State capacity under neoliberal adjustment in South Korea, 1980–1987: Reconfiguration and execution of reform in comparative perspective

Why do some countries sustain neoliberal adjustment more coherently under comparable external pressures? Focusing on execution, this article argues that neoliberal adjustment entails a reconfiguration of state capacity rather than its retreat and shows that reform durability depends on effective execution rooted in institutional complementarities among bureaucratic autonomy, stable executive delegation, and institutionalized state–business coordination. Process tracing of South Korea (1980–1987), contrasted with Turkey during the same period, demonstrates that institutional alignment enabled sequenced stabilization and liberalization through credible enforcement and policy continuity, whereas misalignment produced fragmented execution, policy instability, and weak reform consolidation.