韓國由威權政治轉向民主政治,是第3波全球民主化中,最具政治影響力的國家,其轉型的過程十分和平,政治也算穩定,其間經濟的成長相當耀眼。隨著經濟的成長,韓國的社會階級明顯地產生變化,公民運動團體不斷努力擴展公民權利與確保多元的社會空間,全斗煥總統被迫採取讓步策略,1987年推出親信盧泰愚競選總統,並促成金泳三與金大中的民主陣營分裂,實現首次總統民選,政權和平交替。1992年盧泰愚總統藉由和金泳三的政黨合併,金泳三才得以當上總統,進行民主改革。最後在1997年由民主陣營的金大中成功地當上總統,實現首次由反對黨取代執政黨的權力轉移,出現完全的政黨輪替執政,從而實現民主轉型。本文旨在探究韓國威權政體轉變成民主政治,以及此一民主轉型過程所引發的問題。
Korean democratic transition was very successful in Asia. Because of rapid economic growth, Korean social class obviously changed and civic groups were unceasingly devoted to expand plural social space. President Jeon Duhwan had to make a strategy of concession. In 1987 he pushed Roh Tae Woo to compete with democratic leaders, Kim Yeong-sam and Kim Dae-jung in the presidential election. The first president was elected by the people and the regime was peaceful taken place by turns. As the democratic leader, Kim Dae-jung, was elected as president by the people in 1997, the democratic transition finally came to end. The paper is to explore the Korean authoritarian regime taken over by the democratic politics and its problems arisen in the democratic transition.