Democratic Resilience and Social Movements in South Korea : Challenges and Future Prospects

Democratic Resilience and Social Movements in South Korea : Challenges and Future Prospects

The 9th Annual Conference of the Social Science Korean Studies Network in Europe (SoKEN)

Registration via Eve system by 27 March 2026 (17:00). Scroll down for details of the programme and the link to register.

Lecture Passport available.

The current global socio-political landscape is marked by the growing influence of extreme right-wing movements that challenge democratic norms and values. Even nations long regarded as models of advanced democracy have not been immune to this reactionary wave. Against this backdrop, South Korea offers a compelling case of civic engagement and democratic resilience. The active responses of Korean citizens in times of political crisis demonstrate how democratic principles can be revitalized and defended when under threat, providing valuable lessons of global significance. 

By situating South Korea’s experience within a broader comparative framework, this conference seeks to stimulate new perspectives on how democracy can be strengthened and sustained in the face of internal and external challenges. The theme highlights Korea’s pivotal role as a democracy navigating both domestic pressures and global transformations.

South Korea stands as one of Asia’s most dynamic democracies, facing complex domestic and international challenges. This conference seeks to explore how democratic resilience is expressed through civil society, activism, and social movements. By focusing on these dimensions, the conference aims to foster a deeper understanding of Korea’s evolving political, social, and cultural landscape.

Programme (subject to change)

Day 1: Thu 9 April 2026 Mauno Koivisto–sali (Pub 1)

8:15–8:30  Registration

8:30–9:00  Welcoming Speech: Prof. Lauri Paltemaa 

                 (Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku, Finland)

                 Congratulatory Remarks: H.E. Mr. Jung-ha Kim 

                 (Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Finland)

9:00–10:00 Keynote Speaker: Prof. Won Taek Kang 

                  (Seoul National University, South Korea)

"After the Crisis: Democratic Recovery and New Threats in South Korea"

10:00–10:15  Coffee break

10:15–11:30 Panel 1: Contesting Citizenship: Grassroots Movements and Democratic Boundaries in South Korea

Chair: Chong-su Kim (MacEwan University, Canada)

• Ji-Eun Ahn (University of Edinburgh, UK):  Before and After Namtaeryeong Protest: Challenges and Opportunities of Farmers’ Movements in South Korea
• Hyunok Lee (Sogang University, South Korea): Becoming Activist Citizens: Domestic Workers’ Actions in South Korea
• KoUn Kim (Seoul Institute, South Korea): Beyond Arnstein’s Ladder: Sequential Participation and the Co-production of Democratic Boundaries in Seoul
• Younghoon Song (Kangwon National University, South Korea): Conditional Solidarity and Democratic Dissonance: Explaining the Moral–Proximity Gap in Refugee Attitudes in South Korea

11:30-13:00 Panel 2: The Limits of Democracy: Governing Nuclear Risk, Environmental Justice, and Social Vulnerability in South Korea

Chair: Young-hoon Song (Kangwon National University, South Korea)

• Jong-chol An (Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Italy): Defining the State Responsibility in the Environment: Appraisal of the Korean Landmark Case in 2024
• Henrieke Holtschneider (Heidelberg University, University of Bonn, Germany): Charismatic Leadership and Democratic Resilience in South Korea during the Kim Dae-jung era
• Blažka Rupnik (Seoul National University, South Korea): The Question of Ethical Land Use in the Greenbelt around Seoul: Ideological Clash, Uneven Governance and Power Asymmetries
• Yunhee Choi (Tampere University, Finland): When Waste Lasts Forever: How Democracy Governs High-Level Nuclear Risk in South Korea
• Arturo Cosano Ramos (University of Málaga, Spain): The Crisis of Elderly Poverty in South Korea: A Systematic Analysis

13:00-14:00 Lunch (own expense)

14:00–15:15 Panel 3: Disputed Legacies: Ideology, Memory, and Activism in Korean Democracy

Chair: Ilya Belyakov (University of Suwon, South Korea)

• Sora Hong (La Rochelle Université, France): Contesting Liberty and Democracy: Competing Meanings of Chayu Minjujuŭi in Contemporary South Korea
• Chong-su Kim (MacEwan University, Canada): Constellations of Resistance: Memory Work and Democratic Resilience in South Korea’s Social Movements
• Natalia Matiaszczyk (University of Łódź, Poland): Disputed Memories in a Polarized Democracy: City–State Conflict over the Commemoration of Jeong Yul-seong in Gwangju
• Katri Kauhanen (University of Turku, Finland): Was Hong Sook-ja a social movement leader?

15:15-15:30 Coffee break

15:30–17:30 Panel 4: Anxious Generations: Youth Identity, Polarization, and Emotional Resilience in South Korea

Chair: Soon-ok Shin (Robert Schuman Centre, EUI (European University Institute), Italy)

• Yijun Xu (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany): How Young South Koreans’ Understandings of Peace Reflect Democratic Resilience
• Ilya Belyakov (University of Suwon, South Korea): The ‘Ideanam’ Phenomenon: Neoliberal Anxiety, the Modern Gender Gap, and the Conservative Shift among Young Men in South Korean Politics
• Roosa Pauliina Kallio (University of Turku, Finland): The Conflict in South Korea Between LGBTQ+ Rights, Religious Opposition, and State-Level Discrimination
• Anna Hengge (Heidelberg University, Germany): Identity, Polarization and Democratic Vulnerability among Young South Koreans
• Young-joo Hong (University of Turku, Finland): Depressed Nation: Emotional Culture of South Korea- Cultural History of Depression and Emotional Experiences

Day 2: Day 2: Fri 10 April 2026 Mauno Koivisto–sali (Pub 1)

9:00–10:30 Panel 5: Contested States: Political Violence, Economic Populism, and Digital Memory in South Korea

Chair: Jong-chol An (Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Italy)

• Changkeun Lee (KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea) and Soomin Lim (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, UK): Identity Over Ideology: Economic Policy Preferences of South Korea's Far-Right Conservatives
• Laura Kääntee (University of Helsinki, Finland): Competing Pasts, Polarized Presents: YouTube History Influencers and Memory Politics in South Korea
• Max Smith (University of Turku, Finland): National Identity and Democracy in the South Korean ‘Necro State: Political Violence and Contested Narratives of Nation and Democracy
• Antti Leppänen (University of Turku, Finland): Trade Associations of Small Businesses in South Korean Democracy and Governance

10:30–10:45 Coffee break

10:45–12:15 Panel 6: South Korea in the Global Order: Middle Power Strategies, Regional Visions, and Democratic Identity

Chair: Changkeun Lee (KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea)

• Soon-ok Shin (Robert Schuman Centre, EUI (European University Institute), Italy): Re-imagining Middle Powers: South Korea’s Options from Critical Niches to Building Collective Resilience
• Eetu Laustela (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany): State Planning for the 21st Century: Adaptation and Future Visions in North Korea’s Five-Year Strategies, 2016–2026
• In Young Min(Heidelberg University, Germany): New Southern Policy vs. Indo-Pacific Strategy: South Korea’s Competing visions of regional order and its implications for future diplomacy
• Maïwenn Desplanche (Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, France): Claiming democracy: South Korea’s democratic identity and its role on the international stage
• Il-Gyu Lee (University of Turku, Finland): Democratic Resilience and External Perception: North Korea’s Responses to Presidential Impeachment Crises in South Korea

This is supported by the Academy of Korean Studies and Korea Foundation.

For more information, contact Mary Song via email mahyso@utu.fi.