Ob-gyn, Succour, Micro-Welfare, and Industrial Training

The middle of the twentieth century was the time when the new nation of Korea emerged and experienced political liberation (1945), independence (1948), and war (1950-3). As the colonial government of Japan was transformed into the democratic Republic, the citizens suffered and lost their family members and relatives. The Australian government (Robert Menzies, Australias longest- serving Prime Minister) officially launched its foreign relationship with South Korea in May, 1963. If there was no political cooperation until the 1960s, were there any non-governmental exchanges between the two nations during the post-Korean War period? If so, who and where were they? What were their activities? How did they impact Korea? This paper not only explores the historical narratives of the Australian NGO movement in South Korea that affected the initiation of Australias diplomatic relationship, but also argues that the voluntary work, as a pre-diplomat agent, provided social services in the areas of medicine, humanitarian aid, welfare, education, religious consultancy, community development, and industrial training for local people and organisations in the regions of Pusan city and Kyeongsang province during the Korean reconstruction period (1954-1960s).