Democracy in South Korea: Consolidated but in Deficit

This study argues that South Korea is simultaneously undergoing processes of “democratic deficit” and “democratic consolidation.”Though many democracy indices categorize South Korea as a consolidated democracy, its people are not satisfied with their democracy and instead have a perception that there is a democratic deficit. Democratic deficit was measured by the gap between political efficacy and evaluation of democratic governance. Statistical analysis showed that younger generations and highlyeducated people have a greater perception of democratic deficit, compared to older generations and those with lower levels of education. We also found that subjective indicators of economic wellbeing, such as “fair distribution of wealth” and “home economy,” not the objective level of household income, were the most critical predictors of democratic deficit. Finally, we argue that a democracy can reach its mature stage and satisfy its people when input (individuals) and output (institutions)in a political system are well balanced.