EAI Column
"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 popular opinion that led to the 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 a spontaneous outburst of fury, but rather a culmination of the condensed anger and frustration of the citizens fuelled by social inequality, intensified polarization, and declining opportunities for social mobility. In order for the protests in 2016 to translate into real change and not be relegated to history as a one-time event, Kim urges civil society to expand its outreach to South Korea’s citizens.
 
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