Koho as a Form of Public Relations : Focusing on Government Communications in South Korea in the 1960s

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine a phase of public relations in the 1960s in Korea and to understand its complicated characteristics from a critical perspective. Facing domestic problems and in the context of the Cold War, South Korean dictator Park Junghee and his government attempted to manage the political discourse through a communication strategy which they called koho. Koho, which adopted propaganda-like tactics as well as scientific methods from modern public relations, dominated Korean society in the 1960s. By analyzing materials published by the government and by focusing specifically on the koho department and its activities, this study will reveal the specific way that koho was envisioned and carried out. Considering that the case of South Korea in the 1960s does not perfectly conform to Western PR studies (specifically, the Progressive School), this paper will conclude with a criticism of its concept of history.