한국지방행정연구원

Assessing the Sustainability of Saemaul Undong Activities: A Quantitative Analysis through the Lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals This study empirically analyzes the relationship between the Saemaul Undong—a representative model of community development in Korea—and the contemporary paradigm of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Although the Saemaul Undong has expanded its role within the field of international development cooperation, systematic analyses of the strategic distribution and limitations of its sustainability portfolio have been lacking. To address this research gap, the study conducted a quantitative content analysis of 240 official activity summaries submitted by Saemaul Undong organizations across the country. Using a self-developed multidimensional analytical model, unstructured textual data were systematically examined along three dimensions: level of impact (output, outcome, impact), activity domain (hardware vs. software), and inclusiveness. The analysis identified three structural characteristics within the Saemaul Undong portfolio. First, activities revealed institutional inertia, showing concentration in traditional domains (SDG 11: community, SDG 2: hunger) and specific demographic groups (the elderly). Second, a structural duality was observed between a dominant utilization model characterized by hardware–output linkages and an exploratory model defined by software–impact linkages. Third, the overall center of gravity of the portfolio was clearly positioned in the low-impact, hardware-oriented domain, indicating a structural imbalance. Based on these findings, the study argues that the sustainability portfolio of the Saemaul Undong remains constrained by structural inertia rooted in past success formulas, resulting in qualitative gaps even in its core areas of activity. These results suggest that, for the Saemaul Undong to evolve into a sustainable development model, it must move beyond the path dependency of efficiency-driven practices. In conclusion, the study proposes that a strategic rebalancing effort is needed to systematically identify and enhance the movement’s latent potential for software-centered innovation. ퟇ Keywords: Saemaul Undong, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Portfolio Analysis, Policy Evaluation

2025.12.31

Jeon Hosung ･ Kim Minchan ･ Nam, Jae-Geol

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Governance Strategies for Promoting Region-led Carbon Neutrality The concept of region-led carbon neutrality refers to an approach in which local governments and diverse community actors take the lead in planning and implementing carbon-neutral policies that reflect the specific conditions and characteristics of their regions. Achieving carbon neutrality requires organic collaboration among multiple stakeholders and sectors, as well as the integration of place-based approach and multi-level governance that can facilitate regional leadership under the national climate transition framework. This paper proposes several governance strategies to strengthen region-led carbon neutrality. First, to encourage autonomous regional climate action planning, the scope of locally managed emissions should be reviewed, and a new category for “community energy transition” should be added. Second, local governments must be granted the necessary authority and financial resources by linking regional carbon neutrality and energy-transition initiatives with the national balanced-growth strategy and establishing a central–local Climate-Energy Partnership Agreement. Third, horizontal cooperation within regions should be activated. The role of local climate committees should be elevated, and a regional collaboration framework should be constructed around carbon-neutrality support centers. Fourth, to ensure effective performance management, major projects may be jointly managed by central and local governments, and incentive mechanisms should be considered. ퟇ Keywords: Region-led Carbon Neutrality, Multi-level Climate Governance, Place-based Approach, Community Energy Transition, Climate-energy Partnership Agreement

2025.12.31

Kim, Ho cheol

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The Impact of Perceived Regional Settlement Environment on Youth Settlement Consciousness: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Community Ties among Youth in Gimhae City This study explored factors enabling sustainable settlement of young adults beyond temporary influx to address regional decline caused by population decrease. Using structural equation modeling, we examined settlement consciousness?encompassing current residential satisfaction and future settlement intention?as the dependent variable, perceived settlement environment across socio-cultural, economic, and safety dimensions as independent variables, and community ties as a moderator. A survey of 224 young adults (ages 20-39) selected through quota sampling across 19 districts in Gimhae City revealed that socio-cultural, economic, and safety perceptions significantly influenced settlement consciousness in that order. Notably, among young adults with strong community ties, economic condition perception did not significantly influence settlement consciousness, indicating that community attachment functions as a psychological buffer that moderates the impact of economic constraints. This moderating effect indicates that fostering community bonds can mitigate the limiting impact of economic factors on youth retention. The findings demonstrate that while economic conditions matter, socio-cultural factors and community integration play more decisive roles in youth settlement decisions. This study provides empirical evidence and theoretical insights for developing youth settlement policies, emphasizing the importance of building social connections alongside improving economic opportunities. The results suggest that regional retention strategies should prioritize community engagement programs and socio-cultural infrastructure development to strengthen young adults’ psychological attachment to their regions. □ Keywords: Youth, Settlement Consciousness, Settlement Environment, Community Ties, Moderating Effect

