2015, Vol.22, No.4

Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.61

pISSN : 1225-8539 / eISSN : 2671-5171
https://journal.kci.go.kr/japs

This article aims to analyze the continuing cohabitation of developmentalism and neoliberalism in the Korean state since the 1990s. Three different kinds of developmental-neoliberal mixes are discussed. First, ‘residual’ mix is the temporary coexistence of developmentalism and neoliberalism as a series of radical neoliberal reforms in Korea have transformed the nature of the Korean developmental state into a neoliberal state since the 1990s while most of institutional legacies of the Korean developmental state are fading away. Second, ‘path-dependent’ mix is a somewhat long-term and stable combination of developmentalism and neoliberalism mainly due to the strong path-dependence of the Korean developmental state institutions. Third, ‘synthetic’ mix is a hybrid mixture of developmentalism and neoliberalism as the two elements constantly interact and interpenetrate with each other, giving rise to something that belongs to neither of them. In this paper, these three mixes of developmentalism and neoliberalism in relation to the Korean state and its changes since the 1990s are discussed with a focus on their causes of origin, institutional outcomes, and theoretical implications. This paper suggests that we understand the currently existing mixes of developmentalism and neoliberalism in the Korean state not so much as one homogeneous and passing phenomenon but as a set of diverse phenomena with distinct internal dynamics.

An important question about voter turnout in representative democracies is whether voters and non-voters differ in their policy preferences and socioeconomic backgrounds. However, while a number of studies have investigated various aspects of voter turnout in Korean elections, few have systematically examined the difference between voters’ and non-voters’ political preference. This study investigates the political preference and socioeconomic characteristics of voters and non-voters in the 2012 parliamentary election and presidential election. Specifically, using “EAI panel studies 2012” I compare the ideological orientation, issue preferences, issue priority, basic political attitudes, and socioeconomic characteristics of voters and non-voters. The results show that there was little difference in political preference between voters and non-voters. In addition, different from the findings of previous studies, it turned out that age, income, and education level are positively related to voting participation. The paper also provides a discussion of major implications of the results.

The E-government project in China is said to be motivated by two main objectives: 1) creating an online network and infrastructure for the central and local governments, thus improving government functions as well as administrative efficiency and transparency, and 2) expanding monitoring measures, thus controlling and ultimately preventing the bureaucratic corruption that has plagued governmental bodies since the reformation. This project, however, represents no genuine step toward reform but is rather a measure taken to strengthen the Communist party’s authoritarian governance system. This paper examines the Chinese government’s informatization policy, focusing on the goals, results, and implications of the e-government project.