South Korea

From 2004 to 2006, the Civil Society Index was implemented in South Korea by the Third Sector Institute at Hanyang University with a National Advisory Group (NAG) drawn from people across a wide range of civil society sectors, and the international coordination of CIVICUS. This implementation led to the publication of an analytical country report, presenting the results of the CSI initiative in the country.

The Explosion of CSOs and Citizen Participation: An Assessment of Civil Society in South Korea

Over that period, the state of South Korean civil society is characterised by an imbalance among the four dimensions of the civil society diamond. The scores for values and impact dimensions are moderate, while those for structure and environment reveal relatively weak levels of development. This report provides detailed information and recommendations for civil society in South Korea. It also highlights the changes that have taken place of the past two decades and the major challenges facing civil society in South Korea. One of the main challenges is connecting the explosive, but highly fluctuating forms of citizen participation with continuous, stable citizen organisations.

CSI Country Reports in South Korea

• South Korea CSI Report (2006): Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf [33KB]
• South Korea CSI Report (2006): Full Report. Downloadable in pdf [846KB].
• Project Evaluation for South Korea (2004-2006): Executive Summary. Downloadable in pdf

From 2008 to 2010, the Civil Society Index is being implemented by the Third Sector Institute at Hanyang University.