Korea's entry into the computer industry and its acquisition of technological capability

Abstract With computers as the case in point, this paper examines how Korea acquired technological capability which enabled it to enter new technology industries and sustain phenomenal growth in both production and exports. The early formation of human resource stock, the public procurement policies, the pioneering role in R&D played by the public sector in the early years, together with the private sector's experience in consumer electronics and aggressive strategy and investment to assimilate and adapt foreign technologies, have facilitated the fast acquisition of technological capability in computers.