how these different spheres are interconnected. Additionally, the limitations of trying to measure development only with numbers will be exposed, as critical parts of citizen¿s lives can be easily ignored this way. A realistic view of this country¿s development will be provided as critical trade-offs and sustainability issues will be shown, especially highlighting its demographic crisis. Lastly, the impact of the Japanese imperialism, the United States intervention in Korea during the Cold War, and the society¿s Confucian background will be stressed as unique factors that should be taken into consideration when discussing possible applications of this model to other nations.