Introduction -- Revisiting the theories of welfare states in developing countries -- Theoretical discussion: the structures of associational networks and labor politics -- The origin of top-down solidarity in South Korea -- Embeddedness, cohesiveness, and the politics of social policy expansion...

If "welfare through work" is to become a reality, Korea should dispense with the old method of haphazardly importing welfare programs based on one-to-one comparisons with developed countries and instead redefine the overarching goal of the welfare system by establishing a universal structure...

"This book explains why the Korean welfare state is underdeveloped despite successful industrialization, democratization, a militant labor movement, and a centralized meritocracy. Unlike most social science books on Korea, which tend to focus on its developmental state and past years' rapid...