Purpose - This study uses the ‘Galapagos Effect’ theory proposed by Japanese researchers to investigate if there is a basis for applying the theory to South Korea, specifically in the High-Tech Service area.
Research Design, Data, and Methodology - The underlying characteristics of Japanese business environment that led to the Galapagos Effect are identified, and then Korea is investigated to see if these characteristics are also evident. The case studies of three South Korean companies are explored to see if they can be considered as examples of the Galapagos Effect
Results - The findings illustrate that some evidence for the existence of the Galapagos Effect does exist in Korean companies, but more research is required to systemize the phenomenon.
Conclusions - The study concludes that proactive measures at a Government and business level should be implemented to mitigate the effects of the Galapagos Effect in Korea. The existence of evidence suggests that there may be grounds for more comprehensive studies in order to try and make a generalization. In addition, more study needs to be done to establish exactly which kinds of high-tech service companies are most likely to hit barriers due to the Galapagos Effect as it is not clear from the existing evidence.

Abstract
 1. Introduction
  1.1. Overview
  1.2. Literature Review
 2. Methodology
  2.1. Study Approach
 3. Analysis
  3.1. Case Studies
 4. Discussion
 5. Conclusions
 References

• Nigel Callinan(Department of Global Business, Hannam University)