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Political and Cultural Selectivity in the Dynamics of Industrial Relations in Korea: An Alternative Sociological Approach

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Korean Modernization and Uneven Development
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Abstract

Although industrial relations are a central element of economic operations, the impact of political and cultural elements is remarkably strong in Korea. Kim delves into these phenomena by emphasizing the unusual influence of ideology and politics as well as the lasting effects of the traditional cultural legacies. While political intervention to curtail industrial conflict was a crucial factor, it was also the source of rampant industrial conflicts. The ideologies involved in this dynamic were nationalism and anti-communism in the earlier era, followed by the clash of right-wing and leftist ideologies in the later decades of economic growth, all determining the nature of industrial relations. Various indigenous cultural factors designated in vernacular Korean language are introduced to explain the unique character of industrial conflicts in the country.

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Kyong-Dong, K. (2017). Political and Cultural Selectivity in the Dynamics of Industrial Relations in Korea: An Alternative Sociological Approach. In: Korean Modernization and Uneven Development. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3494-7_5

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