What Type Of Government Does South Korea Have?

Is South Korea a democracy or republic?

The politics of South Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. To ensure a separation of powers, the Republic of Korea Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Is South Korea a democracy or communist?

– The Economist, the British economic news weekly, assesses the democracies of 167 countries worldwide according to the following five criteria: Is the electoral process free and fair? Are the government functions rational? Are citizens allowed to engage in politics freely? Is the political culture developing? Are the freedoms and rights of citizens respected? What of the results? In Asia, aside from Japan The Republic of Korea alone is a full democracy But, Korea’s history with democracy has been turbulent Two Coupd’états Two people with dreams of being president-for-life Three forcible dissolutions of parliament Nine constitutional amendments Let us look again this history, the history of Korean democracy which emerged as true and full democracy from the establishment of the republic for all the twists and turns.

• 1. The creation of constitutional democracy, and the introduction of a democratic system Democratic politics took several centuries to emerge in the West.
• In South Korea, though, it was introduced all at once, in 1948 Thus, the foundations of Korean democracy were very weak.35 years of Japanese colonial rule.

A time when the Korean people could not exercise the power and freedoms as members of a sovereign nation, or the obligations as citizens of such a nation. After liberation The Korean people were to build a country Not knowing what democracy, a nation state or the rights and responsibilities of the citizen are.

1. Right up until the establishment of the republic, violent struggle with leftist forces continued.
2. Orean democracy was formed from a less than perfect beginnings, as the basic rights and freedoms of the people were infringed amidst the violent tumult.
3. However, Korea already had some historical experiences that made it ready to accept the foreign idea of democracy.

In the Joseon period, the Inspectorates (Sahyeonbu) and the Advisory Committees(Saganwon) restrained and criticized the monarch and his bureaucracy. Noble landowning intellectuals outside the corridors of power also critiqued government policy, making appeals against decisions made, thus a public politics existed.

• Later on, this led to criticism of power politics by the media and intelligentsia.
• In the late stages of the dynasty, there was much discussion about a new political system, creation of a parliament, the adoption of a constitution and republican government.
• After the 1st March Movement, the Provisional government of the Republic of Korea chose republican democratic governance as the basic framework for the future government of Korea.10th May 1948 The first election, with universal on the Korean peninsula in which the people can exercise sovereignty as masters of their own destinies.95.5% turnout, a staggering fact, bespeaks the passion of Korean people in forming a new democratic order.

A constitutional convention of 198 people meet on 17th July of the same year to promulgate a constitution. And on 15th August, with the declaration establishing a government, a democratic system is introduced and the Republic of Korea formed. Article 1 (of the constitution) The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic Article 2 The sovereignty of the republic resides with its citizens, and all power comes from the citizenry.

Universal suffrage, freedom of speech, the press, protest and association were guaranteed. While private property was protected, and the free market economy was chosen – a system that respects the freedom and creativity of the individual and company. The government was centred on the office of the president but, the National Assembly selected the president and the vice president, also having the right to appoint the prime minister.

So there were elements of a cabinet system too. This represented a compromise between the constitutional convention that wanted a cabinet government, and Syngman Rhee, who wanted a presidential system. At the time, the majority of constitutional convention was nonpartisan and political parties were only in its forming stage.

During the Korean War, Syngman Rhee demanded an amendment to the constitution that mean direct election of the president rather than their selection by the National Assembly. The National Assembly countered by demanding a constitutional change to cabinet government. After both failed, in July 1952, Rhee mobilized the regular and military police, as well as supporter groups to forcibly suppress the National Assembly.

Thus pushing through direct presidential election. This damaged the democratic system, but a power structure in which the president was selected by the people was created. – 2. The emergence of authoritarianism Subsequently, the Syngman Rhee government began down a path of authoritarianism.

This was partially due to the effects of the Korean War, and partly due to the political wilfulness of Syngman Rhee himself. Millions of lives devastated by the war, anti-communism at fever pitch, South Korean politics became increasingly conservative, the politics of the right in the ascent. The first opposition party in Korean political history, the Korean Democratic Party, and its successor, the Democratic National Party, along with the Democratic party that followed it, were all political parties that represented landlords and property owners.

They showed as much strong anti-communist tendencies as the ruling Liberal Party. State institutions, including the police and military, became more rigid, while freedom of thought was suppressed. Anti-communism propelled political power in an authoritarian direction.

It was Syngman Rhee, though, above all else who was the mastermind behind this process. In September 1945, even the Left selected him as president of the Korean People’s Republic. He thought that he was the man who had to lead, and demanded that the people and other political factions unite around him.

Kang Won-Taek / Seoul National University, Political Science Professor Q. What was the status of Syngman Rhee? Syngman Rhee, as is clear from the fact that both Left and Right saw him as the rightful president, was a person respected and supported by a large swathe of the people.

• He was a person with a great authority immediately following liberation.
• Shin Bok-ryong / Former professorial chair at Kunkook University Q.
• What was Syngman Rhee’s political line? This is a very complex question.
• He used to often say, as if by mistake, ‘my beloved people, me of royal descent.’ His cabinet meeting were run as clubs of Rhee promoters, that’s the kind of charisma he had.

In 1954, approaching the end of his term in office, sought to amend the constitution to get rid of term limits, choosing the path of a would-be president for life. And thus an authoritarian system centred on one man, engineered to guarantee his grip on power, was created through a constitutional amendment.

1. While procedural democracy was maintained at the ballot box and representatives kept in place, the abuse of power by the power elect worsened.
2. Lee Jeong-hee / Political Science Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Q.
3. What were the characteristics of Syngman Rhee authoritarianism? Personally, his experience during the independence struggle, his blood ties, his education, these kinds of things seemed the background to his particular style of patriarchal authoritarianism.

Syngman Rhee was a leader to be venerated and respected by the people. The 1956 Liberal Party election poster had as its slogan: “Let’s promote the great Syngman Rhee Phd., father of the nation, again as president.” The poster for the 1960 election read: “let’s promote once again the man who has given all 80 years of his life in the serve of the nation.” What’s more, from 1955 onward, every year on 26th March a government-backed celebration of Syngman Rhee’s birthday took place in all major cities.

On the day, public employees were given the day off, while the ban on night-time travel was also lifted just for the day. However, while this was a period of deepening authoritarianism, it was also a time of democratic progress. First, a political party system with both government and opposition developed.

In the early 1950s, with the constitutional change to directly-elected presidents, two parties in direct competition emerged: the pro-Rhee ruling party and the anti-Rhee opposition party. Lee Jeong-hee / Political Science Professor, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Q.

What led to the creation of a two party system in Korea? It was the split of political forces into factions that supported and opposed Syngman Rhee that led to the beginnings of the emergence of a two party system. With the formation of the Democratic Party under Shin Ik-hee in 1955, we can see the establishment, proper of the two party system.

Kim Yong-ho / Political Science Professor, Inha University Q. What led to the creation of a two party system in Korea? A tradition of two parties, ruling and opposition, was basically kept through the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Second, elections were used as a device to reflect the popular will.

This cannot go on, time for a change”, “change won’t make any difference.” The May 1956 Presidential and Vice Presidential elections became an intense battle between the ruling and opposition parties. Shin Ik-hee, the main opposition party’s candidate died suddenly while campaigning, and thus Syngman Rhee was easily reelected.

However, Chang Myon, the opposition Vice Presidential candidate was elected his deputy. Two years later, in the Assembly Elections, the opposition made large gains. Third, and most importantly, this was a period in which a generation educated in the values of freedom, equality and the sovereignty of the people in the democratic process emerged.

1. After the armistice was signed, elementary education became mandatory, and by the late 1950s, 99% of children of the right age were in elementary school.
2. At the same time, there was a steep rise in the number of students enrolled at middle and high school, as well as university.
3. Students learnt in school the principle of the sovereignty of the people, the basic rights of the citizen, the right to engage in the political process, i.e.

Western democratic principles and values. Kang Won-taek / Political Science Professor, Seoul National University Q. What part did education play in the 19th April Revolution of 1960? How could it have happened? I think that education played a huge role.

I think education in democracy, and through that, learning of liberal democracy, was simply crucial. The development of two party politics, the holding of elections, and education in democratic values became the force behind the 19th April Revolution that overthrew the Syngman Rhee regime. In 1960, Syngman Rhee was already an old man, at 85.

But Cho Byeong-ok, the opposition candidate died one month before the day of the election, thereby guaranteeing that Rhee’s re-election. The problem was the Vice Presidential election. Because the vice president would take over, if the president died or was incapacitated, the Liberal Party absolutely had to win the Vice Presidential Election.

The Rhee regime conducted a campaign of mass rigging that included creating phantom voters, mobilizing government power to intimidate voters, having open group voting in groups of 3-5, voting for those who did not vote, switching ballot boxes and faking votes. Thanks to this, Lee Gi-bung got close to 80% 0f the vote in the election, but the result was not recognized by the people.

People began protests in the major cities of the country on the day of the election. People were enraged when the police opened fire on the protests, killing marchers. In Masan on 11th April the dead body of high school student called Kim Ju-yeol was discovered – who had gone missing on the day of the election while protesting – tear bomb still lodged in his eyes.

• This inflamed public opinion against the rigged election, and protests erupted in Masan and all other major cities, including Seoul.
• The indiscriminate fire by the police on protestors, that included many students, killed about 100 and injured 450.
• The government moved to declare a martial law.
• In response, the United States urged Syngman Rhee to resign, the army watched on as protests continued.

With the army refusing to take action, the people continuing to resist and American pressure, Rhee resigned. Thus, Korea’s first authoritarian government fell. Kim Yong-ho/ Political Science Professor, Inha University Q. What is the significance of the 19th April Revolution in South Korean political history? After the 19th April Revolution, no ruling group could repudiate liberal democracy.

