In recent decades, South Korea’s politics have gone through an evolution just as stunning as that of its economy. After 40 years of rule by a succession of strongmen, in 1987, South Koreans freely elected Roh Tae-woo as president. Roh, a former general who had been handpicked by his military predecessors, was still linked to the old regime. But his next two successors -- Kim Young-sam (a centrist civilian politician) and Kim Dae-jung (a former dissident) -- most certainly were not. Their elections were a testament to South Korea’s rapid liberalization. As Park’s recent election shows, however, the echoes of the country’s authoritarian past linger, and divisions over that past form one of the main fault lines in modern South Korea.