The Korea Local Administration Review

The speed of ageing society in Korea is so fast that it is very difficult to find comparable countries. Rural areas including agricultural and fishery villages are already in the super-aged society. Emigration of people to cities may lead to extinction of localities. The ageing society together with decreasing population sheds considerable problems on local administration. Despite of increasing financial difficulties, administrative demands are on the increase due to diversity of the elderly. Besides, reduction of rural population may endanger the future of local communities.
In order that we may make longevity blessing local governments and local administration as well as the central government ought to prepare the ageing society to the letter. Local administration is expected to establish long-term comprehensive planning in which included are employment and income support for the elderly, housing, health, medicare and welfare, social participation and life-time learning, and life environment, etc. Besides, community design should be remade from a scattered model based on a even-development perspective to a compact city model. It is also important to enhance capacity of local administration to provide public services by way close cooperation with the private sector including the civil society. Finally, several administrative measures for decreasing lower-tier local governments should be considered. For instance, city-county consolidation, enhancement of cooperation between lower-tier local governments, and reduction of administrative functions are taken into account for options.
 
□ Keywords: ageing society, aged society, population decrease, age-friendly city, local administration