1. What’s more, dictators had to justify their seizure of power as being a temporary limiting of freedoms.
2. They could not deny the value of liberal democracy, they emphasized the temporary nature of the restrictions on freedom.
3. Hence, the 19th April Revolution was crucial, it played an important role in creating a spirit of liberal democracy and popular sovereignty in Korea.

– 3. Military Coup, the emergence of a new ruling group Following Rhee’s resignation, the opposition Democratic Party led a constitutional reform process that resulted in the adoption of a cabinet government system. In the elections that followed, the Democratic Party won in a landslide, but they were divided over whether old group centred on Yun Posun, or the new group centred on Chang Myon should take on the crucial prime minister.

Yun became president, Chang prime minister, but the demands of the people, so long suppressed, erupted, creating social chaos. To the military, this presented an opportunity. During the Korean War, the military had become more modern and organized than any other social group. Before the war, the army was composed of a mere 100,000 men, but by the late 1950s it had increased by more than seven times.

The officer corps had similarly increased rapidly in size. The United States hosted a thousand Korean officers and non-commissioned officers in exchange programs each year, by this point this amounted to 9,000 men who had visited the US to participate in exchanges.

This allowed many service personnel to learn about modern military technology and advanced organizational management techniques, while also being educated in rationalism and efficiency. They also acquired a sense of responsibility for the state. These young officers became disillusioned with their older superiors, and increasingly found themselves in conflict with their way of doing things.

Following the revolution, they called on older officers to retire and for reform of the military, but such calls were ignored. As a result, Kim Jong-pil, a leading figure calling for reform left the military, while Park Chung-hee was demoted to a less important post.

The Chang Myon government did not take the threat of revolt from the Park Chung-hee-led group of officers seriously. What they did not know as that they had all but collapsed from within as the army Chief of staff was already working with the Park group. Park Chung-hee and his co-conspirators initiated their coup in the early hours of the morning on 16th May 1961.

A small force of 3,600 soldiers, including a brigade of marines from Kimpo, occupied army headquarters, major government institutions and KBS broadcasting center. Neither Prime Minister Chang nor President Yun made any serious efforts to resist. Chang Myon lay low, while Yun Poson refused to demand that the head of US forces in Korea intervene to suppress the coup.

• As a result, the coup was tacitly accepted by the United States as well.
• The coup leaders formed the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, mobilizing extra-legal force to deal with social unrest while beginning a program of economic development.
• The Park Chung-hee military government sought to transform itself into a civilian administration through the ballot box.

In order to do this, it created the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) as the government’s principle security organ, and organized a political party through which the military would participate in elections. December 1962, a constitutional amendment creating a directly-elected presidential system is approved in a referendum.

• October 1963, Park Chung-hee, coup leader, beats Yun Poson, president in the Democratic Party administration in the presidential election.
• A close result, with Park receiving 4.7 million votes to Yun’s 4.55 million.
• So it was that the coup leaders donned suits and appeared, on the surface, to become civilian leaders.

At the same time, democratic party-based politics and representative government was restored. From his first year in office, Park sought to normalize relations with Japan. His second-in-command, Kim Jong-pil, head of the KCIA, met with Japanese foreign minister Ohira in November 1962 and agreed on the amount of aid that Japan would pay Korea.

• Following this, in spring 1964 the new Park government rushed to reach a settlement.
• The opposition party and students saw this as a shameful betrayal of the nation, and began struggle to resist the proposed normalization.
• From March 1964, protests became more serious.
• Park saw them as opposition without alternative and mobilized the military to suppress them.3rd June, another massive protest erupts, and martial law is declared.

The next year in August, as the National assembly was about to ratify the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty, the Garrison Act was invoked across Seoul. Thus, Park Chung-hee, in his early years, mobilized the military to deal with weak public support for his government.

• By around 1965, though, the economic development began apace, and Park Chung-hee was able to easily win re-election in 1967.
• This time around, Park won handsomely, with 5.69 million votes to Yun Poson’s 4.53 million, a 1.16 million vote margin.
• The National Assembly elections held soon after, sparked controversy, with allegations of rigging, when the ruling Republican Party managed secure a 2/3 majority that would enable Park to amend the constitution.

In 1969, Park began a push for a third term amendment to the constitution. Those who supported Kim Jong-pil, second in the party, opposed the amendment, while the opposition party and students resisted. However, Park once again mobilized the KCIA and army in order to pass the amendment.

What’s more, he managed to beat the young Kim Dae-jung, opposition candidate, in the 1971 presidential election, becoming the third term president. But, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, amid rapid change in the global situation, with Sino-American rapprochement, on the pretext of improving state security and continuing economic development, he attempted to stay in power longer.

North Korea had become increasingly provocative, militarily, even sending special forces to attack the Blue House. With defeat in the Vietnam, the US signalled that they would no longer be prepared to intervene in Asia, and they also began withdrawing forces from Korea.

1. The Cold War was also changing in other ways too, with not only the US, but also Japan seeking to normalize relations with China.
2. To Park, this presented both a security and state crisis.
3. He thought that only he could resolve this crisis, and that he had to remain at the helm.
4. In October 1972, Park once again mobilized the military, declaring martial law and suspending the constitution.

Under in the tense atmosphere of martial law, a new constitution was put to a referendum and approved. No longer was the president to be directly elected, rather the president was selected by Unification People’s Congress, in what was called a ‘gym election’.

The people had thus lost their right to choose their own government. The president also had the authority to dissolve parliament and put in place emergency measures, while 1/3 of the National Assembly was, in reality, selected by the president himself. Thus, only a shell remained of representative democracy and the separation of powers.

And so it was that the Yushin political system was created: one-man rule, Park Chung-hee alone, with power he could need. However, in the February 1973 National assembly elections, the people did not support this new system. Though the ruling Republican Party raised their vote to 39%, the opposition New Democracy Party and the Democratic Unification Party secured a combined 43% of the vote.

Im Dae-jung’s kidnap that summer, sparked intensified resistance to the Yushin system. Students and opposition-minded intellectuals, as well as religious people, demanded that the Yushin constitution be amended, and began a constitutional amendment petition campaign. The Park Chung-hee government, moved to suppress the movement and arrest those who resisted.

In 1974, the Federation of Democratic Young Students affair involving allegations that a nationwide student movement organization hoped to start a violent revolution occurred, along with People’s Revolutionary Party reformation committee affair. In the People’s Revolutionary Party Affair, eight of those involved were sentenced to death, and the sentences were carried out immediately.

• In the spring of 1975, the three states of Indochina, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos fell to communism.
• Fears mounted that if one region went communist others would follow, like a domino.
• Park Chung-hee promulgated the decisive emergency measure: No.9, that closed the eyes and mouths of the people, tying their hands and feet.

With this, the authoritarian system stabilized. In the meantime, general heavy and chemical industrialization, and rapid growth continued. The economic expansion of 1976 to 1978 was even known as the most prosperous of Golden Ages in Korean history. But the political situation did not remain calm for long, a new crisis soon ensued.

The U.S. Carter administration, sworn in 1977, sought to pursue a foreign policy grounded in human rights, and was sharply critical of the Korean human rights situation. In response, student protests demanding a return to constitutional democracy started again. The common people could not but remain silent in the face of police and secret police surveillance and repression.

However, the aversion of the people to Park’s dictatorial rule grew. The major of people sought to signal their disgust with the situation, through the electoral process, restricted and controlled though the process was. Thus, in the General Election of late 1978, more of the electorate voted for the opposition than for the ruling party, thus demonstrating that the government no longer represented the people.

Yun Seong-I / Political Science Professor, Kyunghee University Q. In spite of the economic boom, why did the opposition get more votes in the ’78 General Election? The economic growth of the 1970s did sure up support for the Park Chung-hee government to a certain extent, but it also created a middle class.

This meant that people’s consciousness was raised, a spirit of criticism and resistance was formed. The boom, in part, helped to Park Chung-hee to maintain his grip on power, but at the same time, the emerging middle class increasingly became organized as a force of resistance to his rule – a group who clearly saw the negative aspects to the political situation.

Ang Won-taek / Political science professor, Seoul National University Q. What was the significance of the opposition’s high vote in the 1978 Assembly Elections? The opposition getting more votes in December 1978 was a serious shock to the government. It is arguable that the assassination of Park Chung-hee (the 26th October Incident) partially resulted from the ’78 election results.

This empowered opposition leader Kim Young-sam. In May 1979, he ran up a clear-cut opposition party, and was selected as its head. From then on, he took the lead in the anti-Yushin movement. In August of the same year, while the police were forcibly breaking up a sit-in of female workers from the wigmakers YH at the opposition party headquarters, one of the workers was killed.

1. In September, Kim Young-sam said in an interview with the New York Times that the US government should openly and directly exert pressure on the Park government in order to effect democratization in Korea.
2. Park did not take kindly to these remarks, and had Kim’s seat in the National Assembly taken away.

This tough response revoked massive protests in Busan and Masan, the base of Kim Young-sam’s political support. While trying to suppress the protests, divisions at the apex of power emerged, Park Chung-hee was assassinated by the head of the KCIA, and with that, the Yushin system collapsed.

4. A new military group, the extension of authoritarianism With Yushin’s collapse, there was much hope and desire for democratization. Hardliners, including security commander Chun Doo-hwan who was heading the investigation into Park Chung-hee’s death, arrested the chief administrator of martial law, on 12th December: thus beginning a military coup from which they seized control of the army and government.

Spring 1980, though mindful of potential threats, the new military government decided to pardon those imprisoned under Yushin-era emergency measures and send expelled students back to school. University students began to protest, demanding immediate democratization, such as ending martial law and setting out a political schedule of events to come.

