1

Climate Change and Green Cities in South KoreaSanghun Lee, Ph. D.Assistant Professor, Faculty of Liberal ArtsHanshin UniversityNautilus-ARI Research Workshop 20 October 20101

Contents03. Green Cities in South Korea04. Conclusion01. Background of urban insecurity in South Korea 02. Green Growth A new growth strategy2

01Background of urban insecurity in South Korea 3 Environmental Fix (Noel Castree) In capitalist society, capital and state try to overcome the politico-ecological limits of growth environmental fixes Environmental fixes nature is produced in various manner according to the dominant mode of production In general, formal real fictitious subsumption of nature by capital and stateTypesEnvironmental fix 1(capital)Environmental fix 2(capital)Environmental fix 3(capital)Environmental fix 4 (state)Logic conserving resources and ecosystems by allowing them to be privatized and martketised (free market environmentalism or fictitious subsumption)extending capitals formal and/or real subsumption of nature without eco-friendly motivation (accumulation by dispossession) actively degrading protected or proscribed nonhuman phenomena yields profits (little or no regard for public or governmental perspective to nature)Off-loading responsibilities to the private sector and/or civil society groupsAdopting a minimal state stance in the first placeexamplesWetland mitigation becomes commercial opportunity to firmsmultinational firms exploited Peruvian mining industryDegrading nature for profit strategy by Canadian Methanex Co. (against California regulation on carcinogen products)1) Water privatization in Britain2) Contracting out of water testing in Ontario1) Entrophy and Limits of Growth01. Background of urban insecurity of South Korea41) Entrophy and Limits of Growth Material and Energy Use under the process of capitalist society Capitalism is based on expanded reproduction of value and intensive use of fossil fuels like coal & oil at the same time

Fossil fuel capitalism can not grow forever (peak oil) politico-ecological limits to growth

Consequences of rapid growth of capitalism is increase of social inequality, environmental degradation, and fossil fuel exhaustion roots of urban insecurityM CMP LP M+ C Accumulation of capitalIncrease of entrophy01. South Korea as construction state01. Background of urban insecurity of South Korea52) Neo-developmentalism of the South Korea as Construction State Developmentalism and construction state Developmentalism: ideology which seeks economic, industrial, technological development through exploitation of natural environment and resources

Construction state: construction-project-oriented developmental state

Neo-developmentalism: developmentalism + neo-liberalism (environmental fix) hegemonic domination of construction state through developmentalism

Huge scale construction project at a certain place is the result of states spatial selectivity(Bob Jessop & Neil Brenner). territorial politics is proceeded by place-dependent agencies acceptable milieu for construction projects (developmentalist hegemony within the territory)01. Background of urban insecurity of South Korea6 Spatial selectivity, territorial politics, and construction coalitions The material basis of politico-economic regime in South Korea, as construction state, is construction coalitions(close network of politicians, construction business and media, bureaucrats, and related experts)at local levels. influential to decision making process of policies (main stakeholders)

After IMF crisis(1998), when neoliberal discourse began to dominate, South Korea as construction state, has supported environmental fix strategies of capital large scale wetland reclamation project, low & medium level radioactive waste depository site construction project, 4 major rivers restoration project etc. PeriodRegimeCharacterisitcs1961-1986Constructionist developmentalismInfrastructure building1987-1997Democratization movementRetreat of developmentalism1998-presentNeo-developmentalismReturn of developmentalism with guise of free-market (IMF crisis)01. Background of urban insecurity of South Korea2) Neo-developmentalism of the South Korea as Construction State 7 Polarization and apartment dominant cities3) Urbanization in Construction State Urbanisation TrendRapid urbanisation followed by industrialisation: 37%(60) 90%(00)

Source: Young A Lee (2009)01. Background of urban insecurity of South Korea8Distribution of PopulationSpatial polarisation - Population of the Capital region : 21%(60) 48%(05)Dominance of large cities - No. of million cities: 2(60) 8(03) - Population share: 39%(60) 52% (03)Industrial Location Policy 1960s: Light industries in large cities1970s: Heavy/chemical industries in selective growth poles1980s: Small/medium complexes in less industrialized regions1990s: Create new industrial spaces in west coast region2000s: Industrial clusters with RIS and R&D activities

National ComplexRegional ComplexFree Economic ZoneFree Trade ZoneFDI ZonePopulation>1Milliom500-1,000 thousand300-500 thousand100-300 thousand