YU Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute Director Park Seung-woo said, “Unlike the social mood in Korea, Saemaul Undong is actively unfolding in developing countries around the world. The local development cases in developing countries presented in this conference show how effective our Saemaul development model is in community development sites of various countries in Asia, Oceania and Africa.” He also added, “This event will help share global Saemaul Undong experiences and form a continuous cooperative network and once again confirm our efforts and will to spread the Saemaul development model throughout the world. In particular, Saemaul sharing cases and directions can be examined from a new dimension through this international conference.”
Meanwhile, YU President Sur Gil-soo said, “Korea’s development would not have been possible without the Saemaul spirit of hard work, independence, and cooperation, as well as the assistance of the international society.” He added, “Korea’s Saemaul Undong experience offers a very important guideline for developing countries to resolve poverty issues and it is a very effective model for pursuing the various challenges of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).” In addition, Mr. Sur said, “YU has the best experience and infrastructure in the Saemaul Undong research and education sector since the mid-1970s,” while adding, “We will spare no interest or support to utilize YU’s accumulated knowhow to help developing countries overcome poverty and to resolve the joint challenges of the global community.”
Lastly, GSDN Chairman Choi Wae-chul said, “The Saemaul Undong experience, which is a UNESCO Memory of the World, will be an important strategic tool for overcoming poverty for developing countries. Korea must not participate actively to overcome the common challenges of the international community and also actively help improve the quality of life for citizens of developing countries.” He also emphasized, that “Above all else, the most important thing is localization through the fostering of human resources.”
YU opened the Park Chung Hee Leadership Institute (current Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institute) in 2009, the Saemaul Research Center in 2010, the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) in 2011 and installed the Department of Saemaul and International Development in 2015, thereby recently constructing the best infrastructure for education and research on the Saemaul Undong.
Meanwhile, Cheongdo-gun, which is known to be where the Saemaul Undong first started, signed an MOU with YU in 2011 and established and operated the Saemaul Research Center and is in charge of the globalization project of the Samaul Undong in the Philippines and Vietnam. The Global Saemaul Development Network (GDSN), which is one of the co-hosts of this conference, is an international NGO that was launched as a foundation in 2015 and it is leading in the formation of a global network to share the Saemaul development experience joined by over 450 members.
At this conference, the economic development officer of the Philippines National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) made a presentation on the progress of the Saemaul development project for the sustainable development of Iloilo in the Philippines. Papa New Guinea Saemaul leader Uno Konisimo introduced Saemaul development cases being carried out in Papa New Guinea, while a researcher of the Vietnamese Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSAARD) introduced the effects of supporting the Saemaul Undong with the new agricultural development program of Vietnam.
Also, Kakumba Paddy, the vice-secretary general of LVRLACC (Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Countries Cooperation, introduced the Saemaul Undong model that was applied in Uganda. Malawi Provincial Administrative Rural Development Department Economic Advisor Wilson Bil Nagoli also took part in the discussions. The general discussion was hosted by former YU President Lee Hyo-soo and was joined by former KOICA President Kim Young-mok, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Korea Branch Chief Lim Hyung-joon, Gyeongbuk Technopark Director Lee Jae-hoon, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute Senior Researcher Oh Chang-gyun, etc. took part to actively discuss Saemaul development for developing countries from a global perspective.
