This article gives an overview of Liberalism () in
South Korea. It is limited to
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and ...
parties with substantial support, mainly proven by having had a representation in parliament.
Historically, the liberal movement in the South Korean began as a 'moderate
right-wing' movement against far-right dictatorship, but in the current political structure of the South Korea in the 2020s, it has become a 'moderate
left-wing' against the right-wing
conservative movement. The
Democratic Party of Korea
The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK; ), formerly known as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), is a Liberalism, liberal list of political parties in South Korea, political party in South Korea. Controlling the unicameral National Asse ...
is a "
centrist
Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
-liberal" party and is considered "
centre-left
Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...
" party, also, the
Justice Party is considered a "centre-left" or "
leftist-liberal" party.
There are various political positions within South Korean liberals, but they tend to be mostly common in diplomacy: promoting harmony with
North Korea, justice against
Japan, and, wherever possible, autonomy from great power interference, including that of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. South Korean liberalism is also based on a
national liberal
National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism).
A seri ...
tradition based on the Korean independence movement against
China and
Japan.
Introduction
The word "
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and ...
" in South Korea is often used in its
traditional sense. In South Korea,
conservatives
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
also call themselves "liberal" () and "liberal democracy" () in a similar sense to
economic liberalism and
anti-communism
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...
.
"Liberals" in the general sense often refer to themselves as "Democrats", "''Ribeoreol''" (, the Korean pronunciation of the English "liberal") or "Democratic Camps" (). In South Korea, "liberal" () and "progressive" () are political forces with individual traditions, but when translating "
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and ...
" in the United States into Korean language, it is often translated into "
progressive
Progressive may refer to:
Politics
* Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform
** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context
* Progressive realism, an American foreign policy pa ...
".
The
Justice Party officially supports
social democracy, but since it is a party that inherited the political stake of the
Uri Party, it is regarded as part of the South Korean progressive political party tradition and at the same time as part of the liberal political party tradition.
In South Korea, the terms "liberal," "
liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
," "
libertarian," and "
freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
" all tend to be translated into ''Jayu'' (). For example, in South Korea, both Canada's "
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
", Netherlands' "
Party for Freedom
The Party for Freedom ( nl, Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) is a nationalist, right-wing populist political party in the Netherlands.
Founded in 2006 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man faction in the House of Representatives, it won nine ...
" and the United States' "
Libertarian Party" are read as ''Jayudang'' () in Korean. Also, right-wing socially conservative media in South Korea regard the American tradition of right-libertarianism as progressive because it is
culturally liberal
Cultural liberalism is a social philosophy which expresses the social dimension of liberalism and advocates the freedom of individuals to choose whether to conform to cultural norms. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, it is often expressed a ...
.
The main diplomatic point that defines liberalism in South Korea is "independence" (독립). Modern South Korean liberals are relatively more friendly to
immigration and
multiculturalism than
conservatives
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization ...
. However, South Korean liberals have a more
nationalistic
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
nature based on
anti-imperialism
Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic so ...
in matters related to neighboring powers such as the
China and
Japan. The anti-China
Gaehwa Party /
Independence Club at the end of the 19th century, and the anti-Japan
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, whic ...
during the Japanese colonial era, formed Korea's early liberalism. On the other hand, Korea's conservative elites cooperated with neighboring powers such as China and Japan for practical reasons. In Modern South Korean politics, where
socialism and
anti-Americanism
Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment) is prejudice, fear, or hatred of the United States, its government, its foreign policy, or Americans in general.
Political scientist Brendon O'Connor at the United States Studies Centr ...
were thoroughly suppressed, conservatives who conform to the powers and liberals who have resisted Chinese/Japanese imperialism may differ in degree, but paradoxically, both camps have resulted in
pro-American tendencies. To this day, South Korean liberals haven't forgiven conservative elites who cooperated with Chinese/Japanese
imperialism. South Korean liberals were proud of the history of resisting
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
's right-wing dictatorship, who served as an officer during the Japanese Empire.
