Ideology and Organization in the Oppositional Movements of Taiwan and South Korea

This paper intends to contribute to the debate on democratiation by making three interrelated observations. It will first identify the differences in the organizational forms and ideological inclinations of the oppositional movements of Taiwan and South Korea. it will argue that the opposition in South Korea was structured around a number of social movement organizations, relied on the oppositional party(ies) as its occasional ally, and showed an acute concern for problems of distributive justice. As for Taiwan, the opposition developed through the personal networks cultivated by dissident politicians, and its rhetoric on democratization was informed by the crisis of Taiwan's diplomatic status and its prospects for self-determination. Second, the paper will argue that a thorough understanding of the democratic transitions requires that we pay due attention to the oppositional movements. The organizations and ideologies of the movements had definite implications for the momentum of democratization and the emerging lines of political cleavages in the new democracies. Third and final, it will argue that the institutional structure of the state and its politics of domination were factors critical in explaining the diversities of the movements.