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Historical Context of South Korea in 1958 In 1958, South Korea was in a period roughly five years after the end of the Korean War. The process of restoring cities and villages destroyed by the war was ongoing, and most citizens continued to live in poverty and hardship. The President of South Korea at the time was Syngman Rhee, during the era of the First Republic. While Seoul was the capital, traces of the war remained everywhere, and the provinces were filled with thatched-roof houses and old wooden buildings. People used wells or public water taps, and cooked and heated their homes with briquettes and firewood. Most households did not have televisions, and radio was the primary means of information. News from home and abroad was accessed through newspapers and radio, and telephones were only seen in some government offices or wealthy homes. Cars were uncommon; people mostly walked or used bicycles, buses, and trains. Streetcars were also operating in Seoul. Te educational environment was very different from today. Elementary schools were called 'Gungmin Hakgyo' (National Schools), and fewer students advanced to middle and high school than now. Classrooms were scarce, so students were sometimes divided into morning and afternoon shifts. Many students wore school uniforms and black rubber shoes. Economically, agriculture accounted for a high proportion of activity, and many people worked in rice paddies and fields. Rice, barley, and potatoes were the main food sources, and many families struggled to afford meals. Markets sold vegetables, fish, rice, and daily necessities. Factories and industrial facilities were not yet sufficiently developed, as it was before full-scale industrialization began. South Korea in 1958 was a time of overcoming the scars of war and building a new nation. Compared to today, the living environment, transportation, communication, and economic levels were vastly different, and citizens carried on with their daily lives despite the difficult circumstances. Things that exist in 2026 but did not exist in 1958: Smartphones, the Internet, YouTube, TikTok, Artificial Intelligence (AI), KakaoTalk, electric vehicles, high-speed rail (KTX), subways, highways, Incheon International Airport, color television, LCD/OLED TVs, laptop computers, tablet PCs, digital cameras, GPS navigation, microwaves, air conditioners, online shopping, delivery apps, video calls, satellite broadcasting, the International Space Station, modern large apartments, 5G mobile communications, etc. Things that existed in 1958 but do not exist in 2026: President Syngman Rhee, the First Republic, the name 'Gungmin Hakgyo', streetcars in Seoul, high dependence on US military aid, heating with briquettes and firewood, thatched-roof houses, public wells, radio-centered life, dial-type landline phones, repairing clothes at home using sewing machines, wooden classroom desks and chairs, handwritten official documents, exchanging letters via mail, film cameras, steam locomotives, streetcar tracks in Seoul, emergency contact via telegram, etc. In 1958, starving to death was common, but neighbors all helped each other survive. There were many US military bases in the neighborhoods. Korean National Airlines was the only airline, and there were no free school lunches, though milk with saccharin was occasionally distributed. There were many rice paddies and fields. Prices at the time were very cheap, mostly around 1 to 10 won, and there were many war orphans.