Knowra Sixth Republic of Korea Sixth Republic of Korea South Korea’s democratic constitutional order established in 1988 under the constitution amended after the June 1987 democracy movement. It introduced direct presidential elections while retaining a single five-year presidential term.
Constitution of South Korea : South Korea’s supreme law, setting out the structure of government, civil rights, and constitutional procedures. The 1987 revision supplied the legal framework for the Sixth Republic.
June Democratic Struggle : The mass protest movement in South Korea in June 1987 that compelled political concessions and democratic reform. Its demonstrations forced the ruling party to accept direct presidential elections.
Democratization in South Korea : The expansion of electoral competition, civil liberties, and civilian control in South Korea, especially from the 1980s onward. The republic turned the 1987 democratic opening into enduring constitutional government.
Fourth Republic of Korea : South Korea’s 1972–1981 constitutional order, also known as the Yushin system, which concentrated power in the presidency. Its authoritarian presidency contrasts with the Sixth Republic’s direct elections and constitutional checks.
Direct presidential election : An election in which voters choose the president directly rather than through an intermediary body. The revised constitution restored popular election of the president.
June 29 Declaration : Roh Tae-woo’s 1987 announcement accepting direct presidential elections and constitutional reform in South Korea. It converted protest pressure into the political commitment behind constitutional revision.
South Korean presidential election, 1987 : The December 1987 election in which voters directly chose Roh Tae-woo as South Korea’s president. It was the first direct presidential election under the amended constitution.
Third Republic of Korea : South Korea’s 1963–1972 constitutional order under Park Chung Hee, preceding the Yushin system. It provides an earlier comparison for the republic’s restored presidential elections and party competition.
Single five-year presidential term : A constitutional arrangement allowing a South Korean president one five-year term without reelection. The Sixth Republic paired direct election with a strict one-term limit.
1987 Constitution of South Korea : South Korea’s constitution adopted in 1987, which restored direct presidential elections and established institutions of the Sixth Republic. Its promulgation marked the legal break from the Fifth Republic’s authoritarian framework.
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