A Comparative Examination of Developments in the Modern Civil Service in South Korea and the Philippines and Their Divergence After the Post-War Era

Using a comparative historical-institutional approach, this study traces how American administrative influences shape the development of the civil service in South Korea and the Philippines since the post-war reconstruction period of the late 1950s. It examines how each civil service evolved in response to political developments and the subsequent civil service reform trends. While South Korea developed a professionalized, meritocratic, and efficient bureaucracy that contributed to its rapid development, the Philippines continues to struggle with politicization, inefficiency, and corruption detrimental to its development. These are partly due to differences in political leadership, institutional continuity, bureaucratic insulation, approach to governance reforms, and differing political culture, and societal norms. This study argues that the complex interplay between American administrative models and internal socio-political dynamics influenced the divergent development and outcomes of these two civil service systems despite shared influences.