South Korea has experienced systematic and sustained erosion of democratic norms and institutions since President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May 2022, according to a comprehensive Korea Pro analysis of multiple indicators, with trends that began under the conservative president’s predecessor not only continuing but significantly worsening in some cases.

In the July 2020 journal article “South Korea’s Democratic Decay,” Stanford professor Gi-wook Shin generated heated debate by arguing that a series of actions by then-ROK President Moon Jae-in — including politically motivated investigations, infringements on press freedom, social polarization and the suppression of civil society — underscored democratic backsliding under the progressive administration.