Abstract
Article type: Conceptual paper Purpose-Political scientists have written about the South Korean state as a garrison state, a developmental state, and a neoliberal state. Instead of focusing on institutional attributes that characterize regime type, this article examines the rationalities and techniques of government deployed since South Korea's founding in 1948. Design/methodology/approach-This article focuses on three issues identified as emblematic of unruliness: military service avoidance, criminality/espionage, and non-productivity. The first two illustrate how sovereign power came to be established. The third example illustrates how governing rationalities have shifted since the 1990s. Findings-In spite of the authoritarian character of the Park Chung Hee regime, actions that seemed to equalize duty and punishment helped establish South Korea's "state-ness." As for governmentality in contemporary South Korea, neoliberal rationality and techniques do not act as a democratizing force, and authoritarian government remains within the general horizon of the political. Practical implications-By focusing on rationalities and techniques of government, this article has shown the importance of critically evaluating discourses and policies that emphasize self-Autonomy, self-responsibility, and tolerance. Originality/value-This article points to the value of examining the rationalities and techniques of government in various domains.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 51-65 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | North Korean Review |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 Mar 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Cultural Studies
- History
- Sociology and Political Science
- Political Science and International Relations
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
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War politics, visuality and governmentality in South Korea. / Em, Henry Hungsun.
In: North Korean Review, Vol. 12, No. 1, 01.03.2016, p. 51-65.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - War politics, visuality and governmentality in South Korea
AU - Em, Henry Hungsun
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - Article type: Conceptual paper Purpose-Political scientists have written about the South Korean state as a garrison state, a developmental state, and a neoliberal state. Instead of focusing on institutional attributes that characterize regime type, this article examines the rationalities and techniques of government deployed since South Korea's founding in 1948. Design/methodology/approach-This article focuses on three issues identified as emblematic of unruliness: military service avoidance, criminality/espionage, and non-productivity. The first two illustrate how sovereign power came to be established. The third example illustrates how governing rationalities have shifted since the 1990s. Findings-In spite of the authoritarian character of the Park Chung Hee regime, actions that seemed to equalize duty and punishment helped establish South Korea's "state-ness." As for governmentality in contemporary South Korea, neoliberal rationality and techniques do not act as a democratizing force, and authoritarian government remains within the general horizon of the political. Practical implications-By focusing on rationalities and techniques of government, this article has shown the importance of critically evaluating discourses and policies that emphasize self-Autonomy, self-responsibility, and tolerance. Originality/value-This article points to the value of examining the rationalities and techniques of government in various domains.
AB - Article type: Conceptual paper Purpose-Political scientists have written about the South Korean state as a garrison state, a developmental state, and a neoliberal state. Instead of focusing on institutional attributes that characterize regime type, this article examines the rationalities and techniques of government deployed since South Korea's founding in 1948. Design/methodology/approach-This article focuses on three issues identified as emblematic of unruliness: military service avoidance, criminality/espionage, and non-productivity. The first two illustrate how sovereign power came to be established. The third example illustrates how governing rationalities have shifted since the 1990s. Findings-In spite of the authoritarian character of the Park Chung Hee regime, actions that seemed to equalize duty and punishment helped establish South Korea's "state-ness." As for governmentality in contemporary South Korea, neoliberal rationality and techniques do not act as a democratizing force, and authoritarian government remains within the general horizon of the political. Practical implications-By focusing on rationalities and techniques of government, this article has shown the importance of critically evaluating discourses and policies that emphasize self-Autonomy, self-responsibility, and tolerance. Originality/value-This article points to the value of examining the rationalities and techniques of government in various domains.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85020531892&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020531892
VL - 12
SP - 51
EP - 65
JO - North Korean Review
JF - North Korean Review
SN - 1551-2789
IS - 1
ER -