A Socio-Religious Volunteerism: The Australian NGO Movement during the Korean War (1950-1953)

Abstract

The Korean peninsula, like Taiwan (1895-1945), was one of Japan's colonies in the first half of the twentieth century (1910-1945). The end of World War II brought an opportunity to be independent, but the different ideologies of the Capitalist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc generated the Cold War. The Korean War (1950-1953) was the initial result of the political conflict. Australia did not have diplomatic relations with the unsteady nation until 1963, but the involvement of the Australian government cannot be disregarded. The Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies, immediately responded to the UN resolution (June 25, 1950) by offering military assistance. Was this military support the only aid for Korea? If not, how did Australia affect citizens of the war zone? Was there an Australian NGO movement? If so, what did these NGO's do? This paper not only explores the social activities of the group of Australian NGO's, but also argues that the religious volunteerism of humanitarian aid, medical work, religious mission, and education was a significant refugee project in Pusan (the temporary capital of the Republic of Korea during the Korean War) and Kyŏngnam province.