Abstract
This chapter critically reviews the characteristic features of South Korean democracy and attempts to discover which conditions or qualities are of the greatest importance for the robust development of democracy. Among others, the contrast between a “hyper-centralized state” and a “weak civil society” is a particularly significant element of the social environment in which Korean democracy is functioning. Against the wider background of these specific preconditions, the chapter then focuses on examining how Korea’s party system, as a principal institution of democracy, has developed a particular mode of operation, and how the parties have dealt with the two major sources of political conflict, labor relations and national reunification.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
References
Chang, H. S. (2014). Han’guk Chabonjuŭi. Pundang: Heibooks.
Han, K. T., et al. (2007). Han’guk konggongbumun hyŏnhwang-kwa kwaje. Seoul: Hanguk Gyungje Yeongu Won [Korea Economy Research Institute].
Hirschman, A. O. (1968). The Political Economy of Import Substitution Industrialization in Latin America. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 82(1), 2–32.
Im, T. W. (2012). Peacemaker: Twenty Years of Inter-Korean Relations and the North Korean Nuclear Issue. Stanford: Stanford University.
Linz, J. J. (1976). An Authoritarian Regime: Spain. In S. G. Payne (Ed.), Politics and Society in Twentieth-Century. New York: New Viewpoints.
Schmitter, P. C. (2010). Twenty-Five Years, Fifteen Findings. Journal of Democracy, 21(1), 18–20.
Yi, J. U. et al. (2015). Pulp’yŏngdŭng han’guk. Pokchigukka-rŭl Ggumgguda [Unequal Korea. Dreaming of a Welfare-State]. Seoul: Humanistas.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Choi, JJ. (2018). Korean Democracy in a Hyper-Centralized State. In: Mosler, H., Lee, EJ., Kim, HJ. (eds) The Quality of Democracy in Korea. Critical Studies of the Asia-Pacific. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63919-2_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63919-2_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63918-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63919-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)