External Power Takeoff from South Korea: The Impact of the United States on South Korea's Development (1945~1965)

Author: Dong Xiangrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Rostow and others' classic modernization theory had a significant and direct impact on the development process of South Korea. Rostow himself was quite proud of this, whether giving speeches in South Korea or meeting South Korean business leaders in the United States, he was willing to call them "take-off boys." After Park Chung-hee came to power, South Korea further implemented the classic modernization theory. Around this time, dependency theory rose, leading to a trend in academia to criticize the classic modernization theory, which cannot be said to be a pity. How did South Korea take off after World War II? What changes occurred in its social structure, political system, and economic system? What did the United States do at key points in South Korea's development? What conflicts and contradictions exist between South Korea and the United States? How has South Korea sought its own national interests in its with the United States?