Evening star., 1955-11-04

military aid requirements OF
South Korea are wholly unreal
istic. Communists in the north
stiil pose q formidable threat.
The United States is now
spending upwards of $470 million
q year to help Korea support its
military establishment. and an
other $277 million on civilian aid
Koreans themselves, mean
while, are obliged to contribute
more than n per cent of theil
budgeted revenues for defense
Even then. Army privates are
paid the equivalent of only SO
cents month. at the official
rate of exchange. Four-star gen.
erals get $28 month at the
Official rate.
Both ranks. Of course. get other
payments in kind, but neither
could make ends meet except fol
the combination Of paternalism
and graft that is q commonplace
In most Oriental societies.
Passion To Industrialize
The consuming passion Of
President Syngman Rhee and
his top economic adviser, Toe
Chin Paik, is to convert the Re
public Of Korea from an agri-
cultural to an industrial nation
as quickly as possible.
President Rhee is so eager
to industrialize that he has en-
bittered many of the Americans
with whom he deals. To them his
constant entreaties for more aid
faster sound like what have
YOU done for me lately2"
Last month, the President
visited an American built
thermal power plant on the
north bank Of the Han river
1t is a 20-minlte drive out oi
Seoul to the West, If you ride
In a swift-moving presidential
caravan: 45-minite trip In
ordinary traffic.
This plant is one OF four which
American aid money is building
Together they will double South
Korea's electricity potential by
next summer.
President Rhee asked the
American contractor when he
could start pouring power into
the Seoul industrial grid.
BY next March, the tin
hated building superintendent
replied with evident satisfaction.
Con structi lis gratifyingly
ahead Of schedule.
II you had started q year
earlier" the President snapped,
I'VE would be getting power out
NOW. wouldn't WEI.
Impafience Is Mood
Iinpatience Is the Ineod oi
most officials In the Republic oi
Korea today. They share ail
Asia's aspirations for q better
standard Of living. More thar
that, they yearn to be q great
power In Asia. not so much from
delusions Of grandeur as from
fear of their big-power neigh
bors. Red China, the Soviet
Union and Japan.
. 1 Deprived Of any chance to In
dustralize undef the Japanese
and now tragically split OF from
the power and minerals in North
Korea. South Korea feels thu
need for a swift haiidup. Other
wise, it is reasoned. Korea viii
again be forced to accept econo.
mic domination by one of hei
1leigl1bors.
The United States sympa.
thizes. but there are limits te
how fast the Republic. of Korea
can grow. These limits are two:
/. The capacity--and win oi
the American Congress 10 pich
up the check. CUnder the Repub.
Hcans, the Koreans have
watched sadly as the size Of the
aid checks dwindled.)
2. The capacity of South Ko.
rea to absorb economic aid with.
out developing an infationary
crisis.
First a few basic economic
facts about the Republic ol
Korea.
The Background
Koreans south Of the truce
line now number more than q
million and they are increasing
rapidly Population density Il
$50 persons per square mile
among the highest In the world
Agriculture provides half tht
national income and gives worl
to- rs per cent of the labor force
Rice is the main crop. Ligh1
industry, mining and fishing ar
the leading industries.
In this mountainous country
only 23 per cent Of the 34,00l
square miles can be cultivated
Irrigation systems could ificreas,
rice yields. Forests are being Gu
three times faster than thl
natural rate Of growth and re
forestation has yet to ge
started significantly.
South Korea has low-grad
anthracite coal-some of whicl
1t Is hoped can eventually b
exported to Japail--but no bi
luminous. All Korea's iron Is Il
the north. Rich deposits o
year l.540 freight cars were i'm
being exploited In the south. Tn
tungsten exp ortbusiness Is cur
rently in the doldrunns. however
and that is another source D
worry to the Koreans.
Under the Japanese. Nortl
Korea developed what heavy In
dustry was allowed. The nortl
supplied the south with lumber
fuel and power for light indus.
tries and chemical fertilizers fol
farms.
How, then, can half a couritry
short of industrial raw material
hope to beeome self -sufficienti
That Is q neat point that Kores
hopes to work out BY developint
light industries and handicrafts
for which Koreans have an apti.