From Democracy to Civil Society: The Evolution of Korean Social Movements

This conference will explore the role of social movements in South Korea both before and after the democratic transition of 1987, in which they played a leading part. While South Korea is one of many countries that democratized during the “third wave” of democratization from the early 1979s until the late 1990s, it represents one of the smoothest and most successful cases of democratization. Thus, analysis of its experience, particularly the role played by social movements, may offer useful insights into the practice and theory of democratic transition and consolidation processes elsewhere.

This conference is supported by the generous grant from the Academy of Korean Studies in Korea.