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ABSTRACT
Formal modes of political incorporation in South Korea rest on a foundation of limited pluralism. The notion that the state should impose rigid boundaries on political representation pervades the country’s democracy. This notion is enshrined in law – in particular in the constitution’s Article 8 and in the Political Parties Act – and is upheld and perpetuated by the judiciary, the election commission, and the parties that dominate representative institutions. Labour is particularly disadvantaged by the limited pluralism contained in party laws. The role of party law in shaping modes of political incorporation is frequently overlooked. This account of party law in South Korea echoes this issue’s attention to the quiet ways that the state in Asia has silenced or ignored particular groups while maintaining the formal institutions of electoral democracy. In this case, the effect is to facilitate a rightward drift by the state as left-leaning actors face greater challenges in contesting elections.
Acknowledgements
The author expresses his thanks for comments from and discussions with Song Sŏk-yun, Sŏ Pok-kyŏng, Jong Sung You, Jamie Doucette, Kanishka Jayasuriya, Priya Chacko and the other contributors to this special issue. The journal’s referees provided constructive feedback. Valuable research assistance was provided by Ksenia Bakhtiarova.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. This tally is the author’s own, derived from political party yearbooks published by the Central Election Management Commission.
2. It should be noted that now-president Moon Jae-in was among four party members who abstained.