South Korea’s Party Politics in the ‘Post-Three Kims’ Era: Changes and Continuities
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Jul 1, 2021
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Abstract
Throughout the first fifteen years after democratic transition, South Korean politics had been dominated by the three influential political figures i.e. Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil. Party politics during this ‘Three Kims’ era was usually illustrated as the weakest link in the democratic consolidation process. And it left inauspicious legacies such as party bossism, a low level of party institutionalization and regionalism; some of which were the shadow of the past from the authoritarianism period. Against this backdrop, this article aims to examine the dynamism of South Korea’s party politics in the ‘Post-Three Kims’ era. It argues that while there are signs of changes regarding the fading influence of party bossism, the increasing level of party institutionalization and the growing saliency of ideological cleavage between conservative and progressive parties, regionalism is still one of the defining characteristics of South Korea’s party politics in the ‘Post-Three Kims’ era.
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Nuangjamnong, N. (2021). South Korea’s Party Politics in the ‘Post-Three Kims’ Era: Changes and Continuities. Political Science Review, 6(2). retrieved from https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/RatthasatNithet/article/view/243731
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Research article
References
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Choi, J.J. (2005). Democracy after Democratization: The Korean Experience. Seoul: Humanitas.
Croissant, A. (2001). South Korea. In D. Nohlen, F. Grotz and C. Hartmann (Eds.), Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A data handbook Vol. II (pp. 411-480). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hahm, C. B. (2008). South Korea’s miraculous democracy. Journal of Democracy, 19, 3, 128-142.
Hahm, C. B. and Rhyu, S. Y. (1999). Democratic reform and consolidation in South Korea: The promise of democracy. In C.I. Moon and J. Mo (Eds.), Democratization and globalization in Korea: Assessments and prospects (pp. 69-88). Seoul: Yonsei University Press.
Han, S. M. (2004). The new community movement: Park Chung Hee and the making of state populism in Korea. Pacific Affairs, 77, 1, 66-93.
Han, Y. C. (1969-70). Political parties and political development in South Korea. Pacific Affairs, 42, 4, 446-464.
Hellmann, O. (2011). Political parties and electoral strategy: The development of party organization in East Asia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hellmann, O. (2011). A historical institutionalist approach to political party organization: The case of South Korea. Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, 46, 4, 464-484.
Heo, U. and Stockton, H. (2005). The impact of democratic transition on elections and parties in South Korea. Party Politics, 11, 6, 674-688.
Im, H. B. (1989). Politics of transition: Democratic transition from authoritarian rule in South Korea. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Chicago, Illinois.
Im. H. B. (2004). Faltering democratic consolidation in South Korea: Democracy at the end of the ‘three Kims’ era. Democratization, 11, 5, 179-198.
Kang, W. T. (2020). Thirty years of party politics in South Korea after democratization: From mass-mobilizing parties to by-stander parties. In H. Mosler (Ed.), South Korea’s democracy challenge: Political system, political economy and political society (pp. 67-84). Berlin: Peter Lang.
Kil, S. H. (2001). Development of Korean politics—A historical profile. In S. H. Kil and C. I. Moon. (Eds), Understanding Korean politics: An introduction (pp. 33-69). New York: State University of New York Press.
Kim, B. K. (2000). Party politics in South Korea’s democracy: The crisis of success. In L. Diamond and B. K. Kim (Eds.), Consolidating democracy in South Korea (pp. 53-85). Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Kim, C. N. (2007). The Korean presidents: Leadership for nation building. Newark: Eastbridge.
Kim, H. N. (1989). The 1988 parliamentary election in South Korea. Asian Survey, 29, 5, 480-495.
Kim, K. S. (1967). Political parties and party politics in Korea. Korea Journal, 7, 6, 4-21.
Kim, Y. M. (2011). The politics of coalition in Korea: Between institutions and culture. London: Routledge.
Klingner, B. (2007). South Korea’s mercurial political landscape. The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 2068.
