Additionally, global concerns such as the environment, poverty reduction, and gender mainstreaming, have gained significant importance in the international community.
The know-how and experience Korea gained from this transition are the assets that allow KOICA to efficiently support the sustainable socio-economic development of its partner countries.
KOICA's current and former presidents:[4] In the wake of the devastating 1950 Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world.
[3] The war destroyed two-thirds of South Korea's national production capacity and sent unemployment rates soaring.
The new political leadership was strongly committed to national development and social stability and eager to induce foreign capital and assistance to fill the gap between payments the deficit, and offset the insufficiencies of domestic savings and investment.
Foreign assistance in the 1960s functioned as a major source of capital and investment and as a means to improve management skills and industrial technology.
Through properly designed development strategies and effective use of foreign assistance, South Korea has grown into the world's 11th largest economy and is a leading producer of ships, steel, automobiles, and semiconductors.
As early as the 1980s, the South Korean government designed a program for the purpose of sharing its experiences of rapid and dynamic development based on the spirit of South-South cooperation.
In 1982, the so-called International Development Exchange Program(IDEP) began to invite government officials and policymakers to participate in training courses composed of lectures, seminars, workshops, and field trips.
Multilateral systems provide the best prospects for an inclusive process to set the "rules for international conduct" and a forum to promote values important to Korea, including democracy, human development and social justice.
By collaborating with multilateral organizations, so called "multi-bi assistance", KOICA expects to diversify ODA delivery channels.
Since September 2007, every international flight ticket departing from Republic of Korea has donated 1,000 won(KRW) to this fund.