(1) Expansion of National Education

During the 50 years since restoration, dazzling improvements in the quantity of education were made. Today, in Korea, there are 290 colleges, 1,800 high schools, 2,650 middle schools, 5,900 primary schools and countless kindergartens. This is evidence of Korea's long respect and value for education.
Educational developments furnished the people with a foundation to accumulate knowledge and master technology in a short time. The literacy rate in Korea nears 99% and secondary education standards have risen to such an extent that they no longer lag behind advanced nation such as the United States and Britain.
The astronomical economic growth and social developments of Korea were made possible by the quantitative and qualitative growth in education.
With the expansion of educational opportunities, the contents of education have also become diverse. In 1968, the government revised the National Educational Charter and placed a stronger emphasis on practical learning based on national consciousness. This was a move to encourage autonomous development in education. It was an effort to stop the trend toward Western education and restore traditional national values.
Today, the world is a global village. The people of each nation, while maintaining their own identity, live together in mutual understanding and cooperation. Accordingly, Korea's educational system has changed to nurture persons of the world with a national consciousness.

(2) Development of Academic Research

Progress has been made in academic research along with swift developments in education. In particular, traditional academic fields such as national language, national literature, and national history have made strides in their development.
During the colonial rule, the Japanese imperialists thoroughly oppressed the research in fields related to national language and history in order to obliterate Korea's culture. Obviously, national language and history are the life and soul of Koreans. Thus, it was natural for research in the national language and history to be actively pursued after the fall of Japan and the recovery of Korea's national sovereignty. Hence, a systematic recognition of Korea's national language, national history and even its national culture is now possible.
Along with the Korean classics, astonishing progress in the social sciences and cultural sciences were also made. After restoration, students studying abroad who left in floods returned home to take positions in universities and research institutions teaching students advanced academic theories of the West and applying them.
As Korea built its independent social and economic foundations, new trends in academic research also appeared. That is, scholars did away with rapid accomodation of Western academic theories, but became active in establishing Korean theories of learning based on the Korean perspective. Thus, it will not be long before Korean academic development can contribute to scholastic development in the world.
Today, in Korea, tens of thousands of new books are being published annually. The fact that so many books written in Hangul are being published bespeaks of the rise in Korea's scholastic standards.

(3) Development of Science and Technology

Science and technology are essential elements in present day civilization. This is proven by the fact that today's culturally and economically advanced nations are also the advanced nations in science and technology.
Thus, since restoration, Korea has continued to invest in advancing scientific and technological developments. Korea has now made dazzling developments in modern sciences and general technology. The accumulation of scientific and technological developments are the dynamics of economic development as well.
In the field of science, Korea has made outstanding developments in the applied sciences. The fact that Korea's chief exports are steel, textile fiber, electronics, cars, ships, and computers indicates the degree of development in the applied sciences of these fields.
Scientific development is impossible without technological development. Koreans possessed outstanding scientific and technological abilities from early on. Exemplifying this tradition, Korea now stands as a vanguard in the technological field.
The fact that Korea's technological developments have grown into advanced stages is also proved by the fact that young people have continued to do well in the World Technological Olympic Conference each year. Korea has developed technological advances which range from jewelry to the construction of gigantic factories and dams. This is the reward for the efforts of Koreans who worked long for these technological advancements.
Korea must now find ways to contribute to the development of human civilization and culture on the basis of such scientific and technological advancements.

(4) Religion and Artistic Activities

In the Republic of Korea, where a system of free democracy was maintained, the freedoms of religion and artistic activities are guaranteed and religious and cultural activities have thrived. From the 1960's when the people's standard of living began to improve, such activities became even more varied and active.
The most striking feature of religious activities is the fact that Christianity has spread extensively by riding the tides of Western influence in Korea.
Therefore, Protestants, Catholics and Buddhists make up the majority of the religious population in Korea. These religions not only gave comfort to the souls of the people during times of political confusion, but also greatly assisted in spreading and expanding national education and modern democratic ideas.
Artistic activities in the fields of literature, fine arts, music and architecture were also carried out. As Korea recovered its language and letters post-restoration, many literary works were written. In the fields of arts and music, the utilization of traditional thoughts along with the absorbtion of modern Western trends were invigorated. The rapid economic development created an architectural boom and magnificent modern buildings now stand in rows in the important cities throughout the country. Recently, Korea's construction technology has been exported overseas.
Both religion and art display the outstanding abilities of Koreans. Now, such activities should be recreated in harmony with Korean traditional culture and contribute to the development of the global culture.

(5) Cultural Abilities which Extend Worldwide

Korea's cultural abilities, which accumulated during the past 50 years since restoration, are now stretching out onto the world stage. The fact that the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, the sports festival of mankind, was sponsored by the Republic of Korea, bespeaks this fact.
In major universities in the United States, Japan, France, and other countries, specialists are carrying out research on the Korean culture. And each year, international conferences on Korean studies are held.
Korea's cultural troupes also perform dazzling shows, hold exhibitions, and introduce Korea's traditional cultural heritage to many other countries. Dance and drama performances by these troupes are also carried out in worldwide tours.
Korea's artists have also made their way into the world stage. Their talents vary from piano, violin and other classical instruments to modern music such as video art. In the field of sports, Korean athletes participate annually in international games and obtain good results.
The 1988 Olympic Games held in Seoul was made possible through worldwide recognition of the nation's cultural abilities. Despite the fact that the Korean territory and nation have been divided into the North and South, South Korea has developed into a nation in the eyes of the world in just 50 years. This has been because of the blood and sweat of Koreans both at home and abroad. Koreans must now exert more efforts toward the reunification of the two Koreas for a brighter and more fruitful future. Based on this, Koreans must adopt a posture of contributing to world peace and the development of the human culture.