How can higher maritime education lead shipping growth? Korea’s experience, 1948–1982

Abstract

In January 2019, Koreans controlled 1,647 vessels and 76,701,517 deadweight, placing Korea as the world’s seventh largest shipowning country. In this article, the author reviews the contribution of the education of upper-class marine officers to the development of Korean shipping industry during the period 1948–1982. This study is organized into four main parts. In the first section, the role of human capital in economic development is reviewed, while Section 2 focuses on change in the education for merchant marine officers from 1948 to 1982. Section 3 analyzes the role of marine officers in the development of Korea’s shipping industry, while the final part considers the wider implications of the education of marine officers in the development of shipping.