The 2013 National Leadership Survey of the Korean Parliamentary Representatives


The Transformation Research Initiative (TRI), an international research collaboration which compares democracy issues of nations which have undergone rapid development and changes, first begun around a decade ago. Researchers from Korea (East Asia), Chile (South America), Poland (Eastern Europe), South Africa (Africa), Turkey (Middle East), reunified Germany, and Sweden participated. While carrying out the World Value Survey, a suggestion was made to survey the members of parliament who were key leaders of each nation. After various negotiations and cooperative efforts, the first round of surveys was carried out in 2006, and the second round in 2013. 

Professor Sang-Jin Han (Chairman of the Board of Directors, Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory) heads the Korean part of the project, and in 2006 he carried out a survey of 100 members of the National Assembly from the Uri Party and the Grand National Party (two active parties at the time). In 2013, the same survey was carried out, this time for assemblymen of the Saenuri Party and the Democratic Party respectively. 

The results from the surveys make it possible to compare the perspectives of the assemblymen and the people. Also, when comparing the perspectives of assemblymen of the Saenuri Party and assemblymen of the Democratic Party, it is possible to cross-analyze them with the perspectives of those who voted for presidential candidate Park Geun-Hye and those who voted for Moon Jae-In. In addition, the differences in assemblymen’s perspectives in 2006 and in 2013 can be closely measured. 

These materials are valuable because they deal with highly uncommon issues and are unique in Korea.