Sook Jong Lee, Distinguished Fellow at the East Asia Institute and Distinguished Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, examines how South Korea is navigating the dual imperatives of advancing AI innovation and safeguarding democratic governance, tracing the country's policy trajectory from the AI Basic Law to President Lee Jae Myung's “AI Basic Society” vision. She highlights South Korea's approach of coupling binding AI regulations with equity-driven public service transformation and AI-assisted citizen participation forums. Against the backdrop of fragmented global AI governance, Lee argues that South Korea can offer a credible alternative model, provided its international cooperation efforts translate broad vision into concrete, context-sensitive programs.

Niranjan Sahoo, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, examines India's precarious democratic trajectory as it shifts from a moment of recovery following the 2024 elections toward a state of "authoritarian resilience." He details how the consolidation of a "super executive" has systematically weakened vital checks and balances, utilizing state agencies and strategic legal interpretations to suppress dissent and marginalize political opposition. Analyzing the rise of majority-rule politics and its impact on India's secular fabric, Sahoo highlights the critical role of civil society, a unified opposition, and multi-party federalism as the primary mechanisms of democratic resilience and potential recovery.

Francisco A. Magno and John Arzil E. Manabat, both of De La Salle University, examine the Philippines’ transition from the severe democratic backsliding and "electoral autocracy" to a phase of uneven, "fragile stabilization" under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. While there have been improvements in media freedom and instances of judicial independence, the authors point out that fundamental vulnerabilities including entrenched corruption, pervasive disinformation networks, and weak legislative oversight continue to obstruct a comprehensive systemic transformation. Ultimately, Magno and Manabat underscore that the country’s democratic trajectory depends on coordinated institutional reforms to prevent a renewed slide into autocratization, such as safeguarding the information ecosystem and enforcing strict anti-corruption measures.