ABSTRACT
Korea today is a newly industrialized country. It has the potential to join the ranks of the developed nations in the not so distant future. The Korean peninsula lies directly between China and Japan, extending south from the continent. The peninsula is approximately 622 miles long and 134 miles wide at its narrowest point and is separated from China's Shantung peninsula to the west by a 118-mile expanse of the Yellow Sea. Early childhood education was introduced to Korea by outsiders. Under Japan's annexation of Korea, kindergartens were established for the children of Japanese civil servants. These Japanese programs were later attended by children of the Choson aristocracy. The lack of adequate educational program development and basic research prohibited Korean preschool education from advancing until the 1970s. Saemaul Nursery Schools, comparable to day care centers, are under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
