Problems associated with low levels of industrialisation have continued to dog the vast majority of countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa toward the end of the 20th century. The few countries that have managed to make the transition from underdevelopment to prosperity and catch up with the West are restricted to East Asia. This thesis utilises the experience of one such country - South Korea - to highlight political factors that have emerged as prerequisites for late industrialisation. Late industrialisation is seen as a new paradigm that places unique demands on the state as the catalyst of economic change. Therefore, the political economy of policy making acquires particular significance. This thesis examines how an authoritarian political structure shaped by a revolutionary leader contributed to the South Korean success story. Attention is also paid to the contrasting Indian case, and to the political roots of economic stagnation in that country. Further, theoretical arguments concerning the relationship between political regimes and economic growth are discussed. Drawing generalisations from the Indian and South Korean experiences and building upon previous theoretical work, this thesis argues that post-colonial leadership patterns that emerged in developing countries played a critical role in determining national economic fortunes. / M.A.