 Following the Korean War, South Korea remained one of the poorest countries in the world for over a decade.Marred by poverty, malnutrition, and illiteracy, political chaos, and cultural discourse, South Korea's gross domestic product per capita in 1960 was $79, lower than that of some sub-Saharan African countries.Over the span of one generation, South Korea rapidly transformed itself from a war-torn nation into a G20 economic powerhouse.