Korea's New Textbook Printing Plant

By 1953, the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA) had allocated nearly #8,500,000 to rebuild South Korea's educational system. This year, if enough funds are forthcoming, the Agency plans to spend another $2,875,000 for the same purpose. Some 300,000 textbooks have been bought for the drive against illiteracy. More than 3,000 tons of paper have been imported to print another 38,000,000 textbooks. The Government of Korea, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) worked with UNKRA on a textbook printing plant near Seoul. This plant, which opened on 16 September, is already producing at near-capacity rate. This month, the daily output averaged 80,000 books, printed, folded, bound and delivered. Mr. Benjamin E. Rothwell (Canada), UNKRA printing consultant, who arrived in Korea a little more than a year ago to begin the project, left for home on 11 November, his job completed.
This picture, taken just before his departure, shows (left to right) Mr. Kim Do Joon, Vice-Manager of the plant, Mr. Rothwell, Mr. Kim Yung Ju, Manager, and an interpreter looking at one of the first four-color books produced at the plant.