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Uneasy bedfellows : South Korea’s state-chaebol relations

Many studies on Korean economic development exist, but few scholarly works
specifically address the relationship between the state and big business groups called the
chaebol. The state-chaebol relationship is an important aspect of Korean economic
development, but conventional analyses fail to capture the subtleties of the dynamic and tend
to moralize rather than elucidate. This study argues that predominantly negative perceptions
of close government-business relations tend to obscure the significant positive effects of close
co-ordination and collaboration between the state and private capital. It is not the closeness
per se that matters as much as the nature and dynamic of the relationship. Moreover, a more
careful look at the state-chaebol nexus reveals a relationship in flux, in contrast to the rather
static image provided in the media.
Assuming that close government-business collaboration poses serious challenges to
the economy, effective prescriptions must then be based on accurate diagnoses. Failing to
understand the complexities of the state-business nexus prevents one from accurately
diagnosing the roots of the current economic problems currently facing Korea. This thesis
examines the political factors that influenced state-chaebol relations in South Korea. The
causes and the importance of those factors are analyzed in terms of particular economic
strategies adopted by the government, aspects of domestic politics, the economic and political
influence of the chaebol and the international environment.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/9753
Date11 1900
CreatorsMyong, Su Yun
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
RelationUBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/]

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