In reaction to this, on the pretext of the need to prevent social chaos, the new military government enlarged martial law, arrested opposition figures including Kim Dae-jung, dissolved the National Assembly, closed all universities nationwide and banned all protests. The following day, on 18th May, university students and others clashed with the military outside the front gate of Jeonnam University in Kwangju city.

Students and people in the area demanded the release of Kim Dae-jung and democratization, but paratroopers attacked the crowd indiscriminately with clubs, killing protestors. The citizens of the city were engaged, and a massive protest ensued. Some protestors seized arms from the army reserve stores, and armed themselves.

Facing a massive protest, the army withdrew to outside the city. Facing a massive protest, the army withdrew to outside the city. In the early hours of 27th May, the military re-entered the city and massacred civilians while suppressing protests. As a result of these actions, a combined total of close to 200 civilians, military personnel and police were killed.

Following this, Chun Doo-hwan’s military government moved to deepen its grip on power. They too, like Park Chung-hee before them, sought to de-militarize the government and don suits. The Yushin constitution was amended, but indirect presidential elections remained, thus depriving voters of the chance to choose their government.

• Chun Doo-hwan was elected president in another ‘gym election’.
• The freedom of the press, protest, association and the three rights of workers were all heavily restricted.
• That said, Chun Doo-hwan, president under the 5th Republic, promised to only serve one term as president, thus signally a change from the one-man dictatorships of the past.

Yun Seong-I / Political Science Professor, Kyunghee University Q. What was different about Chun Doo-hwan’s 5th Republic compared to Rhee’s and Park’s one-man rule? Even though he chose the path of authoritarian governance, he promised to only serve one seven-year term.

1. Thus, future democratization remained a possibility. – 5.
2. Desire for democracy, the spread of the democratization movement The social base for democracy got increasingly strong.
3. Rapid economic growth, led to a large increase in the average income.
4. More not only went to high school but also university.
5. Thus there was a large rise in the highly educated, highly skilled and highly paid workers – the bedrock of the middle class.

Such people understood the rights and obligations of the citizen, and were a group that hoped for the realization of democratization. The ‘president selected in the gymnasium’ and the night 9 o’clock ‘ding-ding Chun news’ was unbearable for such people.

• The student protest movement, expanded as the Chun Doo-hwan government took power.
• The movement argued that the United States had helped Chun into power, and became increasingly anti-American.
• There also emerged a group within the movement that sought socialist revolution as their ultimate goal.
• In 1983, Kim Young-sam went on hunger strike for 23 days, demanding five clause of democratizations, including an end to media censorship.

This again inflamed demands for democratization in broader society. With the Chun government’s aggressive economic stabilization measures and the global economy reviving, economic growth returned. The elite, gaining in confidence, began to an appeasement policy with their opponents.

1. Professors who had lost their jobs were reemployed, while expelled students were allowed to return to school.
2. Former opposition politicians were permitted to engage in political activities once again.
3. Thus the regime sought to cohabit with its critics.
4. It was at this time that the movement for democratization amongst former opposition politicians, students and intellectuals became more active.

Kim Young-sam, released from house arrest and, along Kim Dae-jung, who had sentenced to death but exiled to the United States, formed the Council for the Promotion of Democracy, from which they made written declarations and organized protests demanding democratization.

Their newly organized opposition party became the leading opposition in the February 1985 General Elections. This new opposition party began a movement for the restoration of direct government election, for the restoration of the right of the people to choose their government. The core of the student power were National Liberation and People’s Democracy revolution elements, but they too actively participated in the movement of the institutionalized opposition party to amend the constitution.

The student movement also focused much energy on educating workers. In the midst of these developments, the police while attempting to hunt down and arrest key members of students power and the labour movement, used sexual torture against female students and even tortured students to death.

In July 1986, it emerged that one Bucheon police officer had tortured sexually a female student who had been disguised as a worker. In January 1987, personnels at branch office of National Police Headquarters, in Namyeong-dong tortured students they had brought in, before killing them. The people were enraged by the barbarity that occupied Chun Doo-hwan’s rule, and because united in their support of the movement to change the constitution.

here was no way to switch to a parliamentary system, so on 13th April 1987, Chun revealed his intention to maintain the constitution as it was, with indirectly elected president. This amounted to Chun riding roughshod over popular opinion. Soon after, it was revealed that the police had tried to cut the incident of torture resulting in death and to conceal the truth.

1. Understandably the people responded with anger.
2. In June, beginning with religious groups including the Catholics, people for all walks of life became engaged in the constitutional amendment movement.
3. Hitherto a movement limited to students and opposition party activists, it became a generalized movement even including ordinary white-colars, the so-called ‘necktie brigade’.

It was not possible to suppress such a large movement through police power alone, it was feared that if the army got involved, another Gwangju like event could occur. Thus, it was decided that a compromise should be made, accepting the demand for direct presidential elections, the 29th June Declaration.

• Im Yong-ho / Political Science Professor Inha University Q.
• Why did those in power accept the demand for a constitutional amendment mandating direct presidential elections? Because the people were so strong in their demand for change, if the movement had been suppressed it would have resulted in much bloodshed, and the ruling group thought that it would then be difficult to deal with resulting issues.

The fear was that the Olympics could be cancelled. So the elite decided to compromise. With agreement of ruling and opposition parties, a democratic constitution including provisions for a directly elected president agreed and won in a referendum. Thus, the Republic of Korea became a democratic republic through peaceful compromise.

– 6. Establishing a procedural democracy, the opposition takes power In the election that followed, the opposition vote was split between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, resulting in the election of Roh Tae-woo. Roh was selected from within the ruling group, but he was elected by the people, and thus his election represented a democratic choice made by the people.

Following the election, democracy continued to develop. Five years later, in 1992, Kim Young-sam, former democracy activist and opposition party leader, having joined the ruling party, was elected president. As a result, almost 30 years of rule by Generals came to end.

1. Im acquired the ruling party’s presidential candidate after merging of three parties in 1990.
2. Halfway toward an opposition party taking power, Kim Young-sam had been an opposition party politician for almost 40 years.
3. In office, he rid the military of secret organizations, made it impossible for the military to intervene in politics, and punished those in charge of the last military government.

In the 1997 Presidential Election, Kim Dae-jung became the first opposition party candidate to be elected president. This was also the first time that a candidate from the Jeolla region of the country had been elected. In 2002, Roh Moo-hyun was elected president, another democracy activist becoming president.

Five years after that, the opposition took power again, with the victory of Lee Myung-bak. In 2012 election, as ruling party’s candidate Park Geun-hye was elected president also. After the amendment to the constitution in 1987, a presidential election has been help peacefully every five years, and there has been a change in the party holding the presidency twice in that time.

This implies the consolidation of democracy. The legacy of authoritarian politics left from the era of military rule has all but gone. Now the threat from the military or ultra-right forces has all but disappeared. – 7. Epilogue: Conclusions and prospects The form emerged before the content.

1. Representatives of the people selected by election, division of powers and political freedoms were introduced first.
2. But it took much time before the principles became realities.
3. Initially, Koreans did not pay for democracy, it was handed to them on a platter.
4. Only later, by paying the price, did they actually get real democracy.

Thanks to the form they were given, could they create a democratic reality. Liberal democracy and democratic institutions were partially damaged, but the framework remained. Even under dictatorship, elections, the bedrock of representative democracy, remained.

Citizens expressed their opinion through the ballot box. Kim Yong-ho / Political Science Professor, Inha University Q. What are the characteristics of Korean democracy? Korean party politics and elections went on since they were established in 1948. Under dictatorships in Latin America and in Southeast Asia, after the army seized power, there were many instances of all parties being dissolved.

But in Korea, Generals had to don suits in order to rule, while continuing to let elections happen. They also formed political parties. Election results reflected the popular will, and heavily influenced the political system. The democratization movement, that included opposition parties, students, intellectuals and religious groups, was able to gain momentum from electoral results.

1. Economic and social development became the basis for democratization, while industrialization and the emergence of the middle class created a core constituency for democracy.
2. The middle class could not abide dictatorship, an anachronism given the fruits of economic development.
3. They threw their support behind the democratization movement, and thus the military dictatorship exited the political stage.

Circumstantial factors like the scandal created by the torture of students in the movement and the impending Seoul Olympics were also important. The scandal created by torture inflamed public opinion in 1987, as the Olympics neared, the ruling group were not in a position to suppress the movement any longer.

Lastly, because democratization has been a gradual, brokered process, it wasn’t clear how it was all going to turn out, but social chaos was averted and progress made. Thus it was, in 1948, constitutional democracy was introduced, after 1987, procedurally it became consolidated. Now all that is left is to add substance and depth to Korean democracy.

Kang Won-taek / Political Science Professor, Seoul National University Q. What is left to resolve to make Korea a more mature democracy? Democracy is not something that just ends at a particular point, it’s something that keeps going. We have succeeded in creating a democracy, it’s been consolidated, now it must progress a further step, so that we can live together in one community in which the lives of all are considered.

In a community, one does not merely assert one’s own rights, one also considers what one must do for the community, and what one’s community needs. In that respect, we must seriously consider the problem of political education of citizens. Yun Seong-I / Political Science Professor, Kyunghee University Q.

What is left to resolve to make Korea a more mature democracy? As yet, the average citizen’s engagement is lacking, and grassroots democracy remains weak. We must consider how get citizens involved in the politics of their lives and active within grassroots democracy.

What government is used in South Korea?

The System of government in Korea is a pluralistic, democratic and presidential system, the president is elected by popular vote every five years, for one term only. The President Appoints the Prime Minister and has the right to release him from his duties.

The parliament consists of 299 members, about 80% of its members are elected directly, others are elected based on a proportional representation system. Despite the fact that the presidential system is prevailing now, yet there is a call to change it to a parliamentary system in order to reduce the absolute power of the president, and to grant the rights of appointing and removing of prime minister to the parliament.

