New Social Movements in the Republic of Korea: The Example of the Activities of Human Rights Organizations (Early 21st Century)

Abstract This study is devoted to a comparative analysis of the change of social movements in the Republic of Korea in the period from the 1960s to the 2010s and identification of its peculiarities. The methodology of content analysis and the theoretical basis of such sociologists as A. Touraine, J. Habermas, S. Büchler, and Y. Skokova were used. Based on the theory of new social movements, this study questioned whether the social organizations existing since the beginning of the XXI century can be called the new social movements. The study found that despite some features of Korean contemporary organizations that are different from Western movements, such as close cooperation with the government, contemporary social movements in South Korea can be called new social movements. It was concluded that not all Western sociological theories can be applied to describe and explain phenomena in the East. Key words: ROK, new social movements, human rights organizations, NGOs.