I don't think you're overreacting, it is a worrying situation. Nonetheless, I get the feeling that it's not an isolated case, and more countries/institutions are trying to hold more control over their population in one way or another.

From my discipline, it seems that nationalism/fascism is making a resurgence through the concepts of utopia, which is a pretty worrying trend.

Well, unlike in Europe or North America where rightwing nationalism and racist elements are becoming problematic (which I view as something that began as a backlash to PC nonsense, but still is ugly in itself) the issue we have here in Korea stems mainly from Marxism. So I believe that populism, which can be both rightwing and leftwing, would be a better term to describe such political trends in many nations.

Regardless, such trends indeed are worrying. I sometimes wonder if the liberal world order is already walking a path of irreversible decline.

Sometimes I wonder if PC/Post-modernist garbage was pushed in the media as a way to cause that resurgence of nationalism, but leaving conspiracy theories aside, there are still a handful of nations that still have Europe and N.A. as examples to follow. I can't really talk about the specific case of S. Korea, but I agree that populism in general is a huge issue nowadays.

I personally think that the liberal world is already in that decline: This search for utopias and "prophets" (geniuses) are signs of societies that try to find the easy way out, unaware that these demagogues will only further their decline.

I don't think you're overreacting. I'd worry as well. it's not a good sign... and they call themselves democrats? they seem to plan something... hoping they can maybe make Kim agree to tear down the border? I don't think it will be that easy ever.

poland, hungary, and romania are trying to silence their main judges and keep them from fighting corruption. why would they do that if not for their own evil reasons?

Yes, it is very ironic that a party calling themselves democrats which gained power through democratic procedure committed such thing.

Although I do suspect that placating North Korea and China is one of their motives, I think the main purpose behind their attempt to fix the constitution is to adopt democratic centralism, so that the ruling party would be able to continue imposing what they believe things ought to be without considering how things actually are. Our government has already made quite a lot of bad choices lately, such as increasing minimum wage beyond reasonable level, dismantling the GM crop research department of Rural Development Administration, and indefinitely postponing reactivation of nuclear power plants even though we have no sufficient alternative power source. I wonder what disasters they would further unleash if they manage to fix the constitution to their favor.

doubtlessly they would remove the term "corruption" from any laws regarding forbidding and prohibiting them. at which point the populace either will seek a place in the next triad gang, or start to vote with bullets.
but bullets are expensive.

germany has big problems with that energy thing too. after Fukushima Merkel suddenly ruled that all nuclear power will be switched off any day soon. and no new power plants using gas or coal will be erected, not even to replace old ones with more efficient machines.
what our politicians always forget (or choose to ignore) is that we don't have a place to store away stuff that will be radioactive for the next hundred thousand years... and there are not enough places for wind power and water power.

I have to note that democracy and freedom are somewhat at odds. You are confusing femocracy and liberalism. One of the main tools of democracy has always been suppression of minority/dissent, whether by limiting their access to election/voting, or even physical elimination.

Look up ostracism, which was literally one of the main tools of first democracies, or its modern form, lustrations. Also, one of the less personal tools, gerrymandering.

of course, democracy means a few rule the masses, and the masses can't just run free, either. it becoems a problem if the ruling class goes and makes sure noone can vote someone else anymore. despotism isn't far away then. or wait, that should be absolutism, yes?
I have to admit I'd have to look up all the forms to get things straight.

Why should anyone be concerned? There never was any true freedom in either Korea.

Well, at the very least we have a semblance of freedom unlike north. I don't want things to get worse than it currently is.

Eh, freedom is overrated anyway. [/s]

Very unfortunate. It wasn't so long ago that there was the massacre in 1980 of the students &c.

Increasing the minimum wage sounds good though, here in the UK the minimum wage has not kept place with inflation, especially of rent and housing costs and as a result most people are much poorer while landlords and land owners have grown much richer.

Well, I am very doubtful about the efficacy of minimum wage. I can only see it increasing the prices and unemployment. Raising minimum wage would also raise the hurdle for acquiring jobs, especially for those who have little experience; after all, an employer would have to take more care to ensure that he hires someone good enough when he is forced to pay more.

Even if higher minimum wage have any efficacy, raising it should be done in moderation. The Bank of Korea already expects that employment will be reduced by ten to twenty thousand people and prices would increase by 0.1% points this year solely due to increased minimum wage, and might get worse.

Ew, that's actually pretty scary. I mean, is there good reason for a government to try to remove the word "free" from anything in their constitution?
I don't think you're over reacting... In my country some way shadier shit has been happening and people still don't truly understand or react properly... We are all fucked, fam
;_;

Interesting. I do think it's of a piece where "progressive parties", are becoming less enamored of unfiltered free speech. I know something of Korea's past, and it used to be restrictions on assembly and speech were a part of the "right". Nowadays, restrictions on speech have become something of a cause for the left. I think it is just a symptom of the parties of global trade no longer trust the will (or intelligence) of their own populace. I think specifically the new South Korean president's party wants to be more conciliatory towards China, and as such wishes to limit the criticism towards China. I also think by extension this would allow limits on criticism of the current party in Power in South Korea. But after the 1970's, I do not think older Koreans would be very happy about such restrictions being visited upon them again.

Interesting analysis. I think it does make much sense, and I find the part on the intention of the current ruling party of Korea quite accurate.

However, regarding your comment on older Koreans, I'd have to say that it is actually somewhat complicated. Very old Koreans, usually over 60s in their age, tend to be unhappy with the current president of Korea, but not because he seeks to restrict freedom; they hate him for just being a commie. If it was a right wing party that was committing this shenanigan, they would have supported it, especially since they feel indebted to the right wing leadership; after all, it was Park Junghee's legacy that brought Korea to current prosperity, despite his negative aspects.

