Books by Hannes B. Mosler
Die offizielle Website für alle, die sich für ein Studium in Südkorea interessieren, bietet Infor... more Die offizielle Website für alle, die sich für ein Studium in Südkorea interessieren, bietet Informationen zu Hochschulen, Studiengängen, Stipendien:
ASIEN - The German Journal on Contemporary Asia 154/155, 2020
Memory politics, or the politics of memory, is about “who wants whom to remember what, and why” (... more Memory politics, or the politics of memory, is about “who wants whom to remember what, and why” (Confino 1997: 1393). This struggle over memory is, besides directly writing and teaching history in publications and educational institutions, fought by way of (repetitive) performative acts at the site of statues, monuments, and memorials taking the form of rituals — such as holding commemorative speeches, worshipping, and mourning. Of course, “[the] remaking of the past is not the monopoly of modernity” (Kim 2010: 578), and thus political remembrance does not exhaust itself in those macropolitical commemorations referring to Korea’s contemporary history alone. It can also be found in activities maintaining traditions, in practices of historiography, and in everyday culture — which extends much further into the past. Against this backdrop, this special issue draws together five papers that explore multiple different forms of political remembrance in Korea over the centuries, at diverse memory sites, and regarding various ways of performing them.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2018
This edited volume assesses the quality of democracy in the Republic of Korea three decades after... more This edited volume assesses the quality of democracy in the Republic of Korea three decades after its formal democratization in 1987. It has been argued that Korea’s two subsequent power turnovers prove that its democracy has been successfully consolidated, despite its tremendous progress; however, recent developments show signs of deterioration and retreat. Therefore, drawing on the recent quality of democracy literature this volume sets out to answer the question: Where does Korea’s democratic quality stand today? The three chapters in the first section of the book focus on aspects related to the presidency, political parties, and organized labor, also including the perspective of governance and human security as well as on the rule of law regarding the role and function of the prosecution. This is followed by a set of four chapters in section two that address the dimensions of democratic quality such as participation, freedom, equality, and responsiveness. The final, third section includes contributions on related inter-Korean policy issues. This book is an invaluable resource for political and social scientist working on democratic quality, and at the same for scholars in Asian or Korean Studies at faculty level as well as on graduate student level.
South Korea's Democracy Challenge. Political System, Political Economy, and Political Society, 2020
Thirty years have passed since in 1987 formal democratization was achieved in South Korea. Since ... more Thirty years have passed since in 1987 formal democratization was achieved in South Korea. Since then the country has undergone the two turnover test (Huntington), and it overcame economic, financial, and political crises. However, social inequality is higher than before democratization, social conflict has been exacerbating, and political polarization has been on the rise. South Korea’s democracy has been going through a continuous stress test trying the polity’s capacity to heal social conflict, integrate society, and mature politics as meeting these challenges is key to sustainable consolidation of democracy. The chapters of this edited volume, written by experts from South Korea and Germany in respective fields, examine the way in which South Korea has coped with these challenges in its political system, political economy, and political society since its transition to formal democracy, and provide a focused critical assessment of three decades after democratization.
The presidential election that took place in South Korea on May 9, 2017, produced a clear winner.... more The presidential election that took place in South Korea on May 9, 2017, produced a clear winner. The Democratic Party candidate, Moon Jae-in, received 41.1 percent of the vote, thus becoming the country’s 19th president. In this issue of the Asia Policy Brief, Hannes B. Mosler, assistant professor at the Institute of Korean Studies and the Graduate School of Asian Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, analyzes the election and the reform agenda of the new president.
He argues that Moon Jae-in has the potential to master the many challenges of South Korea. The success of his presidency, however, will depend on whether Moon can unite a divided society. He also needs the support of civil society and the opposition to implement his ambitious reform agenda. One of Moon’s biggest political challenges is that, for the time being, he has to rely on a minority government running the risk that the opposition will block key reforms in order to protect its own or others’ interests.
