{"id":71553,"date":"2025-10-16T08:16:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=71553"},"modified":"2025-10-16T08:16:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T12:16:32","slug":"utc-professor-learns-firsthand-how-democracy-was-defended-in-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/utc-professor-learns-firsthand-how-democracy-was-defended-in-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC professor learns firsthand how democracy was defended in South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.

Dr. Irina Khmelko stands in the South Korean Parliament. Photo courtesy of Dr. Irina Khmelko.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Dec. 3, 2024, South Korea declared martial law, invoking military power and sending shock waves throughout the global community. The Parliament was surrounded by soldiers who blocked the entrance to the building and tried to prevent legislators from holding a vote to reverse the martial law. Some legislators had to climb through windows to cast their votes.<\/p>\n

Six hours later, the presidential decree was unanimously reversed by 190 members of South Korea\u2019s Parliament.<\/p>\n

Dr. Irina Khmelko, a UC Foundation Professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Political Science and Public Service, spent time this summer in Seoul meeting with the speaker, members of Parliament and policy experts to discuss legislative studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very easy to lose democracy,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly hard to get it back. It\u2019s not just snapping your fingers and it\u2019s right back. Nobody has a magic wand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the Korean parliament did was truly magical. It\u2019s truly a huge service to the nation in terms of preserving their democracy, in terms of keeping South Korea as a democratic country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brought to Seoul for the World Congress hosted by the International Political Science Association, Khmelko chaired the research committee discussing legislative studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went there for multiple reasons to present the results of my research, to listen to others, to organize and to run the World Congress of the International Political Science Association,\u201d she said. \u201cAt the same time, lead a delegation and work with the parliament because what we do is very significant in terms of practical implications.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was an important part of building our network of work with practitioners. Our organization works not only with researchers but also with practitioners, policymakers and international policymakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khmelko\u2019s research focuses on comparative legislative studies, examining parliaments from across the world, with a specific focus on legislative-executive relations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe roles of parliaments are changing around the world,\u201d she explained. \u201cSome are losing power to the executives, some are gaining power and some are staying the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really looking at what\u2019s happening with parliaments around the world. The main thing is: what allows any parliament to stay as an independently elected assembly and not become just some puppet institution for the president of any country.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Khmelko, South Korea provided an excellent case study on legislative power.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey saw on video cameras governmental forces, military approaching the parliament,\u201d she said. \u201cThey were hectically voting, trying to stop it, and they succeeded. They stopped it. They managed to get enough people inside the building, and they literally had to go through the windows, through the basements, through all sorts of different ways to evade the barricades that the government put around. That was really something. That parliament did an amazing thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Irina Khmelko (sky blue cardigan) sat directly in front of Speaker Woo Won-Shik during a private meeting at the South Korean Parliament. Photo courtesy of Dr. Irina Khmelko.<\/p><\/div>\n

After attending the World Congress conference, Khmelko and others had the opportunity to visit South Korea\u2019s parliamentary building and meet with the speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, Woo Won-shik.<\/p>\n

During the declaration of martial law, Woo climbed a National Assembly fence to preside over the presidential impeachment vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are there in person, it\u2019s much different than just reading the book,\u201d Khmelko said. \u201cI can read, and obviously, I did read about that. I could read the news. I could read academic publications. It\u2019s a totally different experience because it adds so much to the conversation, so much to the story or case study. It allows so much more in terms of the production of the research. It really allows us to produce more ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s literally what I\u2019m trying to figure out. What does it take? What\u2019s the magic formula that allows a parliament or legislature to remain independent? To remain a powerful policy actor? Because what we know for a fact is that any democracy needs an independent parliament.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the main takeaways from her trip was the education level in the country, Khmelko said. She believes this played a factor in the country\u2019s ability to move forward after an extraordinary situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSociety in general, you don\u2019t feel a lot of animosity even though clearly it\u2019s a high conflict situation,\u201d she said. \u201cMilitary coming to the parliament, you cannot come up with a higher degree of conflict. But the attitude allows them to resolve it and move forward as a country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an eye-opening experience that the country could value knowledge so much and have the ability to process information and understand what happened. That allowed them to move forward. They moved forward as one country, as one South Korea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khmelko said that conferences like this give participants a boost of ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to literally push my discipline forward not only with my research, but by commenting on the other research and by talking to people,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the accomplishments is the organizational side, putting together a highly capable board and leadership. Working with the leadership and other leaders of this organization is another huge accomplishment. Establishing context with the Korean parliament, meeting their speaker, that\u2019s another huge, incredible outcome of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spending the entire time in Seoul, Khmelko wasn\u2019t able to explore much of the country due to a packed itinerary, but came away with an immense respect for the South Korean people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have lived in many countries on this planet,\u201d she said. \u201cI worked in many countries. I worked with people from all over the world. Koreans absolutely left a lasting impression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

College of Arts and Sciences<\/a><\/p>\n

Department of Political Science and Public Service<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Irina Khmelko.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Irina Khmelko, a UC Foundation Professor in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Political Science and Public Service, spent time this summer in Seoul meeting with the speaker, members of Parliament and policy experts to discuss legislative studies. <\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2058,"featured_media":71559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12778,70,61,3,7712,52,64],"tags":[126209,119247,124776,123829,126210],"class_list":{"0":"post-71553","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","9":"category-community","10":"category-faculty-and-staff","11":"category-graduate-school","12":"category-news","13":"category-political-science","14":"tag-international-political-science-association","15":"tag-irina-khmelko","16":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","17":"tag-operating-with-excellence","18":"tag-woo-won-shik","19":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nUTC professor learns firsthand how democracy was defended in South Korea | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - 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