ODA. ODA stands for the official development assistance (공적 개발원조/公的開發援助) provided by an advanced country to less developed countries (LDC). Recently the Korean government is increasingly required to provide more ODA to less developed countries in proportion to its economic growth.

As a recipient country, Korea received ODA from foreign countries total amount of 12 billion USD. Ranging from emergency relief to structural readjustment programs, ODA significantly contributed to Korea’s economic and social development. After the Korean War (1950~1953), ODA was the only source of capital, since the Korean economy had been almost devastated by the war. Much of the assistance in 1950s was focused on military support and humanitarian relief. Food aid and provision of daily necessities were also provided to meet the basic human needs. In the 1960s “growth” and “foreign investment” replaced “humanitarian relief” and “reconstruction” of war-torn country as Korea dramatically transformed its economic structure.

‌In 1961, the UN announced that the 1960s would be ‘the Decade of Development’ and called on every developed country to spend 1% of its GNP on aid. The growing international interest in development led to the creation of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the same year. During the 1960s, a significant part of ODA was allocated to infrastructure and industrialization projects.

‌The UN declared the 1970s as the ‘Second UN Development Decade,’ urging developed countries to spend 0.7% of their GNI on ODA. Due to the two oil shocks and ensuing global recession, however, poverty in developing countries was exacerbated. In this context, economic growth-centered aid came under criticism, and a new aid strategy highlighting fundamental human rights as a key indicator to measure development gained traction.  because of that saw the emergence of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as new players in development cooperation. 

‌The global economic downturn, which lasted until the first half of the 1980s, forced a number of donor countries to slash or freeze their aid budgets. Furthermore, the national debts of developing countries increased explosively, and their economies suffered despite the World Bank and IMF interventions. In the meantime, numerous NGOs continued to strengthen their expertise and functions. this is part of Decrease in ODA and Enhanced Capacity of Development NGOs. 

‌With the rapid globalization after the end of the Cold War, the realm ofdevelopment cooperation is expanded to include environment, health,labor, women's rights, and migration. The 1990s also saw emergence of new concepts such as good governance, sustainability development, partner country ownership, and aid alignment. this is called diversification of the ODA issue. 

‌The MDGs were particularly meaningful in that they were specific goals and targets on which global consensus was reached. Also, the DAC launched the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF), providing a venue for international dialogue on aid effectiveness. In the 2000s, three HLFs were held in 2003, 2005, and 2008, respectively resulting in the endorsement of the Rome Declaration, the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action.

‌In 2011, the Korean government convened the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4), leading to the signing of Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. As a host country, Korea played a pivotal role in leading a paradigm shift of development cooperation and in creating a more inclusive development partnership. In 2015, the UN declared the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a guiding compass for development efforts after the MDGs

Period | Year | Activities | Organization in Charge
1960s | 1963 | Training program under the sponsorship of USAID | MOFAT, MOST
1965 | Training program funded by the Korean government | MOFAT, MOST
1967 | Implementation of the Experts Program, funded by the Korean government Training Program with the cooperation of the UN and other international organizations | MOFAT, MOST
1968 | Dispatch of experts through the Medical Experts Program | MOST
1970s | 1975 | Hosted the Technical Trainees Program | MOL
1977 | Cooperation Project with the UN and other international organizations-training by invitation, aid in-kind | MOFAT
1980s | 1981 | Research Cooperation Program | KAIST
1982 | International Development Exchange Program (IDEP) | KDI
1983 | Hosted training for construction workers | MOC
1984 | Technical cooperation in the construction sector | MOC
1987 | Establishment of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Outsourcing EDCF project to Ministry Of Science and
Technology (MOST) | MOF,
MOFAT,
MOST
1988 | Grant services for communications technology in developing countries | MOIC
1989 | Dispatch of volunteers through the KOV Program, First expense of EDCF | UNESCO, EPB, EXIM Bank
1990s | 1991 | Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) established |  
1995 | First dispatch of international cooperation personnel NGO Support Program | KOICA
1996 | EDCF $100M |  
2000s | 2001 | Accumulated EDCF exceeds USD1.6 billion | MOFE
2002/2003 | Special Assistance Program to Afghanistan | KOICA
2005 | Rehabilitation projects following South East Asian Tsunami Korea joins IDB | KOICA
MOFE
2009 | Korea joined OECD/DAC (Nov 25) |  
2010 | First anniversary of DAC membership; International Development Cooperation Day proclaimed (Nov. 25)

Eventually, on the first day of April in 1991, KOICA was founded as a government agency responsible for Korea's grant aid system.