In South Korea, at the time a Third World nation, much interest in Rostow's book was expressed by both economists and policy-makers. Rostow's concept of "economic take-off" especially appealed to the South Korean president, General Park Chung-hee, who often used that phrase in his speeches calling for South Koreans to work harder so that their nation could rise up to a First World economy. Park, who seized power in a 1961 coup d'état, starting in 1962 inaugurated a policy of five year plans under which the South Korean "chaebol" had to meet certain targets set by the government as part of the push to reach the "economic take-off" stage. A 1969 book "Theory and Condition of Korean Economic Development" published by the government had 17 essays by leading economists, of which half described sought to apply the theories set out in "The Stages of Economic Growth" to South Korea.