아시아적 가치와 한국의 정부혁신

Abstract

Asian values were evaluated as a driving force for the rapid economic development of Asian countries. Asian values including family and community care, diligence, order, education, and frugality contributed to mobilize people for economic development. However, Western scholars asserted that Asian values resulted in some harmful effects. According to their assertions, the East Asian economic development model based on Asian values led to authoritarian and inefficient government, undemocratic dictatorship, unstable free market economies due to comprehensive government intervention, and irrational state operation with nepotism and favoritism. They even stressed Asian values were sources of the economic crisis that occurred in 1997. The Innovative Government based on Neo-liberalism was presented as an alternative to the economic crisis. Regarding strong countries and strong government as the causes of the problem, it proposed small government as an alternative. Roles and functions of government were reduced while The privatization of public sector and public-private consignment were promoted. The value of the market enabled by deregulation and economic liberalism became the core of the national innovation plan. However, Korean government innovation based on Neo-liberalism has a problem of relevance. First, the small government is not suitable for overcoming public problems caused by rapid industrialization in Korea. Putting a top priority on the economic value, it also ignores political values or social values. Democracy and equity need to be emphasized to address many problems facing current Korean society. Even though Neo-liberalism become the dominant values in the world, we need to be careful in taking it as panacea. A strategic and flexible application of Asian values and Neo-liberalism is desired to achieve Korean welfare state.