The Journal of East Asian Studies is an #OpenAccess journal publishing cutting edge social science on East and Southeast Asia.
cambridge.org/jea
Published by @universitypress.cambridge.org for the the East Asia Institute (EAI).
Journal of East Asian Studies
Why does South Korea have a stable party system despite unstable political parties? This article argues that party system institutionalization can emerge even without strong political parties and calls South Korea a "partyless" democracy.
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In Taiwan, the difference between Mandarin and Taiwanese can be heard, but do the two languages also carry political stereotypes? This article finds that language shapes how voters perceive political identity, public opinion, and democratic politics.
In China, what are the motivations and practices of autocratic media censorship? Using a dataset from 1,403 secret censorship directives, this article finds that the CCP is shifting from outright media bans toward trying to “guide” coverage instead.
Why didn’t electoral reform weaken Japan’s interest groups? This article shows that highly organized groups such as agricultural cooperatives and postmasters adapted to the new system and remained essential vote gathering networks for political parties.
NEW ISSUE -
Journal of East Asian Studies - Volume 26 - Issue 2 - July 2026 - https://cup.org/3RYd5xv
#OpenAccess
In South Korea, foreign aid to Africa is framed as a mission for development and poverty reduction. This article emphasizes a different story, as aid often serves Korean national interests as well as humanitarian goals.
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Why is Taiwan’s party system more stable than those of Japan or South Korea? This article argues the answer lies in patterns of party switching and how politicians respond to electoral incentives in a competitive multiparty system.
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In China, why do authoritarian regimes create legislatures that have little power? This article argues local legislatures help build alliances with private businesses by exchanging patronage, loans, and access for support and loyalty.
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Are preferential trade agreements (PTAs) in the Asia-Pacific Region purely a political strategy used for diplomacy? Taking the cases of Japan's and South Korea's PTAs , this article argues that these agreements have a clear economic rationale.
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In Indonesia, democratization did not strengthen political parties, it fractured them. This article explains how electoral rules and personalized campaigning fueled rising fragmentation in local politics after Suharto.
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