Choi, Yearn Hong

Abstract
This paper is to describe and assess the governmental role in nuclear power and multipurpose dam in the past and the present time; supplying stable and steady electricity and water which are essential means to modern society. Korea was a nation of scarce energy resources and uneven rainfall-flooding Summer and dry Spring, fall and winter. President Park Chung-hee was the leader who knew that without stable and steady supplying of electricity and water, the citizens’ living and factories could not function. In the 1960s, burning coal to generate electric power was not sufficient to generate heat to the homes and to operate the factories. The flowing rivers were not sufficient to supply drinking water to individual homes, and reservoirs were not sufficient for the needs of rice paddies. Energy and water are the basic infrastructure for economic development. President Park paid great attention to building the infrastructure with nuclear power plants and multi-purpose dams during the first five-year development plan through the fourth plan period, 1962∼1981. Orchestrating energy, water and research and development with educating and training the necessary scientific manpower to achieve the economic development plan was admirable. South Korea’s present situation dictates a different role of government from the past. Therefore, this paper raises questions to be answered for its future tasks. Discussions of privatization of utility works and fair evaluation of the governmental programs are proposed. A systematic and comprehensive policy-making and careful execution are always necessary and recommendable to any government regardless of the time-from the past to the future. This paper presents possible avenues for many developing nations and people to learn from and to adopt South Korea’s path of modernization and economic development.
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