Detail

The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea. On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was liberated from 36 years of ruthless Japanese colonial rule and established its own government. However, the elation of the newly found freedom was fleeting as the Korean war split the Korean people into two countries. Amidst the frustration and anguish of having lost everything, Korea became the poorest country in the world. Our fathers and mothers endured times of tears mixed with blood and sweat in the paddy fields and dry fields, industrial sites, and far-away foreign lands, in order to spare their children from famine. Our president developed economic development plans and our people participated in the Saemaeul Movement (the new community movement). And in the midst of political chaos, our people stood up against dictatorship, sacrificed their precious lives and achieved democratization. The world called our rapid growth and development, which was unprecedented anywhere else in the world, “‘Miracle on the Han River.” We also overcame the IMF economic crisis through a gold collection campaign participated in by most people of the nation. Now, we have emerged as one of the dozen strongest economies in the world able to manufacture the world’s best semiconductors and ships. Moreover, we became a beautiful country where the 50 million Korean people became one to create the “legend of Korean national football team crossing the threshold into the World Cup semi-finals” and where numerous Korean people volunteered to clean up the muddle from the Taean oil spill accident. The proud name that allows us to sense an indescribable feeling of pride is The Republic of Korea. We believe in our people’s underlying potential. And we are secure in our belief that our inexorable journey towards becoming a world-class country has just begun.