Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the local level, governors and assemblies are directly elected for provinces, major
cities, and districts, but they enjoy little autonomy, with the national government firmly in
charge of most judicial, educational, and security functions.
In a couple of words, popular perceptions of the government are not good. Generations of
harsh or ineffectual leaders, more than a few of whom helped themselves to the national
coffers, have convinced many South Koreans that the government is not a force to be trus-
ted. The mass media is happy to play to these perceptions with stories of brawling as-
sembly members and official malfeasance. Much like in other countries, authorities are reg-
ularly pilloried for selling out to foreign or business interests, sometimes culminating in
now largely Internet-based campaigns that organize street demonstrations or other forms of
action.
The Central Government Complex in Seoul is home to several government agencies.
At the same time, the government tends to be the first place people turn in times of eco-
nomic or social upheaval. When the country is facing real or perceived external threats,
such as the financial crisis and subsequent International Monetary Fund bailout of 1997,
