POLICY BRIEF Liberal democracy in South Korea Jung Pak and Paul Park Widespread protests leading to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye revealed both the strengths of South Korean democracy as well as its weakness. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY prospects for substantive progress in making the government more responsive to the people. Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets in the fall of 2016 to demand the resignation of then-President Park Geun- FLAMES FROM THE CANDLELIGHT hye for corruption, captivating the world with From October 2016 to March 2017, hundreds of this extraordinary display of peaceful collective thousands of South Korean citizens from all parts of action. However, what came to be known as the the country gathered every weekend in the streets of “candlelight protests” belied the weaknesses of Seoul demanding the resignation of then-President democratic governance in South Korea, a country Park Geun-hye for charges of corruption. Holding a that jettisoned autocracy 30 years ago. The candle in one hand and a placard that read, “You candlelight movement was emblematic of a culture call THIS a country?,” schoolchildren, young adults, of protest in South Korean society and it reflects families, and the elderly stood together in the the weakness of its representative democracy cold weather to voice their resentment toward the and lingering suspicion of governments that are abuse of power shown by the nation’s top public linked to the country’s history of military regimes. official. Now often referred to as the “candlelight This paper identifies some key challenges to South protests,” this extraordinary display of collective Korea’s liberal democracy, including the structural action eventually resulted in a first-ever decision by limits of a top-down authority and the inextricable the South Korean Constitutional Court to remove a relationship between the state and corporations. sitting president from office. The paper concludes with an assessment of the 1 DEMOCRACY & DISORDER LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH KOREA Captivated by the peaceful and orderly nature THE DICTATOR’S DAUGHTER of these protests, Western media coverage and President Park Geun-hye was elected in 2012 for outside observers hailed these candlelight protests a single five-year term, narrowly defeating current as a “democratic miracle” and an exemplary President Moon Jae-in on the promise of improving demonstration of democratic values,1 extolling South Korea’s tepid economic growth, closing South Koreans for showing the world “how to do the wealth gap, and reforming the government to democracy.”2 Indeed, South Korea was a young be better responsive to the people. Her election democracy that had seen its share of authoritarian reflected both the new and the old. Park was leaders and violent suppression of pro-democracy the first female president in a deeply patriarchal movements. The peaceful and almost celebratory society, potentially signifying shifting perceptions nature of the candlelight movement was a source about the role of women in politics. She was also of pride for South Koreans and inspirational to the the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the assassinated international community, showing the power of autocrat who was reviled for his dictatorial rule, but individuals to effect political change at the highest revered for his role in setting South Korea’s path as levels. an economic powerhouse despite its war-ravaged However, what most reporters failed to capture past, giving rise to the spectacular success of the in their exuberant coverage was how the protest chaebols—or conglomerates—like Samsung and was a manifestation of the mounting level of Hyundai. social frustrations and the inability—perceived President Park’s term was beleaguered with and real—of the existing governance structures to questionable actions and policies. The most address the people’s grievances in a systematic notable incident was the first-ever court decision way. While the proximate cause of the protest since the country’s democratization to disband a was the corruption scandals enveloping President minor opposition party (Unified Progressive Party) Park, the protests involved a range of grievances and strip its members of their National Assembly stemming from pent-up anger and a sense of seats. In 2013, the Park administration took disempowerment that had been percolating under the party, known to be President Park’s fiercest the surface for decades. What emerged from the critics, to court for “promoting a North Korean- scene at Gwanghwamun Square was evocative of style socialism,”4 fueling accusations that Park a town hall discussion where citizens reassessed was using a national security argument to muzzle their country’s constitution and the government’s domestic opposition. Condemnation of pro-North questionable practices, especially during the past Korean sentiments also extended to foreigners 10 years. when a Korean-American writer received a five- Disillusioned by the actions of President Park, year entry ban for speaking positively about her citizens called