Prosecution Reform and the Politics of Faking Democracy in South Korea
(2021) In Critical Asian Studies 53(2). p.259-283- Abstract
- A public struggle in South Korea around prosecution reform brings into focus a deeper battle between forces seeking to make the state more responsive to ordinary people and those aiming to preserve the status quo. Opponents of prosecution reform turned to a mode of politics that appropriated the styles and symbols of democracy to justify the obstruction of reforms that would break down a key authoritarian legacy and source of entrenched privilege. They deployed multiple methods of “faking” democracy: assuming the mantle of anti-corruption champions, drawing on tropes from the anti-authoritarian opposition of the past, and normalizing marginal views. The politics of prosecution reform illuminates the mass struggle that defines South Korea’s... (More)
- A public struggle in South Korea around prosecution reform brings into focus a deeper battle between forces seeking to make the state more responsive to ordinary people and those aiming to preserve the status quo. Opponents of prosecution reform turned to a mode of politics that appropriated the styles and symbols of democracy to justify the obstruction of reforms that would break down a key authoritarian legacy and source of entrenched privilege. They deployed multiple methods of “faking” democracy: assuming the mantle of anti-corruption champions, drawing on tropes from the anti-authoritarian opposition of the past, and normalizing marginal views. The politics of prosecution reform illuminates the mass struggle that defines South Korea’s democracy and also points to a dangerous and subtle mode of politics that is increasingly visible around the world yet under-appreciated in most approaches to thinking about democracy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/433ed6a3-f7e7-4fd0-8951-b61c55ef6bdc
- author
- Mobrand, Erik LU
- publishing date
- 2021-03-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- South Korea, prosecution reform, Candlelight Movement, flag rallies, democracy
- in
- Critical Asian Studies
- volume
- 53
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 259 - 283
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85106579234
- ISSN
- 1467-2715
- DOI
- 10.1080/14672715.2021.1890999
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 433ed6a3-f7e7-4fd0-8951-b61c55ef6bdc
- date added to LUP
- 2021-03-26 20:39:26
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 01:04:25
@article{433ed6a3-f7e7-4fd0-8951-b61c55ef6bdc,
abstract = {{A public struggle in South Korea around prosecution reform brings into focus a deeper battle between forces seeking to make the state more responsive to ordinary people and those aiming to preserve the status quo. Opponents of prosecution reform turned to a mode of politics that appropriated the styles and symbols of democracy to justify the obstruction of reforms that would break down a key authoritarian legacy and source of entrenched privilege. They deployed multiple methods of “faking” democracy: assuming the mantle of anti-corruption champions, drawing on tropes from the anti-authoritarian opposition of the past, and normalizing marginal views. The politics of prosecution reform illuminates the mass struggle that defines South Korea’s democracy and also points to a dangerous and subtle mode of politics that is increasingly visible around the world yet under-appreciated in most approaches to thinking about democracy.}},
author = {{Mobrand, Erik}},
issn = {{1467-2715}},
keywords = {{South Korea; prosecution reform; Candlelight Movement; flag rallies; democracy}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{259--283}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Critical Asian Studies}},
title = {{Prosecution Reform and the Politics of Faking Democracy in South Korea}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2021.1890999}},
doi = {{10.1080/14672715.2021.1890999}},
volume = {{53}},
year = {{2021}},
}