The Role of Civil Society in South Korean Democracy:

[Asia Democracy Issue Briefing] The Role of Civil Society in South Korean Democracy: Liberal Legacy and Its Pitfalls Jai Kwan Jung (Korea University) South Korea’s Democratic Development in Comparison South Korea is one of the most successful cases among 91 cases of democratic transitions since the third-wave of democratization. [...] One particular factor in South Korea is the role of civil society in the transition to and the consolidation of democracy. [...] As civil society tends to be contentious, if not co-opted, in authoritarianism in transforming the vertical relationship with the state to a horizontal one, it can play a critical role in the transition 3 This figure is made by tracing the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index scores of each country from the year of democratic transition to 2019. [...] This is because the collective experience of making popular pressures for democracy can shape the public perception about the role of civil society and the significance of citizens’ direct action in advancing democracy. [...] This ideological polarization in civil society became highly conspicuous in the fall of 2019 when the appointment of Cho Kuk as Minister of Justice brought about the months of street protests by both anti- and pro-Cho citizens.5 Massive civil society mobilization along the ideological divide has undermined South Korea’s institutional politics further, as major parties and political elites were cap.