From the Margins to the Ballot: Discrimination, Protest, and the Revaluation of Voting in South Korea

In early 2025, mass protests erupted across South Korea in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law. Notably, young women, queer-identifying individuals, and other marginalized groups played an important role in mobilizing to defend democratic norms. This study investigates how perceived discrimination and protest participation jointly shape political attitudes, with particular attention to perceptions of government responsiveness and the perceived importance of voting. Drawing on qualitative interviews with protest participants and nationally representative survey data, the analysis reveals that while discrimination is associated with political alienation, protest participation moderates this effect—reframing voting as a meaningful act of engagement rather than a hollow formality. These findings suggest that protest can reconstitute political agency among structurally excluded individuals, affirming the possibility of democratic reengagement under conditions of inequality and disillusionment. The present study contributes to broader debates on political efficacy, grievance mobilization, and democratic resilience.