Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 12:00PM-1:20PM | DML 240 | FLYER | RSVP 

EASC Guest Speaker Series: Talk by Prof. Namhee Lee (UCLA) with Faculty Moderator Prof. Sunyoung Park (EALC 344: Korean Culture from Ancient to Modern Times and EALC 534: Modernity and Cultural Representation in Korea)
 

While South Korea successfully transitioned from nearly four decades of authoritarian rule to a parliamentary democracy, the high-level political democratization of post-1987 was also enmeshed with all-out neoliberal restructuring following the 1997 financial crisis. The consequent deepening of inequality and poverty, leading to extreme polarization of the society, along with disappointments with political reform, has resulted in the widespread sense of defeat and pessimism embodied in the discourse of “de-democratization;” that is, despite the hegemony of democratic rhetoric and political democratization, democracy in South Korea is in crisis.

This presentation argues that despite the widespread despair, a broad spectrum of civil society has made equally determined and vociferous efforts to demand and work for democratization in all spheres of life. It explores the political horizons and social imaginaries of these movements, which compel rethinking the meaning of democracy and broadening the existing concept of social movements.

This event is co-sponsored by the Korean Studies Institute and the Korean Heritage Library.