ABE Makoto

Previous research

Since joining the JETRO Institute of Developing Economies, I have been researching South Korean companies and industries. My main areas of research include the ownership and management structure of major Korean conglomerates and how they change; the process by which the Korean steel industry raised its level of international competitiveness; and the historical development of the economic relationship between Japan and Korea.

Current research projects

One of my current research themes is the challenges facing the Korean economy, which is nearly done playing catch-up but is facing a rapidly declining birthrate and aging population. I take a wide-ranging political-economic approach to the topic. Another theme is the sustainability of Korean conglomerates as family businesses amid capital market globalization and the changing nature of the Korean family.