The Effects of Web 2.0 on Political Participation: Evidence from a South Korean Government Wiki Website

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Electronic government (e-government) refers to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Internet in particular, to deliver public services and to facilitate civic participation in policy-making process. Many governments around the world have been moving toward online actively for over a decade to enhance administrative efficiency and democratic decision-making (Homburg 2008; Edmiston 2003). In particular, Web 2.0 has been widely used due to its efficiency and as a way of two-way communication.
This paper seeks to clarify the relationship between Web 2.0 and political participation. Based on the contents of “DreamKorea,” which was an experimental government Web 2.0 wiki website operated separately from the official blog of the Presidential Council for Future and Vision in South Korea (the Republic of Korea), the paper finds probable evidences for both reinforcing and mobilizing effects of the Internet on civic participation in the policy-making process.
The paper proceeds with explaining the wide use of the Web 2.0 in such countries as Australia and United Kingdom. The two countries utilized it as a way to further civic participation in the decision-making process since 2008. Chapter three discussed the origin and operation of DreamKorea from October to December 2008.
During the period, the site posted 689 visitors and 29.512 page views a day. Yet only 15 contributions were made on the site. Registered users gave their opinions on low-carbon green growth strategy. The section on green growth prodded the registered users to write their comments. This seems to be the nature of contents, as the site addressed the mid-term and long-term policy visions rather than the immediate issues that concern the citizens.
A survey was conducted to find the political orientation of the registered users. But only 1.5% of the users responded to the survey. Based on the survey outcome, it was cautiously argued that the two factors, the reinforcement and mobilization effects, are not always mutually exclusive, but may often occur simultaneously. Specific content of the site and more accessible style also mattered in attracting more users to the site. Thus the wiki site extended opportunities for civic engagement in policy-making process.
The paper recommends that further detailed research need to be conducted to specifically explore the relationship between the reinforcement and mobilization effects of the web 2.0.

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