Police, Paramilitaries, Nationalists and Gangsters: The Processes of State Building in Korea By Jonson Nathaniel Porteux A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) in the University of Michigan 2013 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Allen Hicken, Co-Chair Professor Allan Stam, Co-Chair Associate Professor Mary Gallagher Associate Professor Nojin Kwak Assistant Professor Kenneth McElwain © Jonson N. Porteux 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the following organizations with made the research for this dissertation possible with generous funding and/or affiliation: the Department of Political Science and the Nam Center for Korean Studies (and the staff!) at the University of Michigan, the IIE Fulbright Foundation (grant # PD2051299), the Academy of Korean Studies (KSPS), Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOE) (AKS-2011-BAA-2102), and the Institute for Political Studies at Seoul National University. The University of Michigan Internal Review Board (IRB) approved this research project: (HUM00035137). In addition to the funding and institutional support for this project, it would not have been possible if it were not for the help of the following individuals: Abe Hiroaki, Ahn T.K., An Heung Jin, Desmond Arias, Baek Chang Jae, Kathleen and Shawn Carlton, Thomas Chadefaux, Bruce Cumings, Cho Sung-kwon, Choi Lyong, William R. Clark, Joshua Gubler, Mary Gallagher, Allen Hicken, Ronald Inglehart, Kim Hahn-yup, Kim Sunil, Kim Chang Kil, Kim Nam Kyu, Kim Jung Kil, Kim Yeon Kyung, Kwak Nojin, Kwon Aelee, Lim Ahreum, Kenneth McElwain, Robert Mickey, Moon Chung-in, Ono Yoshikuni, Park Won-ho, Kyoko and Yutsuki Porteux, Pyo Hak Kil, Megan Reif, Allan Stam, Song Kyung-ah, Derek Stafford, Lee Stenso, Kharis Templeman, Umeda Michio, Meredith (Jung-en) Woo, and Yim Jiyon. I am additionally indebted to my numerous research participants who must remain anonymous. Thank you (대단히 고맙습니다)! ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ ii LIST OF DIAGRAMS ...................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... viii GLOSSARY OF NON-ENGLISH TERMS ................................................................... x NOTE ON ROMANIZATION ..................................................................................... xii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Methodology .................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Organization of dissertation .......................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2: Theoretical Considerations 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Empirical framework ................................................................................... 19 2.3 The market for criminal violence ................................................................. 21 2.4 Organization of control: vertical vs. horizontal integration ...................... 29 2.5 State strength and the logic of sub-contracting ........................................... 31 2.6 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 3: Korea’s Market for Force 3.1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 37 3.2. Evolution of public sources of protection .................................................. 38 3.2.1. Judicial Branch ............................................................................. 39 3.2.2. Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors Office .......... 39 3.2.3. Korean National Police ................................................................. 41 3.2.4. KCIA/NIS ...................................................................................... 43 3.2.5. Reforms of the system post-1987 democratic elections ............. 44 3.2.6 Summary .......................................................................................... 47 3.3. Evolution of private sources of coercion .................................................... 47 3.3.1. Numbers and activities ................................................................. 54 3.3.2. Structure of criminal groups ......................................................... 56 3.3.3. Intergroup relations ....................................................................... 61 3.3.4. State-business-criminal nexus ...................................................... 63 4.4. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 66 CHAPTER 4: State Seekers, Nationalists, and Paramilitaries 4.1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 69 4.2. Early Korean state development ................................................................ 70 4.3. Consolidation of power and rise of a contentious society ......................... 85 iii 4.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 90 CHAPTER 5: State Expansion, the rise of civil society, and a change in tactics 5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 92 5.2. The Park Chung Hee regime: 1961-1979 ................................................... 94 5.3. Post-Park Chung Hee and the ascension of Chun Doo Hwan ............... 103 5.4. Post-Park Chun Doo Hwan ....................................................................... 108 5.5. Growth of civil society ............................................................................... 110 5.6. First democratic juncture: 1956-1961 ....................................................... 112 5.7. Second democratic juncture: 1973-1980 .................................................. 112 5.8. Third democratic juncture: 1984-1979 .................................................... 115 5.9. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 118 CHAPTER 6: The Politics and Processes of Forced Evictions 6.1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 120 6.2. Rural to urban migration: The issue of shantytowns ............................. 121 6.3. Role of civil society ..................................................................................... 124 6.4. Mok-dong redevelopment project ............................................................ 125 6.5. Yongsan redevelopment project ................................................................ 132 6.6. Insadong street vendor removal project .................................................. 135 6.7. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 140 CHAPTER 7: The Politics and Processes of Labor Suppression 7.1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 142 7.2. Control of labor ........................................................................................... 144 7.3. Role of civil society ..................................................................................... 148 7.4. Labor suppression following the move towards democracy ................... 151 7.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................... 158 CHAPTER 8: Conclusion and extension of argument beyond Korea 8.1. Summary of main argument ...................................................................... 164 8.2 Beyond the case of Korea ........................................................................... 166 8.2.1 Lynchings, the KKK and state collaboration ......................................... 166 8.2.2 State-non-state collaboration in Japan .................................................. 174 8.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 177 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 179 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 194 iv LIST OF DIAGRAMS DIAGRAM 1: The Market for Public and Private Force .................................................. 20 DIAGRAM 2: State-Business-Criminal Nexus ................................................................. 64 v LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: State Strength .................................................................................................