The New Community Movement, which used to be known as the New Village Movement, began in the 1970s to accelerate Korea’s economic growth. Residents of Korean rural communities, who used to accept poverty as their destiny, were galvanized into action by this nationwide campaign. The government also spent an enormous amount of money to pave the roads, build modern houses, clean up the waterways, and innovated farming methods. The movement was a psychological lever that catapulted the Korean economy to the next level and inspired Koreans to become self-reliant. The success of the New Community Movement became an effective rural development model for the rest of the world and now many developing countries are eagerly sharing this Korean experience.