Chaebol played a key role in developing new industries, markets, and export production, helping make South Korea one of the Four Asian Tigers. Although South Korea's major industrial programs did not begin until the early 1960s, the origins of the country's entrepreneurial elite were found in the political economy of the 1950s. Very few Koreans had owned or managed larger corporations during the Japanese colonial period. After the departure of the Japanese in 1945, some Korean businessmen obtained the assets of some of the Japanese firms, a number of which grew into the chaebol of the 1990s. The companies, as well
Trade policy of South Korea of luxury goods increased including high tech and electronics products which reduced exports which resulted in Korea's trade deficit and current account deficit. In mid-1990's Korea reduced tariff rates and import restriction on autos, high tech products and financial services. South Korea and the Asian Financial Crisis Korean Banks and Chaebol borrowed heavily from the foreign banks on a short-term basis. The money was taken to fund investment in the industries at the encouragement of the government. The heavy reliance on the short term foreign loans led the Korean economy to suffer from the currency crisis, as foreign reserves were