Korea in the New Asia

Since the late 1970s a number of regional developments have impacted upon South Korea’s political and economic standing in Asia. China’s spectacular growth and closer integration with its neighbouring economies, along with a tendency toward more assertive political and diplomatic activity, have deeply altered both the economic and political East Asian environment. Simultaneously, the 1997-98 financial crisis catalysed a process of increased regional co-operation in East Asia. China’s rise has im