for a fundamental shift in the experience of traveling to North Korea.5 status quo of South Korea’s political system and The public was suspicious even from the beginning demanded an end to state-business collusion, of Park’s term, amid reports that the country’s greater respect for labor rights, and accountability National Intelligence Service (NIS), under the by the government in response to disasters.3 direction of the previous conservative Lee Myung- And while the protests showcased South Korea’s bak administration, conducted an illicit online vibrant civil society, they also exposed the lingering campaign to sway public opinion in favor of Park weakness of the country’s political institutions Geun-hye during the 2012 presidential election.6 and the shortcomings of this 30-year-old liberal democracy. 2 DEMOCRACY & DISORDER LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH KOREA Above all, public distrust toward the government processes that guided the impeachment process significantly amplified over lingering, unanswered demonstrated the strength of South Korea’s questions about the inadequate government democracy, which allowed for a relatively smooth response to the Sewol ferry accident, in which transition of power, including the installing of the nearly 300 people on board—most of whom prime minister as the interim president until a were students—perished even as the captain snap election could be held. The current president, and the crewmembers saved themselves. The Moon Jae-in, was elected on a promise of improving initial emergency response team was severely transparency in government and checking the disorganized and poorly equipped, without any dominance of the chaebols that dominate the rescue divers.7 It was also revealed that the ferry economy. sank so quickly in part because the ferry company had knowingly exceeded its weight capacity. The The candlelight protests were another reminder of company was able to flout regulations by colluding the centrality of civil society and protest in resisting with officials to turn a blind eye and declaring the authoritarianism and putting the spotlight on ferry seaworthy. In at least one case, it was reported the persistent injustices in South Korea, despite that the official responsible for inspecting the ship past violent reprisals, torture, and imprisonment. was flown out by the ferry company to a resort After all, since the country’s founding in 1948, island,8 a tragic case where venal self-interest the collective actions of students, labor, religious outranked public safety. There was a deluge of leaders, dissidents, and human rights activists reporting about Park’s whereabouts during the have overthrown dictators in the 1960s and immediate aftermath of the tragic event, with odd 1980s, successfully ushering in a democratic accusations that the president was getting Botox transformation in 1987 and advancing the cause of injections during the immediate aftermath. individual rights and transparent governance during the subsequent years of democratic consolidation. Furthermore, revelations that she had been Commonly referred to as the “minjung movement,” consulting on government affairs with a close this coalition between workers and intellectuals friend, an alleged shaman, and doling out money during the 1970s and 1980s was a key driver in and privileges to the confidant and her family South Korea’s democratic transition. At the same further fueled cries for impeachment. Park was time, the movement’s emphasis on the oppression subsequently impeached and sentenced to 24 and exclusion of the ‘common’ people in Korea’s years in prison for abuse of power, while the history helped forge a political culture challenging confidant Choi Soon-sil was sentenced to 20 years. the legitimacy of military regimes and civilian Park’s fall was swift and stunning, hobbling the governments. ruling conservative party, and giving rise to the success and election of Moon Jae-in in May 2017. Indeed, the South Korean public has been taking its frustrations onto the street for generations. A CULTURE OF PROTEST When traveling through the streets of Seoul, it is common to see protesters in the streets. The issues Park Geun-hye’s downfall in 2017 was just the being protested run the gamut of perceived and latest in a long string of political scandals that had real injustices: to draw attention to unfair labor plagued South Korea. All of the country’s former practices; to demand the resignation of the Korean presidents at the time had been investigated and Airlines chairman for suspected tax evasion and charged for corruption, except for one, although he embezzlement (or his daughters, in the case of the would later face indictment as well. The candlelight “nut rage” or “water rage” incidents in which they protests and the legislative and constitutional abused subordinates for minor infractions); or to 3 DEMOCRACY & DISORDER LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH KOREA extract a “proper” apology from Japanese leaders graduates have satirically described South Korea for Tokyo’s exploitation of Korean sex slaves during as “Hell Joseon” (Joseon is the name of Korea’s World War II.