The Political Economy of Policy Gridlock in South Korea: The Case of the Lee Myung-bak Government's Green Growth Policy

This article analyzes the occurrence, development, results, and special features of policy gridlock in South Korea's green growth (GG) policy from a political–economic perspective. Analysis is based on the claim that the relationships that the government has formed with other relevant policy actors—including the National Assembly, market players, and civil society—underpin the critical political–economic causes of the gridlock. Research results show that the characteristics of the relationships that the government has formed with those actors, as well as the complex interactions among them (such as intervening in other actor–government relationships and pursuing either conflict or cooperation with one another), have functioned as direct causes of policy gridlock. Based on these findings, the article explores the theoretical implications of the study of policy gridlock and the comparative international implications for global efforts toward GG, while considering South Korea's intermediate position in the global GG community. Related Articles Harris, Paul. 2008. “Bringing the In-Between Back In: Foreign Policy in Global Environmental Politics.” Politics & Policy 36 (6): 914-943. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00145.x/abstract Levine, Stephen. 2007. “Asian Values and the Asia Pacific Community: Shared Interests and Common Concerns.” Politics & Policy 35 (1): 102-135. Kane, John, Hui-Chieh Loy, and Haig Patapan. 2010. “Introduction to the Special Issue: The Search for Legitimacy in Asia.” Politics & Policy 38 (3): 381-394. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00240.x/abstract Related Media Film Clips: President M. B. Lee. 2009. “Green Growth—Korea's Key to a Better Future.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6KE-NDDJE Democracy Now. 2008. “South Koreans Fill the Streets of Seoul to Continue Protest against U.S. Beef Imports.” http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/7/south_koreans_fill_streets_of_seoul Kosch O'Donnell, Jill. 2011. “Korea's 97 Billion Dollar Question: What Is Green Growth?” The Asian Foundation. June 15. http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2011/06/15/koreas-97-billion-dollar-question-what-is-green-growth/ Este estudio analiza la incidencia, desarrollo, resultados y caracteristicas especiales del estancamiento de politicas de crecimiento sustentable en Corea del Norte desde una perspectiva politico-economica. El analisis se basa en el argumento de que las relaciones que el gobierno ha formado con otros actores politicos relevantes—incluyendo a la Asamblea Nacional, el sector empresarial y la sociedad civil—son el principal aspecto politico-economico de las causas del estancamiento. Nuestra investigacion muestra que las caracteristicas de las relaciones que el gobierno ha formado con estos actores, asi como las complejas interacciones entre estos (como la intervencion en otra relacion agente-gobierno y la busqueda de conflicto o cooperacion entre ellos), han sido la causa directa del estancamiento de las politicas de crecimiento sustentable. En base a estos resultados, este articulo explora las implicaciones teoreticas del estancamiento politico y las implicaciones comparativas internacionales para los esfuerzos globales hacia el crecimiento sustentable, mientras se considera la posicion intermedia de Corea del Sur en la comunidad del crecimiento sustentable.