South Korea
International IDEA implemented a State of Democracy assessment in South Korea as a pilot study in 2002. After 50 years in which South Korea has undergone profound social transformation from being one of the poorest countries in the world to becoming the forerunner of the Newly Industrializing Countries, it emerged how the economic miracle was possible at the expense of democracy and respect for human rights. The country experienced major structural and institutional changes in 1987, and South Korean democracy is far from perfect; its process shows how democratization can have mixed results. A group of academics used the State of Democracy Framework to assess the temperature of democracy in the country and to evaluate citizens' opinions on the perceived state of democracy and its weaknesses.
The results of the study were included in the State of Democracy report that combines assessments developed in eight different countries, which shows the high adaptability of the State of Democracy Framework and its relevance in different country contexts.
Assessment Reports
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