Rethinking state capacity: A comparative study on the colonial state and the neoliberal state in Korea

This study examines a transformation of the state capacity through a comparative analysis on the Irrigation Association Project (IAP) of the colonial state in the early colonial Korea (1910-1930) and the New Town Project (NTP) of the neoliberal regimes (2002-2010) in South Korea.  On a comparative-historical perspective, we could answer the following puzzles as analyzing two historical institutions: First, what are institutional efforts to consist of state capacity?  Second, how does the state try to formulate institutional interactions vis-à-vis a society?  Third, how can the society respond such an institutional framework?  Fourth, what is a critical factor to transform state capacity?

In the early colonial Korea, the colonial state tried to achieve state’s economic and political purpose by constructing efficient governance structure through the IAP.  These institutional efforts were propelled by strong state capacity by producing institutionalized interactions with colonial society.  Landlord class positively responded to such an incentive structure in order to maximize their economic interest.  Peasants and tenants, however, were structurally excluded from the institutional framework, and they objected to being incorporated within the IAP.

In the beginning of twenty-first century, the neoliberal state initiated the NTP at the metropolitan areas for the economic stimulus and the political interest.  Land and building owners and the capital sector – construction corporations and financial institutions – actively responded to such an incentive structure in order to maximize their economic interest.  However, small land and building owners opposed to being incorporated this structure, and tenants were structurally excluded from this institutional framework.  Particularly, the global economic crises brought a political cleavage about incentive structure among the state, the society, and the capital sector.  Consequently, forces of global factors and a growing organizational capacity of the society against the NTP have overwhelmed forces of state capacity to promote the NTP.