South Korea’s Democracy in Crisis
The Threats of Illiberalism, Populism, and Polarization
- 338 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
South Korea’s Democracy in Crisis
The Threats of Illiberalism, Populism, and Polarization
About this book
Like in many other states worldwide, democracy is in trouble in South Korea, entering a state of regressionin the past decade, barely thirty years after its emergence in 1987. The society that had ordinary citizensleading "candlelight protests" demanding the impeachment of Park Geun-Hye in 2016–17 has becomepolarized amid an upsurge of populism, driven by persistent structural inequalities, globalization, and therise of the information society.
The symptoms of democratic decline have been increasingly hard to miss: the demonization of politicalopponents, erosion of democratic norms, and the whittling away of the courts' independence. Perhapsmost disturbing is that this all took place under a government dominated by former pro-democracyactivists. Will the election victory of opposition leader Yoon Suk-Yeol end this democratic erosion, or willthe rift between South Korea's progressives and conservatives only deepen with the next administration?
The contributors to this volume trace the sources of illiberalism in today's Korea; examine how politicalpolarization is plaguing its party system; discuss how civil society and the courts have become politicized;look at the roles of inequality, education, and social media in the country's democratic decline; andconsider how illiberalism has affected Korea's foreign policy.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Tables and Figures
- Abbreviations
- Contributors
- Preface
- Introduction. Korea’s Democratic Decay: Worrisome Trends and Pressing Challenges
- 1. Why Is Korean Democracy Majoritarian but Not Liberal?
- 2. Uses and Misuses of Nationalism in the Democratic Politics of Korea
- 3. The Weakness of Party Politics and Rise of Populism in Korea
- 4. The Politicization of Civil Society: No Longer Watchdogs of Power, Former Democratic Activists are Becoming New Authoritarian Leaders
- 5. The Politicization of the Judiciary in Korea: Challenges in Maintaining the Balance of Power
- 6. Two Divergences in Korea’s Economy and Democracy: Regional and Generational Disparities
- 7. Democracy and the Educational System in Korea
- 8. Social Media and the Salience of Polarization in Korea
- 9. Illiberalism in Korean Foreign Policy
- 10. The Democratic Recession: A Global and Comparative Perspective
- Epilogue. Korea’s 2022 Presidential Election: Populism in the Post-Truth Era
- Index