Unlike them, generations in their 30s and 40s tend to support the current president, as they believe that the success of the current ruling party is the fruit of the democratization movements they participated in or had supported. It seems that for them, the actual policies and their implications are less important than the percieved symbolism. Or maybe, what fueled their activities was less of a yearning for liberal society but more of hatred for Japan and US.... which I hope was not the case. Anyhow, I suspect that many of them will not like it when they finally get to face the effect of the ruling party's policies, especially the economic effects, but I also suspect that significant proportion of them might remain satisfied as long as a left wing president is in power to "root out the accumulated evils".

In case of younger generations, majority of them are rather uninterested in politics and are more focused on things that will get them a job. However, a rather significant proportion of male internet users in their 20s came to dislike the progressives(or at least certain elements of them) after a wave of feminism swept through social medias and various online communities, causing great flame wars and such.

I think I may have to break it out a little further, in that Koreans older than I am, of course they still have gratitude for Park Junghee, basically making Korea a manufacturing and economic superpower. I live in a predominantly Korean Neighborhood in Los Angeles, and from my observations. Koreans my age, and slightly Younger, do not like the current president, for what you described as being a squishy progressive. Those 10 to 20 years younger, voted for the current president, because of the embarrassment of the last President. Most people are not like me, and continuously looking at current events worldwide, and therefore only "dip" into politic at election times, or when something big or embarrassing intrudes into their work and lives. The whole thing with the fortune teller was an embarrassment, and that basically discredited the last President and the party. Also couple that with that generation being the motivated Student Protesters of the 1980's, gives then some generational Solidarity. I do think there is an element of antipathy towards Japan and the United States, but more uneasiness with the changes in both their leadership and policies.

Those 30 - 40 years younger, yeah, they don't like the wave of Feminism and"Political Correctness" sweeping over the media, and video games, much as has been done in the United States.

Now granted, my focus is more on Japan's Politics (as I plan on visiting a friend in Norther Japan in a year or two), and watching the change of Japan's politics from official Pacifism, to an armed defense, after having missiles lobbed over their northern island. But I do think , from outside observation, that most of Korea's reaction seemed to be first from the corruption of the last regime, as well as a nervousness with the Northern neighbors. The New P{resident himself seems to be, very much a "progressive", and as such, appeasement seems to be the strongest motivator for their policies. But that's just my outside observation.

Well, find that a much accurate observation than mine. I am amazed. Perhaps I did underestimate the effect that incident on Park Junghee's daughter had on our politics.

Mr. Moon, our new president, is not a mere progressive but also one who considers himself a political successor of late Roh Moohyun. He and his ilk consider Roh to be a martyr persecuted by the right wings, and believe that Roh's downfall stemmed from the "compromises with the right" he made. No wonder they are trying to force all those impractical policies in a dogmatic manner, including their attempt to appease North Korea.

Although this is bit off the topic, I find it hard to understand the antipathy most Koreans have on Japan. I myself do have concerns regarding current US leadership, mainly on the issues concerning free trade, so I kind of get why people have uneasy feelings towards US, but for Japan, well, I believe that it is actually a beneficial thing for Korea for them to take up arms again. After all, they are practically the only nation in this corner of the Pacific that is both a liberal democratic nation and has significant enough power. If people had learned anything from Kim Daejung and Rho’s failures and Ms. Park’s unproductive attempts at appeasing China, then they should be in support of strengthening the ties between few democratic nations in the region and cooperating further with US, but it seems that people are more concerned with some historical issues with Japan irrelevant to current situations and favor needlessly antagonizing them. Perhaps this would end when those old demented prostitutes finally croak? At least I hope so.

Antipathy towards Japan is partially History, partially fear of History, and partially racism. In China, they stoke the fires, by putting a large percentage of their movie and television industry to make "entertainment" that glorifies the a achievements of the Chinese communist party, in their struggle against Japanese Barbarians, often with content, that would otherwise fall afoul of their restrictive policies on violence and certain plots and tropes. North Korean Cinema occasionally does this as well. I have watched a number of recent South Korean films in the Local cinema, and their plots are usually contemporary (Though "The Admiral: Raging Currents was a notable and popular exception.) But I would assume that there is some national resentment left over from the Japanese occupation , and resentment based on the Japanese treatment of Koreans in Japan.

Japan itself, from my outside observation is nothing like it's historical self, nor is it even like it was 20 years ago. There is a lack of confidence and energy in japan now, in general, but the Missiles, as well as Chinese territorial ambitions have made Japan as a whole nervous, and they are having a rather spirited dialogue internally on what to do about it. The Last U.S. Administration, with it's progressive, tendencies, and overeliance (my opinion) on "soft power", emboldened the rivals of the US into action, and left the Japanese feeling unsupported. (The Philippines, and Taiwan as well.) This leaves the Japanese contemplating the necessity of their own defense and national interest in the face of pressure. The New US Administration is more confrontational, but is divided at home, which has left our Military with limited funding, so it's not clear what we are capable of at the moment.

I do hope Mr. Moon is not naive about international relations as much as the previous US Administration's state department has been, in relying upon appeasement and dialogue, because in those cases, it just emboldens bad actors to expand their influence. If he is that nave, expect him to be scandal prone domestically as he is "mugged' by political operatives within and without his government that are sharper political operators, and expect outside forces to "nudge him" often to get their way, either by empty flattery, or military saber rattling. I do hope your local politicians continue to protest and resist such maneuvers against "freedom" and it's ideals.