Thomas Klassen, author and professor at the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University, is the co-editor of a newly published book that examines how governments in South Korea solve problems.
Titled, Policy Analysis in South Korea (Policy Press, 2023), the book studies how public policies and programs that lessen or resolve social, economic and other societal issues are developed and evaluated.
“South Korea is well known for its dynamic high-tech industries, and thanks to films and movies, for its culture. However, little is known about how public problems are solved in the country. Understanding how and why governments enact certain policies and the effects of programs and policies is the objective of the book,” Klassen said. “Sharing this knowledge with others around the world is one of the secondary aims of the book.”
Professor T. J. Lah of Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, who co-edited the book with Klassen states, “The book brings together 28 outstanding researchers, and is the first English-language book to examine the theory and practice of policy analysis in South Korea.”
Among topics covered in the book are procedures for decision-making at different levels of government; the policy analysis profession; the role of think tanks, media and public inquiries; and policy analysis education in universities.
Professor Joelle Fong, of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, describes the book as “a well-informed, rigorous and engaging account of South Korea’s experience in public policy analysis” that will be “useful for students, scholars or practitioners in public policy and administration."