This project explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the social integration of people in divided nations, concentrating specifically on Germany’s reunification experience and the present-day assimilation of North Korean defector-migrants into South Korea. The research aims to inform future planning for unification in South Korea and contribute to the overall stability of the Northeast Asian region.

The reunification of Germany in 1990 and the ongoing efforts to integrate newcomers from North Korea into South Korean society are comparable cases worth comparing. These experiences offer valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities when two distinct societies with different political, economic, and social systems are brought together.

Drawing from the lessons learned during Germany’s reunification, this research will apply these insights to the South Korean context while also considering the broader dynamics of the Northeast Asian region. By identifying effective strategies for managing the complex integration process in a potential future unification scenario on the Korean peninsula, the study aims to facilitate the pursuit of a more peaceful future.

Furthermore, the research findings can inform policies that promote social cohesion, tolerance, and empathy within South Korean society today, ultimately fostering a more inclusive environment for North Korean defectors and other minority groups. Finally, this research will enhance public diplomacy efforts by providing a Central European perspective on promoting stability in Northeast Asia.

This research is supported by a 2023 Overseas North Korea-Unification Policy Academic Research Support Grant. A truncated proposal for the research can be read here.

Working papers

“The Enduring Legacy of Forced Division: Welfare Nationalism in Germany and South Korea,” with Peter Ward.

Presentations

2024. “The Enduring Legacy of Forced Division: Welfare Nationalism in Germany and South Korea,” Korean Studies Research Seminar, Leiden Institute for Asian Studies (LIAS), Leiden University, April 17.

This project, which consists of a solo-authored book manuscript and co-authored research articles, focuses on the relationship between political system change and preferences for national membership and belonging. Existing research suggests that preferences and institutions align and that citizens in democracies have national identities that are more open and inclusive than those in authoritarian countries, but it remains unclear how democratization affects national identity in newer democracies with authoritarian and ethnocultural legacies. Are the identities forged under autocratic regimes resilient over time, or do they change? Can democratization lead to new and inclusive attitudes towards national membership and belonging, as theory suggests? To answer these questions, the project utilizes cross-sectional data on national identity collected over several decades in South Korea, Germany, and Taiwan, supplemented by new survey experiments and other data sources.

The research contributes to our understanding of the effects of political system change on national membership, including national identity preferences and attitudes toward immigration. It also provides important insights into the challenges facing democracies with authoritarian and ethnocultural legacies for integrating diverse newcomers. Ultimately, this research can help inform policies and programs to promote more inclusive and cohesive societies for newly diverse and transitioning societies.

This research is supported by the Academy of Korean Studies under Grant AKS-2023-R018.

Books

Nationalism Under Democracy: Why Institutions Matter for National Identity and Belonging [in progress]

Peer-reviewed articles

2024. “Why Do Democratic Societies Tolerate Undemocratic Laws? Sorting Public Support for the National Security Act in South Korea,” with Christopher Green. Democratization 31(1): 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2286207

Working papers

“How Inclusive Are East Asia’s Democratic Nationalisms? A Comparative Conjoint Approach,” with H. Christoph Steinhardt.

“Variations in Nation-Building: Sorting National History Education in South Korea and Poland,” with Myunghee Lee. [in progress]

“Size or Speed? Public Attitudes toward Rising Immigration Levels in Historically Homogeneous Nations,” with John W. Cheng, Michael J. Donnelly, and Nicholas A. R. Fraser. [in progress]

Presentations

“Size or Speed? Public Attitudes toward Rising Immigration Levels in Historically Homogeneous Nations,” American Political Science Association (APSA) Conference, August 31-September 3.

2023. “Measuring National Identity: A Choice-Based Conjoint Approach,” Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference, April 13-16.

2023. “Why Do Democratic Societies Tolerate Undemocratic Laws? Sorting Public Support for the National Security Act in South Korea,” International Studies Association (ISA) Conference, March 15-18.

2022. “National Security Conservatism: Enduring Support for the National Security Act in South Korea,” Generation Asia – 2022 Nordic NIAS Council Conference, August 22-26.

This project, a collaboration with Christopher Green (Leiden University) and Peter Ward (Kookmin University), investigates public attitudes and public policies regarding migrant entrepreneurship and integration.

Leveraging the case of North Korean migrant resettlement and integration in South Korea, otherwise known as ‘unification in action’, this research explores natives’ preferences for the economic, political, and social integration of co-ethnic migrants. Furthermore, it examines how the structure of government support for migrant entrepreneurship policies affects public attitudes toward business support expansion. Additionally, the research considers the trade-offs between different policy options for unification between North and South Korea. The study’s findings have implications for integration and resettlement policy in South Korea and contribute to the broader migration and citizenship literature.

This research is supported by the Academy of Korean Studies under Grant AKS-2021-R-083.

Peer-reviewed articles

2024. “한국인의 남북통일방식에 대한 의식 결정요인 분석: 컨조인트 분석 조사를 중심으로” [Analyzing the Determinants of South Korean Attitudes Toward Korean Unification: A Conjoint Analysis], with Peter Ward and Christopher Green [in kr]. 국가전략 [National Strategy], 30(1): 137-163. https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART003053315

2023. “Public Attitudes Towards Co-Ethnic Migrant Integration: Evidence from South Korea,” with Christopher Green. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2286207

2023. “Public Support for Migrant Entrepreneurship: The Case of North Koreans in the Republic of Korea,” with Peter Ward and Christopher Green. International Migration Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183231203927

2022. “Welfare Chauvinism Among Co-Ethnics: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment in South Korea,” with Peter Ward, International Migration 60(50): 74-90. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12937

Reports

2023. “Because It Is Good for South Korea: Public Support for Defector Entrepreneurship,” with Christopher Green. 38 North, January.

