The 'Reactive State' as Foreign Aid Giver: A Historical Analysis of the Aid Policy Regime (1953-1999) in South Korea
Why are donor goverments eager to increase foreign aid and how do they justify aid increase? This essay present a historical insight into the bilateral donors' rhetoric behind aid expansion. south korea provides one critical case. Not with standing its imperssive aid growth over the last decade, the country has constantly failed to meet its annual commitment by a significant margin. This article argues that such policy behaviour might stem from its legacy as a 'reactive state.' During the cold War, the country's nascent aid policy regime produced expansionary but non-strategic rhetoric, due to its fragmented structure and lack of indigenenous policy rationales. such traits of the policy regime linger today, thereby continuously favouring overstimated aid targets ana outwardlooking aid initiatives.