Mega-Events and Mega-Ambitions: South Koreas Rise and the Strategic Use of the Big Four Events

This book provides a holistic analysis of South Koreas 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 countrys rapid growth, and across varying stages of economic and political development. It explains how mega-events helped to secure South Koreas 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 Koreas progress. It thereby highlights the broader implications for todays 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.