Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 12-1996 An Analysis of Democratic Consolidation in South Korea Sangmook Lee Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Lee, Sangmook, "An Analysis of Democratic Consolidation in South Korea" (1996). Master's Theses. 5013. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/5013 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN ANALYSIS OF DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION INSOUTH KOREA by Sangmook Lee A Thesis Submitted to the· Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Political Science WesternMichigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan December 1996 Copyright by Sangmook Lee 1996 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have provided crucialsupport along the way. Special thanks goes to my committee chair, Dr. Lawrence Ziring, for his encouragement, guidance, and suggestions throughout this study. I also thank the members of my committee, Dr. Alan C. Isaak and Dr. Peter Kobrak, who read this draft very carefully and made numerous comments which greatly improved the quality of my thesis. This paper is dedicated to my family without whom it could hardly have been completed. I should like to thank my parents, my father, Byungkee Lee, and my mother, SuknamLee, who provided much support and encouragement throughout my graduate career. My special thanks goes to my lovely wife, K younghee Ma, who has given me more than enough understanding, support, and assistance. Last but most important thing is that to my pretty daughter, Yuna Lee, I offer my love and thanks for this among the other changes she has brought into my life. Appreciation is also extended to Dr. Chung-Hee Lee for his endless guidance and encouragement throughout my academic life. Additional acknowledgment is extended to Mrs. JoNel Hemingway and Mr. Peter Boylan for their editorial advice and assistance. Sangmook Lee ll AN ANALYSIS OF DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATIONIN SOUTH KOREA Sangmook Lee, M. A. WesternMichigan University, 1996 This thesis focuses on the process of democratic consolidation in South Korea. Under the assumption that South Korea's democratic.. consolidation phase has not been completed, the thesis examines the problems and prospects of South Korean• democratic consolidation in terms of its political, economic, and social aspects. In particular, from a comparative perspective on the Third Wave of democratization, the thesis deals with the changes, dynamics, and characteristics of South Korean democratization. Using a maximalist conception of democratic consolidation, the thesis analyzes how South Korean democracy is becoming consolidated in the political and socioeconomic spheres. South Korea is undergoing a democratic consolidation process. The long-term prospect for South Korean democracy is bright. However, consolidating democracy is not easy job and it cannot be established in a short time. It is necessary to increase the government's efficiency to manage sociopolitical conflicts and to drive reform continuously. Ultimately, when South Korea has established both political democracy and socioeconomic democracy, it will be a consolidated and stable democracy. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................... 11 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... vt LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................. Vll CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 II. A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THETHIRD WAVE OF DEMOCRATIZATION................................................................... 9 A Conceptual Review of Democratic Transitions....................................... 12 The Causes of Democratization................................................... 19 The Process of Democratization. .. .. .. 23 The Process of Democratic Transition................................... 24 The Process of Democratic Consolidation .... ............... .............. .... 37 III. SOUTH KOREA'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... ... .. .... .. 50 Political Culture ....................................................................................... 51 The Characteristics of Traditional Political Culture ....................... 52 The Changing Political Culture .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 The Partition of the Korean Peninsula .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 56 Political History .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. 59 Democratic Experiments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 lll Table of Contents --- Continued CHAPTER The Authoritarian Legacy. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 64 IV. A PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS IN SOUTH KOREA . 72 The Democratic Transition Phase................. :............................................ 73 The6.29 Declaration ofRoh Tae Woo......................................... 74 A Grand Conservative Ruling Coalition . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 The Mode ofDemocratic Transition............................................. 82 The Democratic Consolidation Phase. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 84 Eliminating Corruption................................................................. 85 Civilian Control Over the Military. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 87 Political Reform. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 89 Economic Reform. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91 V. THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATIONIN SOUTH KOREA .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .... .. .. .. ... .. .... .. .. ....... .... 94 Political Institutionalization. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 96 The Political Party System. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 98 The Legislature. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 102 Economic Development. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 Development ofCivil Society. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 111 IV Table of Contents --- Continued CHAPTER Political Leadership . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 121 VI. CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................... 128 Summary ...................................................... :......................................... 128 The Future of South Korean Democratic Consolidation . .. .. .. .. 142 BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................. 145 V LIST OF TABLES 1. Authoritarian Regimes and Liberalization/Democratization Processes, 1974-1990 ········································································································ 34 2. Distribution of Legislature Seats in the 1988 Parliamentary Election ................. 78 3. South Korea's Principal Economic Indicators, 1985-1990.................................. 81 VI LIST OF FIGURES 1. Types of Democratization From Authoritarian Rule.......................................... 25 2. Modalities of Transition to Democracy From Authoritarian Rule...................... 28 3. Modes of Transition to Democracy . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 4. Democratic Transitions With/without Elite Settlements....................... .............. 45 Vil CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION From 1948, when an independent government was established in South Korea, "liberal democracy" has been the stated objective of all its governments. Although authoritarian governments ruled the country for approximately 30 years, democratic aspiration remained strong and intense (Han, 1987, p. 267). And while the unification of the Korean Peninsula is a long term goal, establishing democratic government is acknowledged to be the primary objective of the South Korean nation. Since the rnid-1970sthe spread of democracy to so many countries in Southern Europe, Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa has been remarkable (Wiarda, 1993, p. 83). South Korea is no exception. In June 1987 South Korea experienced the first phase of democratization. Roh Tae Woo, then the presidential candidate of the ruling party (Democratic Justice Party), made his so-called 6.29 (June 29) Declaration, which fully and quite unexpectedly accepted the demands of an opposition alliance of party leaders and radical students, as well as intellectuals, progressive journalists, and clergy. They had called for Amending the Constitution for the popular election of the President; liftingthe ban on political dissidents including Kim Dae Jung [ one of the political leaders of the opposition];.. removing major restrictions on the basic rights of the press, publication, assembly and association; and reinstating the system of local autonomy (Paik, 1994, p. 733). 1 2 This event, of course, meant that the ruling elite of Chun Doo Hwan' s authoritarian regime had succumbed to intensive and mounting pressures for democratization from the political opposition and the general