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,...

"South Korea's rapid industrialization occurred with the rise of powerful chaebÇl (family-owned business conglomerates) that controlled vast swaths of the nation's economy. Leader Park Chung Hee's sense of backwardness and urgency led him to rely on familial, school, and regional ties to...

Machine generated contents note: Foreword IntroductionGrowth and Structural Features of Transition: Theoretical Framework and General OverviewGovernance, Institutions and Growth: Empirical Lessons from the Post-Communist TransitionHuman capital and social capital as interacting factors of...