Date of Award

8-1982

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Dr. C. I. Eugene Kim

Second Advisor

Dr. Alan C. Isaak

Third Advisor

Dr. Jack Plano

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

This thesis has attempted quantitatively to establish a positive relationship between political leadership and national development in South Korea during the period from 1948 to 1982.

The major concepts used in this study are political leader (President or Prime Minister), task elite (Cabinet Minister), and national development (political stability and socio-economic development). The social background data of the South Korean cabinet ministers were obtained from newspapers, journal articles, and biographical dictionaries.

Since the inception of the Republic of Korea in 19^8, the various regimes have contributed to bring about South Korea's success with national development. However, their records have varied. Their differences in achievement are a function of different political leaderships caused by changes in political leaders' values and developmental orientations and the consequent changes in the patterns of their task elites recruitment and national development.

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