Political Crisis, Chaos, and Citizens in South Korea

With Katharine H.S. Moon (Wellesley College) Moderated by William Grimes (BU Pardee School) The lecture raises analytical questions about the strengths and weaknesses of Korea’s democracy as highlighted by the declaration of martial law, impeachment, and societal responses to the crisis. How do we explain Yoon Seok Yeol’s sudden and short-lived imposition of martial law and the society’s quick rejection of the threat to democracy? How does the recent experience compare with past cases of martial law and impeachment? Will the crisis exacerbate political divisions within the society? Is there an upside to the crisis? Katharine H.S. Moon is professor emerita at Wellesley College, where she taught for thirty years in the Department of Political Science. She is the author of Sex Among Allies: Military Prostitution in U.S.-Korea Relations (Columbia University) and Protesting America: Democracy and the U.S.-Korea Alliance (University of California), along with academic articles on U.S.-Korea relations, democratization, social movements, migration, and women and politics, in Korea and East Asia. She was the inaugural holder of the Korea Studies Chair at The Brookings Institution (2014-16) and has appeared widely in international media on many topics related to the Koreas. Kathy Moon is a board member of the National Committee on North Korea.

When 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm on 18 February 2025
Building Pardee School, 121 Bay State Road