Research Reports
A Comparative Study between Korea and Japan on Endogenous Rural Vitalization Policy- Three Case Studies -
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AuthorKim, Taegon
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Publication Date2006.11.01
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Original
This is a comparative study between Korea and Japan on the endogenous rural development policy. Endogenous development strategy could be defined as the subjects of a community aware the community problems and find the solution with the community resources through development activities. Endogenous community development, therefore, consists with four components: organizing subjects, building capacity of the subjects, utilization and conservation of community resources, and activities for problem solving. Rural community revitalization could be realized through the increase of development activities for agricultural production and processing, specialized products, and rural tourism and rural-urban exchange,...etc.
This study consists with three cases: community social organizations; community farming groups; and community building through rural-urban exchange and rural tourism.
1. Community Organizations and the Condition of Endogenous Rural Community Development
Sound age Structure of population in a community is very important for the development of the community. The age structure of Korean rural community is relatively sound compared to the age structure of Japanese rural community. However, the age structure of Korean rural community is rapidly changing, and becomes more aged than Japanese rural community in the near future. Korean rural community shall face problems of scares of human resources, in particular with leaders who are young and succeed community leadership.
As the heavy migration and change of age structure in Korean rural communities, traditional social organizations become weak and dissolved. In the case of Japan, it is very rare that the traditional community organizations still remain. However, the social organizations in Japanese rural communities are well organized according to the needs of modern community living in the spheres of village autonomous administration, economics, religion, and culture.
Fostering young leaders who will be the community leaders in the future is so important factor for the endogenous rural community development. The community leaders must be fostered from young ages as participating in community activities and learn the norms and tradition of community organizations.
2. Community Farming Groups and Agricultural Development
Cooperative farming company(CFC) in Korea produce farm products individually, while sell the farm products cooperatively. Even though the members of a CFC know that cooperative production is better than individual production in the sense of saving production cost, it is not easy task for them to follow the principle, and therefor it is not realized yet. The individual farmer in the company is a full time farmer and has a large scale of farm machineries, which capacity is over to his farming scale.
In the case of Japan, community farming groups produce agricultural products in the way of cooperative and participating in the processing and marketing of the farm products. The group farming in Japan is the way of cost saving than the individual farming.
Community farming group in Japan could save production cost and prevent the increase of idle farm land in rural community. It also possible to increase income and employment in the farm sector through the increase of vegetable cultivation after rice and the increase of farm processing and rural tourism.
The leaders of the group farming in the case of Japan are mostly pat-time farmers and reentered farmers after the retirement of nonfarm business. The experiences learnt from the nonfarm sector becomes valuable for vitalizing group farming activities.
However, in the case of Korea, the leaders of the cooperative farming company are mostly full time farmers. Therefor, reentered farmers who experienced from nonfarm business sector are not utilized. The leadership of reentered farmers must be considered for the vitalization of cooperative farming company in Korea.
3. Community Building and Revitalization
The community building between Japan and Korea are very similar in objectives, contents, activities, resources, and outside supports. The ways of endogenous rural community development could be classified into four steps according to the process of development and the role play between community people and local government: mobilized, participatory, initiative and autonomous. In particular, the facilitators such as NPOs, professions, companies and civic organizations paly important role for each step of endogenous development.
In the case of Japan, the facilitators are well organized and developed compared to the case of Korea. However, in the case of Korea, the facilitators are mostly local government officers. The partnership between community people and local government officers leads community building activities in Korea.
The activities of civic organizations in the form of NGOs are increasing in Korea, the weaknesses of rural community activities caused by aged and depopulation are covered by civic organizations such as NPOs in Japan. It is desirable for the development of endogenous rural community development in Korea to foster facilitators such as NPO in Japan, and develop various program for the participation of community people in the course of endogenous community development.
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