Kwon, K. D. (2004). Regionalism in South Korea: Its origin and role in her democratization. Politics and Society, 32, 4, 545-574.
Laakso, M. and Taagepera, R. (1979). The effective number of parties: A measure with application to West Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 12, 3, 3-27.
Lee, J. H. (2016). A study on the party system in South Korea after democratization. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Lim, S. (2011). Political parties and party system in Korea after democratization: Cartelized party system and oscillation between two models. In L. F. Lye and W. Hofmeister (Eds.), Political parties, party system and democratization in East Asia (pp. 211-241). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.
Mobrand, E. (2019). Top-down democracy in South Korea. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Park, B. G. (2003). Territorialized party politics and the politics of local economic development: State-led industrialization and political regionalism in South Korea. Political Geography, 22, 811-839.
Park, C. W. (2014). The national assembly in democratized Korea: Marching to the center from the margins of policy stage? In Y. Zheng, L.L. Fook and W. Hofmeister (Eds.), Parliaments in Asia (pp. 185-206). London: Routledge.
Park, K. M. (2010). Party mergers and splits in new democracies: The case of South Korea (1987-2007). Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, 45, 4, 531-552.
Park T. G. (2006). U bangkwa chekuk, hanmikwangye et tushinhwa (An ally and empire: Two myths of South Korea-United States relations, 1945-1980). Seoul: Changbi Publishers.
Shim, C. Y. (2017). Hankuk jongdang jongchisa (History of political party in Korea). Seoul: Paeksansodang.
Shim, J. Y. and Kim, M. G. (2001). Yeokdea kukwhaieuiwon seongeogu whaikjungae daehan pyungga. [Apportionment and political fairness in Korean National Assembly elections]. Korean Political Science Review, 35, 1.
Steinberg, D. and Shin, M. (2005). From entourage to ideology? Tensions in South Korean political party in transition. East-West Center Working Paper Politics, Governance and Security Series, No. 9.
Vincent, S. (2017). Dominant party adaptation to the catch-all model: A comparison of former dominant parties in Japan and South Korea. East Asia, 34, 197-215.
Wong, J. (2014). South Korea’s Weakly Institutionalized Party System. In Allen Hicken and Erik Kuhonta Martinez (Eds.), Party System Institutionalization in Asia: Democracies, Autocracies and the Shadow of the Past. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Brady, D. and Mo, J. (1992). Electoral systems and institutional choice: A case study of the 1988 Korean elections. Comparative Political Studies, 24, 4, 405-429.
Choi, J.J. (2005). Democracy after Democratization: The Korean Experience. Seoul: Humanitas.
Croissant, A. (2001). South Korea. In D. Nohlen, F. Grotz and C. Hartmann (Eds.), Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A data handbook Vol. II (pp. 411-480). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hahm, C. B. (2008). South Korea’s miraculous democracy. Journal of Democracy, 19, 3, 128-142.
Hahm, C. B. and Rhyu, S. Y. (1999). Democratic reform and consolidation in South Korea: The promise of democracy. In C.I. Moon and J. Mo (Eds.), Democratization and globalization in Korea: Assessments and prospects (pp. 69-88). Seoul: Yonsei University Press.
Han, S. M. (2004). The new community movement: Park Chung Hee and the making of state populism in Korea. Pacific Affairs, 77, 1, 66-93.
Han, Y. C. (1969-70). Political parties and political development in South Korea. Pacific Affairs, 42, 4, 446-464.
Hellmann, O. (2011). Political parties and electoral strategy: The development of party organization in East Asia. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hellmann, O. (2011). A historical institutionalist approach to political party organization: The case of South Korea. Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, 46, 4, 464-484.
Heo, U. and Stockton, H. (2005). The impact of democratic transition on elections and parties in South Korea. Party Politics, 11, 6, 674-688.