2025.12.31

Jeong Min Oh ･ Sang Hyeb Lee

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A Study on the Factors Influencing Nuclear Power Acceptance: Direct and Indirect Effects of Sense of Community This study analyzes the direct and indirect effects of sense of community (membership, influence, and fulfillment of needs) on nuclear power acceptance. Nuclear power plant siting conflicts remain a critical challenge in energy policy worldwide. While existing studies have predominantly explained acceptance through the risk perception paradigm focusing on risk-benefit perceptions, the communal context of local residents—the key stakeholders—has been largely overlooked. This study adopts a comparative approach with the risk perception paradigm, the dominant explanatory framework, to examine the impact of sense of community on nuclear power acceptance. Based on regression analysis and moderation analysis of survey data, the findings revealed paradoxical direct effects: community influence and fulfillment of needs positively affected acceptance, while membership had a negative effect, actually decreasing acceptance. Furthermore, moderation analysis demonstrated that the interaction between perceived benefits and community influence was significant, indicating that higher levels of community influence strengthened the positive effect of benefit perception on acceptance. Additionally, the interaction between trust and community fulfillment of needs was significant, showing that higher levels of community fulfillment of needs amplified the positive effect of trust on acceptance. These findings demonstrate the empirical validity of a community-based acceptance model beyond the risk perception paradigm, reveal the multidimensional nature of sense of community where membership and influence have opposing effects, and verify the sociopsychological amplification mechanism through which sense of community strengthens the effects of cognitive evaluation factors. The policy implications suggest that, moving beyond simple risk management or material compensation-centered siting policies, enhancing collective efficacy through expanded resident participation and designing community-tailored benefits are core strategies for improving acceptance in the era of energy transition. ퟇ Keywords: Sense of Community, Risk Perception Paradigm, Nuclear Power Acceptance

2025.12.31

Jung, Dagyum ･ Kim, Minji ･ Kim, Yeseong ･ Park, Siyeon ･ Sun, Jimin ･ Kim, Seoyong

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The Impact of 4IR-Related Industrial Specialization on Regional Economic Resilience: A Case Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR), identifying the economic effects of new technologies is a crucial task for regional growth strategies. However, quantifying these effects at the firm level has remained challenging. To address this limitation, this study adopts an alternative approach using 4IR-related industrial specialization. Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic served as an exogenous shock that simultaneously affected industries nationwide, the study employs a natural experiment framework and incorporates the concept of regional economic resilience to capture the trajectories of decline and recovery. Based on the Korean Standard Industrial Classification, 4IR-related industries were defined, and measures of 4IR-related industrial specialization and regional economic resilience were constructed using Census on Establishment. The analysis revealed that specialization in 4IR-related manufacturing and information/communications industries enhanced resilience, whereas specialization in 4IR-related finance/insurance and professional/scientific industries had no significant effects. These differences stem from heterogeneous levels of technological adaptation and the capacity to respond to contactless demand across industries. Additionally, industrial diversity was found to weaken resilience, supporting existing arguments that the effects of diversity are nonlinear and vary across regional contexts. By empirically showing that regional economic resilience depends on the maturity of technologies and 4IR-related industrial base, this study highlights the need for local governments to reorient their industrial policies toward a sustainable direction that strengthens structural capacities that enable rapid recovery from external shocks. ퟇ Keywords: 4IR-Related Industrial Specialization, Regional Economic Resilience, COVID-19 Pandemic, Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies, Digital Transformation

2025.12.31

Sungwon Yoon ･ Sangwon Lee ･ Kabsung Kim

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A Study on the Reform of Local Consumption Tax by Restricting the Taxation Authorities to the Higher Level of Local Governments Local consumption tax is an exceptional local tax item in which all local governments are authorized to taxation, and the Education Offices, although are not given the authorities, also receives some of the revenues. However, local governments do not even have minimal authority over tax administration because the special collection officers exercises tax administration procedures such as imposition and collection, and the payment manager distributes the tax revenue according to predetermined standards. The paper proposes ways to simplify and reorganize the tax system by limiting the taxation authority to the higher level of local governments, cities and provinces, and transfers part of local consumption tax revenues to the lower level of local governments and Education Offices by using the existing local fiscal adjustment systems. By this way, the tax system can be greatly simplified by removing the complex and diverse standards applied to the distribution of local consumption taxes to cities, counties, districts, and education offices. Additionary, tax revenue neutrality can be maintained between each higher level of local government and lower level of local governments as well as each higher level of local government and education office by determining an proper level of local consumption tax transfer. Changes in local consumption tax revenues of cities and counties due to the reform of the system are largely offset by the process of calculating the ordinary grant tax, so tax revenue neutrality of individual cities and counties can be maintained within a certain range. □ Keywords: Local Consumption Tax, Tax Authority, Local Fiscal Adjustment Grants

