Korea and Japan have transferred successfully from peasant oriented agrarian to industrialized society. However, both countries has adjustment problems in the agricultural sector in the course of transformation such as over depopulation, aging of rural population and devitalization of rural socio- economic activities.
Both governments have invested a large amount of finance to overcome agrarian problems, in particular for boosting agricultural competitiveness and rural vitalization. However, such government led agricultural and rural development, a kind of exogenous development, is criticized that it increases the dependancy of farmers to the government and may affect loosing competitiveness and sustainability. Therefore, endogenous rural and agricultural development strategy is requested to be introduced into agricultural and rural development policy.
Endogenous rural development is a kind of bottom up approach, which addresses the role of local entity as a subject of development and bring sustainable development by using local resources, opportunities through networking of socio-economic activities in the region. Followings are the first year research result.
A. Industrialization condition, migration pattern and the condition for endogenous rural development
Japanese industrialization has been achieved by internal industrial capital, which was formed from agrarian base in the Daimyo period during the mid 17~19th centuries. Under the leadership of Daimyo, who was the ruler of local feudalistic territory in Japan, increased rice productivity, fostered cottage industry and local markets, which were developed as local cities.
During the industrialization process in 20th century, rural migration occurred in Japan, but the rural population settled down mostly near by cities because local cities were important base for Japanese industrialization. The rural population has migrated to industrial cities in the eastern coast of Japan after the world war II when Japan achieved a rapid economic growth. Therefore, Japanese rural problems have been occurred since 1960s when rural population of mid-mountainous area began to decrease.
Korean industrialization began in 1962 when government initiated the first 5 year economic development. However, Korean industrialization started with foreign capital and technology with export oriented economic development strategy. Since Korea had no local industrial base for industry development, the industrialization base was built mainly at the Capital city and nearby area, and big port cities. Therefore, most people in rural areas migrated into capital city areas and big port cities.
Japanese rural migration proceeded slowly from early 20th century and settled down at the nearby local cities. However, Korean rural migration proceeded immediately after the 1st economic development plan, and rural population settle down to the capital city areas. The issues of rural depopulation in Japan was occurred only after 1960 when rural people migrated into the big industrial cities.
The depopulation problem of Japan is limited in mid-mountainous area while the problem in Korea occurred across the country. The industrialization condition, migration pattern of Korea and Japan affect to the condition of endogenous rural development and vitalization policy through affecting the human resources and community system at local level. Japan has a long history of local autonomy and experiences of endogenous rural development from Daimyo period, while Korea has no experience of local autonomy until 1997. The shock of rural depopulation in Korea is more profound than that of Japan, and the base of human resources for endogenous development in Korea is much weaker than Japan.
B. Japanese Agricultural Restructuring and Community Farming Practice
Community farming in Japan was emerged to tackle the problems of farm population decrease and aging, the fragmentation of farming scale, the decrease of farm productivity, the deterioration of farm resources, and the devitalization of rural communities.
Community farming in Japan has been developed through three stages: village group farming, particular farming entity, and farming corporation. From the standpoint of endogenous development, community farming has following six components: 1) subject for decision making, 2) resource utilization for production, 3) the vitalization of tradition and culture, 4) principles of action, 5) setting goals for development, and 6) decision making process in the course of operation.
Community farming in Japan is now developing in the following ways: 1) from village farming group to a functionary organization of the community, 2) from a partial contract farming to a whole contract farming, or from rice farming to multi-cropping farming, 3) and employing specialized manager for community farming group operation.
C. Urban-Rural Exchange Program(UREP) between Korea and Japan
UREP in Japan has emerged earlier than Korea by more than 20 years. Therefore, the programs of UREP in Japan are vary and richer than those of Korea. The background of UREP in both countries are similar: depopulation in rural areas, aging, and lost vitality in socio-economic activities. Both countries have also common problems of human resource and people's participation for UREP. However, UREP in Korea is different frorm that of Japan in following points.
1)Korea UREP has a strong tendency of supporting rural areas by urban people, while the UREP in Japan has a tendency of equal exchanging between urban and rural areas.
2)UREP in Korea is initiated usually by the state government policy, and the local autonomy is a body of implementation, while the UREP in Japan is initiated by the local autonomy, and asking the government to support finance and institutional arrangement.
3)UREP in Korea is initiated by a few local leaders, while the UREP in Japan is initiated by local organizations.
4)The ultimate goal of UREP in Korea is income increase through the project, while the UREP in Japan addresses the importance of human exchange and mutual understanding, and vitalizations of rural areas through utilization of local resources and creating employment opportunity.