Democratization In South Korea

“Democratization in Asia has been seen as largely a middle class affair. However, in South Korea, the working class has played an active role in promoting democracy during its phase of democratization.” Why the working class has played an important role? Let’s see about the background of democracy process first. The beginning of South Korea democratization event is Gwangju Uprising. But before the Gwangju Uprising, the Korean were under the dictator of Park Chung-hee and ruling by long period of oppression. After the death of Park Chung-hee, the protest was began, and this is called “spring of souel”. People started to feel a new form of freedom of speech and rights. In this protest, students and workers are the mainstream of protester. In …show more content…
Huntington, the democratization of South Korean was inducted when the economy need the expansion of political participation to continue its development. Also, the concern of SMOs (Social Movement Organization) primary focus on economy which is 26.43 present and the political area which is 16.60 present . That was also the reason why the South Korean worker participate in the protest and why worker are so important in this democratization. Just because they are the main characters. At the beginning of 1980s, factory workers increased at 3,000,000. Other organizations started to observe the value of those huge number of workers that the workers were not belittled in the protest. The increased number of workers awaked the student that the works are not just the object that need their help, they can also be the power of the protest. The student make a strategy call “Labor Practices” which means that through the students participated in the factory and became one of the worker, and help the real worker to establish a consciousness of class and help them to organize the labour union. Moreover, the increase of worker caused by the drop out of study which South Korea stopped running the university, graduation, expel form the university while they are participate in the illegal anti-government protest. Therefore, in this period of time, the student worker had big influential power to …show more content…
That was a wide nation demonstrations. The mass support from the worker made the upsurge of getting democracy more fierce. After this uprising, the Great Workers’ Struggle was happen. The workers had been organized and start around 300 workouts between July to September to fight for the democratization, this action settle the contribution of the workers. Due to the long term deprivation form the capitalist factory, the worker had already been unsatisfied for a long time. Therefore, in this Great Workers’ Struggle, they had largely involved to get their normal right. Despite the short term advantages like higher salaries and proper working hour, they know that they need a reliable method to protect themselves. They require those big enterprise need to accept their new formed union or the democratic labour union. Through a SMOs founding in several years, especially in 1988, the labour donated for 26 present, the student donate for 17 present and the intellectuals donate for 11 present . After a series of demonstrations, Roh Tae-woo knew that he cannot stop their request and he released all the political dissidents and restore the direct election of the president and the congress. These changes are the symbol which imply the coming of sixth