<p>In 1997, Korea was hit by an economic shock, the likes of which it has never been seen before. Initiated by a foreign currency shortage, the 1997 financial crisis swept the entire financial sector and every part of the economy. The systemic nature of the crisis demanded an all out approach in implementing reforms in many segments of society, including the financial, corporate, labor, and public sectors. The context of the financial reforms in Korea, its evolution, and its performance since then, has attracted much attention from not only advanced countries but also developing ones. Simply put, Korea has outperformed other countries also swept up by crisis around the same time.</p>