A Comparative Study on the Self-Help Approach in Rural Development between Vietnam's New Rural Development and Korea's Saemaul Undong

Vietnam’s “Doi Moi”, initiated in 1986, translated to high economic growth and rapid urbanization for the country, but also widened the gap between rural and urban areas. Vietnam’s National Target Program on New Rural Development for 2010-2020 was aimed at developing the rural economy and improving the living standards of rural people, but after five years the urban-rural gap remains substantial. Two of the main reasons are the lack of investment capital and lack of effective ways to mobilize community involvement. In contrast, during the 1970s, rural areas in Korea experienced huge improvements under the “Saemaul Undong” movement. The program’s success at promoting sustainable development in Korea’s rural areas has inspired rural programs in other developing countries. In this paper, we compare and contrast the two movements to provide explanations for the different results between the two countries. Based on this analysis, and policy implications stemming from it, we recommend resource mobilization strategies to change villagers’ attitude and increase their involvement in Vietnam’s rural development movement, aligning with the inclusivity principle “people know, people discuss, people do and people check.”