Civil Society Projects Through the Lens of Assemblies and Demonstrations (I)

Jointly organized by EAI, JoongAng Ilbo, and Hakjin

The June 10th Democratization Movement Reaches Adulthood; South Korea Remains a 'Republic of Protests'

✔ Assemblies and demonstrations have not decreased

✔ Diversification of organizers, participants, and targets of protest is evident

✔ The dynamic energy of civil society must be channeled into a virtuous cycle

In June 1987, the streets were filled with the fervent passion of civil society for democratization. From young students to the 'tie brigade' of office workers joining assemblies and demonstrations, all citizens shared a single demand: 'democratization.' The fervent passion of the June Movement ultimately achieved procedural democracy, including the direct election of the president by the people. Nineteen years later, South Korean civil society continues to hold assemblies and demonstrations on the streets.

In fact, after a period of gradual decline during the Roh Tae-woo administration, the number of assemblies and demonstrations by civil society began to rise again after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, with the exception of 2001. This upward trend has continued even under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. From 1993 to 2002, during the Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung administrations, the annual number of assemblies and demonstrations averaged 324. From 2003 to 2005, the annual average was 363. This indicates that assemblies and demonstrations have not decreased. The 'Annual Statistics of Assemblies and Demonstrations' compiled by the National Police Agency from 1994 to 2005 show a similar general trend. The average annual number of assemblies and demonstrations from 1994 to 2002 was 9,333, while from 2003 to 2005, it increased to 11,437.

While the number of assemblies and demonstrations by South Korean civil society has not decreased, changes summarized as diversification have occurred. First, the organizing groups have diversified. Until the 1990s, labor unions and student groups were the two main pillars, but the situation has changed recently. With a clear decline in student groups, environmental, peace, and women's organizations have tended to fill their place. The social and occupational categories of participants have also diversified. Notably, survey results indicate that since 2000, white-collar workers have outnumbered blue-collar workers, while local residents have rapidly emerged as a significant group, and young students have shown a sharp decline. This trend is also evident in relatively large-scale assemblies and demonstrations involving 1,001 or more participants. While blue-collar workers accounted for 30.5% and students for 23.1% in the average from 1989 to 2005, the rise of white-collar workers (22.1%) and local residents (12.9%) in third and fourth place is also noteworthy.

Changes are also occurring in the locations of assemblies and demonstrations. The most notable change is the increasing proportion of roads and streets as venues for assemblies and demonstrations. After a steady decline from 1989, assemblies and demonstrations on roads and streets sharply increased again starting in 2002, with 2001 as a turning point. During the same period, the nature of assemblies and demonstrations also shifted, with a sharp increase in order-violating protests compared to peaceful ones. This suggests that assemblies and demonstrations held on roads and streets are highly likely to lead to order violations, similar to those directed at political parties or government agencies.

The targets of assemblies and demonstrations are also changing. While the executive branch still accounts for the highest proportion of protest targets in the overall analysis, the proportion of business executives and the president has continuously decreased. In contrast, the National Assembly, political parties, foreign governments, and international organizations have shown a steady increase. Viewed in this light, the targets of assemblies and demonstrations are also experiencing 'globalization.' While protests against the government sector continue steadily, a shift in trends is evident, with an increase in demonstrations targeting the political sphere rather than the president. The portrait of the June 10th Movement, now an adult, is one where almost everything has changed, except for the fact that assemblies and demonstrations have not decreased. While it is impossible to make definitive judgments about the evaluation and prospects of these changes, it is clear that South Korean civil society remains dynamic and increasingly complex and diverse.

Participating Researchers

South Korea: Byung-Kook Kim, Professor, Korea University; Sun-Hyeok Kim, Professor, Korea University

Taiwan: Yun-han Chu, National Taiwan University; Chin-en Wu, Academia Sinica

Poland: Grzegorz Ekiert, Harvard University; Jan Kubik, Rutgers University

Hungary: Bela Greskovits, Central European University; Jason Wittenberg, University of California-Berkeley