Student Spotlight: Lakayla Cleveland in South Korea
What type of government does the country have (e.g., democracy, monarchy, authoritarian regime)? What role do political parties play in the government, and how are they structured?
“South Korea has a democratic government similar to that of the United States. The government's structure is made up of 3 branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. South Korea has a multi-party system, but there are only two major political parties: The Democratic Party of Korea &The People Power Party. The Democratic Party of Korea is a left-leaning party that supports progressive policies like social welfare expansion & diplomacy with North Korea. The People Power Party is conservative, right-leaning party that supports policies of economic liberalization, security concerns (mostly against North Korea) and more traditional values.”
What are the most pressing social issues currently facing the country (e.g., poverty, education, healthcare)? How does the government address issues of inequality and social justice? How do historical events and cultural heritage influence current societal priorities?
“The most pressing social issues that South Korea has are for example, lowest birth rates in the world, housing crisis, and mental health/ social stress. South Korea is actively trying to improve the birth rates by increasing benefits and rewards for families with children, improved parental leave, and grants for childcare. Another issue in South Korea is housing prices especially in the Seoul area. Seoul's housing area prices have increased significantly making homeownership hard for many South Koreans, especially the younger South Koreans. A way the government is responding to this issue is by expanding housing projects and housing supply, but some of these responses have been criticized by the citizens for not being enough. Finally, the issue of mental health and social stress has been an issue for a very long time due to South Korea having a high rate of suicide, especially among the elderly and youth. The government's response to this issue has been to increase focus on mental health resources, but the issue of mental health care is limited.”
What is the level of voter participation in elections, and how has it changed over time? How does the government facilitate or restrict freedom of speech and assembly? How are marginalized groups represented in the political system? What is the role of the media in shaping political discourse and public opinion?
“The level of voter participation in elections in South Korea has been 70% or sometimes 80% for the presidential elections. Voter participation remained high, but within recent years, there has been a slight decline within the younger demographic. Freedom of speech is protected within South Korea, but some laws sometimes limit these freedoms that pertain to defamation and national security. For example, the National Security Law prohibits any North Korean propaganda or pro-North Korean activities, though this law is controversial. Regarding freedom of assembly, public protests are protected under the constitution, but sometimes authorities impose restrictions when protests threaten the public or national security. Marginalized groups such as women, ethnic minorities, LGTBQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities are often represented through either assembly such as the National Assembly where women make up 19% of it, or LGBTQ+ rights activists demanding anti-discrimination laws, etc. Media plays a significant role in public opinions and political discourse by using social media, press freedom, censorship and control, etc.”