LAS438 Political Economy of Development in South Korea and East Asia

Autumn semester 2025/26

15 credits

Module Organiser: Dr. Kahee Jo (k.jo@sheffield.ac.uk)

Overview

This module provides an in-depth exploration of the political and economic forces shaping the development trajectories of East Asian nations, with a primary focus on South Korea. It begins by introducing the concept of development in South Korea and the broader East Asian region, followed by an analysis of the so-called "East Asian Tigers." The course examines the developmental state model, particularly in South Korea, including the state capacity and dynamics of coordination under authoritarian regimes and the origins of developmental coalitions. It also addresses the expansion of the developmental state model, the impact of significant shocks such as the Asian Financial Crisis and democratisation, and the roles of corruption and cronyism in the development process. Additionally, the course considers the emergence of new developmental states in Southeast Asia and concludes with an exploration of the challenges and future directions for these states. Through a political economic lens, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolution, current dynamics, and future prospects of developmental states in East Asia.

Topics Covered

• Introduction to the Development in South Korea and East Asia

• Explaining East Asian Miracles

• The Developmental State in South Korea

• Coordination under Authoritarian Regime 

• Origin of Developmental Coalition

• Expanding the Developmental State Model

• Two shocks – Asian Financial Crisis and Democratisation

• Corruption, Cronyism and Development

• New Emerging Developmental States in Southeast Asia?

• Challenges and Future Directions

Skills Development

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the political economic foundation of South Korean and broader East Asian societies by developing comprehensive understanding of the regional development pathways

• Identify and explain the key analytical approaches to the political economy of development in East Asia

• Enhance communication skills through small or large group discussions during seminars

• Develop a capacity to conduct comparative analysis

• Create novel conceptual insights on the subject matter through empirical research

Study Hours

The University recommends that you spend 150 hours working on a 15 credit module. This will include:

• Lecture: 10 hours

• Seminar: 10 hours

• Independent study hours: 130 hrs

If you want to get ahead

• Haggard, S. (2018) Developmental states. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Link to source]

• Chang, H.-J. (2002) Kicking away the ladder : development strategy in historical perspective. London: Anthem. [Link to source]

For those who are not familiar with economics…

• The economics book. (2012). London: Dorling Kindersley. [Link to source]