Korea received a total net ODA of $7.7 billion on a current basis and
$45.6 billion on a constant 2010 US dollar basis. Much of this assistance was
provided before 1980: in a form of grants from 1945 to 1960 and of
concessional loans to 1980. Compared to developing country recipients around
the world in the post-1960s, Korea ranked 20th, meaning that Korea received
a considerable amount of assistance from donors. However, in terms of the
ODA receipts per head or the ODA receipts to GDP, Korea ranked in the
middle among all ODA recipients. These findings provide a couple of
important implications. First, the hypothesis based on “Big Push” saying that
Korea achieved more successful economic development than other countries
thanks to larger assistance does not hold true. Second, if the assistance
contributes to Korea’s long-term economic development, this means that
Korea used the assistance more efficiently than other countries did or it set the
assistance in motion through other paths such as economic stabilization. These
issues are worth exploring further through follow-up studies.