This chapter examines the development of English education in South Korea during the period of rapid industrialization and economic growth from the 1960s through the early 1970s. As the nation pursued export-oriented development and closer ties with the global economy, English proficiency became increasingly associated with national competitiveness and individual socioeconomic advancement. The chapter highlights how English education expanded quantitatively within the formal school system, while remaining largely exam-oriented and focused on grammar, reading, and vocabulary. Despite growing practical needs for communicative English in diplomacy, business, and technology transfer, classroom instruction continued to prioritize accuracy and test performance over oral proficiency. At the same time, demand for private English education intensified, contributing to widening educational inequality. The chapter argues that this period institutionalized English as a core subject tied to meritocratic competition, reinforcing its role as both an essential resource for modernization and a source of persistent tension between educational ideals and classroom realities in South Korea.