The reader will find here analyses of a wide range of past and current policy experiences and reform efforts in Korea. The policy lessons drawn are designed to aid Korea's transformation from the government-led development model to a modern market-orientated economic system. The main tenet of this book is that Korea's economic future depends entirely upon the successful integration of market-orientated systems and as such, policy recommendations are duly presented.

Korea has played, and will increasingly play, an important role in the future development of the South East Asian region, including the expansion of regional economic cooperation and interregional trade. Indeed Korea has been a leading proponent of the idea of ASEAN+3. Clearer understanding of this economy, its major contemporary policy and reform issues and its future, are of particular interest from both regional and global perspectives.

This book provides a unique and refreshing look at the Korean economy over the past 60 years. While most books and articles on the Korean economy would be technical or specifically address some aspect of Korea, this book takes an overarching view of Korea’s economic development. It assesses Korea’s economic take-off in the 1960s and 1970s, but also views the problems of ‘economic egalitarianism’ since the late-1980s to today. The book begins by listing and dispelling a number of important myths of the Korean economy and concludes by providing eight important ‘lessons’ derived from Korea’s experiences for developed as well as developing countries.

This book examines the political economy of the states of Pacific Asia, stretching from Japan to Burma since the end of WWII. "Governance in Pacific Asia" offers a comprehensive account of the diverse experiences of the states in Pacific Asia. Organized thematically around government and business relations in the main sectors of the economy, chapters cover the historical, social, and cultural contexts for such policies as well as the social and political consequences of rapid economic development. They also discuss the increasing economic integration of the region as well as its impact on global affairs and the reverse effect of globalization upon particular political systems. Each chapter contains case studies and examples from anywhere in the region, with some countries appearing more regularly, such as China, Japan, newly industrialized economies, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. "Governance in Pacific Asia" provides an in-depth comparative survey of a key region in world politics and political economy. An essential text that includes sources from the region in at least three languages (Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian/Malay), it will be of interest to students and faculty in international relations, developmental politics, Asian politics, and political economy.

Given the impressive growth in East Asia after World War II, initially led by Japan, the region's development models have been scrutinized since the 1980s. The shared Confucian cultural heritage, strong government guidance, and export led economies were often cited as contributors to the impressive growth. However, major changes have taken place in Asia on and around the turn of the century: Japan experienced two decades of economic slow-down, while World Bank figures reveal that China is poised to become the largest economy in the world in 2014, overtaking the United States. Bearing this in mind, is it even possible to formulate an East Asian development model in the context of a shifting twenty-first century? And if so, what is it? This book addresses this issue by looking at the economic, political and cultural perspectives of China, Japan and South Korea, focusing on dynamism and potential consensus regarding an East Asian development model. The chapters offer a historical background to the East Asian development model, as well as in-depth case studies of each of the countries concerned to show that whilst the East Asian development model does have distinct characteristics as compared with other areas, and other countries may draw some insights from the East Asian experience, it is not a panacea that fits all circumstances and fits all times. This book will be welcomed by students and scholars of Asian economics, Asian politics, international political economy and development studies.

This book examines Policies for Development in Korea and explores the opportunities and challenges faced by Korea in harnessing technology for economic growth. A central goals of this book is to share practical cases from South Korea for those aspiring to become global professionals who contribute and resolve remaining challenges of developing countries. Topics covered include export-oriented industrialization, smart cities, government reforms, green growth, land and capital markets.

In Asia, there are a growing number of gigantic megacities, accompanied by a series of speculative and extravagant megaprojects. Amid the fast-paced urban and development challenges, many Asian governments have been searching for replicable and inspirational cases in Asia. South Korea and its capital city, Seoul, are among frequently referenced models. However, South Korea’s "economic miracle" in the late twentieth century has been mostly studied through an economic policy lens. This book revisits the development of South Korea by looking at its urban dimension and exploring the city of Seoul as a developmental megaproject. Offering an alternative to the focus on economic policies when it comes to explaining South Korea’s development successes, Joo looks at the urbanization that took place under the guidance of the strong developmental state. She provides empirical evidence of the "property state" at work, both complementing and supporting the developmental state. She also analyzes why and how Seoul was able to emerge as an important Asian global city and a global front-runner in terms of ambitious and pioneering urban investments, despite its relatively recent history marked by massive slums and urban poverty. This book provides an analytical framework for studying South Korea’s modern development under capitalism as a precursor to East Asian urbanism and development. It paints a comprehensive story of how cities have been politically and economically important to Korea’s development experience and are increasingly becoming a new mode of development.

Korea Confronts Globalization looks at the way in which the phenomenon of globalization has impacted on Korean society in terms of national identity, corporate change, labour markets, democracy, tradition and social policy, and the implications for Korea's social cohesion in a continually globalizing world. While becoming more open to the outside world, South Korea has remained a cohesive national community with a strong nationalist reaction against the globalization of Korea and with Koreans constantly reminding themselves of the need to retain their national identity. They have also learned to cope with various forms of conflict arising from diversified interests in a complex society and the South Korean government is now making a serious attempt to establish a welfare state with various schemes designed to help the poor and needy to maintain a minimum level of ‘decent’ living. But it is uncertain whether South Korean society will continue to remain cohesive. Social inequality is increasing and the class divisions appear to be hardening and as such can Korea remain cohesive? As a volume looking at the political and social implications of globalization in modern South Korea, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of Korean and East Asian studies, comparative sociology, development studies and politics

2011 Updated Reprint. Updated Annually. Korea South Investment & Business Guide

In The Korean Economy, Hyung-Koo Lee, formerly South Korea's Minister of Labor, chronicles South Korea's economic development from 1945–1994 and the public policies that have shaped that development. In the past, the South Korean government supported protectionist policies. Mr. Lee, arguing that these policies no longer serve the long-term interest of South Korea's economy, supports the allowance of greater private-sector initiatives, a fundamental paradigm shift in South Korea's economic policy. He argues that if South Korea is to become a major economic power, the government should withdraw from the economic front line. He also provides a succinct analysis of the vast economic potential of a reunified Korea and discusses the pros and cons of two alternative scenarios for the South Korean economy.