Die Beiträge dieses Sammelbandes behandeln ausgewählte Facetten der gemeinsamen Geschichte Deutsc... more Die Beiträge dieses Sammelbandes behandeln ausgewählte Facetten der gemeinsamen Geschichte Deutschlands und Koreas in Geschichte und Politik, Lebensumständen und Migration sowie Kultur und Lebenswelten. Beide Länder verstehen sich jeweils als das Herzstück Europas und Ostasiens und feierten im Jahre 2013 das 130. Jubiläum ihrer diplomatischen Beziehungen seit dem ersten offiziellen Vertrag vom 26. November 1883. Trotz ihrer geographischen Lage, geschichtlichen Entwicklung und weltpolitischen Bedingungen, gerade in jüngster Zeit, haben Deutschland und Korea bis heute ihre teils recht engen, teils aber auch etwas lockeren Beziehungen aufrechterhalten.
Seit dem Ende des Koreakrieges haben Nord- und Südkorea sich denkbar unterschiedlich entwickelt. ... more Seit dem Ende des Koreakrieges haben Nord- und Südkorea sich denkbar unterschiedlich entwickelt. Der Länderbericht stellt beide Staaten in einem Band vor und informiert über die politischen Systeme, die jeweilige Sicherheits- und Außenpolitik, Gesellschaft und Kultur – aber auch über die gemeinsame Geschichte.
Following the transformation of the Soviet-controlled Eastern European system, there has been a r... more Following the transformation of the Soviet-controlled Eastern European system, there has been a renewal of discourses on civil society. The collection of essays discusses this complicated and controversial concept and explores the possibility of new approaches for the study of Korean civil society and democracy. Combining interdisciplinary and transregional research, it contributes directly to the field of democracy after democratization and sheds light on concepts of civil society, developments of various civil society organizations and student movements in Germany, Korea, and Eastern Europe.
This book analyzes policy translation and its ends, how the concept of translation explains the e... more This book analyzes policy translation and its ends, how the concept of translation explains the emergence and (ex-)changes of policy ideas in different places and/or across borders in general, as well as the effectiveness of this concept in analyzing cases of actual policy dissemination. This book discusses these questions on a general theoretical level and within the context of actual policies and laws mainly between South Korea and Germany. South Korea is widely considered a typical example of a reforming country that is on the receiving end of disseminations of policies and ideas from advanced countries. From this point of view, it constitutes a highly interesting case for testing the applicability of the translation approach. The basic idea of this book is to analyze how different actors in different contexts and settings adopt varying interpretations and understandings of an idea, and how well the analytical concept of translation can be utilized for this endeavor.
Papers by Hannes B. Mosler
Journal of East Asian Studies, 2025
The East Asian democracies (EAD) of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have received little attention ... more The East Asian democracies (EAD) of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have received little attention from the international political science community working on populism. By analyzing the last two to three decades of research on EAD we look for clues to help us explain why there is so little interest. In our review we encounter cases of eclectic conceptualization, suboptimal data, innovative categorization, binary analytics, and even political bias, all of which may weaken the persuasiveness of the respective research in the eyes of critical colleagues. Our key finding, however, is that all studies on EAD implicitly refer to local political standards as the baseline from which alleged populist behavior is identified and labeled. In direct comparison, the populist characteristics of East Asian politicians appear to be less pronounced than those of sledgehammer populists like Donald Trump, Hugo Chavez, or Boris Johnson. Consequently, scholars working on the latter may be less curious about the former. Our findings, therefore, confront us with the question of what to use as a baseline for the measurement of potentially populist phenomena. We argue for the application of what is locally considered standard political behavior and conclude that such a practice has the potential to draw more attention to cases from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen (ZParl) Heft 3/2024, S. 651–669, 2024
