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The Park Chung Hee Era

The Transformation of South Korea
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Spanning President Park Chung Hee's rule from 1961 to 1979, this volume explores South Korea's dramatic transformation from poverty to industrial power. It illuminates Park's authoritarian regime that balanced economic ambition with political repression, examining the complex interplay of domestic and international forces that shaped the nation's modernization and set the stage for democracy in the 1980s.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in modern Korean history, political science scholars, and students seeking a nuanced understanding of authoritarianism and economic development.

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In 1961 South Korea was mired in poverty. By 1979, it had a powerful industrial economy and a vibrant civil society that led to democracy eight years later. This volume examines the transformation as a study in the politics of modernization, contextualizing many historical ambiguities in South Korea’s trajectory toward sustainable economic growth.

This remarkable book will establish itself as the most significant work on the Park period. -- Stephan Haggard, Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California San Diego

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1961 South Korea was mired in poverty. By 1979 it had a powerful industrial economy and a vibrant civil society in the making, which would lead to a democratic breakthrough eight years later. The transformation took place during the years of Park Chung Hee's presidency. Park seized power in a coup in 1961 and ruled as a virtual dictator until his assassination in October 1979. He is credited with modernising South Korea, but at a huge political and social cost.

South Korea's political landscape under Park defies easy categorisation. The state was predatory yet technocratic, reform-minded yet quick to crack down on dissidents in the name of political order. The nation was balanced uneasily between opposition forces calling for democratic reforms and the Park government's obsession with economic growth. The chaebol (a powerful conglomerate of multinationals based in South Korea) received massive government support to pioneer new growth industries, even as a nationwide campaign of economic shock therapy—interest hikes, devaluation, and wage cuts—met strong public resistance and caused considerable hardship.

This landmark volume, The Park Chung Hee Era, examines South Korea's era of development as a study in the complex politics of modernisation. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources in both English and Korean, these essays recover and contextualise many of the ambiguities in South Korea's trajectory from poverty to a sustainable high rate of economic growth.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Stephan Haggard praises this as the most significant work on the Park period. The Historian's Michael J. Seth highlights the book's convincing argument that understanding South Korea's rise requires considering Park's personality and political context. The collection of 21 essays by Korean specialists provides deep insights into Park's goals and the forceful means he employed, making it essential for academic libraries.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674072312

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 March 2013

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: 5 tables

Contributors:

  • Contributions by Jorge I. Domínguez
  • Edited by Byung-Kook Kim
  • Edited by Ezra F. Vogel
  • Contributions by Chang Jae Baik
  • Contributions by Yong-Sup Han
  • Contributions by Sung Gul Hong
  • Contributions by Paul D. Hutchcroft
  • Contributions by Hyug Baeg Im
  • Contributions by Byung-joon Jun
  • Edited by Ezra F. Vogel
  • Edited by Ezra F. Vogel

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 162.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 862g

Pages: 752

Collections

Asian History History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction

About the Author

Byung-Kook Kim is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University. Ezra F. Vogel (1930-2020) is the author of Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize, and of the international bestseller Japan as Number One. He was Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences Emeritus at Harvard University. Jorge I. Domínguez is Antonio Medero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Politics and Economics at Harvard University.

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