Alternative modernities in practice: South Korea in Malaysia's look east strategy

Abstract

This article reexamines Malaysia's Look East Policy by investigating the overlooked role of South Korea as a model of alternative modernity. While existing scholarship primarily emphasizes Japan's influence, this study argues that South Korea functioned as a crucial practical reference point for Malaysia's developmental vision. Drawing on modernization theory, developmental state literature, and post-Western perspectives, the analysis demonstrates that Malaysia's engagement with Korea represented horizontal learning among non-Western societies rather than vertical imitation of Western paradigms. Under Mahathir Mohamad's leadership, the Look East Policy sought to transform Malaysian society by adopting Korean work ethics, discipline, loyalty, and institutional efficiency. Mahathir explicitly attributed Korea's economic miracle to these cultural attributes, confirming that traditional values can serve as developmental resources rather than obstacles to be discarded. The strategic partnership between the two countries deepened through trade relations, industrial cooperation, and institutional exchanges that exposed Malaysian officials and workers to Korean management practices. The findings suggest that the Look East Policy should be understood not simply as a foreign policy orientation, but as a strategic search for alternative pathways to modernity beyond Western paradigms. South Korea's role within this framework has been systematically underestimated in existing scholarship, and recovering this dimension contributes to a more complete understanding of how non-Western societies can learn from each other's developmental experiences.