An Assessment of Infrastructure Investment Policies in Korea

사회간접자본 정책의 성과와 문제

This paper reviews the achievements of the infrastructure investment policies since around 1990 and identifies policy area in which further efforts should be made. Traditional definition of social overhead capital has implied that the government should be the main, if not sole, supplier of the service. However, many sectors or sub-sectors of infrastructure investment and service allow room for private sector involvement. Expanding the role of the private sector will supplement the resources of the public sector, but more importantly, introduce competition in infrastructure provision. Competition will enhance the efficiency even a particular service remains in the hand public supplier. Private sector involvement, however, raises special problems in Koran context. They are the concentration of the Capital region and regional imbalance; excessive economic powers of large business conglomerator, so-called land problems. We examine each problems in detail and suggests possible solutions.