The Korean State and Social Policy: How South Korea Lifted Itself from Poverty and Dictatorship to Affluence and Democracy

There are two great mysteries in the political economy of South Korea. How could a destroyed country in next to no time become a sophisticated and affluent economy? And how could a ruthlessly authoritarian regime metamorphose with relative ease into a stable democratic polity? The Korean State and Social Policy observes South Korean public policy from 1945 to 2000 through the prism of social policy to examine how the rulers operated and worked.

a landmark study on the long road towards the de-colonized worlds development and democratization.

will change many peoples understanding of South Korean development, demonstrating as it does how the foundations for a modern welfare state were actually laid during the military dictatorship. This is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the linkage between governance and development.

Francis Fukuyama, Johns Hopkins University
and Stanford University

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