National Crisis and Democratic Consolidation in South Korea

Labour Politics and Democratisation in South Korea and TaiwanThe article explores the evolution of labour politics during the transition from authoritarian to electoral rule in South Korea and Taiwan during the last decade and a half. It argues that labour politics is a crucial aspect of democratic consolidation because it facilitates the reproduction of contingent mass consent to the new regime. To this end, organized labour must be re-positioned as a political and economic actor, something that requires institutional and structural reform away from the authoritarian experience. Based on analysis of the pattern of political insertion and the legal framework governing the interaction between organized labour, business and the state before and after the electoral transition, as well as data on strikes, union density and membership, the essay concludes that substantive change in the labour politics partial regime is minor in both countries and that in fact, democratic consolidation remains an unachieved goal in each.

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Changes in respiratory diseases in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time series study

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006912 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. e006912

Author(s):

Seog-Kyun Mun ◽

Bo Ram Yang ◽

Munyoung Chang

Keyword(s):

South Korea ◽

Public Transportation ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Least Squares Method ◽

National Level ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Social Distancing ◽

National Crisis ◽

Pharmaceutical Interventions

IntroductionIn South Korea, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as mask-wearing, hand washing and social distancing were strictly implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after a national crisis alert was raised to the highest level early in the pandemic (23 February 2020). We aimed to investigate changes in the occurrence of respiratory diseases at the national level after the COVID-19 outbreak.MethodsThe study period was from 1 January to 1 August 2019 (213 days) and from 1 January to 31 July 2020 (213 days). Based on the National Health Insurance Service data, we analysed changes in the numbers of patients treated for respiratory diseases. The changes in the numbers of individuals using public transportation and visiting the theatre were investigated to assess the effect of social distancing after the national crisis alert was raised. Differences in daily cumulative numbers (DDCNs) in 2020 were calculated as follows: (daily cumulative number in 2020)–(cumulative number for that day in 2019). A change over time in DDCNs of <0 was taken as indication that the numbers decreased from 2019 to 2020. Segmented regression analyses were performed using generalised least squares method to identify changes in trends of DDCNs of patients treated for respiratory diseases and individuals using public transportation and visiting the theatre.ResultsAfter the national crisis alert was raised to the highest level, DDCNs of patients treated for respiratory diseases, individuals using public transportation, and those visiting the theatre exhibited a significant daily decline by 53.18 per 10 000 inhabitants (95% CI −65.86 to −40.49), 48.19 per 1000 inhabitants (95% CI −62.05 to −34.32) and 25.30 per 5000 inhabitants (95% CI −36.30 to −14.30), respectively, compared with before the national crisis alert was raised.ConclusionNon-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 significantly reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases.

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Peaceful power transfers or successions and democratic consolidation in South Korea

Korean Social Science Journal ◽

10.1007/s40483-013-0001-2 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 53-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sung Deuk Hahm ◽

Kwangho Jung ◽

Dohee Kim

Keyword(s):

South Korea ◽

Democratic Consolidation

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Democratization and Changing Anti-American Sentiments in South Korea

Asian Survey ◽

10.1525/as.2007.47.2.327 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 327-350 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Chang Hun Oh ◽

Celeste Arrington

Keyword(s):

Civil Society ◽

South Korea ◽

Democratic Consolidation ◽

The State ◽

The Political ◽

Political Society

This study takes a disaggregated approach to the analysis of recent anti-American sentiments in Korea. It examines how the political changes entailed in the processes of democratization and democratic consolidation in the arenas of civil society, political society, and the state have diversely affected anti-U.S. sentiments in Korea.

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