The main objective of this paper is to sequentially analyze the major themes in rural devel-opment by taking the case studies of Pakistan and Korea using the framework proposed by Ellis andBiggs. The data presented in this paper is based on an intensive review of literature and in-depth inter-views with some key persons from different organizations in the Republic of Korea. It indicates that atthe time of independence, both countries had weak industrial base and the economy was largely depen-dent on agriculture. Agricultural development remained the main focus of Pakistan’s development poli-cies since independence; however, it was not until early 1970s when development of agriculture and ruralareas became the priority of Korean government. Though many development projects have also beenimplemented in Pakistan since its independence, inconsistent policies adopted by different politicalregimes is one of the main reasons for comparatively poor performance in agriculture and rural devel-opment sectors while the Korean government and policy makers have quickly responded to differentchallenges that emerged from time to time. It seems that Korean government is taking necessary mea-sures to diversify the rural economy through the promotion of agricultural value addition, rural tourismand improved marketing infrastructure to meet new challenges, along with the commendable efforts ofits research and extension organizations; however the response of Pakistan seems rather sluggish in thisrespect. The concluding argument is that though contextual, cultural and socio-economic differencesmay be taken into account while comparing the development history of different countries, developingcountries can learn substantially from the experiences of a developed country in some particular sector,notably in the problem solving approach, integrated strategy, agricultural value addition, strengtheningof local governments, livelihood diversification in rural areas, effective linkages between different orga-nizations and emphasis on sustainable livelihoods.