This book examines the spectacularly successful economies of East Asia, Japan and South Korea. The comparison of the 'catching-up' process in Japan and South Korea includes studies of the iron and steel and semi-conductor industries. The author shows the difficulties involved in trying to detect general patterns of development, as both countries appear to respond to different technological imperatives. As a result general models of development should be treated with caution, given the need to consider different historical and institutional contexts.

Jang-Sup Shin is currently working as a journalist for the Maeil Business Newspaper and TV in Seoul. He received his M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Cambridge University.

Introduction; Part 1 On Methodology; Chapter 1 Late Industrialisation and Catching-Up; Chapter 2 Technology Transfer, Technological Capability and National Systems of Innovation; Chapter 3 Institutions, Institutional Change and Catching-Up; Part 2 On Interpreting History; Chapter 4 Comparative Settings; Chapter 5 Regional Contrast in the Development of the Iron and Steel Industry in Germany, 1800-1850; Chapter 6 UK-Germany-Japan Comparison in the Iron and Steel Industry, 1850-1930; Chapter 7 USA-Japan-Korea Comparison in the Iron and Steel Industry, 1950-1990; Chapter 8 USA-Japan-Korea Comparison in the Semiconductor Industry, 1950-1993; Conclusions;