Commons Perspectives in South Korea (Context, Fields, and Alternatives)

Since its founding in 2011, the Research Center on the Commons and Sustainable Society has been at the forefront of Commons Research in South Korea. This book brings together the discoveries and insights the Center has produced in its first decade, as a contribution to international commons research and to the understanding of the commons in South Korea particularly.

Divided into five main parts, the book charts the course of commons research in South Korea. Part I surveys the historical background to commons thinking through the course of its foundation as a dictator-led developmental state through to its current democratic and neoliberal status quo. Following on from this, Part II looks at how diverse commons perspectives have taken root during this period. Part III then analyses the various specific fields through which commons research in Korea has grown. After this, Part IV presents the fruits of this commons research—the alternative policies and social actions that have been proposed for Korean society. Lastly, Part V addresses the remaining challenges which ongoing commons research in Korea is seeking to address.

An insightful resource for scholars of both Korean political economy and commons studies more broadly.