Basic Report

  
  
    For the last 30 years, Korea has seen a rapid growth in economy and gained a lot from it. However, a gap between growing regions and depressed regions was deepened due to the side effects of the rapid economic growth. Especially, the depressed regions remain as ‘blind spot’ of development policy actions.
   Various types of policies and actions for the development of depressed regions have recently been taken. Even so, systematic development of the depressed regions is still too far from accomplishment due to fragmented and overlapped policies of different administrative departments.
   In this context, the purpose of this study is to search for policy recommendations and to suggest appropriate development strategies for the depressed regions. This study, especially, focuses on drawing comprehensive remedies to help depressed regions and the central government make efficient and comprehensive development policies.
   For these purposes, this study first discusses the theoretical background of the ideal type and the trends of development policies implemented in the depressed regions. In the beginning part of this study, definition of depressed regions development policies is examined and the characteristics of the development methods are reviewed.
   This study attempts to analyze further the current situations of the development policies of the depressed regions in the aspect of administrative department of central government, regional level, the contents and characteristics of policy actions respectively. Furthermore, this study examines the development policy of local governments as well.
   Political problems such as the absence of generalized criteria of depressed regions selection and disconnection of development policies arise owing to the absence of the clear definition of ‘depressed regions’, the overlap of development policies, and top-down approach of development policies.
   This study also investigates other development policies implemented in Europe, Japan and the United States. Policy implications are drawn from these examples. National planning policies towards depressed regions should be comprehensive and the implementation of development policy is preferably initiated by local governments. Political actions should focus on increasing local jobs and income as well as providing financial support to the local governments. On the basis of previous findings, this study suggests policy directions and strategic measures for improving development policies for depressed regions. Especially the following approaches are proposed; revision of development policy system, the introduction and utilization of national development planning policies for depressed regions, the establishment of development planning organizations or departments both in central and local governments. Additionally suggested approaches include the enactment of a law unifying previous disconnected policies, the support for local governments with block grants and well- devised evaluation system on development outcomes.