1st Edition

The Political Economy of Foreign Direct Investment in Korea Evolution, Dynamics, and Contradictions

By You-il Lee, Richard Lee, Yoon-Jong Jang Copyright 2026
174 Pages
by Routledge

174 Pages
by Routledge

One of the most spectacular phenomena in the South Korean political economy has been the remarkable escalation of international capital investment, particularly inward foreign direct investment (FDI). This book provides an in-depth look at the evolution of FDI in Korea, from the late 1990s to the present day. Charting Korea’s transition from state-led capitalism to a more liberalized... Read more

List of Tables
Authors
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

1. Introduction: South Korea at a Glance
2. Political Economy of Korea: Moon Jae-in to Yoon Seok Yeol
3. Evolution of Inward Foreign Direct Investment in Korea
4. Korean Market Environment for International Business
5. A Multi-Dimensional FDI Framework for MNCs’ R&D Centre Investments

6. Discussion and Suggestions for FDI in Korea

7. Concluding Observations

Bibliography
Index

Biography

You-il Lee is a political economist and Dean of Programs (Management and Marketing) at the University of South Australia Business. His research explores globalization and regionalism's socio-economic and political impacts.

Richard Lee is Professor of Marketing at the University of South Australia. Prior to joining the university in 2007, Richard spent 15 years managing marketing functions with MNCs in Asia.

Yoon-Jong Jang is Visiting Senior Fellow at the Korea Development Institute. His research focuses on Korean industry globalization and AI-driven transformation.