Ideology and Political Development in South Korea

S OUTH KOREA, as one of the developing areas, shares with other members of the same group such general characteristics as a predominantly agricultural economy, with a low level of productivity, and a relatively sudden disruption of the old order which also meant an entry into the modern world of nation-states with inadequate preparation. In contrast to most countries of Asia and Africa, however, the Republic of Korea lacks nationalism' and, as will be shown later, also a revolutionary ideology. This fact makes South Korea an anomaly among the developing countries not only in the descriptive sense but more crucially in the analytic sense as well, because it can be argued that both ideological elements are basically functional requisites.2 Political development demands them. From the perspective of a participant, political development is essentially a process of extending the focus of one's loyalty and allegiance from a subnational unit to a progressively larger entity, in our time usually a nation. Nationalism is an articulate expression of such an experience and also a community's demand for such an experience. Its significance therefore varies with the historical context. If nationalism may be viewed as a negative force from the perspective of European history, which has seen nationalism do its proper work well before this century, its significance for new peoples of Asia and Africa today lies precisely in its positive and integrative effect. For peoples emerging out of their traditionally sub-national communities, the necessity of providing a new symbol and focus of loyalty is painfully evident. Theoretically, it is conceivable that a viable political system can function without the support of a national community; Canada may indeed prove to be a case in point. Historical experience so far, however, suggests that political integration is usually preceded by social integration. It is for this reason that the absence of nationalism in South Korea demands an explanation. The function of a revolutionary ideology is a more subtle one. It is more difficult to identify because, unlike the role of nationalism, the chief signifi

Development economics · Economics · Ideology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Korean Peninsula Historical and Political Studies · Law