Protest and Social Dialogue in South Korea, 1987–2007

Abstract

This chapter looks at the development of democratic and inclusive labor relations in a country in which workers already enjoyed some degree of employment security. The Republic of Korea exhibits a long tradition of exclusionary corporatism in the field of labor relations (McNamara 1999; Wade 1990: 27). Owing to the country’s division since World War II and the Korean War, Korea has single-mindedly pursued national security and economic development. Since the 1960s, the state has stimulated the growth of conglomerates owned and managed by a small number of families (Kwon and O’Donnell 2001). At the same time, it has actively cooperated with big business to control wages and suppress union rights.