Korean Workers and Neoliberal GlobalizationOne of the most remarkable aspects of South Korea's transition from impoverished post-colonial nation to fully-fledged industrialized democracy has been the growth of its independent and dynamic labour movement. Korean Workers and Neoliberal Globalisation examines current trends and transformations within the Korean labour movement since the 1990s. It has been a common assumption that the 'third wave' of democratisation, the end of the Cold War, and the spread of neoliberal globalisation in the latter part of the 20th century have helped to create an environment in which organised labour is better placed to overcome bureaucratic national unionism and transform itself into a potential counter-globalisation movement. However, Kevin Gray argues that despite the apparent continued phenomena of labour militancy and the rhetoric of anti-neoliberalism, the mainstream independent labour movement in Korea has become increasingly institutionalised and bureaucratised into the new capitalist democracy. This process is demonstrated by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' experience of participation in various forms of policy making forums. Gray suggests that as a result, the KCTU has failed to mount an effective challenge against processes of neoliberal restructuring and concomitant social polarisation. The Korean experience provides an excellent case study for understanding the relationship between organised labour and globalisation. Korean Workers and Neoliberal Globalisation will appeal to students and scholars of Korean studies and International Political Economy, as well as Asian politics and economics. |
From inside the book
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... Kim Dae - Jung government . The Kim Dae - Jung government and the visible hand of the neoliberal state Without any apparent reflection on how the previous government's liberal- izing reforms had contributed to the crisis , the Kim Dae ...
... Kim Dae - Jung's approach ( Kim Yun Tae 1999 : 446 ) . 4 Whilst Kim Dae - Jung deployed the rhetoric of the ' free market ' , the dom- inant role of the government in restructuring was unmistakable . When the chaebôl initially responded ...
... Kim Dae - Jung's concept of Productive Welfare . Upon the outbreak of economic and financial crisis , the Kim Dae - Jung government explicitly sought to conceptualize a neoliberal welfare state as ' Productive Welfare ' : Productive ...
Contents
Neoliberal globalization labour and resistance | 12 |
Globalization crisis and the entrenchment | 31 |
The rise and fall of militant labour unionism in Korea | 52 |
Copyright | |
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