30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people’s aspiration to establish a pluralistic liberal democracy appears to be under scrutiny around the world - anti-immigration policies dominate political discourse in many countries, and strongmen like Viktor Orban in Hungary and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines have come to power in nominally democratic countries.
What about South Korea? In 2016 and 2017, the world was witness to millions of Koreans rallying to oust then-president Park Geun-hye who faced allegations of corruption and influence peddling. The so-called Candlelight movement succeeded and a progressive administration under Moon Jae-in assumed the mandate after the impeachment. For a little bit, South Korea appeared to be a global outlier.
However, all is not well - there are simmering tensions when it comes to issues like gender equality and the resettlement of refugees from the Middle East.
Is South Korea perhaps not an outlier after all? More broadly, is South Korea living up to the ideals of liberal democracy?
Our guest today, Johns Hopkins University Ph.D. candidate Darcie Draudt, assesses the health of South Korea’s democracy by examining the evolution of the country’s conception of citizenship and what groups are excluded in the current social contract.
You can find the paper here: http://www.keia.org/sites/default/files/publications/kei_aps_draught_191017.pdf
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A Conversation with Amb. Marc Knapper on U.S.-Korea-Vietnam Cooperation
U.S.-Korea Relations at 70: A Post-Summit Evaluation
Four Decades of Korea, In & Out: Rob Rapson (Part 2)
Four Decades of Korea, In & Out: Rob Rapson (Part 1)
Divided Families: Soojin Park, Paul Lee, Ambassador Robert King
The Ethics of Sanctions on North Korea: Hazel Smith
How North Korea Responds to a Black Swan Event: Markus Garlauskas
The Retreat (And Return?) of the United States: Gordon Flake
When Cold Warriors Sued for Peace: Mark Tokola
Lasting Legacies of An Unfinished War: James Person and William Stueck
The Miracle at Hungnam: Ned Forney
A Division No One Planned or Wanted: Charles Kraus
Defending Korea and a Letter to Pvt. Parker: John Stevens
Troubles Apologies in the Time of Pandemic: Alexis Dudden
Korean Baseball Comes to Bat in America: Mark Lippert, Eric Hacker, Daniel Kim, Dan Kurtz, Esther Lee, Troy Stangarone
The Last Transition Economy: Vincent Koen
Diplomacy or Readiness: Terence Roehrig
Succession in North Korea: Ken Gause, Chris Steinitz
Two Disappearances and a Funeral: Mark Tokola
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