Regional ties and discrimination: Political change, economic crisis, and job displacements in South Korea, 1997-99

초록

Probing into the incidence of job displacements during the 1997-99 recession period, this study offers theoretically grounded micro-causal explanations for regional ties and regional discrimination in South Korea. Our statistical analysis reveals the significant impact of a worker's birth region (the basis of regional ties and discrimination) on the layoff process. Native Kyongsang workers are found to have faced higher rates of layoff in Seoul-Kyongki regional firms than native Jolla workers during the recession period. The Kyongsang-Jolla layoff rate gap is mainly due to differential treatment rather than a difference in observable characteristics. The findings suggest that the problem of regional ties and regional discrimination is more deep-rooted and widespread in South Korea than previously reported.

키워드