Academic Paper from the year 1984 in the subject Sociology - Basics and General, , language: English, abstract: The study shows the socio-economic development in rural regions in South Korea. The agricultural structure and the agricultural constitution are presented and historical peculiarities are shown. The government program Saemaul Undong - the new village movement - is described and its effects critically questioned. The credit unions and other cooperatives are presented and their benefits for the development of the rural population are evaluated.