Democracy on Trial: President Yoon's Impeachment and South Korea's Civic Engagement

South Korea finds itself at a critical turning point as President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment exposes deep challenges to its democratic framework. Allegations of misconduct and debates over the potential use of martial law highlight the fragility of democratic accountability and the lasting influence of authoritarian legacies. At the same time, the country’s history of transformative grassroots activism, including the Candlelight Protests, underscores the vital role of civic engagement in shaping South Korea’s political landscape.

In this episode, we delve into South Korea's political turmoil with Professor Hye-Su Kuk and Professor Youngju Ryu, where we shall examine the intersection of state power, citizen activism, and the institutions designed to uphold democratic norms. By reflecting on the nation’s struggle for democracy from the 1960s to the present, we explore the lessons its past offers for overcoming modern challenges and safeguarding the integrity of its political future.

Hye-Su Kuk is an Assistant Professor in the Adult Education and Community Development program at OISE/UT and affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Korea at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the dynamic relationship between education, social movements, and democracy, particularly in South Korea’s post-1987 democratization era. Dr. Kuk’s work emphasizes the power of grassroots activism and nonformal education in fostering participatory democracy and driving social change. Her publications include a systematic review of social movement learning and a groundbreaking project on "enunciatory learning," a concept she developed to highlight the lived experiences of activist-educators navigating neoliberal and postcolonial challenges. Drawing on her expertise in institutional ethnography, she examines how education can challenge entrenched power structures and empower citizens as active participants in democratic processes.

Youngju Ryu is a leading scholar in modern Korean literature, whose research explores the intersections of politics, protest, and cultural expression in South Korea. Her award-winning book, Writers of the Winter Republic: Literature and Resistance in Park Chung Hee’s Korea, examines how Korean writers of the 1970s used literature as a tool of resistance against authoritarianism, earning recognition as one of Foreign Affairs’ "Best Books of 2016." In addition to her acclaimed work on literature and resistance, Professor Ryu co-edited Cultures of Yusin: South Korea in the 1970s and contributes to the Perspectives on Contemporary Korea series. Her current research reexamines South Korea’s democratization movement from the 1960s to 2010s through the lens of media and public discourse, exploring how formats such as podcasts shape political engagement. Professor Ryu’s scholarship bridges literary criticism, cultural history, and political analysis, offering deep insights into the forces that have shaped South Korea’s democratic evolution. Through her work, she illuminates the enduring significance of cultural and civic activism in preserving democratic values.

Produced by: Julia Brahy