한국지방행정연구원

_{Event Information}

• _{Date: May 13, 2026}
• _{Venue: Hotel Tersa Kumamoto, Japan}
• _{Hosts: Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA), National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)}

_{The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration, led by President Yook Dong-il, jointly held the 32nd Korea-Japan Regional Policy Research Workshop (2026-1) with the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, represented by Executive Vice President Takada Hirofumi, on May 13, 2026, at Hotel Tersa Kumamoto.} 

The workshop was organized as part of the long-standing academic exchange program between the two institutions, which has continued since 2010. It aimed to explore future directions for locally led disaster management systems by sharing disaster response experiences and institutional practices from both Korea and Japan.

_{This year’s workshop was held under the theme, “A Comparative Study on Locally Led Disaster Management Systems and Policy Improvement Tasks.” Participants engaged in in-depth presentations and discussions comparing disaster management institutions and field response experiences in Korea and Japan, focusing on the division of roles between central and local governments, disaster response capacities of local municipalities, victim recovery support systems, and strategies for enhancing community resilience.}

_{In the first presentation from the Korean side, Lee Kyung-eun delivered a presentation titled “Beyond Response Toward Recovery: Redesigning Korea’s Local Disaster Management System Through the Case of the Itaewon Disaster.” The presentation emphasized the need to shift disaster management from a response- and infrastructure-recovery-oriented system toward a “recovery-centered” approach that supports the restoration of victims’ daily lives and community recovery. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening the role of local governments as planners and coordinators of recovery policies tailored to regional characteristics, rather than merely implementers of central government policies.}

_{Next, Yoo Ja-young presented “A Study on Strengthening Disaster and Safety Functions of Local Governments: Focusing on Eup, Myeon, and Dong Administrative Units.” The presentation underscored the necessity of enhancing disaster and safety functions at frontline local administrative units. Based on an analysis reflecting regional differences in disaster demand and response capacity, the presentation proposed customized local disaster management models involving personnel reallocation, administrative restructuring, strengthened public-private cooperation, and reinforcement of dedicated disaster response functions.}

_{From the Japanese side, Murota Tetsuo presented “The Relationship Between the National Government and Local Governments During Large-Scale Disasters.” His presentation explained how responsibilities are coordinated among the national government, prefectural governments, and municipalities during large-scale disasters, based on Japan’s principle of prioritizing basic local governments in disaster management. Particular attention was given to the national government’s control tower function, inter-local government support systems, and resource allocation mechanisms for responding to wide-area complex disasters, offering important policy implications for future institutional design.}

_{In addition, officials from Kumamoto Prefectural Government shared Kumamoto Prefecture’s experiences in disaster response and recovery. Drawing on lessons learned from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and the July 2020 heavy rainfall disaster, the presentation introduced practices such as the operation of open disaster response headquarters, intergovernmental cooperation systems, digital archiving of disaster records, creative reconstruction initiatives, and the establishment of wide-area disaster prevention hubs. These efforts were highlighted as exemplary cases of transforming disaster experiences into long-term strategies for strengthening regional resilience and future preparedness.}