2025.12.31

Byeongho Choe ･ Jong-Pil Jeong

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A Study on the Effective Operating Rate of Industrial Complexes for Public Investment Decision-Making Process The effective operating rate of industrial complexes has been widely used not only in economic feasibility analyses during the project planning stage but also in academic research on the activation or decline levels of industrial complexes. Despite its importance, empirical research on the effective operating rate has been lacking. Therefore, this study analyzed industrial complexes constructed after 2001 to examine how the effective operating rate varies according to scale, region, and level of activation. This analysis employed descriptive statistics, data visualization, and bootstrapping. The results showed the following: First, the effective operating rate increased more rapidly for smaller complexes. Second, the level of revitalization differed among industrial complexes based on regional socioeconomic conditions, particularly accessibility to the metropolitan area or local industrial conditions. Third, bootstrapping showed the range of effective operating rates for industrial complexes by size and age. These findings can enhance the validity and reliability of economic feasibility analyses during the planning stage of industrial complexes and can also facilitate local industrial policy for local governments. ퟇ Keywords: Industrial Complex, Effective Operating Rate, Data Visualization, Bootstrap

2025.12.31

Kim, Dae Joong

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Mapping Local Social Capital from a Synthetic Perspective of Individual and Regional Levels: Theoretical Advancement through a Local Social Capital Approach This study begins with the question, “What constitutes the social capital of a locality?”, and assesses the social capital of Incheon’s districts through the complementary perspectives of individual and collective dimensions. Emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between private and public social capital (Lin, 2001), it argues that strengthened citizen interaction fosters social capital, which in turn enhances political institutionalization. Building on the conceptual distinction between public and private social capital—often overlooked in post-Putnam (1993) research (Seo et al., 2024)—the study diagnoses each form separately and maps districts on two axes using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings reveal four patterns: (1) High–High: Yeonsu-gu, Namdong-gu, and Jung-gu exhibit high levels in both dimensions, indicating strong potential for spillover effects; (2) High Citizen–Low Government: Seo-gu and Ganghwa-gun require municipal-level interventions; (3) Low Citizen–High Government: suggests long-term gains in citizen-level capital through institutional engagement (Gi et al., 2014; Seo & Lee, 2017; Seo, 2017); and (4) Low–Low: Gyeyang-gu, Michuhol-gu, and Dong-gu necessitate deeper investigation and cooperative strategies. ퟇ Keywords: Local Social Capital, Citizen Social Capital, Integrated Mapping

2025.12.31

Seo, Inseok ･ Lee, Miae

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How Does Digital Leadership Drive Digital Transformation in Local Governments? Investigating the Double Mediation Effects of Organizational Learning Culture and Innovative Behavior To identify the core factors that enable digital transformation (DX) in local governments, this study empirically analyzes the relationships among local government heads’ digital leadership (DL), organizational learning culture (OLC), employees’ innovative behavior (IB), and the level of DX. Recent developments in the public sector highlight the limitations of technology-driven approaches and emphasize the need for cultural and behavioral foundations that shape how digital policies are internalized and enacted within organizations. Reflecting this shift, the study proposes and tests a double mediation model in which DL affects DX not only directly but also indirectly through OLC and IB. Using survey data from 426 local government employees in South Korea and analyzed with the PROCESS macro, the findings confirm both the direct influence of DL on DX and the sequential mediating effects of OLC and IB. The results underscore that digital transformation hinges on the integrated alignment of leadership, organizational culture, and behavioral factors. Building on these insights, the study advances theoretical understanding of the structural mechanisms underpinning DX in the public sector and offers practical policy strategies for strengthening implementation capacity in local government settings. □ Keywords: Digital Leadership, Organizational Learning Culture, Innovative Behavior, Digital Transformation, Double Mediation Model, Local Governments

