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A candid reflection from the Asia Democracy Assembly 2025—on Bangladesh, Japan, and Korea; the “masculinity of the state”; and the courage and solidarity found across Asia’s civil society.

A week in Bangkok offered a powerful glimpse into Asia’s diverse democratic struggles—from performative democracy and migration justice to Gen Z movements and transformative masculinities. Inspired to bring new ideas back to Korea.

For thousands of years, rice has been more than food. It has been culture, memory, and survival. In South Korea, a few farmers are bringing back native rice varieties lost to history. Their rainbow-colored fields tell a story of a future rooted in the past.

The Power of Solidarity through the Film 'The Time of Our Lives'

South Korean men, trapped in the rigid ‘K-timeline’ from school to military to marriage, face endless pressure to prove their masculinity, fueling resentment toward women and radicalization. A transformation is needed, with care at its core.

Let’s peel away the assumption we have long taken for granted—that “digital = eco-friendly.” We will trace the three layers that sustain the digital society: action (interfaces), infrastructure (data centers, energy generation, cooling water), and networks (terrestrial and submarine cables). Beneath these, we will examine the materiality of devices, the corporate power embedded in design, the profit structures of the data economy, and the points where institutions begin to collapse. Finally, we will reflect on the small but resilient practices and institutional shifts we can choose to pursue.

Where do LGBTQ+ individuals stand in Korea’s political landscape? A groundbreaking project is working to change that. Introducing RUN/OUT, a project in Korea for and by the LGBTQ+ community.

When American bombs recently struck Iranian nuclear facilities, the issue of nuclear armament briefly returned to the public debate in Germany. In East Asia, however, the discussion about the bomb has been a constant fixture.

The destruction of Gaza is not only a humanitarian catastrophe, but also a violation of international law. Germany and the EU must finally leverage all the means at their disposal to stand up for human rights.

On December 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law dealt a profound shock to South Korean democracy. Yet in that moment of crisis, the square came alive once again—and at its center stood the youth. The lights, the flags, and the questions that followed have now been captured in a book. After the Square tells the story of young people who organized themselves to call for President Yoon’s resignation, created spaces for public dialogue, and put democratic values into action.