1st Edition

Public Administration and Policy in Korea Its Evolution and Challenges

Edited By Keun Namkoong, Kyung-ho Cho, Sangmook Kim Copyright 2018
    314 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    328 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The present Korean public administration and policy system has shown very significant differences compared to the system in 1970s. This book provides a comprehensive and holistic view on the development of Korean public policy and administration.

    Instead of dichotomizing the policy and administration, this book integrates two fields to provide a more holistic view on the Korean public sector. The book also attempts to overcome simplified explanations on the developmental state theory. The book aims to explain who the key actors are during the post-democratization period, how the administrative systems reform, and what kinds of social problems are transformed into public policies. This explanation suggests that the role of government shifts from a dominant actor to an actor within a complex network governance.

    This book will be a useful reference to anyone who wishes to learn more about the experience of the Korean development and the role of administration and policy.

    Part I: Historical Context of Korean Public Administration and Policy

    1. The Foundation of Korean Public Administration and Policy (Keun Namkoong and In Chul Kim)

    2. The Evolution of Korean Public Administration and Policy (Young-chool Choi)

    3. Presidential Leadership and Administration (Young-Ho Hwang)

    Part II: Key Dimensions of Korean Public Administration

    4. Government and Public Organizations (Sangmook Kim)

    5. Civil Service System and Personnel Administration (Kyung-ho Cho)

    6. Public Finance and Financial Administration (Changhoon Jung)

    7. Administrative Culture (Heungsik Park)

    8. Performance Management and Evaluation (Cheol H.Oh)

    9. Public Sector Reform (M. Jae Moon)

    Part III: Key Areas of Korean Public Policy

    10. Welfare State and Social Policy (Huck-ju Kwon)

    11. Environmental Policy (Sun-Jin Yun)

    12. Informatization Policy (Youngmi Kim)

    13. Regional Development and Urban Policy (Jun Koo)

    Part IV: Conclusion

    14: Toward the Theorization of Korean Public Administration and Policy (Kilkon Koh and Keun Namkoong)

    Biography

    Keun Namkoong is Professor of Public Administration and Public Policy at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include public policy theories and administrative and civil service reforms. He is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous books including Research Methods for Public Administration and Public Policy: Theories and Empirical Studies. He served as Editor-in Chief of Korean Public Administration Review, President of the Korean Association of Public Administration, and President of Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of A Study on Korean Public Administration, a quarterly published by the Korean Institute of Public Administration.

    Kyung-ho Cho is Professor of Public Administration, and Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Kookmin University, where he teaches organization theory and behavior and public personnel administration. He received his PhD from the University of Georgia. He conducts research on public management, focusing on values and motivations, organizational culture and structure; organizational behavior and performance, and human resource management in the public sector. His academic work appears in the International Journal of Public Administration; International Journal of Organizational Analysis and Social Indicators Research. He served as President of the Korean Society for Public Personnel Administration and is currently President of the Seoul Association for Public Administration.

    Sangmook Kim is Professor of Public Administration at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea. His research interests include public service motivation, organizational behavior, human resources management, public management reform, and gender-related issues. His research has been published in numerous journals, including Administration & Society, the American Review of Public Administration, International Journal of Manpower, International Public Management Journal, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Public Personnel Management, and Review of Public Personnel Administration.

    'The three editors of this book have assembled an excellent collection of essays on public administration and policy in the Republic of Korea. The collection is comprehensive and provides numerous insights into how government in Korea makes and implements public policy. This will be a very useful book for any scholar interested in Asian governments.' — B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of Government, Department of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh

    'The Korean miracle cannot just be explained by its economic performance, but also by the capacity of its public administration. This book shows why and how the Korean public administration is part of the country’s success. Its public management and its public policies are not considered as a burden but as a leverage for the country’s development. This book by Namkoong, Cho and Kim shows clearly why and how the public sector can be part of a solution. For that reason, this book has relevance beyond Korea, and beyond the Asian region.'Professor Geert Bouckaert, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, and President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)