Political Parties There are several political parties, including the following: • Saenuri Party ( NFP): it is the ruling party with 172 seats in the parliament, it is a right-wing conservative party, loyal to the United States and conservative in its relationship with North Korea, it has been ruling Korea over the last seven years.

Democratic Party: the main opposition party with 82 seats in the parliament, it has been ruling Korea over the past decade under different names. It is a liberal party with an opposition left tendency. It supports dealing positively with North Korea and has some reservations against the US presence and against the alliance with the United States.

It has a remarkable ability to motivate the people and run strong popular campaigns to oppose some of the policies or decisions of the government especially as the most of its supporters are from the youth generation, which assist to run social opposition campaigns via the Internet.

Is Korea a democracy or dictatorship?

Background – After Imperial Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War in 1945, the Korean region, which was part of Japan’s territory, was occupied by American and Soviet forces. In 1948, with the end of the U.S. military government, South Korea declared its independence from Japan as the Republic of Korea.

1. In 1952, when Japan approved the independence of the Korean region under the San Francisco Peace Treaty, it became a completely independent and sovereign nation under international law.
2. The unconditional surrender of Japan led to the division of Korea into two occupation zones (similar to the four zones in Germany ), with the United States administering the southern half of the peninsula and the Soviet Union administering the area north of the 38th parallel,

This division was meant to be temporary (as was in Germany) and was first intended to return a unified Korea back to its people after the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China could arrange a single government for the peninsula. The two parties were unable to agree on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea because of 2 different opinions.

This led in 1948 to the establishment of two separate governments with the two very opposite ideologies ; the Communist -aligned Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the West -aligned First Republic of Korea – each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea. On 25 June 1950, the Korean War broke out.

After much destruction, the war ended on 27 July 1953, with the 1948 status quo being restored, as neither the DPRK nor the First Republic had succeeded in conquering the other’s portion of the divided Korea. The peninsula was divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the two separate governments stabilised into the existing political entities of North and South Korea,

• South Korea’s subsequent history is marked by alternating periods of democratic and autocratic rule,
• Civilian governments are conventionally numbered from the First Republic of Syngman Rhee to the contemporary Sixth Republic,
• The First Republic, arguably democratic at its inception (though preceded by major anti-communist and anti-socialist purges), became increasingly autocratic until its collapse in 1960.

The Second Republic was strongly democratic, but was overthrown in under a year and replaced by an autocratic military regime, The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Republics were nominally democratic, but are widely regarded as the continuation of military rule.

1. With the current Sixth Republic, the country has gradually stabilized into a liberal democracy,
2. Since its inception, South Korea has seen substantial development in education, economy, and culture,
3. Since the 1960s, the nation has developed from one of Asia’s poorest to one of the world’s wealthiest nations,

Education, particularly at the tertiary level, has expanded dramatically. It is said to be one of the ” Four Tigers ” of rising Asian states along with Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong,

Is Korea a free country?

Individual rights – Every Korean citizen over the age of 19 has the right to vote. In the Constitution of Republic of Korea, there are rights and freedoms for its citizens. For instance, freedom of speech or press. Hence, there is no official censorship in place.

The National Security Law makes it a crime to express sympathies with North Korea, and though it is not consistently enforced, there are over 100 people imprisoned under it annually. A play about the Yodok political prison camp in North Korea has come under significant pressure from authorities to tone down its criticism and the producers have allegedly been threatened with prosecution under the security law.

Some conservative groups have complained that police keep a tight watch on their demonstrations and that some people were prevented from attending rallies. Former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was once accused of attempting to distract reporters from a meeting of activists for human rights in North Korea,

Several established human rights organizations, however, have held lectures and exhibits critical of North Korea with no interference. However, there is a striking phenomenon in the censorship, which is more visible and executed in the media. Songs and theater play in Japanese language or relating to Japan are generally prohibited.

Despite the lifting of most regulations in 1996 and 1998 following a Constitutional Court ruling that they were illegal, scenes of extreme violence can be barred and pornography is forbidden from showing penetration of any kind, and genitals must be blurred out.

• Though technically legal, pornography must still meet some minimum standards of artistic integrity, which are not clearly written in the law.
• In 1997 a human rights film festival was blocked and the organizers arrested for refusing to submit their films for pre-screening.
• The government blocks access to North Korean websites and, sometimes, to major overseas web sites that host blogs.

There is currently a debate over whether to revoke the ability to make anonymous comments online. Frank La Rue, The U.N. Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, announced that the government under the President Lee Myung-bak severely curtailed the freedom of expression in South Korea.

Is South Korea a communist country?

Founding of the WPK – On June 30, 1949, the Workers’ Party of North Korea and the Workers’ Party of South Korea merged, forming the Workers’ Party of Korea, at a congress in Pyongyang. Kim Il Sung became the party chairman and Pak Hon-yong and Alexei Ivanovich Hegay became vice chairmen.

• The other members of the first Politburo were Yi Sung-yop, Kim Sam-yong, Kim Ch aek, Kim Tu-Bong, Pak Il-u, and Pak Chong-ae,
• Most were later purged by Kim Il Sung.
• The first five years of the WPK’s rule were dominated by the Korean War,
• By October 1950, United Nations forces had occupied most of the DPRK and the WPK leadership had to flee to China,

But, in November, North Korean and Chinese forces entered the war and threw the U.N. forces back, retaking Pyongyang in December and Seoul in January 1951. In March, U.N. forces retook Seoul, and the front was stabilized along what eventually became the permanent “Armistice Line” of 1953.

Is South Korea against communism?

Anti-communism – A national identity of anti-communism formed in South Korea under president Syngman Rhee after the nation’s inception in 1948. Strong anti-communist propaganda themes were created to counter North Korean communism and subversion which was seen as the threat.

The South Korean government enacted legislation against “anti-national” activities in 1948 and firmly establishing an anti-communist ideology with the National Security Act, The act outlawed any dissent or criticism of the ruling South Korean government, effectively making communism illegal. This included the media, art, literature and music.

South Korea sought to establish itself as distinctly democratic and opposed to North Korea’s communist national identity. This external theme was to lobby for the support of the United States for South Korea’s security. South Korean propaganda needed to counter the heavy pro-communist propaganda of North Korea and the cult of personality surrounding Kim Il-Sung, Figure 1 – A South Korean propaganda leaflet produced during the Korean War, with its caption stating (translated): “The communist party, squeezing out the sweat and blood of the farmers!”

Is communism legal in South Korea?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Security Act
Hangul	국가 보안 법
Hanja	國家 保安 法
Revised Romanization	Gukga Boanbeop
McCune–Reischauer	Kukka Poanbŏp

The National Security Act is a South Korean law enforced since 1948 with the avowed purpose “to secure the security of the State and the subsistence and freedom of nationals, by regulating any anticipated activities compromising the safety of the State.” However, the law now has a newly inserted article that limits its arbitrary application.

In the construction and application of this Act, it shall be limited at a minimum of construction and application for attaining the aforementioned purpose, and shall not be permitted to construe extensively this Act, or to restrict unreasonably the fundamental human rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution.” In 2004, legislators of the then-majority Uri Party made a gesture to annul the law, but failed in the face owing to Grand National Party opposition.

Some poll results in 2004-2005 from the media cartel informally dubbed Chojoongdong show that more than half of the Korean people are against the abolition of the act and, so, the dispute continues. The South Korean constitution nominally guarantees freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly for its nationals.

Is Korea a capitalist country?

Korea has achieved rapid growth in a short period. The country has displayed global competitiveness in various fields such as mobile phones, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and steelmaking. In recent years, its cultural content, including music, gaming, and webtoons, is emerging as an essential industry in itself, taking the lead in the Korean economy. Export shipment pier and dock of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory Cars are one of the country’s major export items. However, the Constitution does not guarantee the limitless, unfettered pursuit of capitalistic free economy. The Constitution stipulates that an unjust situation shall be rectified if the abuse of capital is found to cause damage to people.

This serves as a minimal mechanism to improve issues relating to the free market economy. South Korea has achieved economic growth at an unprecedented speed. Observers called what the country has accomplished the “Miracle on the Hangang River”, as most of the country’s industrial facilities were destroyed during the three-year-long Korean War, and the country was devoid of capital and natural resources.

In the early 1960s, the country pushed ahead with export-oriented economic development plans. At first, the country’s major export items were mainly light industrial products manufactured in small factories, or raw materials. In the 1970s, the country invested in heavy chemical facilities and laid the basis for the export of heavy industrial products.

1. The country is now leading the semiconductor and display sectors.
2. Hosting the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, commonly known as Seoul 1988, provided the country with the momentum to join the ranks of semi-advanced countries.
3. The overseas mass media called South Korea one of the four Asian tigers along with Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

In December 1996, the country became the 29th member country of the OECD, which is largely composed of advanced countries. South Korea’s exports, which amounted to only USD 32.82 million in 1960, surpassed the USD 10 billion mark in 1977 and reached USD 542.2 billion in 2019.

The country’s GNI per capita was a paltry USD 67 in 1953 around when the government was established, yet rapidly increased to USD 32,115 in 2019. South Korea established an export-oriented economic structure centered on large businesses while pursuing growth in the face of insufficient capital and resources.

This led conglomerates to dominate industry, making the economic structure heavily reliant on exports and imports, thus leaving the country susceptible to external economic conditions. In November 1997, a foreign exchange crisis hit the country, forcing it to turn to the IMF for a bailout.

It was the first ordeal the country had to confront after years of rapid economic growth. The country took the drastic step to drive insolvent businesses out of the market and then pushed ahead with industrial restructuring. In only two years, the country regained its previous growth rate and price levels as well as a current account balance surplus.

