This edited volume explores the evolution of Korean political economy from a comparative and historical perspective. Exploring what the Korean model of its political economic evolution means in the context of theoretical debate on the political-economic development, this book compares characteristics of Korean political economy model not only from the Western models but more importantly from other East-Asian countries including Japan and Taiwan. Our project examines not only the recent performance of Korean political economy in terms of its technology strategies in the firm-level  and Korean chaebols’ transformation and adaptation but also traces historically the evolution of Korean political, social and economic system. This study will offer thought provoking insights to scholars of Korean society.

Hyeong-ki Kwon is a professor of Political Science & International Relations at Seoul National University and the 2025 recipient of the Karl Deutsch Award in the International Political Science Association. His research interests are diverse regimes of national economies, including the U.S., Germany, Japan, Ireland, and Korea. His publications in comparative politics and political economy include Openness and Coordination: National Economies of the U.S., Japan, and Germany in a Globalized World (PalgraveMacmillan, 2024), Changes by Competition: The Evolution of the South Korean Developmental State (Oxford University Press, 2021), and many articles in major journals including Politics & Society and Comparative Political Studies.