"This book problematises the statist underpinnings of the concept of the 'developmental state,' both in terms of state-society and national-global relations, challenging the notion that the state is the agent of national development qua being autonomous from the domestic and global economies....

"South Korea known as the hermit kingdom was wrenched from its isolation in the mid-seventies with the forced industialisation of its economy by Park Chung-hee during his dictatorial regime. This led South Korea to becoming the most rapidly industialised country in the world with world class...

This informative book provides a comprehensive examination of the dynamics of institutional reform and the transition of the South Korean economy. The analysis, based on an institutional approach, stretches over three decades of remarkable economic success under a state-led system, through the...

Introduction: what is the discourse of Seonjinguk? -- From "munmyeong" (civilization) to "baljeon" (development) : the 1880s : the 1950s -- The origins of Korea's eurocentrism : gaehwa and munmyeong discourses from the 1880s to the 1930s -- The politics of modern discourse of civilization in...

Chapter 1: Introduction and previous visits to Seoul -- Chapter 2: The Historical Development of Korea -- Chapter 3: The Country and its People -- Chapter 4: State and Economy - Essential Development Principles -- Chapter 5: Powerful Conglomerates - The CHAEBOL -- Chapter 6: Challenges for...