Administrative Reform in the Korean Central Government: A Case Study of the Dae Jung Kim Administration
Author(s)
Kim, Pan Suk
Abstract
This article is intended to shape both practical and theoretical discussions on Korean government reform enacted since the 1997 economic crisis. A fall in foreign currency reserves forced Korea to seek a rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 1997. The IMF’s first step was to drastically reshape Korean economic policies. With these new tasks, Korea has had little choice but to reform its institutions, systems, and bureaucratic behavior. In response to the crisis, the government has called for reform in four major sectors: business, finance, labor relations, and government administration. This article focuses mainly on current administrative reforms in the public sector in Korea. Despite the tangible progress achieved in attempts to resolve the crisis, the result for the time being is a mixed review for government reform: progress in some areas, little traction in others.
