Title: Bipartisanship in a Unified Government: Politics of Taxation and Corporate Governance in Korea
Speaker: Dr. Hyeon Seok Park (National Assembly Futures Institute)
Date: Friday, May 16, 2025, 16:00–17:00 (KST)
Format: Online (Zoom) / English
Hosted by: Political Economy Team, SNU Contemporary Korean Studies (CKS), Seoul National University

Seminar Summary
 The Political Economy Team of the SNU Center for Contemporary Korean Studies held its Spring 2025 open seminar with Dr. Hyeon Seok Park, senior research fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute.

In his presentation, Dr. Park examined the dynamics of bipartisan cooperation in Korea’s highly disciplined party system. Contrary to the common assumption that bipartisanship is relevant mainly under divided governments, his research demonstrated that cross-party collaboration under unified governments can also enhance the durability of legislation.

Drawing on data from the 21st National Assembly (2020–2024), Dr. Park compared two key legislative cases—corporate taxation and corporate governance reform—to show how opposition endorsement affects legislative stability. His analysis revealed that redistributive bills such as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, Fair and Just Economy Laws, and Real-Estate and Corporate Tax Reforms were more likely to be sustained when negotiated through bipartisan compromise. Conversely, unilaterally passed bills were often revised or repealed under subsequent administrations.

Dr. Park concluded that bipartisanship in Korea’s unified governments serves as an institutional mechanism that strengthens democratic resilience by balancing strong party discipline with legislative effectiveness.