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Democratization and Democracy in South Korea, 1960–Present

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  • © 2020

Overview

Authors:
  1. Hyug Baeg Im

    1. Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Korea (Republic of)

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  • Analyzes key issues of democratization and democracy through the window of South Korean experiences

  • Utilizes game-theoretical model, strategic choice model, and the theory of “possibilism” (Albert O. Hirschman) that stresses agency and contingency in its analyses

  • Empirically analyzes comparative advantage of democracy over an authoritarian regime with regard to economic development

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxiii
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  2. Introduction: My Democratization Studies in Retrospect

    • Hyug Baeg Im
    Pages 1-15

  5. Toward a Quality Democracy in South Korea

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 233-233
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    2. Democratic Development and Authoritarian Development Compared

      • Hyug Baeg Im
      Pages 235-272

    3. Better Democracy, Better Economic Growth? South Korea

      • Hyug Baeg Im
      Pages 273-298

  6. Back Matter

    Pages 299-319
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Keywords

About this book

This book analyses democratization and democracy in South Korea since 1960. The book starts with an analysis of the distinctive characteristics of bureaucratic authoritarianism and how democratic transition had been possible after inconclusive and protracted “tug of war” between authoritarian regime and democratic opposition. It then goes on to explore what the opportunities and constraints to the new democracy are to be a consolidated democracy, how new democracy had changed the industrial relations in the post-transition period, how premodern political culture such as Confucian patrimonialism and familism had obstructed democratic consolidation, and the improvement of quality of democracy. The author compares empirically, from the perspective of a comparative political scientist, political regime superiority of democracy over authoritarianism with regard to economic development. He concludes that “democratic incompetence” theory has been proven wrong and, in South Korea, democracy has performed better than authoritarian regimes in terms of economic growth with equity, employment, distribution of income, trade balance, and inflation.



This book will benefit political scientists, development economists, labor economists, religious sociologists, military sociologists, and historians focusing on East Asian history. 


Reviews

“The book offers a wide overview of Korean democratization and a lengthy scholarly career committed to understanding it. … This multi-faceted volume could serve many academic audiences from political science to Korean Studies and overall the book is a fine testament to a productive career and promises future contributions to our understanding of recent developments in the course of democracy in South Korean politics and society.” (Inga Kim Diederich, European Journal of Korean Studies, Vol. 20 (2), 2021)

This is a perfect one-country study: deeply engaged in the theoretical and comparative literature, intimately informed about South Korean history, bringing to bear some unknown aspects of the case. A major contribution to studies of authoritarianism and of transitions to democracy. (Adam Przeworski, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor Emeritus, Department of Politics, New York University, USA)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Korea (Republic of)

    Hyug Baeg Im

About the author

Hyug Baeg Im is a professor emeritus at Korea University and a chaired professor at GIST. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, USA. He served as an EC member of IPSA and received ROK National Academy of Sciences Prize. Prof. Im's recent publications include The Possibility of Peace in the Korean Peninsula (2017) and Mongering North Korean Democracy for Inter-Korean Peace (2015).

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Democratization and Democracy in South Korea, 1960–Present

  • Authors: Hyug Baeg Im

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3703-5

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-15-3702-8Published: 15 August 2020

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-981-15-3705-9Published: 16 August 2021

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-15-3703-5Published: 14 August 2020

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXIII, 319

  • Number of Illustrations: 31 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Asian Politics, Democracy, History of Korea

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