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From a broad perspective, South Korea's "Miracle on the Han River" appears quite miraculous. Economically, South Korea was transformed from one of the poorest nations in the world at the end of the Korean War to a developed nation in the early twenty-first century. The growing globalization of the world economy clearly empowered South Korea as growing integration into the world economy was the centerpiece of the nation's economic developmental strategy. Yet, Korea's rapid growth and industrial transformation appear paradoxical in several key regards. First, an economic miracle should produce a satisfied and grateful population, but most leading politicians and the country's leading economic and political institutions have been fairly unpopular during most of South Korea's postwar history. Second, the South Korean experience crosscuts the normal debate in development studies, which conflates globalization and neoliberalism. Third, South Korea's widely vaunted developmental state in the 1960s and 1970s in reality departed quite significantly from the developmental state model. Finally, South Korea's attempts to promote its integration into the global economy during the post-developmental state period produced several sets of contradictory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the role of democracy in the outbreak of and recovery from economic crisis in South Korea. Link between democracy and the crisis based on the precrisis policy gridlock; Effects of the crisis on democratic consolidation; Economic reforms by President Kim Da-jung; Importance of the process of democratic learning in the successful pursuit of democracy and a market economy.

Focuses on the experiences in corporate restructuring in South Korea. Concept on Korean bailout experience; Agreement reform package launched by the government; Analysis of corporate restructuring process; Reasons for the corporate crisis; Policies and programs in corporate restructuring; Need to get the institutions right.

Examines the effects of crisis to the economic conditions of South Korea. Macroeconomic performance of South Korean economy before the crisis; Causes of the crisis; Policies adopted for structural reformation of the economy; Purpose of structural reforms; Views on the recovery of South Korean economy; Need to maintain the fundamentals of the economy.

Examines the effects of circumscribed or distorted process of modernization on urban growth in South Korea. Concept of developmentalism; Impact of developmentalism on Korean economy and society; Factors affecting the birth of bubble cities; Intrusion of developmentalism limitations.

Evaluates the direction of the government economic reform after the financial crisis in South Korea. Role of the government in overcoming the financial crisis; Causes of the financial crisis; Macroeconomic policies agreed between the government and International Monetary Fund; Reforms made in different sectors of the economy; Lessons learned from the crisis.

Focuses on the role of international financial institutions (IFI) in the restructuring program and process in South Korea. Concept on the causes of Asian crisis; Provisions of fund support by the International Monetary Fund; Content of the restructuring program; Catalytic effect of lending by the IFI; Need to have an international lender of last resort.

Examines the impact of urban growth on housing development and housing norms in Seoul, South Korea. Link between factors of spatial expansion and urban residential development; Concept of housing norms; Effect of macroeconomic forces on urbanization; Use of public-private partnerships in solving urban development problems; Need to create development paths.

Studies the process of urbanization and industrialization in South Korea. Role of industrialization and urbanization in modernization process; Pros and cons of urbanization; Historical background of urbanization; Implications of industrial growth; Economic growth experienced by the government; Concept of urban development.

Examines the economic crisis in South Korea from the context of the social, political, East Asian and global relations. Market economy and democracy; Globalization and the nation-state; Strategy of the United States toward the Asian-Pacific region; Path to globalization of the Korean Peninsula; Effect of Asian values on the growth of Asian economies.

Focuses on lessons that can be learned from the 1997 currency crisis in South Korea. Korean government's appeal to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency stand-by loans in November 1997; Details of loan package announced by the IMF to calm the currency market; Crisis despite soundness of macro-economic policies; Reliance on short-term foreign borrowings.

Provides an account and analysis of the economic development in South Korea following the 1997 currency crisis. Acknowledgement of stature in 1996 when Korea became a member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development; Deterioration of economic vitality with buildup of structural imbalances; Lack of self-regulating price mechanism; Cyclical and macro-economic and external factors.

Assesses the implications and impact of the financial crisis in South Korea. Pains of short-term liquidity crisis that turned into an economic recession; Rise in unemployment rate and bankruptcies; Causes for the financial crisis; Collapse of the currency blamed for the collapse of the financial and real sectors of the economy; Reforms introduced by the International Monetary Fund to alleviate the financial crisis.

Focuses on two perspectives for surveying an economy, with emphasis on the Korean economy. Indepth look at short-term macro perspectives and long-term structural perspectives; How these perspectives are applied to the Korean economy; Problems which the Korean economy is facing.