In the 1950s Southern Korea had an underdeveloped, agrarian economy that depended heavily on foreign help.
The leadership that is military emerged during the early 1960s and led the united states for 25 % century might have been autocratic and, in some instances, repressive, but its pragmatic and versatile commitment to financial development led to just just what became referred to as “miracle regarding the Han River.” Through the next three years, the South Korean economy grew at the average annual price of nearly 9 per cent, and per capita earnings increased a lot more than a hundredfold. Southern Korea had been changed into a commercial powerhouse by having a labour force that is highly skilled. The largest such rescue in IMF history in the late 20th century, however, economic growth slowed, and in 1997 South Korea was forced to accept a $57 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund ( IMF)—then. The country additionally wrestled with reforming the chaebŏl and liberalizing its economy. Nevertheless, its economy enjoyed a recovery in subsequent years, plus the country entered the twenty-first century on a somewhat firm footing that is economic.
South Korean culture underwent an equally quick transformation following the Korean War.
The populace significantly more than doubled involving the end regarding the war as well as the change of this century that is 21st. Simultaneously, contemporary education developed quickly, once again with considerable federal government participation but additionally due to the resurgence associated with Korean 
people’s traditional zeal for training after years of repression through the Japanese career duration (1910–45). The rise of educational organizations and of commercial and commercial enterprises in and around Southern Korea’s major metropolitan areas attracted a number that is increasing of visitors to cities. Seoul, in specific, expanded some 10-fold to about 10 million individuals between your end of World War II additionally the very early twenty-first century. There clearly was a growth that is corresponding communications media, especially newsprint and mag publishing. a committed system ended up being additionally undertaken to grow and modernize the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
The absolute most conspicuous social improvement in Southern Korea, nevertheless, ended up being the emergence of the class that is middle. Land reform carried call at the first 1950s, together because of the spread of contemporary education and also the expansion for the economy, caused the disappearance associated with the yangban that is once-privilegedlandholding) course, and a brand new elite emerged through the ranks regarding the previous commoners. Another significant social modification ended up being the decline for the extended-family system: rural-to-urban migration broke old-fashioned family members residing plans, as metropolitan dwellers had a tendency to reside in flats as nuclear families and, through household preparation, to own less kids. In addition, females strenuously campaigned for complete legal equality and won improved home ownership liberties. Females additionally won the best to register being a mind of family members in a brand new household register system that took impact in 2008. Underneath the old system only guys could register as family minds; therefore, kiddies were legitimately the main father’s household register, maybe not the mother’s. The brand new system increased women’s legal standing in, on top of other things, divorce proceedings and child-custody situations. This method additionally given adopted and stepchildren rights that have been corresponding to those of biological children—for instance, in things of inheritance.
Fast urbanization, the nuclear family members system, the rise in women’s active participation throughout the market, and lengthening life expectancies implied that by the very very early twenty-first century Southern Korea had decreasing birth rates and an aging populace. The general populace ended up being likely to decrease within the next years as well. The federal government had been concerned that less kiddies plus a society that is aging slow financial development and destabilize the social security measures in the foreseeable future.