In the process, some 3.5 million people joined in the campaign to collect gold to help the government repay the fund borrowed from the IMF. A total of 227 tons of gold were collected. The world marveled at the South Koran people’s voluntary participation in the determined effort to repay its national debts.

1. While making concerted efforts to extricate itself from the foreign exchange crisis, the country benefitted from certain ancillary effects such as the adoption of the globalized economic and financial systems.
2. However, the restructuring process also had side effects such as the government’s increased fiscal expenditure and higher income inequality.

After overcoming the economic crisis, the South Korean economy continued to record solid growth. The country’s GDP more than tripled from USD 504.6 billion in 2001 to USD 1,646.3 billion in 2019, the 12th largest total in the world. In fact, during the period 2008–2010, when most parts of the world were experiencing the devastating financial crisis, the country recorded an outstanding economic growth rate of 6.3%.

1. The world’s major international news outlets referred to the economic accomplishment as a “textbook recovery.” By 2010, South Korea had emerged as the world’s 7th largest exporting country.
2. From 2011 to 2014, the country’s trade performance amounted to over USD 1 trillion for four consecutive years.
3. The trade volume retreated slightly in 2015 and 2016 but rebounded to USD 1 trillion in 2017.

South Korea’s foreign currency reserves amounted to USD 408.8 billion in 2019, and its short-term foreign debt ratio stood at 32.9% as of 2019, which sits around the middle range among G20 countries. The country’s sovereign credit rating has been at a stable level.

South Korea has adopted the open market economy, and is thus negotiating with other countries to sign more FTAs, as well as allowing foreigners to invest in the country freely while encouraging domestic businesses to invest in foreign countries equally freely. The country offers advantages to foreign investors under the long-term objective of establishing itself as a major financial hub and logistics base of Northeast Asia.

Market Opening and FTAs The country has opened its market in most sectors, including agriculture. Koreans have traditionally attached great importance to agriculture, viewing it as the basis of the universe. In 2015, the country also opened its rice market, the final area of the agricultural sector not subject to full international competition.

1. The country is pushing ahead with the complete opening of the market through FTAs.
2. The country plans to sign FTAs with numerous countries with the aim of expanding its economic territory worldwide.
3. As of 2017, South Korea signed FTAs with 52 countries, including Chile, EFTA, ASEAN, India, the European Union, Peru, the United States, Turkey, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Colombia.

In 2017, the country initialed an FTA with five Central American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama. Busan Harbor, the largest port in South Korea Support for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) South Korea encourages FDI under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.

In South Korea, FDI refers to a foreigner’s acquisition of 10% or more of the equity share of a domestic business through an investment of not less than KRW 100 million, or a foreign-based business’s borrowing of a long-term (5 years or longer) loan from its parent business in a foreign country and the like.

Under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, the government guarantees the profits earned by foreign investors and offers them a variety of benefits such as tax incentives, cash support, and mitigation of land-related regulations. The country also protects foreigners’ intellectual property rights and foreign exchange transactions.

1. Therefore, foreign investors are allowed to take the profits they earn in South Korea out of the country, on the basis of creative and efficient operation.
2. Specifically, foreign investors are eligible for support from the South Korean government concerning the land required for the establishment of factory or research facilities, the purchase or lease or construction of a building, or the installation of electric or communication facilities.

They may ask for installment payments for up to 20 years in cases of purchasing land owned by either the central government or a local government. In addition, the South Korean government also provides cash support taking into consideration FDI amounts and the number of locals to be employed.

The government is ready and willing to provide land and capital if a foreign business displays excellent technological prowess and maintains the employment of a given number of locals. FDI in the country surged right after the foreign exchange crisis in 1998, with the increasing trend continuing. The reported amount of FDI as of 2019 stood at USD 23.3 billion; FDI had reached USD 20 billion for five consecutive years.

The FDI amount suggests a balanced growth trend in terms of business types, had previously differed by investment type. The government plans to shift its policies in support of foreign investors and so called U-turn companies (Korean firms that refocus their investment on Korea as opposed to investing more abroad) to promote job creation.

The country also invites newly emerging countries with surplus funds, including China and the Middle Eastern countries, to invest in the service sector of the country with high added value. In order to create a favorable environment for FDI, the government hosts Foreign Investment Week (FIW) and provides a Red Carpet Service for foreign investors.

The government also operates projects to promote FDI in local governments, including sending delegations to study investment feasibility and supporting investment projects. The country also designates locals in the Unites States, the United Kingdom, China, and Japan as PR ambassadors for FDI in the country.

Investment to Become a Regional Logistics Hub Incheon Airport as a Hub Airport Incheon Airport is a regional hub airport, where all airplanes around the world can be operated for 24 hours without worrying about weather condition. In Northeast Asia, the main regional hub airports include Kansai Airport in Osaka, Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong, Pudong Airport in Shanghai, and Incheon Airport in South Korea.

Container throughput and transshipment at ports (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 2017) South Korea is making preparations for a period when its combined export/ import volume is expected to reach USD 2 trillion. The country is also striving to become a major logistics hub of Northeast Asia.

1. The country is investing heavily in automation and the sophistication of export/import cargo stevedoring facilities, with the aim of greatly enhancing its logistics competitiveness.
2. The country is striving to invigorate its air cargo network and expand industrial complexes situated close to airports.

Incheon International Airport has marked an all-time record in cargo volume. Growth continued, reaching 2.76 million tons in 2019. According to Airports Council International (ACI), since 2013, Dubai International Airport (UAE) has ranked 2nd in terms of international freight volumes, beating Incheon International Airport.

However, Incheon International Airport is striving to take its spot back by securing a future growth engine through the introduction of the incentive system to logistics in 2018. Air cargo has high added value. It accounts for about one quarter of the total transportation charge, although it accounts for only 0.2-0.3% of all forms of transportation cargoes in terms of weight.

The South Korean government has expanded the cargo terminal of Incheon Airport and trains talented young people to take charge of airfreight logistics at the relevant educational institutions. In addition, the aviation logistics system is being drastically improved by utilizing advanced information and communication technologies.

Incheon International Airport is equipped with high-tech air logistics information systems for cargo reservations and cargo tracking and continues to make up for the errors. With the opening of Terminal 2 in January 2018, the annual cargo capacity of Incheon International Airport has increased from the previous 4.5 million tons to 5.8 million tons.

It is noteworthy that Incheon International Airport has ranked first in the world for 12 consecutive years in the annual evaluation of airport services conducted by the ACI, a consultative council for more than 1,700 airports around the world. This testifies to the sheer quality of operation of Incheon International Airport.

• Furthermore, the airport became the first airport in the world to be registered with the Airports Council International Hall of Fame.
• Located on the peninsula, South Korea has many international trade ports including Busan, Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Gwangyang, Ulsan, Pohang, and Donghae.
• In 2019, the volume of cargo handled at the country’s ports stood at 1,643.97 million tons (RT), increasing by 1.2% year on year.

The government is committed to diversifying export items and enhancing their quality through the annual selection of first-rate quality goods. The project, which began in 2001 with 120 items and 140 companies, expanded to 817 items and 917 companies in 2019, and their export share has also played a pivotal role in the Korean economy, accounting for about 40% of the country’s exports over the past five years.

In particular, the proportion of small and medium-sized businesses increased from 37% in 2001 to 76% in 2019. Thus, it contributes to enhancing their brand images and facilitating their entry into the global market. Information technology is the strongest element of the country’s economy, a sector that encompasses all the skills required for management innovation and administrative reform as well as ones relating to computer software, the Internet, multimedia, and communication devices.

The country’s well-established communication infrastructure was further enhanced with a 4G nationwide network; 5G (fifth-generation wireless technology) mobile internet services were already on offer in 2019. South Korea’s ICT-related exports amounted to USD 176.9 billion in 2019.

The country displays solid international competitiveness in cellphones, semiconductors, computers, and peripheral devices, and ceaselessly strives to maintain its leading position in these sectors amid the rapidly changing information technology environment. South Korea is also one of the world’s largest car manufacturing countries.

In 2019, the country ranked 7th in the world, with the number of cars produced reaching 39.51 million. In addition, the country boasts global competitiveness in other industries such as steel and chemicals. Video Games, Leading Cultural Content South Korea has emerged as a leading exporter of cultural content, such as K-pop, broadcast programs, and video games, in addition to cars and electronic goods.

The photo shows visitors enjoying diverse games at G-Star 2017 held in Busan. As a relatively new export sector for South Korea, the export amount of cultural content rose significantly, from USD 2.3 billion in 2008 to USD 9.6 billion in 2018. Cultural content includes publishing, music, video games, characters, broadcasts, films and webtoons.

Among these, South Korea focuses on the gaming industry and the game content. In 2018, the domestic gaming industry generated approximately KRW 14 trillion in sales, and also about USD 6.4 billion in exports. Korea’s PC and mobile games are gaining popularity not only in Asia including China and Japan, but also in North America.

The government proposed a blueprint for becoming a leading country in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by supporting innovative start-ups and proactively responding to technological change. As part of such efforts, a special committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution will focus on creating an ecosystem for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which new ICT technologies and services can create new pathways.

The committee will also serve as a strategic platform that prepares for the nation’s future through regulatory reform, basic research, human resources development, and strategic investment in future industries. South Korea took the second spot in the 2020 Bloomberg Global Innovation Index, having reigned in the top three for nine consecutive years since 2012.

The Bloomberg Innovation Index evaluates countries using seven metrics At present, South Korea is putting every effort into transforming itself into a global economic system. Although the country accomplished rapid growth within a short period of time, this led to an imbalance in the development between large businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to the economic policy that was heavily dependent on the export led by large enterprises.

