I've been doing some research on PJH, and I've gotten all the surface info, how long he was president, his assassination, etc. But I keep coming across people who hated him and people who loved him. Beyond whether or not he was responsible for the economic boom in Korea or whether or not he was too dictitorial, what is everyone's opinion on his LONG presidency? If you have any good links for articles on the subject, please post those too.

he was at least a better president than that useless fu-king old geser 이승만...

You're doing research for a PhD by asking the opinion of random strangers on the Internet?

Well for what it's worth I think the opinions of ordinary Koreans tend to be less extreme one way or the other. Few would say he wasn't without serious faults but almost everyone will credit him with being almost single-handedly responsible for the econonmic miracle. Most younger Koreans' knowledge of and interest in history - even their own - is abysmal these days so it's becoming a less significant debate.

[quote name='YuBumsuk' date='Aug 29 2007, 03:49 AM' post='3171847']
You're doing research for a PhD by asking the opinion of random strangers on the Internet?

PJH - Park Jung Hee. Not "PhD"

It's not serious research. Just for something I'm writing.

Oops! Reading too fast again.

Yes, a great topic for this kind of forum. Hope you get lots of feedback.

without Park's authoritarian rule, there would have been no SK economic miracle. Dictatorship served SK far better than democracy ever did. Park lifted SK from wretched poverty and gave its citizens hope and pride again. He is without question the greatest Korean leader in modern times.

banned

Can't find any of the current Korean leaders that match him in leadership and fortitude. He may have been a dictator, but he stood up for the nation, not himself. And unlike all the predecessors after him, he did not try to expand his personal wealth illicitly. Furthermore, he didn't let North Korea push him around and blackmail the country, as North Korea is doing now. Roh Mu Hyun, Kim Dae Jung, he wasn't. He was no coward.

banned

PJH is probably the greatest leader in the 20th century for Korea.

villain.

Park Jung Hee is similar to Ferdinand Marcos (Phillippines). Actually, the dollar was nearly equal to the peso during Marcos rule. So the PI benefited economically from Marcos. The current Phillippine democracy is full of corruption.

However, democracy has thrived in SK without authoritarian rule. I'd say Park might have been necessary to bring SK to it's current status. Well maybe or maybe not. It's according to how hard the Koreans would have worked with or without a dictator.

Of course there are several theories about world poverty. Is it religious, racial, self-will blah blah.? Why are nations poor?

Koreans hard workers even without authoritarian rule.

Actually, Park is very different from Marcos. Park created a vibrant, advanced, prosperous economy for South Korea that continues to this day. Marcos did not do the same for his country.




Your assumption here is that democracy is some sacred cow that must be taken for granted as good. Democracy is in fact a very flawed system that is easily susceptible to corruption and decay. Democracy is merely one type of European-based governing system that arose relatively recently in human history. Countries have existed long before democracy ever showed up, and will continue to exist long after democracy is no longer viewed as a sacred cow to be worshiped.

Quite frankly, Korea had (and has) no use for democracy, except as a tool of expediency to advance its economy along western lines. For the life of me, I can't figure out what good democracy has done in my own life lately. Much of what the students were protesting 20-30 years ago was really childish nonsense that had nothing to do with real life.

Actually, Park is very different from Marcos. Park created a vibrant, advanced, prosperous economy for South Korea that continues to this day. Marcos did not do the same for his country.




Your assumption here is that democracy is some sacred cow that must be taken for granted as good. Democracy is in fact a very flawed system that is easily susceptible to corruption and decay. Democracy is merely one type of European-based governing system that arose relatively recently in human history. Countries have existed long before democracy ever showed up, and will continue to exist long after democracy is no longer viewed as a sacred cow to be worshiped.

Quite frankly, Korea had (and has) no use for democracy, except as a tool of expediency to advance its economy along western lines. For the life of me, I can't figure out what good democracy has done in my own life lately. Much of what the students were protesting 20-30 years ago was really childish nonsense that had nothing to do with real life.

HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!