General Knowledge: Constitutional Institutions, Administrative Law, Political Science, and Korean History
What this domain tests
The 선택과목 papers reward precise recall of institutions, doctrines, and dates, plus the ability to apply a rule to a short scenario.
Core content
- Constitution: amendment requires 20 days' public notice, a two-thirds National Assembly vote, and a referendum with turnout above 50% and a majority of valid votes (arts. 128–130). Judicial review of statutes belongs to the 헌법재판소; ordinary courts may refer. The 대법원 is the final appellate court.
- Administrative law: 행정행위, discretion and its limits, due process, and the distinction between 무효 and 취소.
- Political science: Duverger's law (single-member plurality tends to two parties); veto players (Tsebelis); consociational democracy (Lijphart); corporatism.
- Public administration: Weberian bureaucracy, POSDCORB, New Public Management, principal–agent problems.
- Korean history dates: 1876 Treaty of Ganghwa; 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution and Gabo Reforms; 1910 annexation; 1919 March First Movement; 1945 liberation; 1948 Republic founded; 1950–53 Korean War; 1960 April 19; 1987 June Democracy Movement.
Worked example
A constitutional amendment passes the Assembly with 200 votes, is publicly noticed for 20 days, and is put to a referendum with 45% turnout. Result: invalid. Turnout must exceed 50% of eligible voters, in addition to a majority of valid votes cast.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing 헌법재판소 with 대법원 jurisdiction.
- Mixing up the 1960 and 1987 movements.
- Treating Duverger's law as universal rather than a tendency under plurality rule.
- Confusing 무효 (void, no legal effect from the start) with 취소 (voidable, effective until revoked).