The Political Structure Of South Korea

For most people division occurs as a result of differences, most notably on the basis of color, race, or dialect. Very seldom does this difference occur between two people who are closely related or alike through nationality. In the Korean situation, this is the case; whereas, there is one people divided, on an arbitrary geographic line of distinction, better known as the thirty-eighth parallel. The Korean situation, and more specifically, the South Korean situation is one that had its share of burdens and battles that have shaped the identity of the Korean people. Hence, from the Korean War to today, the Republic of Korea has undergone a myriad of changes. Thus, this paper will examine the political, economic, and social structures of South

The political structure of South Korea has changed multiple times since its creation in 1948. However, these changes matter little to the political structure of South Korea today. South Korea’s government as we know it today, has its beginning in the 1980s under the Fifth republic. In 1987, South Korea experienced a constitutional crisis. This constitutional crisis came as a result of the authoritarian regime that existed prior to the aforementioned constitutional crisis. The head of state during this time was President Park Chung Hee, who had received this position ten years prior through a military coup. Thereafter, under the leadership of President Park, the South Korean constitution was amended to the current version that we have

The government of South Korea is divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. On the federal level, the legislative body is made up of the National Assembly of South Korea. This legislative body is a unicameral body; that is, it is made up of only one single large assembly. This assembly consists of 299 representatives, and 56 of these representatives are elected through proportional representation. Each of these representatives are elected every four years through popular vote. (Handbook 65) The legislative body includes debating legislation, passing legislation and passing the budget, just as in the American legislative system. In the executive branch, the majority of the power lies within the presidency. The power of the presidency is personalized. (Vreeland 143). In this case, the president is both the head of state and the head of government. Therefore, he or she leads both domestically as president and abroad as the country’s official representative. The president is also given powers that greatly parallel that of the American presidency including but not limited to the power to declare war, to issue executive orders, to issue pardons, to declare a state of emergency, and to veto bills (subject to a veto-override by the National Assembly). Moreover, the executive branch also includes the idea of a cabinet as well. The South Korean cabinet