Koreans' Perceptions of Democracy: Did Martial Law Change Democratic Attitudes?
Institute for Future Strategy Issue Brief Vol. 57
"Koreans' Perceptions of Democracy: Did Martial Law Change Democratic Attitudes?"
This Issue Brief examines how the experience of the 2024 declaration of martial law influenced Koreans' perceptions of democracy, based on the findings of two nationwide public opinion surveys conducted by the Democracy Cluster at the Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University.
By comparing the nationwide surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025, the brief analyses the impact of this democratic crisis on public attitudes toward democratic values. Prior to the declaration of martial law, a pragmatic view that prioritised economic development over democracy had remained prevalent in Korean society. Following the declaration, however, the proportion of respondents who regarded democracy as more important than economic development increased substantially. The findings also show that negative evaluations of the declaration of martial law were significantly stronger among respondents who placed greater importance on democracy than on economic development, and this relationship was found to be statistically significant.
The brief further situates these changes within a broader temporal and international context by comparing the findings with data from the Asian Barometer Survey (ABS). The analysis indicates that, prior to the 2024 declaration of martial law, Koreans' attitudes toward democracy were broadly comparable to those of respondents in other Asian countries. Following the declaration, however, the perceived importance of democracy increased markedly. Moreover, across three key dimensions—economic development, government integrity, and social stability and peace—Koreans expressed the view that democracy performs better than authoritarian or dictatorial systems.
Based on these findings, the Issue Brief argues that continued longitudinal research is needed to determine whether this shift in public attitudes represents a temporary reaction to an extraordinary political event or a lasting turning point in Koreans' democratic values. It also recommends strengthening democratic citizenship education and developing concrete policy initiatives and educational curricula to ensure that these changing perceptions of democracy are translated into higher levels of political participation and more substantive democratic deliberation.
