Article

The Heinrich Böll Foundation East Asia Office and the Indo-Pacific Democracy Forum (IPDF) co-hosted a session at the 2025 KDF Global Forum titled “Parliamentarians’ Voices for Democratic Unity in the Indo-Pacific.” 

South Korea has seen has a notable progress in gender and human rights over the past two decades. Yet, in recent years, political polarization, anti-gender backlash, and stalled legislative efforts have complicated the landscape, leading to a fragmented and contested approach to equality and inclusion.

We deeply mourn the loss of our esteemed colleague Dr Antonie Katharina Nord, who passed away on 18 May 2025 after a long illness. In various roles, most recently as head of the international division, Antonie shaped the work of the Heinrich Böll Foundation like few others. With her death, the foundation has lost an impressive leader and a clever strategist, but above all, a humorous and warm-hearted human being. We are struggling to comprehend this profound loss.

The documentary 'Edhi Alice: REVERSE', which intimately follows the lives of two transgender individuals, moves beyond questions of identity to become a cinematic act of sensing and witnessing existence itself. In a society where even its screening was rejected by some venues, the film confronts us with the very questions our society still chooses to turn away from.

On December 3rd, 2024, former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the basis to protect national stability from “antistate actors.” This was quickly overturned by the National Assembly and eleven days later the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon. The Heinrich Boll Foundation discussed the significance and implications of the South Korean elections.

South Korea’s presidential election on 3 June 2025 took place amid intense political upheaval and institutional crisis. Widespread public discontent over corruption scandals, executive-judiciary tensions, and democratic backsliding had dominated the pre-election atmosphere. Kristian Brakel, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung’s East Asia, answered 3 questions.

In Germany, Snap elections were held on the 28th of February with the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister Christian Social Union (CSU) coming victorious with 28.6 percent of total votes. However, the key question remains: What do the results mean, and what does the future of German politics look like? To answer this question, the Heinrich Boll Foundation East Asia Office invited three guests for a fireside chat discussion on the 2025 German Federal election.

Every year on March 21, the United Nations designates the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, inspiring a global wave of anti-racism initiatives. As a sign of solidarity to this movement, an event hosted by migrant rights groups nationwide and supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation East Asia Office was held on March 16 at Seoul Station Square. To gain insight into the preparation process, representatives from the foundation visited the site, engaging directly with activists and listening to their powerful voices.

The Climate Youth Council held a meeting with members of the National Assembly to petition for the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act, which was the first petition case since the enactment of the law in 2021. Students experienced democracy while recognizing the stakes of the climate crisis, and continued the campaign with the social cooperative Party. Future tasks suggested include expanding openness, improving participatory design, assigning responsible authority, and reorganizing the evaluation system.  

The "Climate Citizens' Assembly (CCA)", which served as the foundation for this project, critiqued the failures of democracy and climate policies, proposing a platform for citizens to actively participate in addressing the climate crisis. Kyung Hee University's "Climate Youth Council" allowed students to engage in legislative processes within the National Assembly, influencing climate policy. Through flipped learning and question-based learning, the assembly enhanced the students' climate crisis literacy.