@article{ART003309184},
author={Woo Kyoung Bong},
title={Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea},
journal={Analyses & Alternatives},
issn={2508-822X},
year={2026},
volume={10},
number={1},
pages={131-162},
doi={10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005}
TY - JOUR
AU - Woo Kyoung Bong
TI - Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea
JO - Analyses & Alternatives
PY - 2026
VL - 10
IS - 1
PB - Korea Consensus Institute
SP - 131
EP - 162
SN - 2508-822X
AB - This study applies the theoretical framework of Ellis & Stimson (2012) to examine the relationship between self-reported ideology (symbolic ideology) and economic policy-based ideology (operational ideology) among South Koreans, utilizing data from Seoul National University’s Unification Perception Survey. The principal findings are as follows. First, the correlation between self-reported ideology and economic policy-based ideology was weak (r=0.134***), demonstrating that ideological labels have limited explanatory power for economic policy attitudes. While “conflicted conservatives” constitute a dominant proportion in the United States, in South Korea, “conflicted liberals” were observed more frequently (6.7%) than “conflicted conservatives” (5.0%). Furthermore, 48.6% of respondents fell into the “mixed” category, suggesting a lack of ideological constraint among South Koreans. Second, the determinants of ideology exhibited a dual pattern. Symbolic ideology was primarily influenced by age (generation), whereas operational ideology was more responsive to income (class). This suggests that the phenomena of “poor conservatives” and “affluent liberals” in South Korea stem from a structural separation between identity and material interests. Third, during the 2022 presidential election, the correlation between the two dimensions of ideology lost statistical significance, implying that under heightened polarization, ideology may serve as a marker for partisan identity rather than a summary of policy preferences. The principal contribution of this study lies in overcoming the reliance on cross-sectional data characteristic of prior research. By analyzing pooled repeated cross-sectional data spanning six years (N=7,200), this study empirically demonstrates that ideological mismatch is not a transient event but a structurally entrenched pattern in South Korea.
KW - Symbolic Ideology;Operational Ideology;Economic Policy Preferences;Conflicted Liberals;Ideological Mismatch
DO - 10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
ER -
Woo Kyoung Bong. (2026). Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea. Analyses & Alternatives, 10(1), 131-162.
Woo Kyoung Bong. 2026, "Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea", Analyses & Alternatives, vol.10, no.1 pp.131-162. Available from: doi:10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong "Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea" Analyses & Alternatives 10.1 pp.131-162 (2026) : 131.
Woo Kyoung Bong. Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea. 2026; 10(1), 131-162. Available from: doi:10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong. "Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea" Analyses & Alternatives 10, no.1 (2026) : 131-162.doi: 10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong. Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea. Analyses & Alternatives, 10(1), 131-162. doi: 10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong. Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea. Analyses & Alternatives. 2026; 10(1) 131-162. doi: 10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong. Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea. 2026; 10(1), 131-162. Available from: doi:10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
Woo Kyoung Bong. "Mismatch between Self-reported Ideology and Economic Policy Preferences in South Korea" Analyses & Alternatives 10, no.1 (2026) : 131-162.doi: 10.22931/aanda.2026.10.1.005
