3. Military Dictatorship and the Park Chung-hee Era
Under Park Chung-hee’s rule (1961-1979), South Korea underwent a dramatic transformation. Although Park’s regime was marked by strict political repression and curtailed freedoms, his policies ignited unprecedented industrial growth. Factories and highways sprang up, exports soared, and South Korea’s economy outpaced many other postwar nations. This period, often called the “Miracle on the Han River,” saw the nation leap from poverty to prosperity—though at a significant cost to democracy and civil liberties.
