|
EAI Column
South Korea's Citizens are Standing Up, but Real Change is Yet to Come
Seokho Kim, Seoul National University
|
| |
|
|
|
"A Revival of Korean Civic Space?
The Implications of the Seven Weeks of Candlelight Vigils
" |
After seven weeks of public protests, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a resolution to impeach President Park Geun-hye and the decision is currently being weighed by the Constitutional Court of Korea. In this column, Seokho Kim of Seoul National University explores whether the broad participation in popular protests against Park Geun-hye is a sure sign that civic space is undergoing a revival in South Korea. Kim emphasizes that these protests are not spontaneous outbursts of anger, but rather a culmination of the condensed fury and frustration of the citizens fuelled by social inequality, intensified polarization, and declining opportunities for social mobility. Kim urges civil society to expand its outreach to citizens so that the progress made in translating popular demand into political action can be institutionalized and South Korea’s democracy deepened.
 
|
|
