The Korean Environmental Movement: Green Politics Through Social Movement

Abstract

This paper analyzes the characteristics of the Korean environmental movement by examining cases of environmental problems and conducting a cross-country comparison. It addresses two main issues. The first revolves around the question of the origins of the environmental movement in Korea. Rejecting the simple, linear reflection hypothesis that environmental problems produce environmental movements, the paper stresses the importance of the process by which environmental problems are socially constructed. Second, the paper addresses differences within the Korean environmental movement in a comparative framework with other countries. It argues that the Korean environmental movement not only socially constructs environmental problems, but has become a political power that is dynamically reconstructing and transforming political, social, and cultural structures. The characteristics of this dynamic process are analyzed through case studies and consideration of their theoretical implications. The unique characteristics of the Korean environmental movement are also compared with those of the United States, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan.