ABSTRACT
Despite the lingering Japanese colonial legacy, devastating impacts of the Korean War, and poor resource endowment, South Korea has transformed itself from one of the poorest nations to the 11 th largest economy in the world in a relatively short span. Its dynamic transformation has underscored a convincing pathway to the core from the periphery. The developmental state, strategic industrial policy, and network synergy of the government and business were often singled out as secrets of South Korea’s paramount ascension to the core, all of which were manifested in a subtle form of (neo-) mercantile ideas and practices. Its renowned outward-looking orientation notwithstanding, South Korea had long remained a protectionist state (Amsden, 1989; Wade, 1990).
