The archives of the Saemaul Undong (or New Community Movement) in the 1970s, which have recorded the course of Korea’s modernization, were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register some months ago. It is the result of the international agency’s high evaluation that the movement is a successful case of the private-public cooperation as a nation development model. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has credited the Saemaul Undong as the modernization campaign has had a great effect on many developing countries.

The Memory of the World Register puts great significance not only on preserving related cultures but also in disseminating them for the world to use. The fact that the Saemaul Undong archives have been inscribed in the Memory of the World Register is significant in many ways. First of all, the Saemaul Undong is now heritage for all mankind the world over. The Saemaul Undong was one of the key drivers in making Korea what it is today. The U.N. has also recognized it as a successful case for uprooting poverty and many underdeveloped countries, including in Africa, are learning from the model. The educational materials used in their study are the archives related to the Saemaul Undong, which the government and the people carried out from 1970 until 1979, led by the late President Park Chung-hee.

The Saemaul Undong has a history of 43 years. It is noteworthy, however, that not all the archives from the period have joined the Memory of the World Register. It’s the 1970s’ Saemaul Undong model that more than 100 countries have learned or want to learn about. Though it may be the source of past memories to us, it is the model of the present and future for developing countries.

Now, we can clearly differentiate the Saemaul Undong from other countries’ similar regional development movements. The Saemaul Undong is of great significance in that it is not a remote historical recording, but the fruit of the challenges and achievements borne by the generations living now. As traces of the passionate lives of Korean old- and middle-aged generations who participated in the 1970s Saemaul Undong have become part of the Memory of the World Register, the significance is beyond all comparison. How glad we are that the world has recognized the value of our efforts.

According to a National Consciousness Survey conducted in March by Korea Research at the request of this writer, no less than 83 percent of respondents said that they would participate in a second Saemaul Movement were it to be initiated. As far as the Saemaul Undong is concerned, it appears that the majority of the people have a positive memory of success and achievement.

The Saemaul Undong has some room for supplementation if it is to be a sustainable movement for improving people’s quality of life. If the spirit of “diligence, self-help and cooperation” was the spirit of the days when we wanted to live a better life on our own, now in the knowledge-based society, we should pursue “sharing, serving, and creativity” in addition to the basic principles of the Saemaul Undong. Equipped with upgraded ideas and values, the Saemaul Undong can develop into a sustainable community movement to raise our national consciousness and tackle poverty worldwide.

The Saemaul Undong, as a community movement for living better lives together, will become a major project for international development cooperation by Korea, whose international status has changed from that of a “receiving country’’ to that of a “giving country.’’ The movement is also expected to expand the market for Korean products, or widen the economic territory.

This year Korea marked the 60th anniversary of the armistice ending the Korean War (1950-1953). Korea has developed on the sacrifice of many young men of the global village, who bled for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Now Korea has become a member of the international development cooperation countries, which help the international community, especially the developing countries that participated in the Korean War, and poverty-stricken countries of the global village.

The fact that the Saemaul Undong archives have become part of the Memory of the World Register shows that the sacrifice of the young who fought for this nation 60 years ago was not in vain. In addition, it holds a message of requital of kindness that now we should help their fatherland in return.

By Choi Oe-chool

Choi Oe-chool is vice-president of Yeungnam University and chairman of Global Saemaul Forum ― Ed.