2022. “Improving North Korean Defector Integration in South Korea: Survey Findings and Recommendations,” with Christopher Green. 38 North, May.

Presentations

2023. “Public Attitudes Towards Co-Ethnic Migrant Integration: Evidence from South Korea,” Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference, April 13-16.

2022. “한국인의 남북통일방식에 대한 의식식 결정요인 분석: 컨조인트 분석 조사를 중심으로” [Analysis of South Korean Attitudes Towards Unification: A Conjoint Experiment], 북한연구학회 [North Korean Research Institute], Seoul, South Korea, December 12.

2022. “Determinants of Co-Ethnic Integration in South Korea: A Conjoint Experiment,” East Asian Network (EAN), Institute for Asian Studies, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, February 8.

In collaboration with the NGO Woorion and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), this project seeks to identify the determinants of non-state information dissemination within North Korean society and how these information flows can be promoted. More broadly, the research contributes to political control in authoritarian systems literature.

In North Korea, the state’s monopoly on information was shattered during the famine of the 1990s. Some North Koreans have since become regular consumers of foreign media, including South Korean and US media, including TV shows and current affairs content. But what kind of information do they consume and disseminate, and why? To answer this question, we explore the use and circulation of illicit foreign information among citizens in North Korea using experimental and observation survey questions supported by qualitative insights.

This research is supported by a National Endowment for Democracy research grant (2019-2021).

Peer-reviewed articles

2023. “How Autocracies Disrupt Unsanctioned Information Flows: The Role of State Power and Social Capital in North Korea,” with Peter Ward, Problems of Post-Communism. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2023.2180038

Reports

2022. “Information Dissemination in North Korea: A Report for NGOs,” with Peter Ward. Report for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), January.

Applications

Determinants of Foreign Information Use in North Korea: https://scdenney.shinyapps.io/ned_conjoint_shiny/

Presentations

2022. “Hackers and Social Networks: How North Koreans Are Accessing Foreign Information,” Stimson Center, April 27.

Media

2023. “Friendship and family networks are key to getting outside info to North Koreans,” NK News, March 13.

A collaborative effort between researchers from the University of Toronto, University of Vienna, Toronto Metropolitan University, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and other institutions, this project aims to explore the landscape of high-performing firms, known as “scale-ups,” and their impact on key policy objectives, such as employment gains, technological innovation, and economic competitiveness.

This project addresses the lack of clarity surrounding the definition and identification of scale-ups, despite their potential for fulfilling key policy objectives and promoting national prosperity. Using administrative micro-files linked to financial and survey data, the project evaluates the economic impact of scale-ups conceptualized and measured across different economic dimensions through descriptive and economic analyses.

In addition, the project uses a new database containing innovation-related programs of the federal government (Business Innovation and Growth Support, or BIGS) to examine the impact of innovation support on the economic behavior of high-performing firms using program analysis methods.

This project is financially supported by a Mitacs Accelerate grant (2019-2021) and funding from the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada and the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship.

Peer-reviewed articles

2023. “Do Winners Pick Government? How Scale-Up Experience Shapes Entrepreneurs’ Assessments of Innovation Policy Mixes,” with David Wolfe and Travis Southin. Science and Public Policy 50: 858–870. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scad030

2022. “Localization of Global Networks: New Mandates for MNEs in Regional Economies,” with David Wolfe and Rick DiFrancesco, Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 15(2): 323-342. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsac002

Working papers

“Scale-ups and Canada’s Innovation Policy Suite: Usage and Impacts,” with Ryan Kelly, David Wolfe, and Carlos Rossell. [in preparation for submission]

Reports

2021. “Into the Scale-up-verse: Exploring the Landscape of Canada’s High Performing Firms,” with Viet Vu and Ryan Kelly. Innovation Policy Lab and Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, December.

2021. “Great Canadian Survey of 2021: Insights for the Council of Canadian Innovators“, with Viet Vu. Innovation Policy Lab and Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, July.

2021. “Just Out of Reach: The Elusive Quest to Measure the Digital Economy“, with Viet Vu. Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, June.

2021. “Scale the Gap: The Impact of Growth Barriers on Women Entrepreneurs in Canadian High-Growth Firms“, with Viet Vu. Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, April.

Presentations

2023. “Scale-ups and Canada’s Innovation Policy Suite: Usage and Impacts,” 57th Canadian Economics Association Conference, May 30-June 3.

2020. “Scale the Gap: Impact of Growth Barriers on Women Entrepreneurs in Canadian High-Growth Firms,” Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE) Annual Conference, October 16-17.

Media

2021. “Scale-ups drive productivity growth and R&D spending in Canada, study finds,” The Logic, December 10.

2021. “What it takes for Canadian scale-ups to succeed in the knowledge economy,” with Adam Froman, The Globe and Mail, April 28.

2021. “The Innovation Imperative: Why Canada needs to prioritize scale-ups in the face of Big Tech’s dominance,” with David Wolfe, Financial Post, March 24.