The Authoritarian Developmental State and Social Welfare in Korea

Abstract

Modern welfare states have emerged from many advanced industrialised countries, their emergence dating back to the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Invariably, these states have become an intrinsic part of world capitalism. Often, when these industrial countries expanded welfare provisions, they were already fully developed democracies. The case of the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) is unique in that it illustrates how an authoritarian developmental state under a military leadership laid the groundwork for future welfare development, despite the fact that a significant portion of its financial resources is devoted to military infrastructure. Although Taiwan has caught up considerably in its social welfare provisions since its democratisation in 1987, democratisation in Korea at around the same time has also helped to consolidate and improve existing social programmes (e.g. national pension and medical insurance).

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