The Korea Local Administration Review

This paper aims at examining the issues and policy alternatives for positive administration in local governments. Basically, the study adopts literature survey and interview methods to see the obstacles against positive administration at local levels. After studying model cases of foreign countries, this paper presented future tasks which are needed for positive administration in Korea.
The main causes of hindrance against the positive administration of Korean local governments include the demand for political neutrality, the danger of failure, uncertainty, bureaucrats’ pursue for self-interests and role ambiguity. Local bureaucrats tend to have apathetic and passive attitudes under the domination of those factors. It seems that positive administration is particularly needed in the fields of regulation reforms, risk management, long term investment and innovation. A precondition for the development is a transition of policy paradigm from regulation policy towards service administration. Otherwise, local residents and private companies do not show a high level of compliance towards governmental policies. Major policy options include a spread of qualified immunity system, appointment of ‘Csar’ for a special problem solving task and the expansion of incentives for local bureaucrats who adopt the positive administration.
 
□ Keywords: positive administration, qualified immunity, audit, regulation reform