2025.12.31

Jaeyong Lee

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Typology and Development of Local Autonomy Models Through an Analysis of the Institutional Formation of Local Governments: Focusing on the Distribution of Institutional Power and the Initiative of Organization The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of local government institutional structures in major advanced countries, categorize the Korean local government model, and explore desirable directions for local autonomy. To this end, we analyzed the core components of local government systems in major advanced countries (Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France) in addition to Korea, from two perspectives: structural and functional aspects and operational aspects. The main analysis compared the institutional landscapes of each country based on key indicators such as the hierarchical structure of local government, the fragmentation of basic units, the principles of distribution of authority, the institutional structure model, the status of executive heads, and the status of their staff. The results of this analysis are as follows. First, each country showed clear differences in nearly all indicators, including the hierarchical structure of local government, the fragmentation of basic units, the principles of distribution of authority, and the institutional structure model. Second, based on this comparative analysis, we attempted to categorize the systems based on two key axes: “power distribution method” (centralized vs. decentralized) and “local government identity” (state-centered vs. society-centered). As a result, the six country models could be reclassified into three ideal types: ① a state-led integration model (France, Korea, Japan), ② a community-based decentralization model (Germany, the United States), and ③ a parliamentary sovereignty-based compromise model (the United Kingdom). This comparative categorization is significant in that it objectively illuminates Korea’s local autonomy model and provides a reflective basis for the future development of local autonomy. □ Keywords: Local Authority, Local Government, Istitutional Structure, Power Distribution, Local Autonomy Model, Path Dependence

2025.12.31

Park, Jong-Hyok ･ Hong, Sungman

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Institutional Exclusion of Adolescent Parent Families: Equity and Content Analysis of Support Ordinances with Policy Implications The imbalance in ordinances exacerbates the multidimensional marginalization faced by adolescent parent families and raises concerns about equity. This study conducted a comprehensive survey of ordinances supporting adolescent parent families, applying Coulter’s inequity coefficient and adjustment score for quantitative analysis and categorizing key ordinance components for qualitative analysis. The results revealed that several regions have insufficient or absent ordinances, indicating inequity and underscoring the urgent need for ordinance enactment to prevent institutional marginalization. Additionally, the ordinances exhibited structural limitations, including insufficient rights protection, narrow beneficiary scope, limited program diversity, insufficient planning and monitoring, weak operational frameworks, and inadequate financial provisions. Future efforts should focus on closing institutional gaps across regions and enhancing ordinances based on effectiveness and coherence.

2025.9.

Joo, Sun Ok

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Realizing Local Autonomy Values through Regional Digital Strategies: An Empirical Analysis of Local Informatization Master Plans Local autonomy in Korea has evolved by reflecting regional specificities, with digital technologies emerging as a key instrument to complement and reinforce local governance. While digitalization enhances administrative efficiency and alleviates dependence on the central government, critics argue that it has not sufficiently strengthened the intrinsic values of local autonomy?originality, distinctiveness, and agency. Against this backdrop, this study empirically examines whether regional digital policies align with the essential purposes of local autonomy by analyzing the implementation tasks outlined in Local Informatization Master Plans. The findings reveal that originality and distinctiveness are substantively realized, as tasks exhibited low redundancy and limited similarity, thereby reflecting region-specific characteristics and priorities. In contrast, agency was constrained: approximately 65 percent of metropolitan-level tasks and more than half of municipal-level tasks relied on central government funding, with larger projects showing stronger dependency. These results suggest that while regional digital strategies partially realize the values of local autonomy, financial dependence restricts agency. Policy implications include repositioning the central government as an enabling partner supporting local initiative, while local governments must strengthen fiscal autonomy and sustainability by developing innovative, resource-based strategies.

2025.9.

Young Min Park

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An Analysis of Efficiency and Determinants of R&D Performance in the Regional Specialization Industry Promotion Program: Focusing on Differences among Managing Agencies This study analyzed the efficiency and influencing factors of R&D performance in the “Regional Specialized Industry Promotion Project.” Focusing on the differences between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) as the lead ministries, the study employed bootstrap DEA and Tobit regression analysis to measure the efficiency of scientific, technological, economic, and social outcomes. The results showed that technological and economic performance were relatively higher under MOTIE, while social performance was higher under MSS. In addition, variables such as GRDP, fiscal self-reliance, utilization rate of shared equipment, and ratio of collaborative research had significant effects on efficiency. Based on these findings, the study suggests the need to enhance the consistency of the national R&D management system and to design region-specific policies.

