Mega-Events and Mega-Ambitions: South Korea’s Rise and the Strategic Use of the Big Four Events

"Mega-events have become an increasingly controversial topic, with supporters arguing that they contribute to economic development and detractors contending that they are fiscally irresponsible and impose serious costs on residents and local businesses subject to displacement. This examination of South Korean mega-events indicates the circumstances under which they can make a contribution to national goals, shows how their effects differ within developed and developing countries, and highlights the politics of the developmental state in shaping the events. It is an extremely important contribution to the literature." (Susan S. Fainstein - Senior Research Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Design, USA) "South Korea has embraced mega-events more than any other country, yet until now, the rationale and experience has not been widely accessible. Mega-Events and Mega-Ambitions rigorously addresses the political and economic motives and implications of Korea's strategies to leverage events for urban, regional and national influence and development. An essential volume for anyone interested in mega-events, urban development and the use of soft power." (Mark Wilson, Professor, School of Planning, Design and Construction, Program Leader, Urban and Regional Planning, Michigan State University, USA) "This is an insightful piece of work on how a series of mega-events were instrumentalized for national economic development and political leadership and, in turn, how they constituted the nature of the developmental state. The authors effectively demonstrate that developmentalism penetrates through the four different mega-events at different times. At the same time, they trace how the interaction between the Korean developmental state and the mega-event has evolved in various contexts. Readers who are interested in developmental states and the politics of mega-events in the era of symbolic economy will gain perspectives from the contextualized case studies of this work." (HaeRan Shin, Associate Professor of Geography, Department of Geography, Seoul National University, Korea)

This book provides a holistic analysis of South Korea’s strategic use of mega-events in its modern development.This book provides a holistic analysis of South Korea’s strategic use of mega-events in its modern development. It examines the Summer Olympics (1988), the World Expo (1993), the FIFA World Cup (2002), and the Winter Olympics (2018) over the past 30 years of the country’s rapid growth, and across varying stages of economic and political development. It explains how mega-events helped to secure South Korea’s position on the international stage, boost nationalism, propel economic growth in export-oriented national companies, and build cities that accommodate – as well as represent – South Korea’s progress. It thereby highlights the broader implications for today’s global phenomenon of increasing reliance on mega-events as a catalyst for development, while the criticism that mega-events do more harm than good proliferates. The book is ideal for academics, policymakers, and those with an interest in mega-events and their role in the development of non-western countries.