Industrial relations in Korea

Abstract

The recent Asian economic crisis events in Korea point to its industrial relations diverging from those of the other Asian, newly industrialised economies. The state-centred thesis of Asian Industrial relations does not adequately account for the divergence. This article traces industrial relations under the different political regimes and in the large-scale family businesses, the chaebol. It concludes that the long tradition of labour organisation and the privileged position of the chaebol help explain the uniqueness of industrial relations in Korea today.