In 1962, South Korea assembled just 1,100 new automobiles. By 1996, this
total had soared to 2,812,714. What explains this remarkable growth? The
answer is complex, and involves a combination of a supportive State,
timely technology alliances, a skilled but historically low-paid
workforce, aggressive pricing, savvy entrepreneurs, and fortuitous
circumstances. Despite this amazing ascent, comparatively little has
been written about the Korean auto industry in English. In the first of
a two-volume set, this 11-chapter book seeks to help fill this void by
providing in-depth examinations of all six of Korea's automakers from
their beginnings through 1996. Uniquely written from the perspective of
industry analysts at the time (without knowledge of the Asian Fiscal
Crisis), the book should prove informative to practitioners, scholars,
and students interested in automotive history, international political
economy, Asian studies, and more.