Message by the President

Saemaul Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government of the Republic of Korea. The Provincial Government played a leading role in carrying out Saemaul Undong since its inception in 1970. The late President Park Chung-hee called for Saemaul Undong in 1970 after citing villages in Gyeongsangbuk-do province for their fundamental changes driven by village leaders and the province got its reputation for being the birthplace of Saemaul Undong ever since.

As the Republic of Korea impressed the international community with a giant leap forward in social and economic development, Saemaul Undong received special attention as a key factor for the nation’s transformation. The United Nations along with other international organizations including the OECD acknowledged Saemaul Undong as the most effective development model for developing countries and its archives were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World in 2013.

The requests for sharing the Saemaul Undong experience grew larger and the Provincial Government started the projects to share and spread the Saemaul Undong experience and knowhow.
As the demand increased, the Provincial Government established the Saemaul Foundation in November 2012 to better serve the calls from the international community. Since the beginning, the Foundation has formed the strong ties both with public and private sectors in and out of Korea to form effective alliance and governance to successfully carry on its mission to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.

With bilateral projects with numerous countries in Asia and Africa, along with the joint projects with international organizations including the African Development Bank Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Foundation will continue to serve the world with Saemaul Undong.

Introduction to the Foundation

Message by the President