More than five years have passed since South Korea fell prey to the Asian financial crisis. Chung (international studies, Seoul National University) and Eichengreen (economics, political science, University of California-Berkeley) bring together experts from Korea and other countries to better understand the onset and causes of the crisis and the p
Brian Bridges examines the impact on South Korea of the financial crisis of 1997. Covering events up to and including the recent parliamentary elections in South Korea, the book considers the socio-economic and political implications of the financial crisis. It is invaluable reading for students of modern Korea.
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.
There exists a large volume of literature on Korean success in economic development. However, Korea has experienced several economic crises in the development process. While the financial crisis in 1997 has received a substantial amount of attention in the mass media and in the academic as well, Korea had not been immune to economic crisis prior to the 1997 financial crisis. This book reviews the experiences of economic crises and their resolutions in Korea since 1960s. The book examines each crisis and concludes that the factors that caused one previous crisis later brought about another crisis repeatedly. This indicates that the measures to resolve the previous crises were ultimately ineffective in the sense that the fundamental causes for the economic crisis had remained unresolved and, as a result, recurrence of the crisis has not been prevented.
'. . . very well presented academic book. . . in Korea's Economic Prospects a valuable source of research material on the economy and its prospects. It will help one to understand the factors leading to the Korean recovery which has recently been recognised by the credit rating agency. . .' - Marie-Aimée Tourres, The Journal of Development Studies This book examines the major issues arising from the Korean financial crisis of 1997. It considers the strong prospects for rapid economic recovery and the emerging changes in Korea's international economic relations and business environment. The authors investigate the causes of the financial crisis and provide an evaluation of remedial measures and reforms currently being introduced in both private and public sectors of the Korean economy. The book identifies a paradigm shift in Korean economic policy and discusses Korea's new role in both the regional and global economy. It also examines the major developments reshaping Korea's international business environment through fundamental policy shifts in trade, foreign direct investment, labor relations, management practices and the emerging trends in e-commerce.
"The economic growth of South Korea has been a remarkable success story. After the Korean War, the country was one of the poorest economies on the planet; by the twenty-first century, it had become a middle-income country, a member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (the club of advanced economies), and home to some of the world’s leading industrial corporations. And yet, many Koreans are less than satisfied with their country’s economic performance, given the continuing financial volatility and sluggish growth since the Korean economic crisis of 1997–1998.From Miracle to Maturity offers a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of the growth of the Korean economy, starting with the aggregate sources of growth (growth of the labor force, the stock of capital, and productivity) and then delving deeper into the roles played by structural change, exports, foreign investment, and financial development. The authors provide a detailed examination of the question of whether the Korean economy is now underperforming and ask, if so, what can be done to solve the problem."
Korea has experienced one of the most profound economic transformations of any nation in history, and remains a very important focus of academic inquiry. Whilst the process of catch-up in Korea - led by export-oriented growth - has been rapid and, in a sense, very successful, it has also been subject to turbulence, not least in a crisis of near bankruptcy that has dramatically revealed its Achilles heel. Informed by the 1997 crisis, Wontack Hong writes a new history of the Korean economy; one that seeks to understand export-oriented catch-up in newly industrialized countries (NICs) whilst offering a realistic appraisal and forewarning of the pitfalls which could signal self-destruction. Catch-up and Crisis in Korea offers a balanced perspective on the Korean economy, and on newly industrialized countries in general, for those who have a serious interest in understanding the industrialization process.
