Democratization and Its Implications for Cooperation in the Pacific Region : The Case of South Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

As recent political development in Pacific nations shows clearly, democratization is a very complex process, which - at least in the short term - may not always produce a positive impact on regional cooperation. Each democratizing or newly democratized country is facing particular problems arising from various factors. Democratization could increase the level of political instability by creating new political cleavages and increasing political polarization. It could also result in changes in foreign policies, sometimes in a direction that poses obstacles to effective cooperation among Pacific countries
The case of South Korea illustrates well the problems and challenges of democratic development and its implications for cooperation in the Pacific community. While there is little doubt that democracy in Korea has become "the only game in town," Korean politics has become deeply polarized since President Rho took office in 2003. Political polarization is related to the expansion of the ideological spectrum to the extent that is unforseen in the history of Korea since the end of the Korean War. During the Rho administration, the alliance with the U.S. has been somewhat weakened, and some Korean people even have the view that Korea should strengthen its cooperation with China while trying to reduce the U.S. influence on Korea. This kind of view has a negative impact on the cooperation among Pacific democracies.
The Korean case suggests that for more effective cooperation, Pacific democracies need to have a deeper understanding of the rapidly changing political realities of other aspiring or new democracies in the region. And new and more diversified networks of communication and cooperation need to be constructed reflecting wider political spectrum of the countries.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ.Introduction = 143
• Ⅱ.Democratic Development in Korea and Increasing Political Confrontation and Polarization = 145
• Ⅲ.The Impact on Foreign Policies and Implications for Cooperation in the Pacific Region = 149
• Ⅳ.Implications for Cooperation between Taiwan and Korea = 151