ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses social movements in the context of South Korea, a relatively young democracy that has embraced information and communication technology. South Korea has a leading role in Internet development and is characterised by a cultural homogeneity, with only 2.5 per cent of the population being foreigners in 2013. These factors have resulted in a distinct South Korean Web culture; even though in recent years global platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become widely used, South Korea is not entirely dependent on global services. The chapter discusses how a number of social movements in South Korea use the Internet and focuses attention to government regulations that affect the use of the Internet by Korean people and politicians. It also discusses the role of social media in three types of civic engagement: large public gatherings, citizen journalism, and single-issue protests.
