Democratic Transition and Environmental Civil Society: Japan and South Korea Compared

Abstract

Korea's democratization occurred close to four decades after Japan's yet at the turn of the twenty-first century, civil society in many ways appears at least as vibrant, and possibly even more active, in Korea than Japan. In the space of a little over a decade, Korea's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have grown remarkably in size and sophistication and have become a force that policy makers must reckon with in formulating policy. Japan's NGO sector has also undergone major changes in the past decade and this is helping to make the policy making process more pluralistic. Korea presents a fascinating case of a state that has had a relatively successful experience with democratic consolidation and the development of a relatively vibrant civil society in a remarkably short period of time. This makes the comparison with the much slower development of civil society in Japan so interesting.