South Korea transformed itself from an authoritarian government into a new democracy with a capitalist economy. Covering developments through the 2003 elections, this book shows how the South Korean government and society have been shaped by the dynamics of these forces, and their interaction with the cultural norms of a post-Confucian society.

1: Introduction; 1: Historical Context; 2: Taking Culture Seriously; 3: Democratization by Launching the Sixth Republic of Korea (ROK); 4: "Reform Halfway Down?"; 2: Policy Patterns and Processes; 5: Responses to Globalization; 6: Global Political Economy and the Korean State; 7: Foreign Policy and Democracy; 3: Future Prospects; 8: New Democracy for Korean Society and Politics; 9: Transforming Korean Politics?; Transforming Electoral Politics Through Presidential Impeachment; Postscript