Whither South Korean Democracy?: Democratic Backsliding, Executive Power, and Constitutional Governing

On December 3, 2024, in a surprising move, President Yoon of South Korea declared emergency martial law, which was revoked six hours later after lawmakers blocked the order with a Parliament vote. Along with the indictment of the president on insurrection charges, the Constitutional Court is conducting the impeachment trial.

This panel, which consists of three Penn faculty members in political science and law, and moderated by the director of the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies, starts with some background and context leading to this political turmoil in South Korea, then delves into how the political crisis there can be understood in relation to the global trends of democratic backsliding and consolidation of executive power. The panel concludes with some thoughts about the future of constitutional governing and implications for the relationship between South Korea and the United States.

Featured speakers:
Soosun You, Senior Fellow in Political Science
Jane Esberg, Assistant Professor of Political Science
William Burke-White, Richard Perry Professor and Professor of Law
Moderated by Hyunjoon Park, Korea Foundation Professor of Sociology and Director, James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies