Gendered backsliding: anti-gender politics as a mechanism of democratic erosion in South Korea

Introduction This article examines how anti-gender mobilization functions as a diagnostic indicator of democratic erosion in South Korea. While much of the backsliding literature focuses on institutional decline, this study highlights how democratic vulnerability operates through discursive processes. We argue that anti-gender discourse lowers the political and normative costs of illiberal action by delegitimizing liberal institutions and expanding what elites can justify as democratically acceptable. Methods Empirically, the paper analyzes South Korea’s 2024 martial law crisis and the political trajectory of Lee Jun-Seok to show how gender antagonism evolved into a mainstream populist strategy. Results The analysis demonstrates that anti-gender discourse served both as a symptom of democratic strain and as a tool for legitimizing illiberal practices. The case reveals how such strategies can erode democratic norms even under conditions of high state capacity and strong civic engagement. Discussion More broadly, the findings suggest that democratic decline can begin discursively rather than constitutionally. Recognizing gender backlash as an early warning sign broadens how scholars and policymakers identify initial stages of democratic erosion and reinforces the need to defend pluralism in both institutional and social arenas.