Korean Politics

Outline

• Republic of Korea– presidential system– National Assembly– judiciary– parties and elections– external relations

• Democratic People’s Republic of Korea– authoritarian party-state

President of ROK

• Directly elected by all voters

• 5-year term (no 2nd term)

• Head of state

• Chief executive

• Commander-in-chief of the armed forces– power to declare war

• Office and residence: Cheong Wa Dae

Presidential Power

• Appoint Prime Minister, subject to approval by the National Assembly

• Propose legislation

• Appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, subject to approval by the National Assembly

National Assembly

• Unicameral legislature with 300 members, who serve four-year terms

• 246 directly elected from districts

• 54 appointed by political parties proportional to vote share

• law-making

• approve national budget

• impeach President

Local Government

• Three levels:– central government– higher-level local

governments• 8 municipality governments• 9 do (province) governments

– lower-level local governments

• cities, counties, districts

Evolution of Party System

• 1950s: Liberal Party, Progressive Party, ...

• 1961, Park dissolved all political parties, abolished local elections & local councils

• 1980, General Chun banned political activities by party members

• 1987, presidential election

• 1988, National Assembly election

Foreign Direct Investment

• The financial crisis of 1997 was a turning point

• Less than 2,000 foreign-invested companies in 1997

• 14,000 foreign-invested companies in 2010

• US$11.5 billion inward FDI in 2009

• US$16.3 billion inward FDI in 2012

D.P.R.K.

• Workers’ Party of Korea– General Secretary of the Central Committee

• Kim Jong-Il (1994 - 2011)• Kim Jong-Un (2011- )

– Politburo

• Cabinet: premier and ministers

• National Defense Commission

• Supreme People’s Assembly

The Six-Party Talks since 2003