Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8.1
The cultivated areas of South Korea. Most are in the west, plus a scatter of
valleys elsewhere.
Competitiveness in export markets was maintained by the “openness” of the
economy which forced efficiency in all industries. However, as pointed out by
Toye (1987:87), there was no truly open economy, especially in the early years of
development, and South Korea maintained strong tariff protection for its infant
industries, with quotas and physical prohibitions on some imports. The tariffs
have since descended, but they were used for a critical short period. What was
always true was that exports would have to compete on world markets.
In South Korea the rural sector did not have a large role to play. Perhaps of
some importance was the occurrence of agrarian reform in the period 1948-52,
which redistributed about 80 per cent of the tenant-farmed land and eliminated
all absentee landlord farming. This left virtually all farms under 3 hectares in
area, however, too small to generate capital development. It would appear that
