Korea's Competitive Edge. Managing the Entry into World Markets.

Korea's remarkable export growth is the envy of much of the developing world. The purpose of this book is to broaden the discussion of Korea's competitive edge by developing the two foregoing themes: the first has to do with the intricacies and inner workings of the main institutions for export promotion in Korea; and the second with the selectivity possible in acquiring technology and marketing products over seas. The book: (a) describes the system of export incentives; (b) examines the way exporters regard two key institutions of the Korean incentive system - the export targets and monthly trade promotion meetings - and we spell out some of the contribution of those institutions to informational efficiency and to the effectiveness of the entire system of export promotion; (c) examines the way of acquiring technology that Korean exporters regard as important for their main products and processes - and what is involved in mastering new technology; (d) examines who does what in marketing Korean exports; and (e) explains the probable causes of Korea's setbacks in the late 1970s, speculate about some of the challenges Korean exporters face in the 1980s, and detail some of the lessons of Korea's experience for other developing countries.