Network embeddedness under developmental state: the case of Korean TV drama industry

Abstract This study examines the concurrent roles of public agencies and private actors in the industrial development of East Asia. We introduce a network governance system under the developmental state framework and illustrate the evolving roles and mutual adaptations of these agencies and actors. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, we analyze the development of the Korean TV drama industry. Our research indicates that this development is neither entirely state-led nor market-driven; rather, it relies on the collaborative actions of both the state and the industry. These actions manifest in a network-based production system composed of small- and medium-sized firms. Our study also demonstrates that this governance system necessitates a pre-existing interdependent relationship between the state and industry. Our work broadens the prevailing state-led approach to industrial development in East Asia, offering an alternative perspective that frames the efforts of the state and private entities as concurrent rather than competing explanations.