This paper seeks to explain the politics of social policy in Korea after the economic crisis of 1997/98, by focusing on the role of advocacy coalitions. It shows that "welfare idealists" were able to succeed in introducing the Minimum Living Standard Guarantee (MLSG) by seizing a number of strategic points of decision making in Korea, and explains why Korea adopted active social policy initiatives beyond the functional requirements of structural adjustment. The introduction of MLSG, which recognizes the right of every citizen to a decent living, means that social protection has become an integral social policy goal in Korea.
This article has been published in Policy & Politics, Vol. 31, No.1, 2002, pp.69-83, and is posted on the UNRISD site with permission. For more information on the journal, please consult
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