For a few hours on Tuesday, South Korea’s 44-year experiment with democracy was paused.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief turn as a dictator looked exactly as such things often do. There was a declaration from a lectern, a speech about enemies within, and heavily armed men smashing their way into a legislative chamber.
South Korea’s martial law didn't last long, but it is a useful reminder of how frail democracies can be. All it took to put this one in peril was one man and a speech.
Viewers in the West should not be overly confident about their own democracies, given the Trump-inspired Capitol attack of 6 January 2021. Or the British wheeze of ‘proroguing’ in 2019, which saw a then-unelected Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) tell an unelected head of state (Elizabeth II) to shut down parliament. While its not quite martial law, it's a reminder not to be complacent.
These actions, like Yoon’s, have been declared unlawful, but still they happened. Realists will be concerned that democratic checks and balances may not always hold. Radicals may want a reset of all our democratic institutions. In this ‘year of democracy,’ which saw more than half the world's population eligible to vote, we have been looking at ways that reset might happen.
South Koreans may look with envy across the East China Sea to Taiwan and its revolution in digital democracy over the last decade, as discussed by Audrey Tang at The Conduit.
All of us might consider the case, made at talks this year, for participatory democracy – where we all take part to ensure the thing survives – and citizen assemblies.
These aren’t ideas that will go away. Yoon’s actions are a reminder that they need to be investigated further. Watch this space for more ways to invigorate democracy in 2025.
Catalytic Climate Finance Facility awards $2mn to next generation of climate funds...
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Future cities: building sustainable, inclusive communities
Cities are where the climate battle will be won or lost. See our special report on what the future of those cities might look like.
QUOTEABLE
We need a dose of doubt and a dose of faith, to challenge each other
Author Elif Shafik on not giving in to binary thinking
The power of one
Claudelice da Silva Santos, an activist whose brother was murdered for defending land rights in the Amazon and denouncing the environmental crimes committed by loggers. Now studying to be a lawyer, she works with Front Line Defenders advocating for the safety and human rights of other activists. earlier in the autumn at The Conduit.
The power of many
Front Line Defenders works across the globe to lobby for increased legal safeguards and the release of imprisoned activists. To learn more, volunteer and donate, click here.
ETHICAL DESIRES
FOOD
Grain greatness
You’ve heard of upcycled fashion, but upcycled food? Started when they were university students home-brewing beer, The Upcycled Foods Lab makes surplus ‘spent’ grain into a flour substitute for tasty, nutritious bread. Check them out here.
FASHION
Slowly does it
Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion – it carefully considers the entire footprint of a garment and encourages people to buy less, focus on high-quality clothing that won’t go out of style, and advocate for the rights of vulnerable workers in the fashion industry. For a directory of slow and sustainable brands in the UK, check out Field and Nest.
WHAT'S ON
Impactful Careers: breaking into climate work
Wondering how to carve out a carer in the complex world of climate and sustainability?
Sustainability expert Hannah Phang joins a panel of professionals from diverse fields, exploring the impactful and wide-ranging jobs in the sectors. The discussion will delve into how green careers are evolving, breaking traditional norms, and creating real change.
This year, we’ve hosted more than 1,000 activists, innovators, and thought leaders at events tackling global challenges – from the refugee crisis to a just green transition. And we’re just getting started.
The line-up for 2025 is here: click below to learn what to expect, including The Conduit's first ever festival.
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