Democratization and Democracy in South Korea, 1960 – Present.

This is a critical review of Hyug Baeg Im's book titled "Democratization and Democracy in Korea, 1960-Present." After briefly summarizing the outline of the book, the reviewer presents a detailed critique respectively on Im's analyses of the three main subjects: (1) the Yushin authoritarianism in relation to Park Chung Hee's role; (2) the democratic transition; and (3) the democratic consolidation and the state of Korean democracy. The reviewer argues that Im's evaluation somewhat downplays Park's part with the Yushin regime and that his game-theoretic examination of the transition may obscure a complete picture because of its depreciation of critical structural conditions. While Im was optimistic a decade ago about Korea's future in developing democracy, the reviewer finds the current situation of Korean democracy degenerating. The reviewer proposes that more attention to institutional factors will complement Im's approach on actors and structures and help thwart the retrogression of Korean democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]