Gold played a very important role in the history of South Korea. Following the Asian Financial Crises, the country was forced to seek help from the IMF. In one of the greatest shows of patriotism ever known, the residents of South Korea began a drive to raise funds to pay back the IMF some $58 billion in funds. Nearly a quarter of the nation’s population donated gold in the form of jewelry, coins, bars, medals, military insignias and more. In about two months, the nation had raised about $2.2 billion worth of gold that was melted into ingots and delivered to the IMF. Although this was just a fraction of the total amount owed, it served as an incredible rallying point for the nation, which eventually paid the loan back several years ahead of schedule.