Between the Streets and the Assembly: Social Movements, Political Parties, and Democracy in South Korea.

Yoonkyung Lee's book, "Between the Streets and the Assembly: Social Movements, Political Parties, and Democracy in South Korea," explores the gap between strong social movements and weak political parties in South Korean politics. Lee argues that the capacity for collective action among political actors in different organizations has shaped the outcomes of social movements and political parties. The book examines the post-1987 political developments in South Korea, particularly the roles played by former student activists and revolutionaries. It also challenges the assumption that weak party politics indicates underdeveloped democracy and provides a balanced perspective on the challenges and achievements of the 586 generation. The book suggests that multiple pathways exist for democratic politics and that South Korea's case should not be evaluated from a Western-centric view. However, the analysis could be extended to include the role of conservative conversions in undermining progressive political reforms. The book emphasizes the importance of expanding the capacity for collective action and building solidarity infrastructures to strengthen democracy. Overall, "Between the Streets and the Assembly" provides valuable insights into the legacies of the democracy movement, the interactions between political parties and social movement organizations, and postauthoritarian developments in South Korea. [Extracted from the article]