Abstract
After a brief comparison of data on small and medium-sized enterprises in the four Asian newly industrialized economies (Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan), this paper deals with the existing or potential role of small firms in Korea's industrialization process; it reviews Korea's industrial heritage up to the post-Korean war period, then concentrates on the last three decades of very rapid industrial development and on the numerous issues facing the Korean economy today, especially in the field of big versus smallmedium scale business. This particular issue is again at the centre of policy changes, debates and controversies since the beginning of the 1990's.
The major arguments of this paper can be summarized as follows: Very little is yet known about the history of Korean small entrepreneurship before World War II and how it might have affected later industrialization process after the Korean war. It seems that little indigenous industrial expertise was accumulated before and during colonial rule, this last period being dominated by the Japanese in a few big key industries, the very start of big scale business in Korea.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amsden, Alice, 1989,Asia's Next Giant South Korea and Late Industrialization, New York: Oxford University Press.
Choi, Ho Chin, 1970, ‘The Strengthening of the Economic Domination by Japanese Colonialism: 1932–45’,Korean Observer, 2 July, 51–69.
Chon, Soohyun, 1990, ‘Trade, Industrial Restructuring and Korea's Future’, paper presented at the 42nd American Association for Asian Studies' Annual Meeting, Chicago, April 7.
Chung, Kae H. and Hak Chong Lee, 1989,Korean Managerial Dynamics, New York: Praeger.
Citizens National Bank, 1988, ‘Small and Medium Industry Modernization Project: A Proposal’, Seoul: CNB.
Fields, Karl, 1990, ‘Development Capitalism and Industrial Organization: Business Groups and the State in Korea’, paper presented at the 42nd American Association for Asian Studies' Annual Meeting, Chicago, April 7.
Hamilton, Clive, 1986,Capitalist Industrialization in Korea, Boulder: Westview Press.
Han, Sun-Joo (ed.), 1985,Korea in the Year 2000. Prospects for Development and Change, Seoul: Korea Computer Press.
Ho, Sam P. S., 1980,Small-Scale Enterprise in Korea and Taiwan, Washington D.C.: The World Bank, staff working paper no 384, 44.
Jung, Ku Hyun, 1988, ‘Business-Government Relations in the Growth of Korean Business Groups’,Korean Social Science Journal 14(1), 77–82.
Kim, C. K., 1983,Policies for the Strengthening of Technological Development Capacity in Small and Medium Industries and Promotion of New Technology-Based Small and Medium Firms, Seoul: Korea Science Foundation.
Kim, Dong-Ki and Linsu Kim (eds.), 1989,Management Behind Industrialization: Readings in Korean Business, Seoul: Korea University Press.
Kim, Jae Won, 1983, ‘Subcontracting Market Expansion and Subcontracting Activities Promotion: The Case of Korea's Machinery Industry’, working paper 8305, Korea Development Institute, Seoul.
Kim, Kwang Suk and Joon-Kyung Park, 1985,Sources of Economic Growth in Korea: 1963–1982, Seoul: Korea Development Institute Press.
Kim, Kwang Suk and Michael Roemer, 1981,Growth and Structural Transformation, Studies in the Modernization of the Republic of Korea (1945–75), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (Harvard East Asian Monographs).
Kim, Kyong Dong, 1976, ‘Political Factors in the Formation of the Entrepreneurial Elite in South Korea’,Asian Survey 16, 465–477.
Lee, Kark-Bum, 1987, ‘International Division of Labor and the Small Scale Industry: The Case of Korean Automobile Parts Industry’, in Kyong-Dong Kim (ed.),Dependency Issues in Korean Development, Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 422–433.
Lee, Kyu-Uck and Jae-Hyung Lee, 1982, ‘Roles of Trade Associations and its Regulation’,Korea Development Review 4(4), 231–244.
Lee, Kyu-Uck, S. Urata and I. Choi, 1986,Recent Development in Industrial Organizational Issues in Korea, Seoul: Korea Development Institute, working paper no 8609.
Lee, Sang M., 1989, ‘Management Styles of Korean Chaebols’, in Kae H. Chung and Hak Chong Lee (eds.),Korean Managerial Dynamics, New York: Praeger, 157–169.
McNamara, Dennis, 1988, ‘Entrepreneurship in Colonial Korea: Kim Yon Su’,Modern Asian Studies 22(1), 165–177.
Michell, Tony, 1988,From a Developing to a New Industrialized Country: The Republic of Korea, 1961–82, Geneva: International Labour Office.
Ministry of Science and Technology, 1987,Annual Report for Science and Technology, Seoul: MST.
Ouh, Yoon-Bae, 1988, ‘An Inquiry into Factors Affecting the Behavioral Pattern of Korean Enterprises’,Korea Journal 13(1), 24–38.
Park, Seong-Taek, 1989,Le Ròle des Petites et Moyennes Industries dan le Processus d'Industrialisation, le Cas de la République de Corée, Grenoble: Université des Sciences Sociales de Grenoble (doctoral thesis).
Small and Medium Industry Bank, 1984,Survey on Technology Development in Small and Medium Enterprises, Seoul: SMIB.
Small and Medium Industry Bank, 1983,A Survey on Small Business Finance, Seoul: SMIB.
Small and Medium Industry Bank, 1981,Twenty Years' History of SMB, Seoul: SMIB.
Suh, Sang Chul, 1978,Growth and Structural Changes in the Korean Economy, 1910–40, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Council on East Asian Studies.
Wong, Siu-Lun, 1988,Emigrant Entrepreneurs, Shanghai Industrialists in Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
Yun, Yeo-Gyeong, 1988, ‘Promoting Small and Medium Industries: The Korean Experience’,Asian Development Review 6(2), 97–109.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Regnier, P. The dynamics of small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea and other Asian NIEs. Small Bus Econ 5, 23–36 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539316
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539316