ABSTRACT
South Korean political leaders and political leadership are as diverse and complex as the country’s own dynamic political reality. However, the evaluations of political leaders and leadership are even more complicated and controversial. In Chapter 6, Sang-Young Rhyu identifies four types of political leadership, focusing on the direction of leadership principle and the mode of leadership exercise. He then classifies and compares South Korea’s past presidents accordingly. Rhyu contends that with the exception of Park Chung-hee and Kim Dae-jung, the performance of most leaders has not been successful. Using empirical evidence, he further contends that differences in leadership styles are not directly linked to the success or failure of leaders and leadership styles. The success of a leader can be determined more by how well the leadership style is aligned to the political context of the time and space.
