Introduction: South Korea and the Antinomies of Neo-Liberal Globalisation

Abstract This paper introduces the special issue that addresses the challenges of globalisation that face contemporary South Korea. Before briefly introducing each of the articles that comprise the special issue, this paper provides some basic contextualisation, suggesting that Korea is a useful case for understanding the pressures and resistances associated with neo-liberal globalisation that define domestic responses to exhortations for internationalisation made by both domestic and global actors. Key Words: Globalisationneo-liberalismresistancedevelopmentalist stateinternationalisation Acknowledgement In December 2008, a group of academics were brought together by the Graduate School of Governance of SungKyunKwan University (SKKU) and the Journal of Contemporary Asia to discuss globalisation and its local impacts. This symposium on “Globalisation of South Korea: Its Impact and Opportunities” was financially supported by the Graduate School of Governance's Brain Korea 21 fund. The special issue co-editors wish to express their gratitude to the Graduate School of Governance at SKKU, all of the participants who generously provided their papers, ideas and support, and Vedi Hadiz, Jim Glassman, Richard Westra and Geoff Gunn – members of the Journal of Contemporary Asia editorial board – who attended.