As such, the need for shared growth was singled out as a potential solution to the problem. This was recognized as a global issue amid the global economic crisis in 2008. In 2010, the Presidential Commission for Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies was launched with a view to settling conflicts between large-sized businesses and SMEs.

The commission is assigned with the duties of fostering an atmosphere conducive to shared growth in industries, monitoring and announcing large businesses’ shared growth indices, designating sectors and items suitable for SMEs, and resolving conflicts between large businesses and SMEs based on a social consensus.

The 2010 G20 Seoul Summit was held, with the theme: Shared Growth Beyond Crisis. The G20 Summit was established following the global economic crisis in 2008, based on the view that it was necessary to have major emerging countries take part in international economic discussions, as the G7 Summit inevitably had certain limitations in this respect.

It was pointed out that the international financial system had failed to reflect the fact that the share and role of emerging countries had expanded to a considerable extent over the previous three decades. At the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit, South Korea assumed the position of the Chair, which indicates that the country’s active role in the international economic order.

The summit leaders adopted the G20 Seoul Summit Leaders’ Declaration along with the Seoul Summit Document for the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth. They also announced three annexes: Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth, the Multiyear Action Plan, and the Anti-Corruption Action Plan.

The Seoul Summit Leaders’ Declaration emphasized the role of developing and emerging countries in a move to put an end to the foreign exchange war between major countries and to reform the IMF, which used to be centered on industrialized countries. It also focused on the pressing need to stabilize global financial markets and provide support for impoverished countries struggling for economic development.

This declaration went a long way towards enhancing the status of South Korea in global economic and financial markets.

Does South Korea have socialism?

Socialism in South Korea South Korea’s ‘legitimate’ socialist movement is considered part of South Korean progressivism. But not all progressives are socialists, so the two need to be distinguished.

Does Korea have a stable government?

Political stability index (-2.5 weak; 2.5 strong) – Latest value 0.66 Reference 2021 Measure points Source The World Bank

For that indicator, we provide data for South Korea from 1996 to 2021. The average value for South Korea during that period was 0.4 points with a minimum of 0.11 points in 2014 and a maximum of 0.66 points in 2021. The latest value from 2021 is 0.66 points. Longer historical series Definition: The index of Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism measures perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism.

Is South Korea a republic or a Monarchy?

South Korea Shoppers crowd an outdoor market in South Korea. Shoppers crowd an outdoor market in South Korea. Photograph by Anizza, Dreamstime Korea is a 750-mile-long (1,200-kilometer-long) peninsula located in the easternmost part of the Asian continent.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of KoreaFORM OF GOVERNMENT: RepublicCAPITAL: SeoulPOPULATION: 51,418,097OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: KoreanMONEY: WonAREA: 37,901 sq mi (98,190 sq km)MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Taebaek Mountains, Sobaek MountainsMAJOR RIVERS: Han, Kum, Naktong

Korea is a 750-mile-long (1,200-kilometer-long) peninsula located in the easternmost part of the Asian continent. Today, the country is split into South and, but in the minds of most of its citizens, it remains a single nation that cannot be divided.

• South Korea has many mountains, but they are small compared with others around the world.
• Over millions of years, their peaks have been worn down by rain and wind.
• Most summits are below 3,300 feet (1,000 meters).
• On South Korea’s Jeju Island and along a narrow strip in the south, high humidity and rainfall give rise to tropical evergreen jungles.

The peninsula is also surrounded by about 3,000 volcanic islands. Map created by National Geographic Maps South Korea is a crowded country, with 1,294 citizens for every square mile (499 per every square kilometer) of land. Koreans’ lives are heavily influenced by Confucianism, a Chinese philosophy that teaches respect and morality.

South Korea is a small country with a lot of people, so there is a huge demand for space. As a result, many of the country’s natural habitats have been squeezed into smaller areas. There are 21 national parks, but the only areas of true wilderness left are the mountain forests. used to roam the Korean peninsula, but today there may be none left at all.

Some think a few may live in the dangerous Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. Korea’s tigers were wiped out by hunters who wanted their bones to use in traditional medicines. LEFT: SOUTH KOREAN FLAG, RIGHT: WONPhotograph by Kschua, Dreamstime The official name of South Korea is the Republic of Korea (ROK).

That is because its government claims to be in charge of the whole of Korea and does not recognize North Korea as separate. The ROK government is headed by a president, who is elected to a five-year term. South Korea has one of the strongest economies in Eastern Asia. Most of its wealth comes from manufacturing and service industries, such as banking.

It exports ships, cars, computers, and other electronic items. People have been living in Korea for at least 10,000 years. Archaeologists believe the ancestors of today’s Koreans came from and Siberia. Korea’s first kingdom was Old Chosun, which ruled the northwest and parts of for more than 22 centuries.

In 108 B.C. it was overthrown by Chinese armies, and three new kingdoms emerged: Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla. In the A.D.660s, the Silla, with the help of Chinese troops, won control of the country. By A.D.901 Korea had once again broken into three kingdoms. In 936, a powerful noble named Wang Kon unified the country under the name Koryo.

This kingdom lasted until 1392, when the Yi family seized the throne and began the Choson dynasty, which ruled until 1910. The first Europeans to reach Korea were sailors on a Dutch merchant ship that ran aground on Jeju Island in 1656. They were held prisoner for 13 years, but one man escaped and returned home.

His tales inspired European traders to go to Korea, but their ships were banned from Korean ports until the 19th century.In 1894, and China sent soldiers to put down an uprising in Korea. Afterward, they and fought for control of Korea, which Japan won in 1910. When Japan lost in World War II, its territories, including Korea, were taken over by the Allies.

Soviet troops occupied the north while troops stayed in the south.In 1950, the communists in the north invaded the south, sparking the beginning of the Korean War. The war raged until 1953, and more than 2.5 million Koreans, Americans, Chinese, and others died.

Which Korea is under dictatorship?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) is an authoritarian state led by the Kim family for 70 years. Shortly after Kim Jong Il’s death in late 2011, his son Kim Jong Un was named marshal of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army.

1. He is currently the Chairman of the Worker’s Party of Korea.
2. Im Jong Un’s grandfather, the late Kim Il Sung, remains “eternal president.” The most recent national elections, held in 2014, were neither free nor fair.
3. Authorities maintained effective control over the security forces.
4. Human rights issues included: unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government; forced disappearances by the government; torture by authorities; arbitrary detentions by security forces; detention centers, including political prison camps in which conditions were often harsh and life threatening; political prisoners; rigid controls over many aspects of citizen’s lives, including arbitrary interference with privacy; censorship, and site blocking; substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association; severe restrictions of religious freedom; significant restrictions on freedom of movement; restrictions on political participation; coerced abortion; trafficking in persons; severe restrictions on worker rights, including denial of the right to organize independent unions, and domestic forced labor through mass mobilizations and as a part of the re-education system.

DPRK overseas contract workers, working on behalf of the government, also faced conditions of forced labor. The government took no credible steps to prosecute officials who committed human rights abuses. Impunity continued to be a widespread problem.

Who rules South Korea?

President of South Korea

President of the Republic of Korea
Incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol since 10 May 2022
Executive branch of the Government of South Korea Office of the President
Style	Mr. President(대통령님) (informal) His Excellency(각하) (diplomatic)
Type	Head of state Head of government

Did Korea have a dictator?

Background – In May 1961, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction overthrew the Second Republic of Korea in the May 16 coup, led by Major General Park Chung Hee, in response to its inability to prevent political instability after the overthrow of the First Republic of Korea under President Syngman Rhee in the April Revolution,

The Supreme Council established a military junta headed by General Chang Do-yong and the May 16 coup’s supporters in the Republic of Korea Army, hoping to kickstart South Korea’s economic development that had been ignored for twelve years under the First Republic, and remove so-called “liberation aristocrats”—the ruling class of conservative politicians involved in the Korean independence movement,

Power struggles within the Supreme Council allowed Park to engineer the gradual transfer of power from Chang to himself. In July, Park officially replaced Chang as chairman, effectively becoming the de facto dictator of South Korea. The Supreme Council suspended the National Assembly, reinforced South Korea’s anti-communist position, and undertook a number of economy-oriented reforms to help industrialize and develop the country, including the first Five-Year Plan,

The Supreme Council’s military government was met with instant disapproval from South Korea’s main ally, the United States, and Park’s early attempts to appease the Americans were disregarded. By 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his administration began to pressure Park into restoring democracy and civilian rule in South Korea.

On 2 December 1962, a referendum was held on returning to a presidential system of rule, which was allegedly passed with a 78% majority. In response, Park eventually abdicated from his military position to be eligible to run as a civilian in the upcoming presidential election, despite he and the other military leaders pledging not to run for office.

Is Korea a rich or Poor country?

Korea is one of the few countries that has successfully transformed itself from a low-income to a high-income economy and a global leader in innovation and technology.

Why is crime so low in South Korea?

Organized crime – South Korea has undergone dramatic social, economic and political upheaval since the end of the Korean War in 1953. With these changes crime has increased in recent years and has become a major issue in South Korea. Most of the increase has come in the form of violence and illegal activities connected to organized groups.

• Due to the large police and military presence after the Korean War, the expansion of home-grown organized crime was slowed, almost giving South Korea immunity against international criminal organizations.
• With no outside conflicts South Korean organized crime has had an advantage to grow, yet because of the location of the Korean peninsula many outside groups from Russia, Japan and China have started to engage in more illegal activities in South Korea.

Amid the political confusion of the 1950s, a number of organized gangs emerged and became an influential force in the entertainment districts. Soon these groups began associating with politicians, guarding them from danger and disrupting the political rallies of competing politicians by using organized violence.

• These particular groups were the so-called “political gangs” or “henchmen”.
• Organized crime after the War started mainly in the city of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
• Two main gangs formed, the first was known as the “Chong-ro Faction” which was made up of members from southern Korea, and the second was known as the “Myung-dong Faction” whose members were from Pyonyando province.

