Term that has two main strands, both of which Ms Park seems to be sticking to. The rallying cry of the election was “economic democratisation”, a fluffy The rise of South Korea and lessons for Canada He has lived, and taught at universities, in Korea and written extensively about the country. Thomas Klassen is an associate professor of political science at York University. Watching from the sidelines is not a good strategy in the fast-moving moving global economy.Īs Canadians become more and more enticed to spend money on Korean goods and services, they might well consider that if a dirt poor country can become rich in 50 years, could not a wealthy country become poor in the next 50? These countries represent so little of Canada’s annual trade that the total dollar amount is a rounding error.Ĭanada, after more than a decade of negotiations, is still uncertain if it wishes to sign a trade agreement with the European Union, India, Korea or any major economy.
#6.04 THE KOREAN WAR ASSIGNMENT FREE#
Canada, on the other hand, in the past 10 years, managed to implemented free trade agreements with Colombia, Iceland, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Norway, Peru and Switzerland. and the 27 countries of the European Union. In the past two years, Korea has signed and implemented free trade agreements with the U.S. Not surprisingly, the firms moving first and fast obtained the best market share. In contrast, Japanese and other firms were hesitant, waiting to see if China would truly adopt a market economy. Korean students embraced learning Mandarin, in addition to English. Korean manufacturers responded swiftly by sending their staff to China to supervise the newly opened plants. Twenty years ago, when China opened its doors to the outside, Korean firms were the first to take advantage from a billion more customers. The last lesson that Canadians can learn from Korea is that success depends on reacting quickly to developments. The results are only now becoming apparent, as shown by the sensation of “Gangnam Style.” In its successful bid for the for the 2018 Winter Olympics, government, business and other groups worked together for more two decades, and through two failed bids.
This decision marshalled government departments, from education to foreign affairs to finance, to increase national capacity in this sector of the economy. A decade ago the Korean government made it a priority to strengthen the entertainment and cultural sector, after concluding that the nation could no longer compete in some manufacturing industries with lower-wage economies. The second lesson for Canada is that government strategy and support are essential for industries and individuals to compete, and succeed, internationally. If there was ever an argument for constitutional reform in Canada, it is surely to grant the federal government a role in ensuring that the nation’s universities, colleges and private vocational schools operate in a strategic manner in a knowledge economy. That Canada has no national post-secondary education department or strategy is incomprehensible to all international observers. Canada, blessed with a land mass 100 times that of South Korea, and abundant natural resources, fails to prioritize education. The achievements of Korea are the direct result of a skilled workforce, as the country lacks natural resources and has no sources of energy. That many Koreans are willing and able to learn English and study overseas, allows them to access the world markets, be it in science, diplomacy or business. Knowledge, both theoretical and applied, is essential in designing and manufacturing cars, supertankers, mobile phones, and making movies and videos.
#6.04 THE KOREAN WAR ASSIGNMENT DRIVER#
What are the lessons for Canada from Korea’s rapid rise on the world stage?įirst, that post-secondary education is the main driver of success in the global marketplace. Now Korea outpaces Canada and the gap grows each year. Until five years ago, Canada’s GDP was greater than Korea’s. The success of Korea is particularly astounding since until the 1960s the nation was dirt poor, having suffered a brutal period of Japanese colonization followed by the devastation of the Korean War. are spending more than $3 billion to build wind and solar energy plants. In Ontario, Samsung and the Korea Electric Power Corp. The epic battle between Apple and Samsung for dominance in mobile devices is testament that Korean companies stand second to none. In the past decade Korean companies, Samsung, LG, Hyundai and others, have become household names across the globe. “Gangnam Style,” a song by the Korean rapper Psy, has become the most watched video on YouTube. The secretary-general of the United Nations is Korean, the head of the World Bank is a Korean-American.