This study argues that Korea's donor identity in the field of international development cooperation is best understood as a hybrid donor that represents both traditional and emerging donor traits. As a recent member of the OECD-DAC, Korea adopted established donors' initiatives to implement normative values such as human rights and gender equality in ODA, however, still provides economic oriented development cooperation. This dissertation defines Korea as a hybrid donor as it maintains both established/traditional and emerging/non-traditional characteristics of donor actors. To deepen the understanding of Korea's hybrid donor identity that has become increasingly apparent in recent years, it is crucial to examine the changing aid architecture of South Korea and the drivers behind the shift, with a focus on the time following the candlelight vigil in 2016 to demand resignation of President Park from Conservative Party. The candlelight protest led to President Moon from Democratic Party being elected posing considerable pressure to reform Korea's development cooperation especially since President Park was found guilty of abusing development cooperation projects for her personal gains. The political scandal made the strong state-capital connections more visible and how problematic it has been in development cooperation projects. Based on a case study approach that uses field interviews and an analysis of policy reports published by aid stakeholders in Korea, this research shows that there is dual pressure on Korea to align with global norms and promote national interest through aid. This study looks at how Korea's aid policy resembles a hybrid donor and identify the key determinants of Korea's aid policy and identity. In particular, this study finds that shift to hybrid donorship has been driven by President Moon's desire for a more normative, human right based agenda and strengthening the role of civil societies. However, the discussion emphasises the difficulties in extending this normative approach outside KOICA and emphasis on national interests in foreign aid embraced by prior administrations. Despite efforts to implement normative ideals, this dissertation argues that Moon Jae-in's New Southern Policy (NSP) demonstrates that Korea's development cooperation remains guided by geopolitical interests, with a heavy regional emphasis on countries where cooperation may bring economic benefits for Korean enterprises. By looking at Korea's struggles over its hybrid identity, this study intends to contribute to the wider field of development studies and provide insight into how other emerging and Southern donors may find themselves faced with similar tension between normative and strategic motivations for development cooperation. This study concludes with prospective areas of research that this research can contribute to research in the field of development studies.
Date of Award | 1 Aug 2023 |
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Original language | English |
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Awarding Institution | - The University of Manchester
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Supervisor | Admos Chimhowu (Supervisor) & Jamie Doucette (Supervisor) |
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- donor identity
- gender and development
- hybrid donorship
- emerging donors
- Korea's development cooperation
A hybrid donor: Navigating the shift in Korea's donor identity and international development cooperation policies
Lee, J. (Author). 1 Aug 2023
Student thesis: Phd