Varieties of Opinion Polarization: Analysis of Public Opinion Structure of South Korea

• In Event: 545 - Section on Sociology of Culture Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 08. Culture and Politics

Abstract

Polarization in public opinion in South Korea has been a concern for both scholars and political pundits. Ideological conflicts between conservatives and liberals around different socioeconomic issues have sharply divided Korean society since the democratic transition. This paper examines whether the patterns of these ideological divides correspond to what is commonly understood by scholars and depicted by mass-media, and examines what kinds of socioeconomic factors influence the pattern of opinion polarization in the country. Employing Korean General Social Survey (2009), we explore individuals’ various political attitudes and opinions such as social protection policies and economic inequality, partisan and ideological identity, and so on. Our findings show that while age is the most significant factor that shapes individuals’ ideological orientations or party identification, their household income is the most significant factor when it comes to individuals’ attitudes toward specific social policy matters. This study suggests that different socioeconomic factors play varying roles in shaping the polarization structure in different dimensions of public opinion.

Authors

• Myung Ji Yang, University of Hawaii-Manoa

• Dong Kyun Im, University of Seoul