A Study of 'Innovation City' Project Implementation

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to scrutinize the factors affecting the policy implementation by analyzing the implementing process of Public Agencies Relocation and Innovation City Construction project. In 2005, Korean government determined to relocate central administrative agencies, national institutions, and public entities, concerning that polarization in the capital region and imbalance of national territory had been an obstacle to the national sustainable development. It selected 175 out of 346 public agencies that were located in the capital region through Committee on Balanced National Development deliberation. To accommodate the relocated public agencies and institutes, Korea government determined to construct 10 Innovation Cities throughout Korea. This study discussed the factors that had influence on the policy implementation in the phase of implementation of the project. In particular, what was the most influential factors that affected the enforcement of Innovation City project was major focus of this research. Through previous studies scrutiny and literature review, this research classified the factors which are affecting policy implementation as follows: 1) policy contents factors 2) policy ii implementor factors 3) policy subjects factors 4) policy environment factors. First of all, to verify how the policy contents of the project changed, sub-factors such as 'clarity of policy contents and its consistency', 'desirability of the policy contents' were reviewed. Innovation City project had been promoted clearly and consistently to some extent in terms of a legal basis and planning because Korean government enacted a series of acts and plans from 2003. Second, policy implementation factors refer to securing of policy implementation means and resources, skills and attitudes of implementors. Two main organization in Korea government, Presidential Committee on Regional Development for the deliberating and Public Agencies Relocation Office, were undoubtedly enthusiastic and passionate because the project was a presidential commitment. Third, policy subjects factors are divided into political attitudes and power of the policy target group and compliance of policy target group. Though the government's policies related to Innovation City has been replaced significantly, the number of relocated public agencies and institutions did not change much. This means that Policy implementor, Public Agencies Relocation Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, must have secured the compliance of relocated public agencies. In short, the relocation project was consistent and able to iii secure its implementation means and resources. Moreover, skill and attitude of policy implementors, and policy target groups were compliant to its policy implementation. Finally, the policy environment factors refer to the support and attitude of policymakers, the support of people and massmedia to analyze the impact of implementation factors. As for the support of policy-maker, however, it had been changed dramatically when president Lee Myung-bak won the 2007 election in a landslide. Lee Myung-bak government, which was officially launched in February 2008, was committed to review the Innovative City construction projects, suggesting that despite of astronomical expenses, the effect of this project is uncertain. In the context of Korea, whether the President is supportive or not is the decisive factor for policy implementation. Some scholar who study on President of South Korea describe this phenomenon are the so-called 'imperial presidency' After studying the process of innovation city project implementation, it is undoubtful that president's support is essential to the implementation of a policy in the context of Korea politics.