Larry Diamond and Doh Chull Shin

From 1961 to 1987, South Korea was led by military generals who often ruled by martial law and forcibly quelled political dissent. In 1987, however, student protests compelled military leaders to agree to the popular election of South Korea’s president, and a new constitution was approved that made the South Korean government more democratic and protective of political rights. Since then two longtime political dissidents have been elected president—Kim Young Sam in 1992 and Kim Dae Jung in 1997. In the following viewpoint, Larry Diamond and Doh Chull Shin argue that these developments, especially Kim Dae Jung’s election, were milestones that marked South Korea’s difficult but successful transition from military to democratic rule. South Korea still faces the challenge of consolidating...