These two gangs claimed dominance over northern Seoul. With the military in control, in the years from 1961 to 1963 13,000 members of these gangs were arrested causing organized gangs to almost completely disappear (Lee, 2006). The 1970s brought an easing of public discipline and control, and opportunities for organized crime emerged again.

This saw the emergence of two new groups known as the “Master Sergeant Shin Faction” which was located in the Seoul area and the “Ho-nam Faction” found in the Mugyo-dong area of Seoul. In 1975 there was a violent battle over territories among the two groups which ended with the Shin Faction becoming victorious.

Traditional South Korean criminal groups fights rarely resulted in deaths as they fought with their hands, feet and heads. Knives and metal bars only began to show up as weapons in the 1970s. In today’s South Korean society, no person may be in possession of any guns, swords or knives, which may explain why traditional crime groups did not use weapons.

Upon the assassination of President Park in 1979 “special measures to uproot social evils” were initiated under the proclaimed martial law which led to a decline in organized criminal violence. But with the relaxed atmosphere these criminal organizations remerged and flourished yet again (Lee, 2006).

With the 1985 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics global expansion became a possibility and criminal groups took advantage of this opportunity for rapid economic development. Taking advantage of the Korean government’s open-door and globalization policies, these crime groups began to form coalitions with their counterparts in Japan, China, Hong Kong, and the United States.

In 1990 the Korean Government declared a “war on crime” in an effort to crack down on violent and non-violent acts by criminally organized groups. The raids in the fall of 1990 crippled most of the existing criminal groups, but did not destroy them. As one way of better controlling the number of criminal groups, the Korean Government made it illegal to form or join any criminal organization.

Statistics from the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office showed that in 1999 there were 11,500 members from 404 organized crimes groups ranging from 10 to 88 members in South Korea. With the trend of economic growth and globalization, organized crime groups in South Korea have become larger in scale and broader in their fields of operations.

Can you freely leave South Korea?

Long-term visa holders residing in South Korea must apply for a re-entry permit before leaving South Korea. If you leave South Korea without a re-entry permit, your Alien Registration Card may be cancelled and you’ll need to apply for a new long-term visa to enter.

Is South Korea good place to live?

Convenience of living South Korea – Seoul is one of the most “liveable” cities in Asia, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Gerasimenko cherishes the convenience of living in South Korea, especially when you speak some Korean. Public transportation is well developed, affordable and clean.

Customer service is polite and friendly. The country has high-speed internet and public Wi-Fi in many places. There is a variety of food delivery and online services, although many are not available in English. Even on a standard salary, there are plenty of reasonably priced local eateries. But don’t expect too many to cater to dietary considerations such as vegetarianism or religious dietary requirements.

Seoul can be a playground for going out, from partying in the international district of Itaewon and high-end dining in Gangnam, to street drinking in Jongno or weekend hiking in the stunning Bukhansan National Park right on the city’s doorstep, there’s something for everyone.

Comparative safety is often regarded as an additional benefit of living in South Korea, despite worried parents back home often fearing that a nuclear war with North Korea is imminent. “My favourite part is that you can leave your personal belongings anywhere, and there is a high chance they will still be there when you come back.

One of the main reasons I stay in Korea is because I feel safe. I don’t feel I need to take pepper spray with me each time I go outside,” Gerasimenko says. Ultimately, living and working in Seoul is all about striking a balance and understanding the pros and cons that come with living in such a vibrant and fascinating city.

• No matter how nice people are and how many services are available for foreigners, because of huge cultural differences, I cannot help but feel alienated at times,” Gerasimenko adds.
• But this is nothing compared to what Korea has given me.” You can read more from our Working Around the World series here.

*Name changed

Is Korea part of NATO?

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NATO and the Republic of Korea work together bilaterally on a number of shared security challenges, which include cyber defence, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. They also cooperate as part of NATO’s broader relations with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

NATO and the Republic of Korea have been engaged in dialogue and cooperation since 2005. From 2012, cooperation between NATO and the Republic of Korea was taken forward through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme. Currently, the cooperation is guided by an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme that NATO and the Republic of Korea agreed in July 2023. In November 2022, the Republic of Korea established a Diplomatic Mission to NATO, enhancing opportunities for political dialogue with the Alliance. Political dialogue and practical cooperation are being developed across priority areas, including non-proliferation, cyber defence, science and technology, counter-terrorism, interoperability, and defence against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents. The Republic of Korea is one NATO’s partners in the Indo-Pacific region, together with Australia, Japan and New Zealand. The Indo-Pacific region is important for the Alliance, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security.

What kind of country is South Korea?

South Korea is a presidential representative democratic republic, specified by the constitution. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly.

Is Korea a monarchy or a republic?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Korean monarchy existed in Korea until the end of the Japanese occupation and the defeat of Japan. After the independence and the installation of the Constitution that adopted republic system, the concept of nobility has been abolished, both formally and in practice.

Is South Korea a conservative country?

Domestic issues – South Korea’s conservative philosophy is derived in part from the traditional East Asian values of communitarianism and Confucian social conservatism, along with modern influences such as economic neoliberalism, leading to support for economic liberalism and opposition to welfare states,

However, given the influence of the Park Chung-hee era on conservative’s thinking, they also advocate for certain forms of economic interventionism which they think critical to maintain this system. They are also more likely to support upholding the National Security Act, Because of this, conservatives are less likely to solely prioritise ethnic nationalism, with their nationalism being a mixture of it with civic nationalism,

Nonetheless, conservatives are less receptive to multiculturalism than liberals. Modern conservatives are generally against LGBT rights and activism. The anti-communist tendencies of South Korean conservatives has led to perceptions by progressives and liberals that conservatives foster McCarthyist -like red scares among the public.

Is Korea a capitalist country?

Korea has achieved rapid growth in a short period. The country has displayed global competitiveness in various fields such as mobile phones, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and steelmaking. In recent years, its cultural content, including music, gaming, and webtoons, is emerging as an essential industry in itself, taking the lead in the Korean economy. Export shipment pier and dock of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan factory Cars are one of the country’s major export items. However, the Constitution does not guarantee the limitless, unfettered pursuit of capitalistic free economy. The Constitution stipulates that an unjust situation shall be rectified if the abuse of capital is found to cause damage to people.

This serves as a minimal mechanism to improve issues relating to the free market economy. South Korea has achieved economic growth at an unprecedented speed. Observers called what the country has accomplished the “Miracle on the Hangang River”, as most of the country’s industrial facilities were destroyed during the three-year-long Korean War, and the country was devoid of capital and natural resources.

In the early 1960s, the country pushed ahead with export-oriented economic development plans. At first, the country’s major export items were mainly light industrial products manufactured in small factories, or raw materials. In the 1970s, the country invested in heavy chemical facilities and laid the basis for the export of heavy industrial products.

The country is now leading the semiconductor and display sectors. Hosting the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, commonly known as Seoul 1988, provided the country with the momentum to join the ranks of semi-advanced countries. The overseas mass media called South Korea one of the four Asian tigers along with Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

In December 1996, the country became the 29th member country of the OECD, which is largely composed of advanced countries. South Korea’s exports, which amounted to only USD 32.82 million in 1960, surpassed the USD 10 billion mark in 1977 and reached USD 542.2 billion in 2019.

• The country’s GNI per capita was a paltry USD 67 in 1953 around when the government was established, yet rapidly increased to USD 32,115 in 2019.
• South Korea established an export-oriented economic structure centered on large businesses while pursuing growth in the face of insufficient capital and resources.

This led conglomerates to dominate industry, making the economic structure heavily reliant on exports and imports, thus leaving the country susceptible to external economic conditions. In November 1997, a foreign exchange crisis hit the country, forcing it to turn to the IMF for a bailout.

It was the first ordeal the country had to confront after years of rapid economic growth. The country took the drastic step to drive insolvent businesses out of the market and then pushed ahead with industrial restructuring. In only two years, the country regained its previous growth rate and price levels as well as a current account balance surplus.

In the process, some 3.5 million people joined in the campaign to collect gold to help the government repay the fund borrowed from the IMF. A total of 227 tons of gold were collected. The world marveled at the South Koran people’s voluntary participation in the determined effort to repay its national debts.

• While making concerted efforts to extricate itself from the foreign exchange crisis, the country benefitted from certain ancillary effects such as the adoption of the globalized economic and financial systems.
• However, the restructuring process also had side effects such as the government’s increased fiscal expenditure and higher income inequality.

After overcoming the economic crisis, the South Korean economy continued to record solid growth. The country’s GDP more than tripled from USD 504.6 billion in 2001 to USD 1,646.3 billion in 2019, the 12th largest total in the world. In fact, during the period 2008–2010, when most parts of the world were experiencing the devastating financial crisis, the country recorded an outstanding economic growth rate of 6.3%.

The world’s major international news outlets referred to the economic accomplishment as a “textbook recovery.” By 2010, South Korea had emerged as the world’s 7th largest exporting country. From 2011 to 2014, the country’s trade performance amounted to over USD 1 trillion for four consecutive years. The trade volume retreated slightly in 2015 and 2016 but rebounded to USD 1 trillion in 2017.

South Korea’s foreign currency reserves amounted to USD 408.8 billion in 2019, and its short-term foreign debt ratio stood at 32.9% as of 2019, which sits around the middle range among G20 countries. The country’s sovereign credit rating has been at a stable level.

• South Korea has adopted the open market economy, and is thus negotiating with other countries to sign more FTAs, as well as allowing foreigners to invest in the country freely while encouraging domestic businesses to invest in foreign countries equally freely.
• The country offers advantages to foreign investors under the long-term objective of establishing itself as a major financial hub and logistics base of Northeast Asia.

