[Asia Democracy Issue Briefing] The Role of Civil Society in South Korean Democracy
2020-08-21
Knowledge-Net for a Better World
August 2020
The Role of Civil Society in South Korean Democracy:
Liberal Legacy and Its Pitfalls
Jai Kwan Jung
Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Korea University
"South Korea’s Civil Society:
its Legacy and Way Forward for Healthy Democracy"
South Korea is regarded as an exemplary case of democratic transition amongst third-wave democracies in Asia. In this issue briefing, Prof. Jai Kwan Jung examines the trajectory of democratic development in South Korea by focusing on the role of civil society in the transition to and the consolidation of democracy in the country. While civil society mainly constituted a ‘contentious’ civil society against authoritarianism during democratic transition, it has transformed itself to a diversified and peaceful civil society since then. Nonetheless, Prof. Jung argues that while strong civil society is a historic legacy of the country’s democratization, there are also pitfalls: when strong civil society is combined with weak political parties and divided along the ideological spectrum, it can turn into a liability for democracy by undermining institutional politics and fuelling populism.
