Political Participation and Democracy Comparison of South Korea and North Korea

Authors : Ebru Ayan

Pages : 54-70

Doi:10.58724/assam.1744156

View : 131 | Download : 580

Publication Date : 2025-11-12

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article offers a comparative analysis of the political systems of South and North Korea by focusing on three core indicators of democracy: political participation, freedom of expression, and freedom of thought. Despite sharing a common historical and cultural background, the two countries have developed fundamentally divergent regimes—South Korea emerging as a consolidated democracy, and North Korea as an entrenched totalitarian state. Drawing on the 2024 Freedom in the World report by Freedom House, the study evaluates the constitutional structures, institutional mechanisms, and the actual functioning of civil and political liberties in both states. The findings reveal that South Korea upholds democratic governance with institutional checks and public engagement, while North Korea systematically suppresses dissent and individual rights under a centralized, ideology-driven regime. The study contributes to the broader discourse on regime typologies, showing how legal frameworks and political ideologies shape the extent of democratic freedoms in practice.
Keywords : Kuzey Kore, Güney Kore, Freedom House, Siyasal Katılım, İfade ve Düşünce Özgürlüğü

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