Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Confucianism, Authoritarianism, And Democratization In South Korea, Andrew Selman

BYU Asian Studies Journal

Many argue that principles of liberal democracy are generally not compatible with the values and beliefs of a society based on Confucian principles.1 Confucianism promotes loyalty and obedience to and respect for those in authority. If Confucian values form the foundation of a society, then the citizens will show deference to the leaders of that country and will be more likely to submit to authoritarian or even totalitarian governments. The continuation of authoritarian governments in China, Singapore, and Vietnam, all countries with considerable Confucian influence in society, seem to support this theory. Between 1948 and 1987, South Korea also saw …