South Korean major liberals mainly criticize
mainstream conservatives, clear their heritage during military dictatorship, insist on political reform, supports the foreign policy of
reconciliation with North Korea, and eventual reunification of the two countries. They are distinguished from
progressives
Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techn ...
and
cultural liberals
Cultural liberalism is a social philosophy which expresses the social dimension of liberalism and advocates the freedom of individuals to choose whether to conform to cultural norms. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, it is often expressed a ...
. Therefore, South Korean some liberals tend to be
socially conservative
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
in
LGBT rights,
Disability rights
The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities.
It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocate ...
,
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregnan ...
and
minority rights issues. (The socially conservative tendency of South Korean liberals is not traditional
conservatism
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
based on
Confucianism, but is more influenced by
Christianity, which is part of
Western culture.)
They also tend to distance themselves from the (Including social democracy) "
socialism" or fundamental "
left-wing".
On the domestic front, they advocated the breaking-up of the
monopoly of the large industrial conglomerates known as
chaebols
A chaebol (, ; ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group whose power over the group often exc ...
. They also proposed the redelegation of investigative powers of the
prosecutor's office over to the
police, as they viewed them as powerful political tools.
History
During the
colonial period, Marxist historian
Paek Nam-un evaluated ''
Silhak'' as "pioneer of early modern period liberalism," while
Ahn Jae-hong
Ahn Jae-hong (, December 31, 1891 – March 1, 1965) was a Korean activist, politician, and journalist who participated in the Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve t ...
, a liberal nationalist, evaluated Silhak and Silhak scholar
Jeong Yak-yong as "the origin of late modern period liberalism by presenting elimination of (feudal) class and support for equality". ''Silhak'' criticized the existing Confucian conservatism and ''
Sadaejuui
''Sadaejuui'' (lit. "thing-big-ism", meaning: "serving-the-Great ideology"; Hangul: 사대주의, Hanja: 事大主義, ) is a largely pejorative Korean term which evolved in the mid-20th century from a more widely used historical concept.Armstro ...
'', aiming for
political reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
and
pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that considers words and thought as tools and instruments for prediction, problem solving, and action, and rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Pr ...
, and also argued for the superiority of Western science and technology. Some ''Silhak'' scholar also believed in
Christianity.
Korea's first
classical liberal
Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, economic ...
and Enlightenmentists party was the
Gaehwa Party, which appeared in 1874. They aimed for
radical political and social reform, cut off unequal relations with the powerful
Qing Dynasty and tried to create a completely independent
Joseon Dynasty, and led by Seo Jae-pil in 1896 was a practical successor to the Gaehwa Party. Influenced by
Japanese liberalism, they showed pro-Japanese tendencies, but at the same time insisted on independent and independent Korea. In the 1900s, classical liberals and Enlightenmentists in Korea were largely divided into two groups. Some became ''
Chinilpa
''Chinilpa'' ( ko, 친일파, lit. "pro-Japan faction") is a derogatory Korean language term that denotes ethnic Koreans who collaborated with Imperial Japan during the protectorate period of the Korean Empire from 1905 and its colonial rule in K ...
'' who cooperated with Japan, and others who devoted themselves to the
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, whic ...
.
During the
colonial era, Korean liberalism is closely related to the
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, whic ...
. South Korean historians say that the
March 1st Movement, which took place in 1919, affected
democracy and
liberalism in South Korea as a movement involving many Koreans regardless of gender, religion, or occupation. The
Republic of Korean Provisional Government, established thanks to the value of the March 1st Movement, has established a modern national system in name and reality by introducing the separation of powers of government, parliament, and judiciary based on freedom and equality, and common elections including women. (However, since it was located in Shanghai, China, it was more of a Korean independence movement organization than a korean government.)
After the end of Japanese colonial rule, with the inauguration of the Republic of Korea government, the word "liberal" has been used in South Korea for a while in a similar sense to anti-communism and anti-socialism. That's why not only ideological liberals but also hard-line conservatives and far-right anti-communists called themselves "liberal." A case in point was the "
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
", a South Korean
far-right national-conservative party influenced by
Shōwa Statism,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and
Italian fascism. In particular,
Syngman Rhee, the first president of the Liberal Party, committed authoritarian rule and election fraud based on
Ilminism
Ilminism (;), frequently translated as the One-People Principle, One-People Doctrine, or Unidemism, was the political ideology of South Korea under its first President, Syngman Rhee. The ''Ilminist'' principle has been likened by contemporary sch ...
