Dynamics of Environmental Policy Development in Korea : How did the Policy Windows have been opened?

한국 환경정책의 발달동인 : 정책의 창문은 어떻게 열렸는가?

This paper examines the dynamics of environmental policy development in Korea by reviewing some of the ways on how the policy windows have been opened. There are a lot of theoretical arguments about the major factors influencing policy development or changes. Many scholars have believed that severe pollution accidents or salient environmental episodes might have been the main motivation of environmental policy development. This line of argument seems valid, especially with the water pollution control policy in Korea. Water pollution control programs had rapidly expanded along with the series of water pollution accidents in the tap water sources from the late 1980s to mid-1990s. However, regarding other major env. issues, various other factors have played more important roles in the development of the relevant policies. In case of air pollution control policy international sport events such as, 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, and 2002 World Cup Competition, have contributed for the development. The municipal solid waste management policy partly owed its development to the introduction of local autonomy system in the mid-1990s. Even the foreign currency crisis occurring in December 1997 helped the policy paradigm shift from rigid supply-oriented to soft demand-oriented approaches. After closely looking at the dynamics of environmental policy development in Korea, this paper tries to identify the logical background of the observed outcomes.