Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the fluctuation and character of the ChungBuk region for the high class in the 1950's. 20th century Korean society had been rapidly transformed, especially during 1945-1953 through the national liberation, national division, and the Korean War. The change was found even in the people who worked for the good of the locality. They had to adapt themselves to the change, which gave the society new opportunities. New leading groups therefore appeared after the Korean war. The result of this study is as follows. 1) After the Korean War those who worked for the good of Chungbuk declined. The great land owners sold their properties and left Chungbuk. The traders and the presidents of companies did not adapt to the new situations and were ruined. New politicians appeared. 2) After the Korean War new elites had an important effects upon Chungbuk. Most of them were in their forties and graduated from middle schools or higher educational institutions. The percentage of graduates from Cheongju High School and Cheongju Commercial High School were high. The ratio of the people from Chungbuk and other places was 3 to 1. But the percentage of people from other places was higher in the leading group of the new elite. In Chungbuk, the people from Cheongju and Goesan had a higher percentage. 3) After the Korean War the high class in Chungbuk were made up of officials and figures in educational circles. Chungbuk, therefore, became conservative and passive, which has been the social character of Chungbuk since then. But Cheongju had a more varied elite that expressed a stronger critique consciousness. So the parties in power never won elections in Cheongju.