e-Newsletter

Home News e-Newsletter

[ADRN Working Paper] Pandemic Crisis and Democratic Governance in Northeast Asia - Part I

  • 2021-03-30
ADRN members from Northeast Asia

ADRN Working Paper                                                                                          
Pandemic Crisis and Democratic Governance in Northeast Asia 
- Part I -
ADRN members from Northeast Asia
- South Korea & Japan & Mongolia -

The outbreak of COVID-19 has proven that new forms of threat can heavily affect the development of democracy as well as democratic practices. COVID-19 is not only a life-threatening issue; it is also evolving into a problem for the maintenance and promotion of democracy. In order to address this global issue, the Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN) has been conducting research on the Pandemic Crisis and Democratic Governance based on country cases since 2020. As part of this research project, EAI has planned a working papers series composed of eleven working papers, the first set of working papers including the cases of North East Asia. 
Country Case 1: South Korea
South Korea’s COVID-19 Pandemic Policy Optimization between Health and Economy 
Jung Kim, an Assistant Professor at the University of North Korean Studies, explores what factors are important in pandemic policy optimization. In responding to national crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers face trade-offs between health and the economy – should policies prioritize lives or livelihoods? He further explains why some countries have succeeded in their response against the pandemic while some failed through a statistical analysis of the determinants of COVID-19 pandemic policy.
Read
Country Case 2: Japan
Japan`s COVID Responses: Democratic Measures but Weak Transparency
Maiko Ichihara, an Associate Professor at Hitotsubashi University, examines the lack of transparency and accountability in Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having adhered to standards of democracy and protected civil liberties, inconsistencies among pandemic policies, lack of supporting scientific data for said policies, and contradictions among government press conferences weakened the public’s faith in the government. Dr. Ichihara further underscores the pressing need for increased government transparency and accountability, claiming that the Japanese government’s ambiguity and lack of transparency have long been prevalent issues. 
Read
Country Case 3: Mongolia
Global Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities for Democracy in Mongolia
Ariunbayar Bazarvaani, the CEO of The Academy of Political Education,and Bumdari Dagva-Ochir,an Associate Professor at the National University of Mongolia, investigate into why the Mongolian government has failed to earn the trust of the public despite having followed democratic processes in implementing COVID-19 pandemic policies. Their results show that the Mongolian government’s response not only bore threats on the Mongolian state budget, but also infringed on human rights and the freedom of expression, outweighing their attempts to safeguard democracy.   
Read
#909 Sampoong B/D, 158, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 04548, Republic of Korea
Tel 82 2 2277 1683  |  Fax 82 2 2277 1684 | Email EAI
Copyright 2021 © EAST ASIA INSTITUTE. All Rights Reserved.
수신거부 Unsubscribe
previous
[ADRN Issue Briefing] No Better Way to Promote Human Rights and Peace on the Korean Peninsula? Propaganda Leaflet Dropping and the South Korean Government’s Leafleting Ban
next
[Invitation] "The Military Coup and Future of Democracy in Myanmar" Conference
List