State–Society Relations in South Korea after Democratization: Is the Strong State Defunct?

Abstract

This paper argues that the two recent structural transformations of political democratization and market‐oriented economic restructuring have not considerably reduced the role of the strong state in South Korea. Focusing on three sectors (civic groups, big business associations, and labor unions), this paper demonstrates that the strong state in South Korea, by selecting and aligning with different social groups, has been effectively pursuing self‐set reform goals despite the opposition of labor and capital. While the “old” strong state during the authoritarian era used coercion and repression to induce compliance of labor and capital, the “new” strong state after democratization relies on different methods such as coalitions with social groups to legitimize, publicize, and execute its preferred reform policies. The persistence of a strong state in South Korea provides fertile ground for reflecting on the complex relationship between state strength and the quality of democracy.