Perspectives on Contemporary Korea 2025 | One Year after the Martial Law Declaration: Democratic Backsliding and Resilience in Korea and Beyond

December 5, 2025 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Weiser Hall 1010

Organizers

Ji Yeon (Jean) Hong (Department of Political Science, University of Michigan)

Juhn Ahn (Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan)

This workshop marks the first anniversary of the unprecedented political upheaval triggered by President Yoon Seok Yeol’s declaration of martial law in South Korea. The event aims to critically reflect on the political and institutional causes and consequences of this crisis, both within Korea and in a broader comparative perspective. In the wake of this extraordinary challenge to democratic norms around the world, what have we learned about the vulnerabilities and the strength of democratic institutions from the experience of South Korea?

By situating Korea within the global wave of democratic backsliding and bringing together scholars working on democratic backsliding from diverse cases and perspectives, this workshop aims to generate new insights into institutional guardrails, civic mobilization, elite behavior, and international influence. It will also examine how Korea’s political trajectory over the past year informs debates about the durability of democracy in both established and emerging democratic regimes.