Market Opening and FTAs The country has opened its market in most sectors, including agriculture. Koreans have traditionally attached great importance to agriculture, viewing it as the basis of the universe. In 2015, the country also opened its rice market, the final area of the agricultural sector not subject to full international competition.

1. The country is pushing ahead with the complete opening of the market through FTAs.
2. The country plans to sign FTAs with numerous countries with the aim of expanding its economic territory worldwide.
3. As of 2017, South Korea signed FTAs with 52 countries, including Chile, EFTA, ASEAN, India, the European Union, Peru, the United States, Turkey, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Colombia.

In 2017, the country initialed an FTA with five Central American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama. Busan Harbor, the largest port in South Korea Support for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) South Korea encourages FDI under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.

In South Korea, FDI refers to a foreigner’s acquisition of 10% or more of the equity share of a domestic business through an investment of not less than KRW 100 million, or a foreign-based business’s borrowing of a long-term (5 years or longer) loan from its parent business in a foreign country and the like.

Under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, the government guarantees the profits earned by foreign investors and offers them a variety of benefits such as tax incentives, cash support, and mitigation of land-related regulations. The country also protects foreigners’ intellectual property rights and foreign exchange transactions.

1. Therefore, foreign investors are allowed to take the profits they earn in South Korea out of the country, on the basis of creative and efficient operation.
2. Specifically, foreign investors are eligible for support from the South Korean government concerning the land required for the establishment of factory or research facilities, the purchase or lease or construction of a building, or the installation of electric or communication facilities.

They may ask for installment payments for up to 20 years in cases of purchasing land owned by either the central government or a local government. In addition, the South Korean government also provides cash support taking into consideration FDI amounts and the number of locals to be employed.

• The government is ready and willing to provide land and capital if a foreign business displays excellent technological prowess and maintains the employment of a given number of locals.
• FDI in the country surged right after the foreign exchange crisis in 1998, with the increasing trend continuing.
• The reported amount of FDI as of 2019 stood at USD 23.3 billion; FDI had reached USD 20 billion for five consecutive years.

The FDI amount suggests a balanced growth trend in terms of business types, had previously differed by investment type. The government plans to shift its policies in support of foreign investors and so called U-turn companies (Korean firms that refocus their investment on Korea as opposed to investing more abroad) to promote job creation.

The country also invites newly emerging countries with surplus funds, including China and the Middle Eastern countries, to invest in the service sector of the country with high added value. In order to create a favorable environment for FDI, the government hosts Foreign Investment Week (FIW) and provides a Red Carpet Service for foreign investors.

The government also operates projects to promote FDI in local governments, including sending delegations to study investment feasibility and supporting investment projects. The country also designates locals in the Unites States, the United Kingdom, China, and Japan as PR ambassadors for FDI in the country.

Investment to Become a Regional Logistics Hub Incheon Airport as a Hub Airport Incheon Airport is a regional hub airport, where all airplanes around the world can be operated for 24 hours without worrying about weather condition. In Northeast Asia, the main regional hub airports include Kansai Airport in Osaka, Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong, Pudong Airport in Shanghai, and Incheon Airport in South Korea.

Container throughput and transshipment at ports (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 2017) South Korea is making preparations for a period when its combined export/ import volume is expected to reach USD 2 trillion. The country is also striving to become a major logistics hub of Northeast Asia.

The country is investing heavily in automation and the sophistication of export/import cargo stevedoring facilities, with the aim of greatly enhancing its logistics competitiveness. The country is striving to invigorate its air cargo network and expand industrial complexes situated close to airports.

Incheon International Airport has marked an all-time record in cargo volume. Growth continued, reaching 2.76 million tons in 2019. According to Airports Council International (ACI), since 2013, Dubai International Airport (UAE) has ranked 2nd in terms of international freight volumes, beating Incheon International Airport.

• However, Incheon International Airport is striving to take its spot back by securing a future growth engine through the introduction of the incentive system to logistics in 2018.
• Air cargo has high added value.
• It accounts for about one quarter of the total transportation charge, although it accounts for only 0.2-0.3% of all forms of transportation cargoes in terms of weight.

The South Korean government has expanded the cargo terminal of Incheon Airport and trains talented young people to take charge of airfreight logistics at the relevant educational institutions. In addition, the aviation logistics system is being drastically improved by utilizing advanced information and communication technologies.

Incheon International Airport is equipped with high-tech air logistics information systems for cargo reservations and cargo tracking and continues to make up for the errors. With the opening of Terminal 2 in January 2018, the annual cargo capacity of Incheon International Airport has increased from the previous 4.5 million tons to 5.8 million tons.

It is noteworthy that Incheon International Airport has ranked first in the world for 12 consecutive years in the annual evaluation of airport services conducted by the ACI, a consultative council for more than 1,700 airports around the world. This testifies to the sheer quality of operation of Incheon International Airport.

Furthermore, the airport became the first airport in the world to be registered with the Airports Council International Hall of Fame. Located on the peninsula, South Korea has many international trade ports including Busan, Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Gwangyang, Ulsan, Pohang, and Donghae. In 2019, the volume of cargo handled at the country’s ports stood at 1,643.97 million tons (RT), increasing by 1.2% year on year.

The government is committed to diversifying export items and enhancing their quality through the annual selection of first-rate quality goods. The project, which began in 2001 with 120 items and 140 companies, expanded to 817 items and 917 companies in 2019, and their export share has also played a pivotal role in the Korean economy, accounting for about 40% of the country’s exports over the past five years.

In particular, the proportion of small and medium-sized businesses increased from 37% in 2001 to 76% in 2019. Thus, it contributes to enhancing their brand images and facilitating their entry into the global market. Information technology is the strongest element of the country’s economy, a sector that encompasses all the skills required for management innovation and administrative reform as well as ones relating to computer software, the Internet, multimedia, and communication devices.

The country’s well-established communication infrastructure was further enhanced with a 4G nationwide network; 5G (fifth-generation wireless technology) mobile internet services were already on offer in 2019. South Korea’s ICT-related exports amounted to USD 176.9 billion in 2019.

The country displays solid international competitiveness in cellphones, semiconductors, computers, and peripheral devices, and ceaselessly strives to maintain its leading position in these sectors amid the rapidly changing information technology environment. South Korea is also one of the world’s largest car manufacturing countries.

In 2019, the country ranked 7th in the world, with the number of cars produced reaching 39.51 million. In addition, the country boasts global competitiveness in other industries such as steel and chemicals. Video Games, Leading Cultural Content South Korea has emerged as a leading exporter of cultural content, such as K-pop, broadcast programs, and video games, in addition to cars and electronic goods.

• The photo shows visitors enjoying diverse games at G-Star 2017 held in Busan.
• As a relatively new export sector for South Korea, the export amount of cultural content rose significantly, from USD 2.3 billion in 2008 to USD 9.6 billion in 2018.
• Cultural content includes publishing, music, video games, characters, broadcasts, films and webtoons.

Among these, South Korea focuses on the gaming industry and the game content. In 2018, the domestic gaming industry generated approximately KRW 14 trillion in sales, and also about USD 6.4 billion in exports. Korea’s PC and mobile games are gaining popularity not only in Asia including China and Japan, but also in North America.

• The government proposed a blueprint for becoming a leading country in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by supporting innovative start-ups and proactively responding to technological change.
• As part of such efforts, a special committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution will focus on creating an ecosystem for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which new ICT technologies and services can create new pathways.

The committee will also serve as a strategic platform that prepares for the nation’s future through regulatory reform, basic research, human resources development, and strategic investment in future industries. South Korea took the second spot in the 2020 Bloomberg Global Innovation Index, having reigned in the top three for nine consecutive years since 2012.

The Bloomberg Innovation Index evaluates countries using seven metrics At present, South Korea is putting every effort into transforming itself into a global economic system. Although the country accomplished rapid growth within a short period of time, this led to an imbalance in the development between large businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to the economic policy that was heavily dependent on the export led by large enterprises.

As such, the need for shared growth was singled out as a potential solution to the problem. This was recognized as a global issue amid the global economic crisis in 2008. In 2010, the Presidential Commission for Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies was launched with a view to settling conflicts between large-sized businesses and SMEs.

The commission is assigned with the duties of fostering an atmosphere conducive to shared growth in industries, monitoring and announcing large businesses’ shared growth indices, designating sectors and items suitable for SMEs, and resolving conflicts between large businesses and SMEs based on a social consensus.

The 2010 G20 Seoul Summit was held, with the theme: Shared Growth Beyond Crisis. The G20 Summit was established following the global economic crisis in 2008, based on the view that it was necessary to have major emerging countries take part in international economic discussions, as the G7 Summit inevitably had certain limitations in this respect.

1. It was pointed out that the international financial system had failed to reflect the fact that the share and role of emerging countries had expanded to a considerable extent over the previous three decades.
2. At the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit, South Korea assumed the position of the Chair, which indicates that the country’s active role in the international economic order.

The summit leaders adopted the G20 Seoul Summit Leaders’ Declaration along with the Seoul Summit Document for the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth. They also announced three annexes: Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth, the Multiyear Action Plan, and the Anti-Corruption Action Plan.

• The Seoul Summit Leaders’ Declaration emphasized the role of developing and emerging countries in a move to put an end to the foreign exchange war between major countries and to reform the IMF, which used to be centered on industrialized countries.
• It also focused on the pressing need to stabilize global financial markets and provide support for impoverished countries struggling for economic development.

This declaration went a long way towards enhancing the status of South Korea in global economic and financial markets.

Is the Democratic Party of Korea left or right?

Ideology. The Democratic Party of Korea is primarily described as a centrist party. Due to the peculiarity of Korean politics as a major liberal opponent of the conservative People’s Power Party, the party is also classified as centre-left.