, an anti-liberal individual worship ideology from 1948 to 1960, and liberals and students who opposed it caused
April Revolution
The April Revolution ( ko, 4.19 혁명), also called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, were mass protests in South Korea against President Syngman Rhee and the First Republic from April 11 to 26, 1960 which led to Rhee's resigna ...
. This was the first successful liberal revolution in South Korea.
Due to the April Revolution (1960), Syngman Rhee stepped down from his presidency, the first liberal democratic government in South Korea was established, and the presidential system was converted to a parliamentary cabinet system. However, South Korean liberal democracy collapses in less than a year in a
1961 military coup caused by Major
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
. Since then, South Korea has suffered from more than 20 years of military dictatorship. Until South Korea was fully democratized in 1988, there have been several democratization movements, including
Bu-Ma Democratic Protests and
Gwangju Uprising.
South Korea was democratized in 1987, but it was in 1998 that liberals changed their regime. Since the
Kim Dae-jung administration in 1998, South Korean liberals are actively supporting the
Sunshine Policy
The Sunshine Policy () is the theoretical basis for South Korea's foreign policy towards North Korea. Its official title is The Reconciliation and Cooperation Policy Towards the North (), and it is also known as The Operational Policy Towards the ...
, to promote peace and reconciliation through economic aid and co-operation, or “South-North economic co-operation” (남북경협).
Liberal parties
The political party that once were
ruling party are in bold.
Minjudangkye tradition
In South Korea, South Korean's unique
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and ...
and
korean nationalist
Korean nationalism can be viewed in two different contexts. One encompasses various movements throughout history to maintain a Korean cultural identity, history, and ethnicity (or "race"). This ethnic nationalism was mainly forged in oppositio ...
parties are often referred to as
''Minjudangkye'' parties (). In South Korea, usually "liberal" political parties mean "Minjudangkye" parties.
Mainstream parties
*
Christian Social Democratic Party → Korea Democratic Party (1945–1949)
*
Democratic Nationalist Party (1949–1955)
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(1955–1961; Governing period: 1960–1961)
*
New Democratic Party → Civil Rights Party → Civilian's Party (1960–1967; Governing period: 1961–1962)
*
New Democratic Party (1967–1980)
*
Democratic Korea Party (1981–1988)
**
New Korean Democratic Party → Reunification Democratic Party (1985–1990)
*
New Korean Democratic Party
The New Korean Democratic Party (, NKDP) was an opposition political party of South Korea from 1984 to 1988. It was the largest opposition party in South Korea until Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam left to form the Reunification Democratic Party.
...
(1984–1988)
*
Peace Democratic Party → New Democratic Unionist Party (1987–1991)
*
Reunification Democratic Party
The Reunification Democratic Party (, RDP) was a political party of South Korea from 1987 to 1990. The party was established in April 1987 by Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, splitting from the New Korean Democratic Party. The party faced anoth ...
(1987–1990)
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(1991–1995)
*
Democratic Party → National Congress for New Politics (1995–2000; Governing period: 1998–2000)
*
Millennium Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2000–2008; Governing period: 2000–2003)
*
Uri Party (2002–2007; Governing period: 2004–2007)
*
Grand Unified Democratic New Party (2007–2008; Governing period: 2007-2008)
*
United Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2008–2011)
*
Democratic United Party → Democratic Party (2011–2014)
*
New Politics Alliance for Democracy → Minjoo Party → Democratic Party (since 2014; Governing period: since 2017)
**
Platform Party (satellite party for the
2020 election)
**
People's Party (2016–2018, splinter party)
**
Bareunmirae Party
The Bareunmirae Party (), also known as the Bareun Mirae Party and Bareun Future Party, was a South Korean liberal-conservative political party. It was founded in 2018 by merger of the centrist liberal People's Party and the conservative Bare ...
(2018–2020, splinter party)
**
Minsaeng Party
The Minsaeng Party () is a conservative liberal political party in South Korea based in the Honam region.
Political position
The party has a support base among elderly and socially conservative Christians in the Honam region. The Democratic ...
