Working Papers

This paper investigates the normative and strategic use of ‘OECD’ and ‘OECD average’ in South Korean congressional discourse. By examining the minutes of congressional meetings, this study reveals the ways in which the terms are utilized and shows their pervasive influence across a broad spectrum of bill considerations and policy discussions. The study employs Boltanski and Thevenot’s theory of justification, demonstrating that references to the OECD invoke multiple types of justification schemes. It shows the Polity of Fame is the most frequently employed order of worth among various orders of worth in congress discourse. The findings contribute to the literature by addressing challenges in typology-based models in the comparative political economy literature by highlighting previously overlooked mechanisms that shape policy decision-making and justification strategies among elite policymakers in Korea.