Politics
Map
East Asia
Today, politics in East Asia are very different from country to country. For the most part, East Asian countries are democratic, but there are some complicated exceptions. Let’s look at one well-known example.
North Korea
North Korea is technically a democracy; they have regular elections and everyone gets to vote, but there is only one political party, so there’s only candidate to vote for on the ballot. Voters don’t really have any choice in an election. North Korea is one example of a common issue in East Asian politics: there are many obstacles to overcome as governments that were once dictatorships transition to more democratic structures. Vietnam and China, both single-party states, are in similar situations to North Korea.
Even in countries that are representative democracies, there are many people who can’t participate in voting because of rural isolation or poor literacy. These people don’t get the chance to have a say in who leads their countries, which is a major issue because these are the people most in need of government help.
Taiwan’s Vice President, Annette Lu, defied East Asian stereotypes about women as leaders to become a prominent politician.
Women in East Asian Politics
Women have a very small presence in politics in East Asian countries because gender inequality is a big problem in the region. Women don’t get the same educational opportunities as men and aren’t seen as good leaders by many people. Some women have risen above this inequality, entered politics and are now demanding women’s rights. One example is Taiwan’s current Vice President, Annette Lu, an outspoken feminist who has shown interest in running for president of the country.