On November 21st, 1997, the South Korean government made a deal with the International Money Fund [IMF] to borrow money because they had come very close to bankruptcy. It was the beginning of a national crisis, and to make things worse, it was happening during a period of upheaval in the South Korean political realm. .
The government of South Korea was unsettled, sitting on a fine line between stability and chaos. Countless companies went bankrupt, and an many thousands of people lost their jobs. The South Korean government approached several sources, requesting financial assistance, but they were repeatedly denied. Eventually, South Korea had to face the fact that they'd have to resolve this national crisis on their own. Holding campaigns to raise funds, the government sought to encourage people to donate money in support of their country, and through creative forms of propaganda, the government steered the people in the direction they needed to go in order to find a resolution to the impending financial disaster. .
One successful use of propaganda was the South Korean governments campaign to collect gold and silver from its citizens. Collecting people's jewelry - including bracelet, rings, watches and necklaces. The government needed a foreign currency to pay their debt to the IMF, therefore, collecting gold and silver, would be an effective means to an end. The campaign to collect gold and silver from the country's citizens began in the South Korea Woman's Association, appealing to political wives to willingly surrender their fine jewelry to the cause. As word of the women's involvement spread, a national spirit of pride spread across the nation, with millions of people turning in their gold and silver jewelry.
As a result of the South Korean governments effective use of propaganda, 349,000 citizens donated a total of 225,000 tons of gold and silver, with an astonishing value of 2.
