Korea

South Korea has shown impressive economic progress over the past 50 years, with gross national income (GNI) rising from US$2.98 billion in 1962 to US$972 billion in 2010, making it the 15th largest global economy.

Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) contributions grew from US$100.3 million in 1995 to US$816 million in 2009, and preliminary figures estimate that its aid could reach over US$1 billion in 2010. However, even this potential growth in aid would still rank Korea only 18th compared with the aid volumes of other OECD DAC donors. While its aid is increasing, Korea’s humanitarian contributions remain low, totalling US$159.7 million between 2000 and 2010, and peaking at US$23.6 million in 2008.

In 2008 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Development Assistant Committee (DAC) conducted a Special Review of the Republic of Korea’s Development Cooperation, which recommended that a higher proportion of its humanitarian aid could be channelled through multilateral and pooled funding mechanisms rather than bilateral systems. On 1 January 2010, Korea became the 24th member of the OECD DAC as a result of increased aid volumes and the development of aid strategies and systems in line with DAC principles.

Korea does not currently have a specific humanitarian policy, but disaster relief and reconstruction is one of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)’s aid themes and emergency relief and reconstruction has become a core programme. In July 2009 Korea became the 36th member of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative.

A more detailed analysis of Korea as an aid donor is available here.