International Perceptions of South Korea as Development Partner: Attractions and Strategic Implications

Abstract

Unlike a number of other Asian donors and development partners, including Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member Japan, South Korea has received an almost unqualified welcome as a provider of international assistance. This paper analyses why this is the case, examining three groupings of international actors: 'traditional' OECD-DAC Western donors; other Asian development partners, both DAC and non-DAC; and recipient countries. For each grouping, it offers a specific set of interests and contexts that have enabled South Korea to relatively successfully advance itself in the international development landscape. By demonstrating the disparate international perceptions of South Korea as a development partner, this paper reveals international actors' strategic imperatives, and provides a critical reflection on the emerging discursive frames and institutional ecology of contemporary development.