Half a century since the adoption of democracy in South Korea, the Korean people'shigh hopes for popular governance have not been met. There is widespread skepticism about what Korea's implementation of democracy has brought to the nation and whether it will be able to respond effectively in the future to the demands of an evolving society and world. What accounts for the conservative complacency of Korea's democratic system? Why do democratic administrations in Korea seem so incompetent? Do politicalparties in Korea legitimately represent the voice of civil society in legislating and policymaking on issues with a direct impact on the freedom and welfare of the people? Taking an issue-oriented approach, renowned Korean political scientist Jang-Jip Choiendeavors to answer such questions as he examines the origins, structures, and conflictsof conservative democracy in South Korea as well as democratization's impact on the state, economy, and civil society.