Korea’s unfinished task: Moving toward a third Miracle on the Han River

The language of industrialization must now respect the achievements of democratization, and the language of democratization must acknowledge the contributions of economic growth. The two are not rivals but partners.

Ryu Keun-kwan The author is a professor of economics at Seoul National University and a former commissioner of Statistics Korea.

Korea has twice introduced what it calls the “Miracle on the Han River” to the international community. The first referred to the country’s rapid economic growth, which astonished the world. The name came from the Han River, which runs through the heart of Seoul. Korea emerged from the ruins of war and scarcity, escaped hunger and lived through a breathless era of building bridges and factories, pulling tomorrow into today. Growth and development took shape under the river’s name and the world called it a miracle.

The sun rises over the Han River in December 2013. High-rise buildings in the financial district of Yeouido, western Seoul, are visible to the right, beyond Yanghwa Bridge. [PARK JONG-GEUN]

That first miracle expanded national wealth and sustained the population. It rebuilt the foundations of the state on top of shattered daily life. Yet it also left scars in proportion to its speed. There were people overlooked and wounds left unattended. Regret and reflection over what was left behind became part of that miracle’s legacy.

Years later, the Han River was invoked again, this time not as a place but as a person. The writer Han Kang refused to turn away from human violence, trauma, silence and dignity. When she stood at the center of global attention, another “Miracle on the Han River" — playing off the author's name, which is pronounced the same way as the river's name in Korean — entered public discourse. Symbolized by Han’s Nobel Prize in Literature, the second miracle showed the world that Korea was not only a country that grew richer but one that had attained moral and cultural depth. This miracle, too, cannot stand alone. Profound reflection can ring hollow if it lacks a foundation that sustains real lives.

The problem today is that Korea has long misunderstood these two miracles as opposing choices rather than complementary forces. One side speaks of expansion, the other of depth. One emphasizes results, the other values. As a result, advocating growth invites suspicion of disregarding democracy, while speaking of democracy is branded as denying growth. The extreme confrontation between so-called industrialization forces and democratization forces feels unnatural for a society that achieved both miracles.

A clear answer emerges when Korea’s modern history is viewed through common sense. The first miracle needed the second. Speed required direction and achievement required meaning. The second miracle also needed the first. Care can endure only on a material foundation, and dignity cannot stand alone without the resources that sustain life. Neither miracle is complete on its own.

The South Han River and the North Han River emerge from different mountains. Their colors and currents differ. They flow separately but meet at Dumulmeori in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi. The two rivers do not compete. They do not argue over which is right or which carries more water. They shed the lightness and unease of flowing alone, accept each other’s waters and become one river, the Han. Joined together, the river grows wider and deeper as it moves toward the Yellow Sea and eventually reaches the Pacific.

What Korea needs now is not ideological debate. More important than abstract arguments over right and wrong is how life actually works. Pragmatism grounded in evidence is not a cowardly abandonment of belief. It is a courageous stance that acknowledges mutual shortcomings and shares responsibility for the future. It is a humble posture that recognizes past achievements, embraces regret and asks what serves the next generation.

Writer Han Kang receives the Nobel Prize in Literature from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the 2024 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony held at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden on Dec. 10, 2024. [NEWS1]

The language of industrialization must now respect the achievements of democratization, and the language of democratization must acknowledge the contributions of economic growth. The two are not rivals but partners. When the first two Miracles on the Han River merge into a single current, a third miracle can begin. It would be a miracle in which progress and human dignity flow in the same direction.

Korea has earned the right to dream of another miracle on the Han River. It has already demonstrated that possibility twice in different ways. The remaining task is not to keep fighting until one side claims victory. It is to weave the memory of accumulation with the language of reflection into a single current and open a sustainable future.

Economic development must bow toward human dignity and human dignity must draw economic development into lived reality. Only when they flow together can Korea embark on a new voyage with greater distance and strength. That is the most responsible choice Korea can leave to the next generation and the obligation of this moment.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.