South Korea has dropped out of the "liberal democracy" category, according to a new report released Monday.
The V-Dem Democracy Report 2025, published by the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg, now classifies South Korea as an "electoral democracy"—a step down from its previous standing.
The Korea Herald reports that the country is no longer among the 29 nations identified as liberal democracies.
South Korea was one of 11 countries downgraded in the latest rankings and is also listed among 45 countries currently undergoing a period of autocratization, out of 179 countries examined.
Other nations showing signs of democratic backsliding include Argentina, Bangladesh, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Romania, and the Philippines.
The report places South Korea among five East Asian countries that experienced a substantial decline in democratic standards in 2023–2024. While countries such as Fiji, Thailand, and East Timor were showing signs of democratic improvement, South Korea has been moving in the opposite direction.
The report points out that although South Korea is still considered democratic, press freedom has been increasingly undermined.
Political Upheaval and Democratic Decline
The timing of the downgrade coincides with political turbulence in Seoul.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office in May 2022, was impeached in December 2024 following a widely criticized imposition of martial law earlier that month.
The V-Dem report classifies South Korea as one of 13 countries where autocratization worsened across two consecutive years. While it still falls under the umbrella of “democratic countries,” the institute pointed to erosions in media freedom and political pluralism as key areas of concern.
These findings are consistent with the 2024 Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which also downgraded South Korea’s status — from a “full democracy” in 2023 to a “flawed democracy” in 2024.
The country now ranks 32nd globally, having dropped 10 places in a single year.
