COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PARK CHUNG HEE’S AND AUGUSTO PINOCHET’S GOVERNMENTS LABOR CONTROL POLICY

Abstract

The large number of laborers was a part of the manufacturing factors during the industrial development of South Korea under an authoritarian government in order to control labor as a manufacturing factor and for the stability of the government is significant. Chile is also another country that had success in developing its economy under a militant government. The two countries have labor control policies regulated due to the fact that it involves the economic sector. Moreover, as labor is also a large group that influences the politics, this study tried to search for the similarities and differences of the labor control policies and the reasons for the policies created by the Park Chung-Hee’s government (1961-1979) and Augusto Pinochet’s government (1973-1989). Based on secondary sources, this thesis found that the purpose of controlling the labor of the two countries were for their political and economic stability, for the elimination of rivals and left-wing idealists which infiltrated the labor class to prevent excessive political authority possession, and for economic development which is the most important target of the authoritarian government to create legitimacy of their rule. Labor is another factor affecting the economic system. Therefore, the low wages and negotiation limit should be controlled in order to attract investment and foreign investors. However, the intensive labor control was different. Initially, Chilean labor force was powerful and united, so Pinochet’s labor control has been achieved through violent suppression and then he has stepped down from his position during economic development process. In contrast, South Korean labor force was not powerful and lack of unity comparing to Chile. As a result, the rights and freedom of people were suspended during Park Chung-Hee’s Yushin Constitution period.