Im, H. B. (1989). Politics of transition: Democratic transition from authoritarian rule in South Korea. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Chicago, Illinois.
Im. H. B. (2004). Faltering democratic consolidation in South Korea: Democracy at the end of the ‘three Kims’ era. Democratization, 11, 5, 179-198.
Kang, W. T. (2020). Thirty years of party politics in South Korea after democratization: From mass-mobilizing parties to by-stander parties. In H. Mosler (Ed.), South Korea’s democracy challenge: Political system, political economy and political society (pp. 67-84). Berlin: Peter Lang.
Kil, S. H. (2001). Development of Korean politics—A historical profile. In S. H. Kil and C. I. Moon. (Eds), Understanding Korean politics: An introduction (pp. 33-69). New York: State University of New York Press.
Kim, B. K. (2000). Party politics in South Korea’s democracy: The crisis of success. In L. Diamond and B. K. Kim (Eds.), Consolidating democracy in South Korea (pp. 53-85). Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Kim, C. N. (2007). The Korean presidents: Leadership for nation building. Newark: Eastbridge.
Kim, H. N. (1989). The 1988 parliamentary election in South Korea. Asian Survey, 29, 5, 480-495.
Kim, K. S. (1967). Political parties and party politics in Korea. Korea Journal, 7, 6, 4-21.
Kim, Y. M. (2011). The politics of coalition in Korea: Between institutions and culture. London: Routledge.
Klingner, B. (2007). South Korea’s mercurial political landscape. The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 2068.
Kwon, K. D. (2004). Regionalism in South Korea: Its origin and role in her democratization. Politics and Society, 32, 4, 545-574.
Laakso, M. and Taagepera, R. (1979). The effective number of parties: A measure with application to West Europe. Comparative Political Studies, 12, 3, 3-27.
Lee, J. H. (2016). A study on the party system in South Korea after democratization. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Lim, S. (2011). Political parties and party system in Korea after democratization: Cartelized party system and oscillation between two models. In L. F. Lye and W. Hofmeister (Eds.), Political parties, party system and democratization in East Asia (pp. 211-241). Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.
Mobrand, E. (2019). Top-down democracy in South Korea. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Park, B. G. (2003). Territorialized party politics and the politics of local economic development: State-led industrialization and political regionalism in South Korea. Political Geography, 22, 811-839.
Park, C. W. (2014). The national assembly in democratized Korea: Marching to the center from the margins of policy stage? In Y. Zheng, L.L. Fook and W. Hofmeister (Eds.), Parliaments in Asia (pp. 185-206). London: Routledge.
Park, K. M. (2010). Party mergers and splits in new democracies: The case of South Korea (1987-2007). Government and Opposition: An International Journal of Comparative Politics, 45, 4, 531-552.
Park T. G. (2006). U bangkwa chekuk, hanmikwangye et tushinhwa (An ally and empire: Two myths of South Korea-United States relations, 1945-1980). Seoul: Changbi Publishers.
Shim, C. Y. (2017). Hankuk jongdang jongchisa (History of political party in Korea). Seoul: Paeksansodang.
Shim, J. Y. and Kim, M. G. (2001). Yeokdea kukwhaieuiwon seongeogu whaikjungae daehan pyungga. [Apportionment and political fairness in Korean National Assembly elections]. Korean Political Science Review, 35, 1.
Steinberg, D. and Shin, M. (2005). From entourage to ideology? Tensions in South Korean political party in transition. East-West Center Working Paper Politics, Governance and Security Series, No. 9.
Vincent, S. (2017). Dominant party adaptation to the catch-all model: A comparison of former dominant parties in Japan and South Korea. East Asia, 34, 197-215.
Wong, J. (2014). South Korea’s Weakly Institutionalized Party System. In Allen Hicken and Erik Kuhonta Martinez (Eds.), Party System Institutionalization in Asia: Democracies, Autocracies and the Shadow of the Past. New York: Cambridge University Press.
