In this comprehensive study leading scholars consider the historical evolution of the Chaebol and their contribution to the Asian financial crisis. They analyze the Korean government's response, and outline an agenda for financial and corporate reform. While Asian business conglomerates have been successful agents of growth, they have long had a number of organizational and financial weaknesses that make them vulnerable to shocks. Nowhere was this more true than in Korea, where the large corporate groups known as Chaebol have dominated the economic landscape.