Report

Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University — Democracy Cluster
“2024 South Korean Perceptions of Democracy”

This report presents the findings of a survey conducted in the summer of 2024 by the Democracy Cluster of the Institute for Future Strategy (IFS) at Seoul National University, targeting the general voting population. Although numerous public opinion polls have been conducted since Korea’s democratization in 1987, this study is the first to systematically analyze and evaluate how ordinary citizens perceive and assess democracy.
The purpose of this study was to move beyond expert-centered evaluations of democracy and instead measure the key elements of democracy as understood by ordinary citizens, as well as their everyday perceptions and attitudes toward it.

According to the survey results, more than 70% of respondents expressed a 70.3% satisfaction level with Korean democracy overall, and 83.3% agreed that democracy is the best form of government. However, a considerable number offered negative assessments regarding how democracy actually functions in Korea. A majority of respondents valued economic development over democracy (68.1%), and reducing economic inequality was seen as more important than guaranteeing political freedom (75.2%). These results suggest that Korean voters tend to expect democracy to deliver tangible socio-economic benefits.
While most respondents believed that elections in Korea are generally free and fair, some still pointed to issues such as vote-buying and unequal political influence. Furthermore, over half of respondents offered negative evaluations concerning freedom of the press, the rule of law, and social fairness.

Regarding preferences for political institutions, most voters wished to maintain the presidential system and expressed opposition to expanding proportional representation. Interestingly, some respondents agreed with the statements:

• “Democracy cannot solve our society’s problems” (25.2%), and

• “Under certain circumstances, dictatorship might be better” (20.3%).

These responses reveal the existence of an “authoritarian alternative support group” — citizens who support democracy in principle but also favor strong leadership and efficiency. As of the summer of 2024, a majority of voters did not see a need for constitutional reform of the current presidential system, and even among those who supported potential reform, the presidential system remained by far the most preferred. Similarly, voters were largely negative toward expanding proportional representation in the National Assembly.

Although voters overwhelmingly support democracy, the survey confirms that a portion of the electorate prefers strong, decisive leadership, reflecting a pragmatic or authoritarian tendency. At the same time, respondents strongly endorsed statements such as:

• “Politicians must prioritize the will of the people” (85.5%),

• “The will and intent of the people should be the most important value and standard in our politics” (82.2%), and

• “Citizens, not politicians, should make the key political decisions” (68.8%).

The study emphasizes that bridging the gap between expert evaluations and citizen perceptions is crucial to ensuring both the legitimacy and effectiveness of democratic reform. Going forward, the Democracy Cluster plans to monitor how public perceptions and evaluations of Korean democracy — including preferences on constitutional reform and major political changes — evolve after the martial law crisis of December 2024.

Keywords:
Korean democracy, perceptions of democracy, political system preferences, authoritarian tendencies, presidential system, proportional representation, citizen participation, quality of democracy