Ppalli ppalli facilitated Miracle on Han River

By Hwang Hie-shin

Principal research fellow at Korea Institute of Public Administration

Undoubtedly Korea. This was Peter Drucker's answer to a question on which country was the number one practitioner of entrepreneurship.

Only 60 years ago, there was no industry and no highly-educated people in Korea. Today the country is a leading economic powerhouse armed with world-class industries such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai and etc.

In 60 years since the end of the Korean War, South Korea achieved phenomenal rapid development and transformed herself from a poor agrarian country into a leading industrial country. Transformation that took more than a century to achieve in most nations was shortened to only half the time in Korea. This economic success story became known as the "Miracle on the Han River" and has served as a role model for many developing countries. What were the major factors behind this "miracle"? What are the distinctive characteristics of the Korean people which ascribes to this success?

Korea's progress can be attributed to various aspects and features. This article particularly expounds on "ppalli ppalli," an important cultural trait of the Korean people which contributed to the development of the nation.

When you visit other countries, you can easily pick up a few native words. Most foreigners say that one of the first Korean words they learn is "ppalli ppalli," literally meaning "hurry hurry." Guus Hiddink, former head coach of the Korean national football team, once said, "The first Korean words I learned were ppalli ppalli." Not only foreigners but also local Koreans list "ppalli ppalli" as a symbol of Korean mentality. The word is easily heard in a restaurant when ordering food, when dropping clothes off at the laundry, when riding in a taxi and so on.

According to a survey of 721 Korean university students on the question of what Korea reminded you of most, "ppalli ppalli" was the answer ranking top (23.7 percent) followed by information technology (22.1 percent).

People start crossing the road at the very last minute just before the traffic sign changes to red. They run up the escalator stairs, cars tailgate, and speed up when they should slow down. In Korea, you could feel like Alice in Wonderland who encounters the white rabbit rushing by muttering "I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"

"Ppalli ppalli" can be often translated as "Hurry, hurry" or "Quickly, quickly." It is something more than just hastiness and saving time. The term is intensively goal-oriented and connotes finding the most efficient way to reach that goal. The word also shares some common elements with flexibility. This flexibility is the reason "ppalli ppalli" is sometimes criticized for being the main culprit of big accidents. Occasionally in order to attain goals quickly, procedures and regulations are neglected. Bad and sometimes dangerous results are the consequence.

However, the word has a great positive impact on Korean society and the economy. Its positive results can also be found in government policies and the provision of public services. The Five-Year Economic Plans can be mentioned as typical examples of "ppalli ppalli" in the public policy area. Public services are provided much more quickly in Korea than in most other countries. City gas is provided on the very day you move into a new house. Various civil application documents are issued in real time on request when you visit the office for civil services.

The cargo handling time for export declaration takes just two minutes. The average entry time for foreigners arriving at Incheon International Airport is around 17 minutes. Altogether "ppalli ppalli" has made Korea more energetic and dynamic. It has especially contributed to making Korea efficient.

Catching up with world

Traditionally the speed of time was slow in Korea. After awakening from the rubbles of the Korean War, the people were motivated by an "I'm late" attitude. They believed that they had to endeavor to catch up with other countries in the world. "Ppalli ppalli" stems from this competitive character and also from the experiences of the Korean War itself. The three-year war had changed the perception of time into one that of survival, speed and hurriedness.

The journey to growth began in the early 1960s with the introduction of the first Five-Year Economic Development Plan under the Park Chung-hee government.

From 1962 till 1996, the country implemented seven Five-Year Economic Plans. The government in the 1960s instituted sweeping economic policy changes emphasizing exports and labor-intensive industries.

In the 1970s it began promoting heavy and chemical industries and implemented various financial reforms. Korea achieved an incredible record of growth and industrialization since the 1960s in line with these consecutive economic plans. From 1970 to 2009, Korea's gross domestic product increased 370 times. Currently Korea is among the world's 20 largest economies.

Bouncing back from crisis

In October 1997, a financial crisis hit Korea due to the depletion of foreign exchange reserves. The government received a $57 billion bailout fund from the International Monetary Fund in December 1997. It was the largest rescue fund from the Washington-based organization. The "shocked" Koreans began to wonder whether "the miracle" had ended.

After receiving the rescue package from the IMF, Koreans waited little time. The government instigated a wide spectrum of economic structural reforms, including the shutdown of several banks and massive layoffs. Market-oriented reform measures were introduced intensively throughout the economy.

Koreans have often worked together to overcome difficulties during the course of history. During the crisis in 1997-1998, Koreans waged a national campaign to collect gold to help raise funds to recover from the impasse. During the pre-colonial period, Koreans donated their belongings in similar campaigns to repay foreign debt and to avert foreign intervention.

About 3.5 million citizens joined the gold-collection campaign in early 1998. Korea could mobilize $2.2 billion through the campaign. This surprised the world, showing the uniqueness of the Korean culture. Koreans did not only turn in foreign currency and gold but also reduced imports to save the country in crisis.

Korea bounced back from the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. The country raised its foreign reserves from $8.9 billion at the end of December 1997 to $41.4 billion in August 1998. Korea recovered faster than the other countries in Asia with growth rates of 10 percent in 1999 and 9 percent in 2000. Korea's recovery from the so-called "IMF crisis" was based largely on extensive financial restructuring and the enthusiastic participation of the people.

Another miracle

On December 7, 2007, around 7:30 in the morning, a crane barge collided with an anchored oil tanker carrying 260,000 tons of crude oil. The incident occurred on the shores of Taean County, a scenic coastal city in South Chungcheong Province. Some 10,800 tons of oil leaked into the sea. It was the worst oil spill ever in Korean history. The spill polluted the nation's most beautiful and popular beaches and a pristine maritime national park, destroyed 445 sea farms and one of Asia's largest wetland areas. The cost of the cleanup was estimated at $330 million. It was also expected that the cleanup would take considerable time.

The cleanup was seen as impossible initially because of the unprecedented vast oil slick. But Koreans did it. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers rushed to Taean to help clean up the oil spills. Celebrities and popular stars waged campaigns to clean up Taean. On Jan. 10, 2008, 33 days after the accident, volunteers who helped Taean numbered over one million people. In a month or so, approximately more than 4,000 tons of crude oil spilled had been collected. The wave of numerous volunteers and the quick cleanup of the oil spill stunned the world. It was another triumph of the hurry-up culture of Korea.

IT and the era of speed

"Ppali ppali" is not the only element in Korea's success stories. Nor is it a concept with no downsides. Yet, the spirit had played a role in making Korea one of the most energetic industrial societies in the world.

Institutions and businesses function at their best in environments that are appropriate to their own tempo. The Information Revolution has accelerated the speed of society and entailed a competition of time throughout the world. It is no wonder that Korea with a speedy culture showcases outstanding performances in information technologies.

Korea is currently the world's most wired nation, with the highest per capita broadband penetration in the world. Korea also ranked first among the 192 countries in the U.N. Global E-Government Survey this year. It can be said that "ppalli ppalli" still has an important role in driving Korea forward in the speedy 21st century. Koreans might not have got to where they are today without celerity.

The writer studied anthropology and law as an undergraduate at Seoul National University. She obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in public administration from the same university. She is currently a principal research fellow and the director of the department of Governance and Public Finance at the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA). She also serves as an advisor to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Her research focuses on the areas of public reform, policy evaluation and social policies. Her publications include "A New Paradigm for Public Management in the 21st century," "A Comparative Study of Government Innovations" and "Korea Future Trends and Policy Agenda." She can be reached at .