The Korea Local Administration Review

The Purpose of this study is to investigate theoretical backgrounds ofSaemaul Undong as a strategy of Korean community development and tosuggest a proper direction for the future after analysing periodical trends andits characteristics of Saemaul programs.This study analysed attributes of five theories of community development,bottom-up development, regional innovation theory, social capital, endogenousdevelopment, collaborative governance, and then discussed applicability reviewsto Saemaul Undong(SMU).This study discovered applicability of the 5 theories in terms of SMUimplementation entity, SMU policy alternative exploring process, socioculturalanalysis, sources of implementation motivation and decision making processbetween stakholders by analysing the success factors and implementationprocess of Saemaul Undong.The results of the study suggest that Saemaul Undong is very comprehensiveand unique Korean community development strategy. In conclusion, it needs tobe more elaborative theoretical research to build a creative ｢KoreanDevelopment Theory｣ which links to scientific and to localization of SaemaulUndong.
□ Keywords: Saemaul Undong, Theoretical Discussion, Endogenous Development,Social Capital, Bottom-Up Development