Although it has been well known that the Saemaul Undong had a direct relation with the water resources development during 1970’s, its contribution to the water resources and increased income in rural communities has not been thoroughly quantified so far. In order to assess the contribution of the Saemaul Undong in terms of rural water resources development, we investigated various historical data produced by the central and local governments in relation to water resources development. The results show the direct and indirect contribution of the Saemaul Undong to the water resources development in rural communities such as sewage works, water supply facilities, shared wells, and river works. The results also showed a positive relation between per-house income in rural communities and areas of irrigated paddies, which were rapidly increased during 1970’s. These results can be utilized to transplant the positive aspect of the Saemaul Undong to developing countries focusing on water resources development in rural areas.

• 황준식(영남대학교 공과대학 건설시스템공학과) | Junshik Hwang (Department of Civil Engineering, Yeungnam University)
• 서용원(영남대학교 공과대학 건설시스템공학과) | Yongwon Seo (Department of Civil Engineering, Yeungnam University)
• 정진영(영남대학교 공과대학 환경공학과) | Jin Young Jung (Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University) Corresponding author