Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

A Study on Improving the Democratic Citizenship Education

Democratic citizenship education, with the aim of fostering citizens in a democratic society, is closely linked to the democratic political system, and its directions have consequently been affected by a country’s political environments. Amid the fast-changing global environment with its foundations on a knowledge-based economy, and with the tide of politics, economy, society and culture changing ever so fast, the special circumstances underlying the division of two Koreas have caused various multi-dimensional discords and policy confusions in carrying out the democratic citizenship education within the Republic of Korea. Within Korea, there is a great deal of imbalances in the system as well as people’s consciousness, and the social polarization, as well as the weak grass-root democracy, has meant that the fruits of democracy have not been felt by most people. Therefore, in order to instill a renewed and developed sense of democracy, the procedural democracy that allows for a true exercise of people’s sovereignty ought to be strengthened, and school education that enhances the students’ understanding of democracy as well as their true stakes in a democratic society is required.