Seoul, South Korea - South Korea's democracy index has dropped ten places to 32nd out of 167 countries, according to the "Democracy Index 2024" released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). This decline is attributed to President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of emergency martial law and the subsequent political deadlock.
Key Findings:
Ranking Drop: South Korea fell from 22nd place in 2023 to 32nd place in 2024.
Category Change: The country was downgraded from a "full democracy" to a "flawed democracy."
Score Decline: South Korea's overall score decreased from 8.09 in 2023 to 7.75 in 2024, the lowest since the index began in 2006.
Impact of Martial Law: The EIU report cites the declaration of emergency martial law as the primary reason for the decline, leading to lower scores in government functioning and political culture.
Political Polarization: The report warns that the aftermath of the martial law declaration has exacerbated political polarization and tensions, which are expected to continue into 2025.
Public Dissatisfaction: There are concerns that public dissatisfaction with South Korea's democracy may increase.
Global Context: The global average democracy score also reached a record low, highlighting a worldwide trend of democratic decline.
Analysis:
The EIU report highlights that President Yoon Suk-yeol's attempt to declare martial law has led to increased polarization and tension within the parliament and among the public. This situation is likely to continue into 2025 and may lead to growing public dissatisfaction with South Korea's democracy.
Global Democracy Trends:
The global average democracy score has declined to its lowest point since 2006.
The report cites various events in 2024, such as violence in Pakistan, Russia's "fake elections," and canceled elections in several African countries, as contributing to the global decline.
The United States maintained its "flawed democracy" status, with concerns raised about potential challenges to democratic institutions.
North korea remained near the bottom of the list.
Additional Considerations:
The EIU's democracy index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, government functioning, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.
South Korea showed significant decrease in "government function" and "political culture" catagories.
The report also notes that the rise of figures like Donald Trump reflects a global trend of backlash against established political systems.
This decline in South Korea's democracy index serves as a reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions and the importance of upholding democratic values.
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