Populist Dichotomy in Homogenous Societies: Internal and External Others in South Korean Politics

Year 2024, Volume: 19 Issue: 2, 332 - 344

Nurcan Ceyhan

https://doi.org/10.17550/akademikincelemeler.1423877

Abstract

This study aims to analyze populism in the scope of South Korean politics. It addresses the contexts in which political actors adopt dichotomous populist discourses and the implications of populist mentality on the social fabric of country. Populism can be defined in three different dimensions as an exclusionary, divisive and marginalizing ideology, discourse politics and a mobilization strategy. It is typically built on others that take on various forms. In this framework, the recent reflections of populism in the case of South Korea are discussed through the dichotomies and constructed perceptions of the other. It seeks to shed light on how political actors in South Korea which is assumed to have a homogenous social structure, point out the internal and external others that constitute the essence of populist politics. While populism’s understanding of the other is relatively uniform in different contexts, in South Korea the reflections of populism are differentiated and concretely understood through a range of internal and external others. South Korea, which is considered as one of the successful democracies in East Asia, is also affected by populist wave. The reflections of populism in South Korea are not severe and can generally be expressed as soft populism. Moreover, it is predominantly effective on discourse politics and is not observed in the form of concrete policies.

Keywords

Populism, South Korea, Internal Others, External Others

Homojen Toplumlarda Popülist Dikotomi: Güney Kore Siyasetinde İç ve Dış Ötekiler

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Güney Kore siyaseti kapsamında popülizmi analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Siyasal aktörlerin dikotomik popülist söylemleri benimsedikleri bağlamları ve popülist zihniyetin ülkenin sosyal dokusu üzerindeki etkilerini ele almaktadır. Popülizm dışlayıcı, bölücü ve marjinalleştirici bir ideoloji, söylem siyaseti ve bir mobilizasyon stratejisi olarak üç farklı boyutta tanımlanabilmektedir. Genel olarak çeşitli formlarda somutlaşan ötekiler üzerine inşa edilmektedir. Bu çerçevede, Güney Kore örneğinde popülizmin son dönemdeki yansımaları, dikotomiler ve inşa edilen öteki algıları üzerinden tartışılmaktadır. Homojen bir toplumsal yapıya sahip olduğu varsayılan Güney Kore’de siyasal aktörlerin popülist siyasetin özünü oluşturan iç ve dış ötekilere nasıl işaret ettiklerine ışık tutulmaya çalışılmaktadır. Popülizmin öteki anlayışı farklı bağlamlarda görece tekdüze iken, Güney Kore’de popülizmin yansımaları bir dizi iç ve dış ötekiler üzerinden somut olarak farklılaşmaktadır. Doğu Asya’nın başarılı demokrasilerinden biri olarak kabul edilen Güney Kore’nin de popülist dalgadan etkilendiği görülmektedir. Ancak Güney Kore bağlamında popülizmin yansımalarının şiddetli olmadığı ve genel olarak yumuşak popülizm olarak ifade edilebileceği anlaşılmaktadır. Bununla birlikte popülizmin ağırlıklı olarak söylem siyaseti üzerinde etkili olduğu ve somut politikalar şeklinde gözlemlenmediği ifade edilebilmektedir.

Keywords

Popülizm, Güney Kore, İç Ötekiler, Dış Ötekiler

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