In the 1950's South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual income of 67 dollars per person. Now Korea is one of the leading nations for innovation and technology .... I do not usually discuss economics as it is in my mind one unworthy of debate, at least until we have discussed the humanistic ideas that should govern our society instead. But I love the stories of Korea and Japan, and I also have a Korean last name. It is very personal to me, and I am interested in how these two nations came together to build technologically advanced societies and keep their traditions and values intact. I remember seeing Japanese teenagers talking on the phone and bowing to the person on the other end of the line. It really is a striking way of relating to others. It has always fascinated me to see a working harmony between a highly developed technological society and traditional social order.
Anyway, here we go, a snippet from a PBS/BBC documentary series produced in the 90's :