A unique explanation of the development of Korean social policy using the concepts of 'policy idea', 'policy network' and 'policy-linkages' to examine the causes, patterns and consequences of state interventions in the economy and social affairs.

Over the past three decades, South Korea has moved along a path of strong economic growth and political democratization, attracting worldwide attention and providing valuable lessons for other developing economies. Yet Korea still must grapple with many intractable problems fueled by its rapid industrialization and uneven growth, including unbalanced distribution of wealth, concentrated economic power, and adversarial relationships between management and labor. Within the context of these sweeping changes, this volume explores options for economic and social institutional reform in Korea. Drawing on models of economic development from Japan, the United States, and Europe, a distinguished group of Asian and Western scholars relates the experiences of previously industrialized economies to each facet of Koreas economic system, including national management; taxation and banking; land ownership and use; trade and industrial strategy; and relations among business ownership, management, and labor. In so doing, the contributors provide valuable insights and fresh proposals for a viable model of social and economic modernization. Throughout the volume, the contributors emphasize the importance of Koreas cultural heritage-not only in explaining the nations recent growth but also as a key element of its continued success. By providing an overview of the evolution and interaction of Korean economic, political, and sociocultural institutions, the contributors make clear how these structures mediate the movement between cultural values and economic progress.

OECD's 2014 Economic Survey of Korea examines recent economic developments, policies and prospects. Special chapters cover fostering a creative economy and reducing income inequality and poverty.

This book studies the sources of inequality in contemporary South Korea and the social and political contention this engenders. Korean society is becoming more polarized. Demands for ‘economic democratization’ and a fairer redistribution of wealth occupy centre-stage of political campaigns, debates and discourse. The contributions offer perspectives on this wide-ranging socio-political change by examining the transformation of organized labour, civil society, the emergence of new cleavages in society, and the growing ethnic diversity of Korea’s population. Bringing together a team of scholars on Korea’s transition and democratization, the story the books tells is one of a society acutely divided by the neo-liberal policies that accompanied and followed the Asian financial crisis. Taken together, the contributions argue that tackling inequalities are challenges that Korean policy-makers can no longer postpone. The solution, however, cannot be imposed, once again, from the top down, but needs to arise from a broader conversation including all segments of Korean society. The book is intended for a readership interested in South Korean politics specifically, and global experiences in transition more generally.

OECD's 2012 Economic Survey of Korea examines recent economic developments, policies and prospects. In addition, it includes special chapters covering sustaining convergence to the highest-income countries and promoting social cohesion.

As national borders become more permeable, women are increasingly on the move, travelling from poor to rich countries to take up jobs as care workers. The struggle to maintain a healthy work/care balance in Western countries is creating a care deficit in the developing world. Feminist Ethics and Social Policy links ethics to the social politics of care by revealing the implications of the feminization of migrant labour and the shortcomings of social policy at the national level. Drawing on innovative theories of gender and race, global justice and neocolonialism, and care and masculinity, renowned and emerging scholars examine recent policy developments and debates in Canada, Sweden, Korea, and Japan and their effects on the lives of female care workers. They show that a truly feminist ethics of care must be grounded in the concrete activities of real people working in transnational webs of social relations.

In Policy and Economic Performance in Divided Korea during the Cold War Era: 1945–91, Eberstadt presents an impressive compilation of hard-to-find comparative data on economic performance for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) over two critical generations. By a number of indicators, Eberstadt argues, Kim Il Sung's North Korea actually outperformed South Korea for much of this period—not only in the years immediately following partition, but perhaps also into the 1970s.

One of the most comprehensive texts on the political economy of Korea available Up-to-date - goes up to 1999

Explores the economic and social development of Korea, primarily in the twentieth century. Includes extensive statistical data. Examines the impact of Japanese colonialism and subsequent macroeconomic development, industrialization, rural development, fiscal and financial development, income distribution, the development of foreign trade, the role of education, foreign assistance, and urbanization. Includes 134 tables and 10 figures summarizing historical statistical data.