Republic of Korea

Monthly Event Reports GSOD Indices

The Republic of Korea, also known as South Korea, performs at the high level in Representation, Rights and Rule of Law and it performs in the mid-range in Participation. It is amongst the world’s top 25 per cent with regard to several factors. Over the last five years, it has suffered declines in Freedom of the Press and Access to Justice, although both remain within the high range. It has not experience any advances in that time period. Economically, the Republic of Korea is notable for its rapid rise from relative poverty to significant wealth; today, it is known for its robust car manufacturing, electronics, and semiconductor industries. South Korea has some of the fastest Internet speeds in the world and ranks highly on the Human Development Index (HDI).

Until the Second World War, the Korean peninsula was a single, united country. As a result of the Korean War, the peninsula was divided in two, with the North and South existing under the spheres of influence of the Soviet Union and the United States, respectively. South Korea was governed by an authoritarian regime until nationwide protests in June of 1987 initiated a process of democratization and political liberalization. Since then, the country has experienced multiple successful transfers of power. Perhaps none has been more notable than the 2017 impeachment and removal from office of then-President Park Geun-hye. Today, the Republic of Korea’s politics are increasingly driven by polarization, as societal divisions along the conservative-progressive dimension widen; this is further fueled by the existing dominance of only two major parties.

South Korea ranks poorly on global rankings of gender parity and women’s rights, and this is reflected in the large gender pay gap and the relatively poor representation of women in politics. Furthermore, discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people and foreigners has been regularly documented. South Koreans also exhibit large age and regional divides in their voting behavior, and additional domestic issues of contention include the strong powers of the presidency and the presence of a chilling defamation law. Foreign policy issues loom particularly large, given the historic and contemporary tensions with North Korea and the long-term policy goal of reunification; South Korean policy towards achieving this objective has long vacillated between a rapprochement-focused ‘Sunshine Policy’ under left-leaning governments and more realpolitik approaches under conservative ones. The U.S. military also maintains a large presence in South Korea, including multiple bases. Finally, relations with Japan have long been challenging, primarily over the settlement of disputes as a result of Imperial Japan’s colonial rule, such as “comfort women”.

Looking ahead, the persistent presence of political polarization and sharp divides between the two main political parties will be important to watch. Actions taken by the Kim regime in the DPRK over the coming years may also adversely impact the South. Finally, South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate and one of the fastest aging populations, two trends which will pose issues for the country’s economy in the years ahead. The South Korean government has also taken steps in recent years to take a more leading role on the international stage, including agreeing to host the third Summit for Democracy in 2024.

February 2023 | Court recognizes same-sex partners for first time

A high court on 21 February 2023 ordered the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) to provide spousal coverage to same-sex couples, marking the first time a court has legally recognized social benefits for same-sex couples in South Korea. The ruling overturned a lower court ruling in January 2022 that declined to recognize the same-sex couples as common law spouses. While hailed as a leap forward in expanding LGBTQIA+ rights, significant barriers remain, with one of the petitioning partners noting that "The right we've obtained is 1 out of 1,000 that a [heterosexual] married couple has had." Despite its narrow reach, rights activists remain hopeful that the verdict will establish a precedent for enabling future rulings based on the same principles of equality and non-discrimination. NHIS plans to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.

LGBTQIA+ Rights

December 2022 | Alleged labour right violations amid truckers’ strike

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Seoul on 3 December to denounce the government's attempts to force thousands of striking truckers back to work following a 16-day strike over minimum wage protections. The Yoon government invoked a never-used 2004 law on 29 November to force the striking truckers back to work or face up to three years of imprisonment or hefty fines. Critics allege that the Yoon administration's work order suppresses protesters' labour rights. The strikes are a continuation of protests held earlier this year in April.

Protests

November 2022 | Concerns over restrictions on press freedom

Media, experts, and opposition parties have raised concerns over growing press freedom violations by the Yoon Suk-Yeol government over the past month. Some of these moves include barring a major media outlet - Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) - from joining a travelling press pool, as well as the government’s announced funding cuts for 2024 to a popular radio broadcaster - Traffic Broadcasting System (TBS) – amid claims of political bias in its programmes seen as having an unfavourable disposition toward the Yoon-Suk-Yeol administration.

October 2022 | President seeks to abolish gender equality ministry

President Yoon Suk-yeoul announced on 6 October that following his campaign pledge, the government will move ahead with abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. While the plan is still subject to approval by the National Assembly, the move threatens to be a major setback for women's rights as they continue to face systematic discrimination. Activists and politicians have furthermore criticized the president for capitalizing on the country's "anti-feminism" movement in mobilizing young men during the 2022 election to fulfil his promise.

Yoon Suk-yeol