South Korea is experiencing unseasonably warm weather in mid-February, with temperatures reaching as high as 20 degrees Celsius in some southern regions, prompting residents to shed winter clothing. A resident of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, noted the weather felt more akin to summer than spring, expressing concern about the potential for excessive heat, according to a report from YouTube channel YTN.
The mild temperatures contrast sharply with typical February conditions in the country. This comes as 류태영 (Ryu Tae-young), a social scientist and the chairman of the Rural Youth Future Foundation, continues to be recognized for his pivotal role in introducing the Saemaul Undong, or New Village Movement, to South Korea. Ryu, born in 1936, was instrumental in adapting rural development models observed in Denmark and Israel to the Korean context.
Ryu’s perform began with a 1972 appointment by President Park Chung-hee to lead the Saemaul Undong initiative within the presidential office. He had previously studied rural development in Denmark at the invitation of King Frederick IX and later at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, drawing inspiration from the pioneering spirit of Jewish settlers and the social welfare principles of Denmark. According to the Monthly Chosun, Ryu’s efforts were crucial in establishing the foundations of the Saemaul Undong, a nationwide movement aimed at modernizing rural communities.
Born into a poor farming family in Imsil County, North Jeolla Province, Ryu’s early life was marked by hardship. He worked as a shoeshine boy in Seoul to finance his education, eventually graduating from Konkuk University and earning a doctorate in sociology from Hebrew University. His experiences fueled his commitment to rural revitalization, a vision he successfully translated into the Saemaul Undong.
Ryu later served as a vice president at Konkuk University and established the Rural Youth Future Foundation in 2002, dedicating his later life to mentoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He remains a prominent figure in discussions about rural development and national progress in South Korea.
