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Korea’s Global City

Structural and Political Implications of Seoul’s Ascendance in the Global Urban Hierarchy

Northwest Missouri State University, USA, KSHIN{at}nwmissouri.edu

Michael Timberlake

University of Utah, USA, timber{at}soc.utah.edu

Seoul, South Korea has risen remarkably in the global hierarchy of cities since the mid-1970s, and arguably it is now among an elite group of about 15 of the most globally central cities in the world. While it is increasingly the object of urban studies research, few efforts have specifically focused on linking social structural changes within the city to its increasingly intense participation in the global economy. The globalization and world cities perspective suggests that as cities achieve global prominence, they should experience certain social structural transformations, some of which are problematic, such as increasing polarization and marginalization. But critics of this view argue that the ‘globalizationists’ ignore the role of the state, which, to them, has a more profound influence over urban transformations. This article surveys some of the research and data on Seoul’s recent social transformation and compares these changes to the expectations of the globalization perspective and to the counter-argument that state policies are more important. We also discuss the likelihood that the Korean capital will improve or even maintain its prominence in the world-systems city system.

Key Words: Asian urbanization • mega cities • urbanization • urbanization and development • world cities

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