South Korea in 1987: The Politics of Democratization

By any measure, 1987 was a momentous year for South Korea. Running against the political clock of President Chun Doo Hwan's expiring seven-year term in February 1988 and the international clock of the Seoul Olympics to follow in the summer, events moved briskly. From massive protests in the spring to government capitulation in June, from the negotiations for a new constitution to its adoption in October, the world watched as developments culminated in December in the first election of a president by direct popular vote in 26 years. The economic situation seemed to favor South Korea's difficult but inevitable transition to democracy. Following a successful year in 1986, the South Korean economy continued to record a healthy growth, accompanied by a large trade surplus. Both politically and economically, South Korea moved one giant step closer to joining the ranks of advanced, democratic countries of the world. But at the same time, the Korean people braced themselves to face uncertainties ahead, as political consensus was far from realization at home and economic prospects abroad appeared rather bleak.