2025.9.

Won, Jun-Hee ･ Oh, Gyu-Hwan ･ Kim, Chang-Jin

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Factors Enhancing Professional Expertise of Administrative Attorneys: Focusing on Training and Regional Learning Organizations This study investigates how professional expertise among administrative attorneys can be strengthened, emphasizing the role of practical training and regional learning organizations. Current training programs remain largely theory-oriented, limiting their applicability to real-world practice and hindering knowledge transfer. To explore this issue, a Focus Group Interview (FGI) was conducted with three regional groups distinguished by their engagement in learning organizations: the Metropolitan area (active learning organization), the Honam Region (regional network), and the Yeongnam Region (non-participation). The findings reveal that learning organizations play a pivotal role in reinforcing expertise after initial training. In the Metropolitan area, the Practical Study Group advanced professional competence through regular case analyses and collaborative problem-solving. The Honam Region’s network supported both individual and collective learning by fostering information exchange and mentoring. By contrast, the Yeongnam Region lacked sustained organizational learning, depending instead on individual study and paid association-led lectures. Drawing on these insights, the study proposes several directions for improving the training system: fostering institutional support for the establishment of learning organizations, developing post-training support mechanisms, addressing regional disparities, and designing practice-oriented curricula. Furthermore, the study underscores the need to strengthen the association’s responsibility in program management and to build a stronger professional identity through ethics education.

2025.9.

Tae Yong Kim ･ Seung Hui Han

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Toward Regulatory Decentralization: Designing a Local-Led Exemption System in Korea This paper investigates the structural limitations of Korea’s centralized regulatory policy framework and explores the necessity and feasibility of introducing a decentralized model of regulatory exemptions that accommodates regional diversity. Existing regulatory exemption schemes have largely confined local governments to a nominal role, with substantive authority retained by central government bodies. Drawing on the theory of Regulatory Federalism, this study proposes an institutional redesign that reallocates regulatory authority to enable local governments to take a leading role in the formulation and implementation of regulatory exemptions. A three-phase model for the gradual delegation of authority is presented, designed to balance regulatory efficiency with local autonomy. In addition, the paper highlights essential governance components—including policy flexibility, accountability mechanisms, stakeholder engagement, and feedback systems. The study concludes that enhancing regulatory effectiveness and democratic legitimacy in Korea requires a shift toward horizontal, cooperative relationships between central and local governments.

2025.9.

Lim Hyun Jung ･ Lee Seo Hee

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Institutional Improvement Measures for Local Governments International Exchange and Cooperation This study was conducted to develop institutional improvement measures for local governments' international exchange and cooperation that enable effective responses to a changing international environment and evolving decentralization. With deepening globalization and the diffusion of decentralization, local governments have emerged as salient actors on the international stage; however, the effectiveness of their initiatives has been hindered by compounding environmental changes—including accelerating regional demographic decline—and by deficiencies in the current institutional support system. To address these issues, the study adopts three analytical dimensions—environmental, operational, and legal–institutional—to diagnose problems in the existing system and to propose remedies. Drawing on in-depth interviews with officials responsible for international exchange and cooperation across metropolitan and county governments, the analysis identifies practical constraints and priority needs for improvement. Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening environmental adaptability, building operational capacity, and reorganizing the legal–institutional foundations. The findings contribute actionable implications for enhancing the effectiveness and capability of local governments engaged in international exchange and cooperation.

2025.9.

Sudong Kim ･ Jaeyong Lee

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A Study on the Determinants of Police Deployment at Large-Scale Public Events: Focusing on Influencing Factors and Regional Disparities This study investigates the factors that determine the scale of police deployment at large-scale public events and examines regional disparities in deployment practices. Drawing on data from 18 provincial police agencies across South Korea between January and October 2024, we conduct an empirical analysis of police resource allocation. Unlike previous research that focused on the Seoul metropolitan area or earlier periods, this study employs nationwide event-level data derived from theoretically informed variables and applies a negative binomial regression model. The results show that the number of participants is the most significant determinant of police deployment. Moreover, private security personnel and local government support staff increase alongside police presence, indicating that civilian and public resources complement rather than substitute police manpower, particularly in high-risk events. Substantial disparities were also identified across provincial police agencies, suggesting inconsistent deployment practices nationwide. These findings provide empirical evidence to inform the improvement of police deployment manuals, the establishment of standardized evaluation criteria for large-scale events, and the strengthening of institutionalized cooperation between police and civilian actors.