The parliamentary elections to South Korea’s 22nd National Assembly on April 10, 2024,were a clas... more The parliamentary elections to South Korea’s 22nd National Assembly on April 10, 2024,were a classic mid-term election occurring during the five-year term of conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had assumed office two years earlier The election results reflecteda clear protest vote against the conservative People Power Party (PPP), which was perceivedto suffer as a result of its president’s poor government policies This led to the oppositionliberal Democratic Party (DP) securing a clear majority of seats in the National AssemblyThe restrictive and exclusive electoral law ensured that the duopoly of these two dominantparties remained virtually untouched and smaller, alternative parties were systematically disadvantaged Previous attempts, including the most recent electoral law reform, to breakup this exclusive party cartel of a hostile symbiosis of conservative and liberal parties have failed. As a result, an ideologically distorted two-party system persists, impeding the devel-opment of a sustainable quality of democracy [ZParl, vol 55 (2024), no 3, pp 651 – 669]
n: Shin, Jin-wook (ed.). Democracy and Human Rights in the Kim Dae-jung Era, Seoul: Jisiksaneobsa, 335-383. , 2024
The first part of this chapter recapitulates the rapid history of democratization up to the first... more The first part of this chapter recapitulates the rapid history of democratization up to the first liberal president, Kim Dae-jung, whose central reform ideas are roughly identified, which can be summarized in thematic areas: civil society, gender justice, electoral system, memory politics, and foreign policy. The text then discusses the development of South Korea's quality of democracy using selected democracy indices in order to provide an overview that places South Korea's democratic development in an international and regional context. In the following main part of the chapter, the subject areas are taken up again and discussed in depth. In each case, there is a general problematization, an inventory and diagnosis as well as suggestions for solutions. The chapter closes with a conclusion in which the discussion is summarized and possible and necessary implications are discussed.
IN-EAST Green Series, 2023
This collection of working papers embarks on a hitherto unique journey, focusing its analytical l... more This collection of working papers embarks on a hitherto unique journey, focusing its analytical lens on the enigmatic landscape of the potentialities of populism within the East Asian liberal democracies of South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Each paper in this collection engages with specific cases, delving into the intricate web of the political, cultural, and social nuances that shape the trajectory of populism within these countries. However, these papers do not merely stand as isolated studies; they are embedded within a larger academic discourse, contributing to and
enriching the broader dialogue on the nature and implications of populism. At the heart of these working papers lies a fundamental premise, one that challenges conventional wisdom and sparks thought-provoking discussion: the contention that populist currents have not gained substantial footholds within the fabric of East Asian liberal democracies.
The Korean Journal of International Studies, 2023
The Russian war against Ukraine in 2022 marks a turning point in international relations, as it t... more The Russian war against Ukraine in 2022 marks a turning point in international relations, as it threatens the existing rules-based international order since the end of the Second World War. For Germany, the Russian aggression was a wake-up call regarding its failed post-unification Ostpolitik and prompted the proclamation of a Zeitenwende-a turnaround in its foreign policy strategy. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which supplied Germany with natural gas directly from Russia through the Baltic Sea, are one of the most representative examples of Germany's misguided policy, as they have created an asymmetrical interdependence to Germany's security-threatening detriment. Against this background, the article uses a constructivist approach to examine the reasons for Germany's ill-advised policy toward Russia and to answer the question of why Germany voluntarily made itself dangerously vulnerable to Russian interests. To this end, the study sheds light on the link between historical memory and policy in the communicative actions of key political actors involved in the policy-making processes between 1998 and 2022. To this end, the study sheds light on the link between historical memory and policy in the communicative actions of key political actors involved in the policy-making processes between 1998 and 2022. Based on the analysis, the article argues that a particular set of cultivated collective memories misled the German leadership into a foreign policy strategy characterized by a misguided confidence in Russian credibility.
