ABSTRACT
Knowledge-based clusters have been a key issue in contemporary debates on regional development in a globalizing economy. A broad range of government organizations and agencies have hailed clusters as a panacea for local and regional development. In this context, South Korea (hereafter ‘Korea’) has made substantial efforts to develop display clusters as a growth engine in a knowledge-based economy (Bok et al. 2007). Because of this enormous support from the state, large Korean firms such as Samsung Electronics (now Samsung Display) and LG Electronics (now LG Display) have made strategic investments in the display sector, enabling it to grow rapidly. Samsung Display and LG Display rank first and second, respectively, in the global liquid crystal display (LCD) market in terms of the market share. 1 In addition, Korea has witnessed the successful emergence of display clusters, including those in Asan-Tangjeong (Southern Chungcheong Province) and Paju (Gyeoggi Province). This study (re)illuminates the role of the state in spearheading the creation of globalized display clusters in Korea.