2025.9.

Geon Lee ･ Jisu Jeong

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The Effect of Local Residents’ Social Capital on Participation in Participatory Budgeting: The Moderating Effect of Residential Area This study examines the effect of social capital on local residents’ participation in participatory budgeting by conceptualizing social capital in terms of three dimensions: trust, networks, and norms. Logistic regression analysis indicates that each dimension significantly influences participation. First, trust in people plays an important role: generalized trust positively affects participation, whereas particularized trust has a negative effect. Second, residents who are more actively engaged in secondary groups composed of diverse members are more likely to participate in participatory budgeting. Third, the norms of reciprocity are positively associated with participation. The study also investigates the moderating effect of residential context—specifically, whether residents live in urban or rural areas—and finds that residential area moderates the relationship between confidence in institutions and participation, as well as between secondary group involvement and participation. Taken together, these findings highlight the multidimensional nature of social capital and demonstrate that each dimension exerts distinct effects on participation. Moreover, the study contributes to the literature on civic engagement by demonstrating how residential context shapes the relationship between social capital and participation.

2025.9.

Minjeong Park

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A Study on the Political Characteristics of Local Government Heads and Budget Execution: Focusing on the 25 Autonomous Districts of Seoul This study analyzed the effect of political characteristics surrounding local government heads on budget execution. To this end, a panel analysis was conducted on 25 autonomous districts in Seoul, which are basic local governments, from 2006 to 2023, when the party nomination system was implemented. The analysis results showed that if the political ideology of the head of a local government is conservative, and if the head of a local government matches the majority of local council members, the unused budget rate is high and the budget execution rate is low, whereas if the head of a local government matches the higher governments, and if the head of a local government is reappointed, the unused budget rate is low and the budget execution rate is high. These results show that the political characteristics of the local government head are an important variable that affects budget execution in the budget execution process of local governments, and that various political factors such as the head's political ideology, the head's relationship with the higher governments, the head's relationship with the local council, and the head's reappointment are at work in the budget execution process. Furthermore, this study suggests that reducing unused budget rates and increasing budget execution rates require not only improvements in internal operational processes, such as early budget execution and monitoring of local finances, but also a thorough understanding of the diverse political characteristics and circumstances of local government heads.

2025.9.

Choi, Jeongyeol

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A Study on Provincial Tax Revenue Transfer Ratio in the Provincial Adjustment Grants: Focusing on the Linkage between the Adjustment Grant and the National Equalization Grants The purpose of this paper is to analyze the actual role of adjustment grant, the fiscal equalization system that works within the boundary of each province, focusing on a change in the proportion of provincial tax revenue that is transferred to finance the adjustment grant. Using a model that considers the linkage between the adjustment grants and the national fiscal equalization grants, we analyse the effect of a change in the provincial tax revenue transfer ratio on the fiscal revenues of cities and counties. In particular, we find that a change in the transfer ratio of Gyeonggi province, where the province itself and a few cities are excluded from the allocation of the national grants, affects the revenues of all local governments across the nation. Furthermore, the variation of the spillover effect becomes greater if the transfer ratio is different among provinces. Based on the results, we propose two policy suggestions for the reform of the adjustment grant. If the spillover effect of the allocation of adjustment grants in a specific province on the fiscal revenues in other provinces is intended, it is necessary to accurately set the goal of the spillover effect and verify whether the goal is achieved. However, to limit the role of adjustment grants to fiscal adjustments within provinces, it is necessary to resolve the link between adjustment grants and national grants. In this case, the transfer ratio is required to be significantly lowered because the connection between adjustment grants and national grants is disappeared.

2025.9.

Man Soo Joo ･ Byeongho Choe

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Local Education Finance in Response to Societal Changes This study aims to explore directions for reforming local education finance in response to rapid declines in the school-age population, the growth of the elderly population, and socio-economic changes such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Currently, local education finance is automatically expanded in proportion to national and local tax revenues. As a result, despite the decline in the school-age population, an excess of financial resources has emerged, leading to the accumulation of surpluses and inefficiencies in fiscal management. Structural issues also persist, including duplication of investment and insufficient performance management due to the separate operation of general local finance and local education finance, as well as the complexity and rigidity of local education taxes. Accordingly, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state and trends of local education finance, along with the challenges raised to date, and proposes reform directions for the system. Such diagnoses and reform proposals are expected to reflect demographic changes and shifts in educational demand, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the sustainability and effectiveness of local education finance as well as educational autonomy.

