Insulation with Solidarity as a Political Condition for Implementation of Polarized Development Strategy: the South Korean Experience and its Theoretical Implications

Polarized development strategy was a standard policy tool in the development of underdeveloped countries during the 1960s and 1970s and today it continues to be so in its evolved forms. For polarized development strategy to be successful, it is critical that the central state be insulated from local growth alliances that attempt to take resources into their own backyards, even if that is against the interest of the national economy as a whole. At the same time, if the state is completely insulated, it will not have enough political support to maintain its power and implement policies. Therefore, solidarity with a small number of regions is also important. This paper demonstrates this point through a theoretical discussion of polarized development strategy and an empirical analysis of South Korea's experience.