Demystifying the Park Chung-Hee Myth: Land Reform in the Evolution of Korea's Developmental State
- Authors
- You, Jong-Sung
- Issue Date
- Jun-2017
- Publisher
- ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
- Keywords
- Korea; developmental state; Weberian meritocratic bureaucracy; land reform; Park Chung-hee
- Citation
- JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY ASIA, v.47, no.4, pp.535 - 556
- Journal Title
- JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY ASIA
- Volume
- 47
- Number
- 4
- Start Page
- 535
- End Page
- 556
- URI
- https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/gachon/handle/2020.sw.gachon/56287
- DOI
- 10.1080/00472336.2017.1334221
- ISSN
- 0047-2336
- Abstract
- The developmental state literature emphasises the importance of state autonomy and capacity, with a particular focus on a Weberian type of meritocratic bureaucracy. Existing studies of South Korea's economic development generally credit Park Chung-hee for establishing such a state. This article questions this assessment with careful process tracing of the development of a meritocratic bureaucracy in the country. The findings suggest that the contrast between the predatory Rhee regime (1948-1960) and the developmental Park regime (1961-1979) has been exaggerated. Meritocracy in South Korea's bureaucratic recruitment and promotion systems developed gradually over several decades, including during Rhee's regime as well as the short democratic episode (1960-1961). What then explains the evolution of a developmental state in Korea? This article suggests that land reform contributed to not only creating social structural conditions favourable to state autonomy but also promoting the development of a meritocratic bureaucracy by propelling rapid expansion of education and by mitigating the extent of political clientelism.
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