Policy and Rule Configuration: Korean Rural Development Movement Saemaul Undong

Abstract

"In the real world, we have seen many cases where public goods are provided voluntarily by long-enduring, self-organized and self-governed collective action (Ostrom 1990). Korean rural development movement in 1970's, called Saemaul Undong (means New Village Movement), may be thought of as one of these cases. Many studies empirically show that Korean farmers did contribute, both actively and voluntarily, to the provision of public goods, especially infrastructure. Their cooperation was successful in 1970's, but not so successful in 1980's. In this paper, I will see what makes collective actions among Korean farmers to be initiated and sustained in 1970's, and what makes them unsuccessful in 1980's. Especially, I will focus on the rule configuration of Saemaul Undong and government's affects on it."