Story on South Korean R&D; Funds Misleading

Leslie Helm’s article “Reviving a Can-Do Spirit” (April 7) points out one of the most important issues: lack of investment in technology. Although his reporting was accurate, his approach may have been misguided.

Helm notes how far behind Korea is vis-a-vis Japan in productivity and how little Korea has invested in technology. This is not a fair comparison. Japan has the world’s second-largest economy, more than 10 times larger than Korea’s; its population and territory are nearly three times larger.

Given that Korea grew out of the ashes of the Korean War, a divided nation constantly under threat of war, and unlike Japan, with little know-how or infrastructure, it is amazing how effectively the country has moved to close its gap with Japan and the United States. Therefore, it is regretful that Helm perceives the gap between Japan and Korea as a glass half empty rather than half full.

In discussing research and development expenditures, Helm talks in terms of absolute dollar amount, how little Korea has invested in technology.

Although it is true that Korea lags behind the United States, Japan and Western Europe in terms of investment in research and development, it would have been more accurate to compare R&D; expenditures in terms of percentage to gross national product rather than absolute dollar amount. For example, Korea invests roughly 2% of its GNP in research and development. This figure is much higher than those of developing countries and only somewhat lower than many Western European nations.

Helm talks about the Korean people’s pervasive lack of confidence in their economy. Although many Koreans are concerned with rising prices and slower growth in exports, I do not believe it has reached the “crisis in confidence” that Helm states.

Koreans are going through a correction stage after the euphoria of the 1988 Olympic Games and a GNP growth rate of more than 12%. Despite their present concern, I am convinced that they have fundamental confidence in their economy.

JONG HAN KIM

Los Angeles