Preferences on Security Issues and Ideological Competitions: A Case of the Korean National Assembly

Abstract

This article examines the distinct features of the ideological thinking and their impact on ideological competitions among the members of Korean National Assembly (KNA). In particular, it analyzes the influence of preferences on security issues on the formation of ideological self-identification and internal competitions of the KNA. By applying factor analysis, it shows that the issue attitudes among the members of the KNA do not converge into the ideological self-identification. In addition, preferences on security issues can be distinguished from the ideological self-identification among the member of the KNA and have an independent impact on their legislative voting behavior. These results imply that a more valid understanding of the legislative behavior among the members of the KNA could develop by specifying issue attitudes independently from the ideological self-identification.