The Quality of Democracy in Korea, 2017
As of this year, three decades have passed since South Korea (hereafter Korea) transitioned to a ... more As of this year, three decades have passed since South Korea (hereafter Korea) transitioned to a formal democracy in 1987. Following this historic conversion, the country has drawn consistent praise for its double achievement: the continued successful development of both its economy and democracy. Korea has experienced two peaceful, democratic changes in government to the opposite camp, and even recurrent economic crises seem to have been unable to stop its steady economic growth. Recently, however, both Korea's economy and democracy have shown signs of regression, or at least of strong fluctuations, and media reports of these turbulences, as well as the academic treatment of the same, point to yet another chapter in Korea's story. A number of works have examined Korea's democratization up to the 1990s, to be followed by research on the country's democratization after democratization through the early
in: Heberer, Thomas, Gunther Schubert und Claudia Derichs (Hrsg.). Die politischen Systeme Ostasiens. Springer VS, 401-483., 2023
Das politische System Südkoreas hat im 20. Jahrhundert vielfältige Erschütterungen und Veränderun... more Das politische System Südkoreas hat im 20. Jahrhundert vielfältige Erschütterungen und Veränderungen erfahren. Erst seit dem Ende der 1980er Jahre scheint das Land mit dem Übergang zur demokratischen VI. Republik politische Stabilität gewonnen zu haben. Dieser Beitrag bietet einen einführenden Überblick zu den zentralen Bereichen des politischen Systems der VI. Republik. Dies soll in acht Schritten geschehen. Zu Beginn werden in einem historischen Abriss die wichtigsten Etappen der Entwicklung des politischen Systems bis zur Einführung der VI. Republik (1987) sowie die Kernelemente des sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Modernisierungsprozesses der letzten Jahrzehnte skizziert. Im zweiten Schritt wird die institutionelle Grundordnung des Regierungssystems der VI. Republik vorgestellt. Der Schwerpunkt der Betrachtungen liegt auf der Darstellung der verfassungsrechtlichen Strukturen und ihrem tatsächlichen Funktionieren in der Verfassungswirklichkeit. Im dritten Schritt wird der einführende Blick auf die Institutionen, Akteure und Prozesse der territorialen Interessenrepräsentation gerichtet. Es werden Wahlen und Wahlsystem sowie das Parteiensystem hinsichtlich ihrer institutionellen Strukturen und ihrer Bedeutung für die Interessenvermittlung im politischen System diskutiert. Im vierten Schritt folgt eine knappe Darstellung des Systems der funktionalen Interessenrepräsentation mit Fokus auf der Rolle der Gewerkschaften und Kapitalverbände. Im fünften Schritt werden die gegenwärtigen Grundzüge der politischen Kultur und der Zivilgesellschaft dargestellt. Anschließend wenden wir uns den Massenmedien zu. Wir stellen die Grundstrukturen der Medienlandschaft vor und diskutieren die Rolle der koreanischen Medien als Forum zur Artikulation gesellschaftlicher Meinungsvielfalt. Im siebten Kapitel wird das Rechtssystem in seinen Grundzügen skizziert und der Frage nachgegangen, ob der Übergang Südkoreas vom „formalen“ zum „materiellen“ Rechtsstaat“ gelungen ist. Achtens werden die Verwaltungsstruktur und das System der lokalen Selbstverwaltung dargestellt. Der Beitrag schließt mit einem Fazit und Ausblick auf die weitere Entwicklung des politischen Systems.
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Books by Hannes B. Mosler
He argues that Moon Jae-in has the potential to master the many challenges of South Korea. The success of his presidency, however, will depend on whether Moon can unite a divided society. He also needs the support of civil society and the opposition to implement his ambitious reform agenda. One of Moon’s biggest political challenges is that, for the time being, he has to rely on a minority government running the risk that the opposition will block key reforms in order to protect its own or others’ interests.
Papers by Hannes B. Mosler
enriching the broader dialogue on the nature and implications of populism. At the heart of these working papers lies a fundamental premise, one that challenges conventional wisdom and sparks thought-provoking discussion: the contention that populist currents have not gained substantial footholds within the fabric of East Asian liberal democracies.
He argues that Moon Jae-in has the potential to master the many challenges of South Korea. The success of his presidency, however, will depend on whether Moon can unite a divided society. He also needs the support of civil society and the opposition to implement his ambitious reform agenda. One of Moon’s biggest political challenges is that, for the time being, he has to rely on a minority government running the risk that the opposition will block key reforms in order to protect its own or others’ interests.
enriching the broader dialogue on the nature and implications of populism. At the heart of these working papers lies a fundamental premise, one that challenges conventional wisdom and sparks thought-provoking discussion: the contention that populist currents have not gained substantial footholds within the fabric of East Asian liberal democracies.