When does autocratic state repression backfire, bolstering the electoral strength of opposition parties? Please join us for an in-person-only talk where Yeilim Cheong will use an original subnational dataset to show how some forms of autocratic state repression can unintentionally strengthen support for the political opposition.

Focusing on South Korea's New Democratic Party in the 1970s under Park Chung-hee's dictatorship, the paper analyzes the impact of state crackdowns on non-violent protests versus alleged spies. The results highlight the importance of voters' access to information and identification with victims in determining the electoral consequences of state repression.

This public lecture series is organized by the Korea-Pacific Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. For more information on program activities, please visit gps.ucsd.edu/kpp.