(since 2020, splinter party)
Minor parties
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(1963–1965)
*
Democratic Unification Party
The Democratic Unification Party ( es, Partido Unificación Democrática; PUD) is a centre-left political party in Honduras. PUD was founded on 29 September 1992 by the merger of four leftist clandestine or semiclandestine political parties, in th ...
(1973–1980)
*
Civil Rights Party (1981–1985)
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(1990–1991)
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(1995–1997)
*
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
(2007–2008)
*
The Participation Party (2010–2011)
*
New Political Vision Party (2014)
*
Minjoo Party (2014–2016)
*
Party for Democracy and Peace
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature fo ...
(2018–2020)
:*
New Alternatives (2020)
*
Open Democratic Party (2020–2022)
*
Future Democratic Party (since 2020)
*
Platform Party (2020)
**
Transition Korea (since 2020)
**
Basic Income Party (since 2020)
Non-Minjudangkye
In South Korea, these political parties are not often referred to as general "liberal" in Korean language, but in an international context, they are clearly referred to as "
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and ...
" political parties.
*
Progressive Party (1956–1958)
*
Creative Korea Party
Creative Korea Party (; CKP) was a political party of South Korea. It was formed out of the Uri Party and its resulting civil splinter groups, with their leader Moon Kook-hyun, a well-known former business leader who recently started his polit ...
(2007–2012)
*
Unified Progressive Party
The Unified Progressive Party (UPP; ko, 통합진보당, RR: ''Tonghap Jinbo-dang'', Hanja: 統合進步黨) is a banned political party in South Korea. It was founded on 5 December 2011 as a merger of the Democratic Labor Party, the Peo ...
(2011-2012)
*
People Party
The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom.
Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties:
* the Green P ...
(2016–2018)
*
Grand National Unity Party (2017–2018)
*
Bareunmirae Party
The Bareunmirae Party (), also known as the Bareun Mirae Party and Bareun Future Party, was a South Korean liberal-conservative political party. It was founded in 2018 by merger of the centrist liberal People's Party and the conservative Bare ...
(2018–2020)
*
Justice Party (since 2012)
*
Dawn of Liberty Party (since 2019)
*
Transition Korea (since 2020)
*
Basic Income Party (since 2020)
*
People Party
The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom.
Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties:
* the Green P ...
(2020–2022)
*
Minsaeng Party
The Minsaeng Party () is a conservative liberal political party in South Korea based in the Honam region.
Political position
The party has a support base among elderly and socially conservative Christians in the Honam region. The Democratic ...
(since 2020)
Liberal media in South Korea
*
Hankook Ilbo
''Hankook Ilbo'' () is a Korean-language daily newspaper in Seoul, South Korea. As of 2017, it had a daily circulation of about 213,200.
It was previously published by the Hankook Ilbo Media Group, however following an embezzlement scandal ...
- centrist, classically liberal
**
The Korea Times
''The Korea Times'' is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language daily; both are owned by Dongwha Enterprise, a wood-based manufacturer ...
(English-language newspapers)
*
Kyunghyang Shinmun - centre to centre-left, liberal
*
The Hankyoreh
''The Hankyoreh'' (, literally "The Korean Nation" or "One Nation") is a centre-left liberal daily newspaper in South Korea. It was established in 1988 after widespread purges forced out dissident journalists, and was envisioned as an alternat ...
- centre-left, socially liberal
**
Cine21
''Cine21'' is a South Korean film magazine issued by '' Hangyeore newspaper''. The magazine was first published on 24 April 1995 in Seoul, and subsequent issues have continued to be released weekly. The first editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief ...
(film magazine)
*
OhmyNews - liberal-leaning, progressive liberal
Liberal organizations
In South Korea, 'political liberalism' and 'non-political liberalism' are distinguished. Therefore, the groups listed below may not be directly related to a particular political party or political power.
Civil rights organizations
*
ASUNARO: Action for Youth Rights of Korea - Student rights
*
Chingusai - LGBT rights
*
Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination - Disability rights
*
Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea - LGBT rights
Labour organizations
*
Federation of Korean Trade Unions
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) is a national trade union center in South Korea formed in 1960. It represents the company union tendency of the South Korean labour movement, as opposed to the more militant Korean Confederation of T ...
