The Korea Local Administration Review

The approach of balanced regional development policies is geared with the recognition of regional disparities. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to explore the logic of the approach for balanced regional development based on identifying regional disparities. For this study, this paper introduces and defines the concept of spatial genes affecting regional development and presents contexts, components and elements that can identify and measure them. In this paper, the regional disparity is defined as the spatial inequality among regions, which has been brought about by the discrepancy between ‘benefit’ and ‘cost' related with the system or development policy of the public sector. Therefore, regional disparity is fundamentally different from regional differences naturally expressed by the spatial genes unique to the region. This paper examines the causes of regional disparity from the following two points of view; the first, from the behavioral pattern of each economic actor and the second, from the point of view related with the national or regional solidarities or identities. Based on this recognition of regional disparity, this paper explores the logic of balanced regional development by combining ‘universality’ as a whole country and ‘specificity’ of individual regions. Regional balance can be approached variously depending on the way to define the ‘universality’ of the country as a whole and the ‘specificity’ of individual regions. In this context, this paper explores the approach of balanced regional development from two perspectives; the first, by weighing the ‘specificity’ of individual regions, the second, by emphasizing the 'universality' of a whole country. Finally this paper draws policy implications and explores the possible transition of the paradigm in the field of balanced regional development as followings. This study leads to suggesting new governance system between the central government and local governments, among local governments, and between the public sector and the private sector. The new paradigm for balanced regional development should be focused on harmonizing ‘economies of differentiation’ among regions and ‘scale economies’ at national level. This harmony can be practiced by building ‘Link-Cooperative Spatial Circulation System’, where people can move around in search of their favorite space conditions according to their life cycle. The governance for this new paradigm is geared to cost-sharing method for balanced regional development.