In 1960, North Korea was richer than South Korea. Today, South Korea is 30x richer.

Here’s a more interesting comparison.

In 1960, North Korea was richer than South Korea.
Today, South Korea is 30x richer.

When Park Chung-hee seized power in 1961, South Korean income sat under $100 a year.
His government pushed the entire economy to build things the rest… https://t.co/hl6AJpvs1k pic.twitter.com/kGiJaEtB3x

— Rothmus 🏴 (@Rothmus) August 1, 2026