| The Current Status of Changes in Korean Rural Villages and Direction for Mid- and Long-term Development (Year 2 of 5) | |||
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| Author | Seong, Jooin | ||
| Views | 59865 | Publication Date | 2017.02.17 |
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Background of Research This study continually examines spatial and socio-economic changes in Korean rural villages at a community scale for five years. In the first year in 2015, we aimed to design the whole research and identify the overall situation of changes in rural villages and their factors. This second-year study analyzes the villages' physical and social changes more empirically, diagnoses the trends in the changes, and presents major policy issues and countermeasures. Method of Research This study represents the following research methods to compare and analyze the processes of the changes in each type of rural villages. First, we examine the trends in the changes in Korean rural villages through a literature review and statistical data analysis at a national level. Second, we present comparative analysis over 16 villages as for each category, based on field researches: interviews with community leaders and survey for general residents. Last, we diagnose the changes of residential conditions of the ‘eup’ community dwellers through a professional research institution's on-site survey. Research Results and Implications We draw the following implications from physical and socio-economic changes in the case villages. First, the depopulation of rural villages shows different aspects according to each village's geographic characteristics and socio-economic conditions. In remote areas, with the depopulation by village units in small scattered villages, rural disparity between communities has been deepening between certain villages with appropriate conditions as for the population and the quality of life, and other villages without them. In general rural areas, villages without an economic breakthrough except for rice farming also have difficulty in attracting people returning to farming or rural regions. Therefore, it is urgently needed to seek plans to support securing successors. Second, the importance of people returning to farming has been confirmed as a new social group leading community activities. Despite the general stagnation of rural community activities, people who have returned to farming have been an energetic social group, so their roles should be reviewed in policy aspects. Particularly, a regional implementation system, where private-public cooperation governance and a network for exchange and partnership among communities are interdependently combined, is expected to systematically support diverse village activities and cooperation among villages. Third, spatial patterns among villages formed at the level of living zones are major factors in the villages' social and spatial changes. The population of higher-level centers, including the seat of eup offices, has gradually increased, and residents' economic activities have been centered on built-up areas of eups. However, non-hub villages' residents' demand for living services is still high in lower-level centers such as the seat of myeon (township) offices. Accordingly, the interdependent division of roles will become important between higher-level and lower-level centers in a region. Last, major policy tasks in consideration for the current issues in rural villages are as follows: 1) seeking cohesive territorial strategies and policies for nurturing rural settlements; 2) presenting blueprints to improve a service delivery system and to prepare for the broadening living settlements; and 3) laying the foundation of a planning system for nurturing rural settlement. Researchers: Seong Joo-in, Song Mi-Ryung, Jung Moon-soo, and Min Kyung-chan Research period: 2016. 1. ~ 2016. 12. E-mail address: jiseong@krei.re.kr |
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