Evolution of new spatial division of labour and spatial dynamics in Korea

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the evolution of the spatial division of labour and spatial dynamics in Korea in relation to industrial restructuring and technological development. The two restructuring processes in the 1990s, which were related to the labour movement in the late 1980s and to the financial crisis in 1997, had considerable impact on the dynamics of the Capital Region in Korea. In the processes of spatial restructuring in the Capital Region, four factors have been significant: distance, density of network, path dependency and creation, and ICT development. The improvement of transferability has impacted on both sides of the coin: localization and long‐distance networks. The cluster of service activities, especially knowledge‐based advanced services in Seoul, on the one hand, and long‐distance networks of service activities, on the other, have been promoted in recent years. Based on the result of the analysis, several policy implications are suggested with regard to the knowledge‐based information society and the ageing society of Korea. Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es investigar la evolución de la división espacial laboral y dinámica espacial en Corea relacionada con la reestructuración espacial y el desarrollo tecnológico. Los dos procesos de reestructuración de los años 90, relacionados con el movimiento laboral de finales de los 80 y la crisis financiera de 1997 tuvieron un impacto considerable en Corea en la dinámica de la Región Capital. Han sido cuatro los factores significativos en los procesos de reestructuración en la Región Capital: distancia, densidad de la red, dependencia y creación de rutas, y desarrollo de TIC. La mejora en la transferibilidad ha tenido un impacto en ambas caras de la moneda: localización y redes de larga distancia. En los últimos años se ha fomentado por una parte el conglomerado de actividades de servicios, especialmente servicios avanzados de conocimiento en Seúl, y por otra parte las redes de larga distancia de actividades de servicios. Con base en el resultado de los análisis, sugerimos varias implicaciones en cuanto a políticas relacionadas con la sociedad de la información basada en el conocimiento y el envejecimiento de la sociedad coreana.

Regional development in the global economy: A dynamic perspective of strategic coupling in global production networks

“…Even in the more developmental and 'organic' mode of 'indigenous innovation' in South Korea, the enormous state-sanctioned benefits received by leading chaebol or conglomerates (e.g., Samsung, LG and Hyundai) and their spatially concentrated production networks within South Korea have created some ruptures (e.g., political exclusion) and frictions (e.g., social and class conflicts) within the national economy. In globalized industries such as automobiles (e.g., Park 2003Park , 2005 and electronics (Lee 2009;Park and Koo 2010;Lee et al 2014), the highly spatially selective anchoring of the GPNs by these leading chaebol in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (e.g., Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi) and southeast region (e.g., Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam) has been shown to exacerbate seriously pre-existing regional differences and socio-economic inequalities. As these South Korean chaebols continue to reorganize and restructure their home region-embedded production networks, the degree of regional asset specificity -measured by the growing share and dependency of local suppliers on each chaebol -is likely to increase over time.…”

The impact of the built environment on the location choices of the creative class: Evidence from Thailand

“…Proximity is thus the thread that promotes both internal production of new technologies and external spillovers. Distances, in fact, are found to play an important role in industrial restructuring and technological development in Korea (Park and Koo 2010). From here it seems reasonable to argue that information flows more fluidly within a crowded built environment than outside in the sparse open air.…”

Path dependence in regional ICT innovation: Differential evolution of Zhongguancun and Bangalore

“…The second dimension is agglomeration, wherein similar firms cluster in specific regions to take advantage of territorial proximity (Porter 1990; Krugman 1991a, 1991b). The agglomeration forms the territorial basis for stimulating innovation in firms through collaboration and knowledge spillovers (Cooke 2001; Park and Koo 2009).…”