Justifying the Desire for Prosperity: Comparative Review on Modernizing Economy in Asia

Panel Convenor(s)

• SH

  Sinae Hyun

  Institute for East Asian Studies, Sogang University, Republic of Korea

Panel Chair(s)

• JL

  Jaehyon Lee

  Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Republic of Korea

Presenter(s)

• JP

  Jung Hoon Park

  Pusan National University, Republic of Korea

Co-Presenter(s)

• WK

  Woo Jeong Ko

  Sungshin Women's University, Republic of Korea

Presenter(s)

• KJ

  Kyung Jin Jeon

  Sogang University, Republic of Korea
• JK

  Jong Ho Kim

  Sogang University, Republic of Korea

Since the end of the Second World War, newly emerged modern nation-states in Asia have strived to achieve economic growth to guarantee their autonomy and prosperity against the historical backdrop of decolonization. Indeed, economic independence became the first agenda for most Asian countries determined to overcome nightmares of exploitation and destruction under the colonial regime. Expansion of the foreign aid programs by the Western countries contributed to the strengthening power of the state as a manager of the national economy. Many Asian countries have pursued state-driven development policies ranging from five-year national development programs to nationalization regulations. These state-driven policies, however, did not always bring the desired results, especially in the dimensions of a democratic system, human and labor rights, and economic redistribution. The violent clash between developmentalist dictatorship and democratization movements has become a hallmark of the economic growth in Asia in the past half a century.        

The proposed panel looks at the downside of economic prosperity in Asian countries by investigating the evolution of state-driven development policies and their impacts from socio-political, historical, and economic perspectives. As many have argued, the concentration of natural and human resources for industrial development and consequent economic growth came at the expense of political progress in many Asian countries. What is more concerning is that several countries are now witnessing the return of developmental authoritarianism after multiple financial crises have swept Asia since 1997. The call for strong state and big government coincided with the resurgence of conservatism, making a critical survey and reflection on the impacts of the state-driven development policies all the more imperative. 
Park and Ko’s paper examines how economic growth has justified populist authoritarianism and affected the people’s perceptions of democratic value and commitment based on a multinational survey in Asia and Europe. Jeon’s paper investigates the intimate relations between the national conscription and state manipulation of the “economic population” especially on their views and practices of cashless society in Singapore and South Korea. Kim’s paper explores a relatively less-known historical relationship between Singapore and North Korea that shared similar views on decolonization and desires for rapid industrialization. All these case studies vividly show how the varying practices of justifying a state's desire for prosperity affect their own people’s view of the gains and pains of economic development.
Institutional panel by: Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (KISEAS) and Korean Association of Southeast Asian Studies (KASEAS)

Presentations:

• 13:00 – 14:45 (GMT+7)

  Social capital and democratic support in Asia: Evidence from a cross-national analysis
  

  Presenter: Jung Hoon Park – Pusan National University

  Co-Presenter: Woo Jeong Ko – Sungshin Women's University
• 13:00 – 14:45 (GMT+7)

  Enforcing "Cashless Society" through Conscription in Developmental States: Case Studies from Singapore and South Korea
  

  Presenter: Kyung Jin Jeon – Sogang University
• 13:00 – 14:45 (GMT+7)

  Lee Kuan-Yew and Kim Il-sung: Industrial Connection for Economic Prosperities in Singapore and North Korea during the Cold War
  

  Presenter: Jong Ho Kim – Sogang University