• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.115-154
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• 2017

This article offers a review of the major literature about sectoral innovation studies of Korea and its implications over the past 30 years. The literature on the sectoral innovation studies in Korea has focused on analysing successful technological catch-up from an evolutionary perspective and most of research has centered on the issues about entry strategies, learning mechanisms. Recently "Emerging economies" like Korea in the 2000s face major challenges as they make a transition from (a) a phase of economic development characterised by 'catching up' with the global technological frontier, involving technological "imitation", to (b) a phase of continuing development based on the development of new knowledge for globally leading (post catch-up) product and process innovation. This paper reviews those bodies of literature of patterns of sectoral innovation, technological capability accumulation and catch-up process, catch-up innovation and institutions, and patterns of growth dynamics. Finally, given the importance of sectoral innovation studies, we suggest that industrial upgrading, transition towards leadership, dark side of catch-up issues are needed for future research directions.