2025.9.

Gyun Cheol Gu

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Identifying Key Issues in Korea’s Local Elections and Scenario Analysis for Improving the 2026 Local Elections The purpose of this study is to identify recurring issues and estimate the effects of policy levers by conducting a combined analysis of academic articles and news reports from 2018–2025, in order to propose institutional reform measures for the 2026 local elections. For the scope of the study, a total of 98,262 news articles related to “local elections” were collected from BigKinds, and due to system limitations, the top 20,000 articles based on proximity criteria were used for analysis (12 national daily newspapers and 5 national broadcasters). For academic sources, 136 KCI-indexed articles (abstracts) were extracted. The research method first applied topic modeling, then simplified the core keyword structure through PFnet, and performed sentiment analysis on the integrated keywords. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was then constructed, followed by a 24-month system dynamics (SD) simulation to estimate the effects of policy levers. The results indicate that the Quality of political culture (Q) improved most significantly through transparent nomination processes and responses to disinformation, while voter turnout (V) was most influenced by GOTV efforts. Regulation of negative campaigning had positive effects on both Q and V. The policy implication is that institutional reform (nomination), information environment cleansing (anti-disinformation), participation promotion, and campaign norms (negative campaigning regulation) should be designed as a package. This study contributes by presenting a framework that quantitatively estimates the policy effects of local elections through the integration of text mining, sentiment analysis, and dynamic modeling.

2025.9.

Young-Chool Choi

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The Effect of Fiscal Spending on Community-Based Gift Certificates on Small Business Sales: Focusing on the Mediating Role of Gift Certificate Sales Volume This study empirically examines how fiscal expenditures on Community-Based Gift Certificate programs affect small business sales through actual Community-Based Gift Certificate transactions. The mediation regression analysis and bootstrap test were conducted using raw data from the 2021 and 2022 Statistical Business Register (DB), accessed through the SDC Analysis Center. The results indicate that all forms of fiscal expenditure have a statistically significant positive effect on Community-Based Gift Certificate transactions. However, only central government subsidies exhibit a statistically significant positive effect on the change rate of small business sales. Additionally, the results of the bootstrap analysis indicate that expenditures on the Community-Based Gift Certificate program mediates the relationship between the sales volume of Community-Based Gift Certificates and the rate of change in small business sales. This finding suggests that rather than exerting a direct effect, Community-Based Gift Certificate expenditures have the potential to strengthen the pathway through which subsidies contribute to small business sales via Community-Based Gift Certificate transactions.

2025.6.

Gyu Ri Shim ･ So Yeong Kwon

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The Impact of ESG in Local Governments on Net Youth Migration As the role of local governments in sustainable development gains increasing attention, the importance of ESG-oriented administration has also grown. Younger generations tend to prioritize ESG in their consumption and employment choices, and these preferences may also influence their residential choices. This study empirically examines whether improvements in ESG practices of local governments contribute to attracting net youth inflows, using 2023 local government ESG data and youth migration variables from 226 basic local governments. Our findings show that higher ESG scores are positively associated with net youth migration. In particular, enhancements in the Social (S) dimension significantly drive youth inflows, with more pronounced effects in non-capital regions. These results suggest that strengthening the social aspects of ESG in local governance may serve as an effective strategy to attract young populations and address regional demographic decline.

2025.6.

Kyunghyun Kim ･ Seongmin Seo

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Factors Influencing the Adoption of Carbon Neutrality Ordinances in South Korean Local Governments This study investigates the factors influencing the adoption of carbon neutrality ordinances by South Korean local governments using event history analysis with a Cox proportional hazard model. Findings reveal that participation in international environmental cooperation networks, financial independence rate, and the progressive political affiliation of local government heads significantly and positively drive ordinance adoption. Conversely, vertical and horizontal diffusion negatively affect adoption, suggesting that local governments are more influenced by the discourse power of the central government’s legislation rather than diffusion from higher-level or neighboring governments. These results underscore the importance of international collaboration and financial support for less affluent regions to effectively promote carbon neutrality policies at the local level in South Korea. The study contributes by comprehensively analyzing the distinctive diffusion patterns and internal determinants of carbon neutrality policy adoption in South Korea.

2025.6.

Rho, Hyunae

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