Korea had to wait until after the military-backed authoritarian regime collapsed in the late 1980s to see nongovernmental organizations in full bloom.

Under three decades of dictatorial rule, it was not expected for a civil society independent of the government’s sway to come into existence.

The Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice set up in 1989 was the first major nongovernmental organization in the country. In the 1990s, more civic groups with influential voices, including the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, were created.

While civil society was beefed up by the emergence of various NGOs, ideological confrontation and corruption have often haunted major civic organizations. The growing public discontent with deteriorating livelihoods and the major parties’ failure to settle it are encouraging many civic activists to consider real politics. Their political challenge, observers note, may be a natural phenomenon reflecting the situation facing the country but carries the danger of plunging all of civil society into the vortex of politics.

Some critics warn against the possibility of civic groups being used as a bypass for political aspirants, losing public confidence in the integrity of their activities.

According to figures from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the number of registered nonprofit NGOs totaled 9,913 at the end of September, up from 9,003 in 2009.

Counting unregistered groups, ministry officials estimate there are now more than 20,000 NGOs across the country.

By Kim Kyung-ho (khkim@heraldcorp.com)