*
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), literally translated as National Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions, also known as Minju-nochong ( ko, 민주노총; acronym for ''KCTU'' in Korean language) is a national trade union centr ...
(factions) - There are also non-liberal/socialists within the KCTU.
**
Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU, ko, 전국교직원노동조합), also known as Jeon(-)gyojo ( ko, 전교조; acronym for ''KTU'' in Korean language) is a labor union of teachers in South Korea. The organization has 77,000 ...
(factions)
Libertarian organizations
South Korean libertarians define themselves as ''Jayujuuija'' (자유주의자). But South Korean center-left liberals also define themselves as ''Jayujuuija'', so it is important in what context the South Korean political term is used
*
Center for Free Enterprise - libertarian/conservative
Nationalist (liberal-nationalist) organizations
*
Voluntary Agency Network of Korea
VANK (반크), an acronym for Voluntary Agency Network of Korea ( ko, 사이버 외교사절단), is an Internet-based South Korean organization funded by the Korean government and established in 1999, consisting of 120,000 South Korean members an ...
Other
*
Korea Democracy Foundation
*
Minbyun
Liberal presidents in South Korea
*
Yun Bo-seon
Yun Po-sun (; or ; August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the second president of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. He was the only president of the parliamentary Second Republic of Korea.
Ha ...
(Democratic) (1960–1962)
*
Kim Dae-jung (
National Congress for New Politics
The National Congress for New Politics (; NCNP) was a political party of South Korea.
History
The party was formed in 1995 as the National Congress for New Politics after Kim Dae-jung returned to active politics following his retirement in 1992 ...
→
Millennium Democratic Party
The Democratic Party (; DP) was a political party in South Korea. Formerly named Millennium Democratic Party (; MDP), it was renamed in May 6, 2005. After its dissolution, its members joined the Uri Party or the successor Democratic Party.
Hi ...
) (1998–2003)
*
Roh Moo-hyun (Millennium Democratic Party→
Uri Party→
United New Democratic Party
The Grand Unified Democratic New Party (; GUDNP) was a political party of South Korea. It was formed out of the Uri Party and its resulting splinter groups. Chung Dong-young was the UNDP candidate in the 2007 South Korean presidential election; ...
) (2003–2008)
*
Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
(
Democratic) (2017–2022)
Major liberal parties election results of South Korea
Presidential elections
Legislative elections
Local elections
See also
*
386 Generation
*
Classical liberalism
*
Conservatism in South Korea
*
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism or right-liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or simply representing the right-wing of the liberal movement. M. Gallagher, M. Laver and P. Mair, ''Repre ...
(centre to centre-right)
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Economic liberalism
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Economic progressivism
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History of South Korea
The history of South Korea formally begins with the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945. Noting that, South Korea and North Korea are entirely different countries, despite still being the same people and on the same peninsula.
Backgrou ...
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Liberalism in Japan - This influenced the formation of early Korean liberalism.
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List of political parties in South Korea
This article lists political parties in South Korea.
South Korea has a weakly institutionalized multi-party system, characterized by frequent changes in party arrangements. Political parties have a chance of gaining power alone.
Current parties ...
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Minjudang''
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Politics of South Korea
The politics of the Republic of Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. The government exercises executive power and ...
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Progressivism in South Korea
Progressivism () in South Korea is broadly associated with social democracy, cultural progressivism and left-wing nationalism. South Korea's "progressivism" is often used in a similar sense to 'South Korean Left' or 'leftist'.
Historically, t ...
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Social conservatism
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Social liberalism (centre-left)
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Social democracy (centre-left to left-wing)
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Sunshine policy
The Sunshine Policy () is the theoretical basis for South Korea's foreign policy towards North Korea. Its official title is The Reconciliation and Cooperation Policy Towards the North (), and it is also known as The Operational Policy Towards the ...
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Undongkwon
Undongkwon or Undonggwon, which refers to "the movement sphere" in Korean, is a term associated with the Minjung movement in South Korea during the 1970s and the 1980s. The Minjung movement was a social movement that recognized the people who wer ...
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Notes
References
{{Asia topic, Liberalism in
Political history of South Korea
Korean nationalism
Civic nationalism
Korean independence movement