Taiwan and South Korea: Comparing East Asia`s Two "Third-Wave" Democracies

Abstract

Asia has two ”third-wave” democracies, Taiwan and South Korea. Historically and in their democratizations both countries share several features. Both had a Japanese colonial experience. The economies of both grew rapidly under authoritarian governments and both democratized at similar times. Both democratic regimes have faced issues of legitimacy, media that derive from the old authoritarian regimes, and judicial authorities that have been slow to democratize. However, Taiwan and South Korea also differ in several important respects. For example, Taiwan has some continuity of political parties, while in South Korea parties have become the electoral machines of leading politicians. Taiwan and South Korea today both have divided polities, but democratization has achieved widespread acceptance in both countries and very few people wish to return to an authoritarian past.