U.S. construction as a potential market for Korean international construction industry

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1986.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERINGBibliography: leaves 261-266.by Kab Rae Cho.M.S

Korea's overseas construction work and its impact on the Korean economy 1965-1984

The Korean overseas construction industry played a significant role in enabling Korea to make a spectacular leap from being one of the world's poorest countries in the early 1960s to become one of the newly industrialising countries by the early 1980s. The overseas construction industry's contribution to the Korean economy was particularly pronounced in the 1970s.Korea's balance of payments rapidly deteriorated in the early 1970s, as she had to pay much higher prices for raw materials to continue implementing her principal economic development strategy of processing and assembling imported raw materials and components for exports. In addition, Korea had to pay back the loans that had been taken out in the 1960s. To prevent increasing deficits in the balance of payments and to sustain Korea's rapid economic growth, the government needed a good source of foreign currency supply.To lessen her serious problem in the balance of payments, Korea needed a strategy to earn foreign currency while discouraging an excessive spending on imports. The solution was centred around exporting manpower. Fortunately, Korea had an industry that seemed as if it were designed to solve her faced economic problems: the Korean overseas construction industry, exporting manpower to overseas sites, could earn her immediately needed hard currency. Thus, the Middle East construction boom meant much to the Korean economic development.The contribution of the Korean overseas construction to her economy is as follows: improving the balance of payments, increasing national income, reducing unemployment, spurring corporate internationalisation, improving technical know-how, encouraging manpower development, increasing domestic investment, promoting related industries, and helping Government establish diplomacy with the Third World nonaligned nations. Of course, there were negative sides such as inflation and high increase of wages. However the loss was minor compared to the gain.The Korean overseas construction, in many ways, influenced not only the Korean economy but also the society: it gave her people incentives to look outwards and confidence in being a member of the international society

Chaebols, government policies and their impact on the spatial dynamics of industry and labour : the case of Samsung Group

This thesis identifies the mechanisms governing the spatial changes in Korea's industry and labour markets by focusing upon the emergence of the country's large conglomerate business organisations (chaebols). As the country has distinctive industrial organisations, production systems, labour processes and governmentbusiness relations, this study discusses the relevance of existing models to the Korean situation. It perceives the Korean economy as a system within which 'spaceorganising', large business organisations interact over time with government, smaller firms and multinational corporations at different geographical scales. The usefulness of this approach is assessed using a case study of Korea's most representative chaebol, the Samsung Group. This study identifies chaebols as the dominant institutions in Korean society. Their growth and business strategies have been controlled by the Korean Government through its power to allocate capital resources. Regional dynamics of industry and labour, therefore, have been strongly influenced by changes in the location, industrial structure, production system and labour process of chaebols. With economic power concentrated within a few giant business groups and their major areas of operation restricted, unbalanced regional development has resulted. Dissatisfaction from residents in less-developed areas has pressured the Government to advise chaebols to disperse their production facilities. Most small and medium-sized firms are closely linked to large corporations through subcontracting. By forming hierarchical subcontracting systems, chaebols have indirectly exploited scattered, part-time, home-based, female and lower-paid labourers organised by subcontractors. Further, chaebols have expanded their business arena to encompass overseas locations in a bid to overcome the problem of a small domestic market, trade regulations and increased labour costs. Through their international business networks Korea's local and regional economies are integrated into the world economy. Indeed, the identification of the changing relationships of chaebols with both the Korean Government and smaller firms is the key to explaining the nation's spatial dynamics of industry and labour

Korea-provincial and country roads project

노트 : This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization

South Korea's industrial environment

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138/2/72608.0001.001.pd

Broadband Korea

노트 : This report was prepared by Tim Kelly, Vanessa Gray and Michael Minges. It is based on research carried out from 23 to 30 May 2002 as well as articles and reports noted in the document. The assistance of the Ministry of Information and Communication, particularly Sang-Hak Lee, was indispensable and highly appreciated. The assistance of colleagues within ITU is also noted particularly Nathalie Delmas, who formatted the report and created the cover. Both Jin-Kyu Jeong and Chinyong Chong provided detailed comments. The report would not have been possible without the cooperation of the many Korean organizations who offered their time to the reportís authors. The report is one of a series examining the Internet in developing nations. Additional information is available on ITUís Internet Case Study web page at http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/. (The rest omitted