• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.135-166
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• 2014

'Creative Economy' has been announced as the new paradigm of socio-economic development strategy of newly elected President Geun-Hye Park's administration. By explicitly defining people as a major player in creative activity, it seems to depart from expert-driven or science & technology-focused development paradigms of previous administrations. Yet, its interpretation and operation in terms of government policy does not seem to show any differences. This study aims to explicate the nature of Creative Economy as a development paradigm by clarifying the differences between people's creativity and that of scientists and engineers through extensive literature review. People can contribute to the creative activity not just as users but also as living persons who make everyday yet independent choices based on their humanistic, philosophical, ethical and experiential capabilities which are clearly different from the sources of scientists' & engineers' creativity. People's creative activity does involve value judgement about life and can often accelerate the system innovation or transition by changing consumer behaviour and lifestyle, and hence destruct technological lock-in user lock-in of the existing system. People's creativity can thus present 'User/Field-driven Innovation Paradigm which clearly differs from existing expert- or science & technology-driven innovation paradigm. The Creative Economy with focus on people's creativity therefore faces new socio-economic development challenges of fulfilling the User/Field-driven Innovation Paradigm.