[ADRN Working Paper] Pandemic Crisis and Democratic Governance in Northeast Asia - Part I
2021-03-30
ADRN members from Northeast Asia
ADRN Working Paper
Pandemic
Crisis and Democratic Governance in Northeast Asia
- Part I -
ADRN members from Northeast Asia
- South Korea & Japan & Mongolia -
The outbreak of COVID-19 has proven that new forms of threat can heavily affect the
development of democracy as well as democratic practices. COVID-19 is not only
a life-threatening issue; it is also evolving into a problem for the
maintenance and promotion of democracy. In order to address this global issue,
the Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN) has been conducting research on the Pandemic
Crisis and Democratic Governance based on country cases since 2020. As part of this
research project, EAI has planned a working papers series composed of eleven working
papers, the first set of working papers including the cases of North East Asia.
Country Case 1: South Korea
South
Korea’s COVID-19 Pandemic Policy Optimization between Health and Economy
Jung Kim, an Assistant Professor at the University of North
Korean Studies, explores what factors are
important in pandemic policy optimization. In responding to national crises
such as the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers face trade-offs between health and
the economy – should policies prioritize lives or livelihoods? He further explains
why some countries have succeeded in their response against the pandemic while
some failed through a statistical analysis of the determinants of COVID-19
pandemic policy.
Japan`s COVID Responses: Democratic
Measures but Weak Transparency
Maiko Ichihara, an
Associate Professor at Hitotsubashi University, examines the lack of
transparency and accountability in Japan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite having adhered to standards of democracy and protected civil liberties,
inconsistencies among pandemic policies, lack of supporting scientific data for
said policies, and contradictions among government press conferences weakened
the public’s faith in the government. Dr. Ichihara further underscores the
pressing need for increased government transparency and accountability,
claiming that the Japanese government’s ambiguity and lack of transparency have
long been prevalent issues.
Global Pandemic: Challenges
and Opportunities for Democracy in Mongolia
Ariunbayar Bazarvaani, the
CEO of The Academy of Political Education,and Bumdari Dagva-Ochir,an Associate Professor at the National University of
Mongolia, investigate into why the Mongolian
government has failed to earn the trust of the public despite having followed
democratic processes in implementing COVID-19 pandemic policies. Their results
show that the Mongolian government’s response not only bore threats on the
Mongolian state budget, but also infringed on human rights and the freedom of
expression, outweighing their attempts to safeguard democracy.
