conditions for democratic transition
Disclaimer
Highly controversial, difficult to prove. Not definitive causes.
- Economic development
- Education
- Civil society
- Political liberalization
- International pressure and support
- Dissatisfaction with current government
- Pacted (coalition) transition (cross-class alliance)
loosening of bans on political activities
- Chun Doo-hwan President 1980–1988
- Dec. 1983: dismissed professors and students to return to school
- Pardoning and release of some “rehabilitated” political prisoners
- Feb. 1984: ban lifted on some political activities
- Why open civil and political society?
- Misinterpretation of political situation
- Overconfidence in legal and institutional checks and control measures
- Assume opposition parties would fragment
- Improve economy
- Improve international image
- Trying to disassociate from North Korea
- Attract investment
- Asian Games 1986 and Olympics 1988
- Demonstrate a legitimate and stable democracy
pro-democracy coalition
- Student groups
- Initially focused on campus independence
- Realized a democratic university requires a democratic society
- National Student Coalition for Democracy Struggles (Nov. 1984)
- Labor groups
- Korean Council for Labor Welfare (Mar. 1984)
- Cheonggye Garments Labor Union (women-only) restored
- Criticized hypocrisy of regime
- Campaigned against arbitrary labor laws
- Church groups
- Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice
- Catholicism: helping the repressed
- Assisted in labor and student movements
- Shielded political meetings with facade of religious meetings
- Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice
changes in opposition politics
- No real opposition party between 1980–1983
- Controlled by regime
- Removal of blacklisted politicians (1984)
- e.g. Kim Young Sam, Kim Dae Jung
- New Korea Democratic Party (NKDP)
- Supported by most people’s movement groups
- Pushed for direct elections
- High levels of support except for most radical
forces in democracy movement
- Activist struggles
- Students
- Labor
- Church leaders (some)
- Minjung Movement
- Opposition coalition
- Press activism
- Middle-class shift
- Sympathize with movement later on
- Witnessing death of student protestors
June 29, 1987 declaration
- Special Declaration for Grand aNational Harmony and Progress Towards a Great Nation
- Chun Doo-hwan “resigns”
- Speech by Roh Tae-woo
procedural or substantive democracy
- Break in direction of democracy movement
- Opposition party split leads to Roh Tae Woo victory
- Procedural Democracy
- Centered on electoral process
- Basis for democratic legitimacy
- Accepted 6/29 election as enough
- Many students, intellectuals, religious leaders, and middle class
- Centered on electoral process
- Substantive Democracy
- Need to address socioeconomic inequality and injustice
- General population have greater role in politics
- Equal rights to benefits for population
- Access to critical social services
citizens groups
- Variety of social groups
- Middle-class citizens
- Gradual institutional reforms
- Distortions
- Propaganda
- Injustice
- Distortions
- Legal and nonviolent methods
- Better democracy
- Social issues, fair elections, no corruption
- Environment
- Gender equality
- Consumer rights
Minjung Movement groups
- Difficulty in finding identity and role in democratic consolidation
- Created new national associations
- Fought against previous pro-authoritarian groups
- Roh Tae Woo term (1988–1993)
- “Pseudo” democracy
- Similarities with Chun regime
- “Pseudo” democracy
changes under Kim Young Sam
- Kim Young Sam (1993–1998)
- Had ties to authoritarian regime but surprised people with his policies
- Democratic and government reforms
- Disclosed personal assets (and encouraged others)
- Investigation of wrongdoings of predecessors
- “Real-name bank account system”—reduce collusion and corruption
- Many moves to more peaceful form of public policy
- Debates and campaigns
- Kim Daejung (1998–2003)
- Real democratic transition
- Need ability to switch between different parties
- Indicator of stable democracy
- Need ability to switch between different parties
- First opposition leader without ties to regime
- Real democratic transition
- Roh Moo-hyun (2003–2008)
“Park Chung-hee Syndrome”
- Mar. 1997: Park Chung Hee won as historical figure people wished to clone
- Apr. 1997: 75.9% Park as “president who performed duties well”
- Rise of conservative leaders
- Kim Jong-pil
- Lee Myung-bak (2008–2013)
- Park Geun-hye (2013–2017)
- Park Chung-hee’s daughter
- Restoration of Park Chung-hee’s legacy
- Why?
- Tendency among people to crave authoritarianism — stability is attractive
- Support for authoritarianism is high in middle-income countries
- Economic downturn
- Tendency among people to crave authoritarianism — stability is attractive