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This book reveals how South Korea was transformed from one of the poorest and most agrarian countries in the world in the 1950's to one of the richest and most industrialized states by the late 1980's.
The author argues that South Korea's economic, cultural, and political development was the product of a unique set of historical circumstances that cannot be replicated elsewhere, and that only by ignoring the costs and negative consequences of development can South Korea's transformation be described as an unqualified success.
The historical circumstances include a thoroughgoing land reform that forced children of former landlords to move to the cities to make their fortunes, a very low-paid labor force, and the threat from North Korea and the consequent American presence.
The costs of development included the exploitation of labor (as late as 1986, South Korean factory workers had the longest hours in the world and earned less than their counterparts in Mexico and Brazil), undemocratic politics, and despoliation of the environment.
Because the author sees South Korean development as contingent on a variety of particular circumstances, he ranges widely to include not only the information typically gathered by sociologists and political economists, but also insights gained from examining popular tastes and values, poetry, fiction, and ethnography, showing how all of these aspects of South Korean life help elucidate his main themes.
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Politics and government, Economic conditions, Korea, economic conditions, Korea, politics and government, Conditions économiques, Politique et gouvernement, Economic history, Wirtschaft, Economische situatie, Economische politiek, Binnenlandse politiek, Politik och förvaltning, Ekonomiska förhållandenPlaces
Korea (South)Showing 3 featured editions. View all 3 editions?
Edition | Availability |
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1
Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea
February 17, 2000, Stanford University Press
Paperback
in English
- 1 edition
0804740151 9780804740159
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WorldCat
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2
Han Unbound: The Political Economy of South Korea
February 17, 2000, Stanford University Press
Hardcover
in English
- 1 edition
0804730555 9780804730556
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Libraries near you:
WorldCat
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3
Han unbound: the political economy of South Korea
1998, Stanford University Press
in English
0804730555 9780804730556
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Book Details
First Sentence
"The yangban (the landed gentry) dominated Choson Dynasty Korea (1392-1910) and retained their local power during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45)."
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- Created April 29, 2008
- 6 revisions
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May 2, 2012 | Edited by ImportBot | import new book |
April 24, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Fixed duplicate goodreads IDs. |
April 16, 2010 | Edited by bgimpertBot | Added goodreads ID. |
April 14, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Linked existing covers to the edition. |
April 29, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from amazon.com record |