The growth of the Republic of Korea?s wealth and democracy throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s have been well researched and documented. However, much less is written about the extremely difficult and eventful process as the nation transformed itself into one of the world?s leading technological and cultural leaders since then. The book provides keen insight into the developmental histroy of the Republic of Korea as it willingly and sometimes reluctantly embraced the phenomena of globalization, spanning from the 1997 financial crisis to the international phenomenon of K-pop. Not only are the nation?s policy choices documented in detail but also the overwhelming and arduous socio-cultural transformations endured by its people, as the nation moved on from being "coerced" by globalization to one that "leads." The result is a fascinating comparative account of economic and social development in the late 20th and early 21st century as well as a compass for what side effects there may be as societies embrace globalization.