18권1호 - Redesigning Functions for Future Government in Korea: Based on Shifts of Administrative Environmen

Since the 1990s, the Korean government has restructured its organizations toward a small government and smaller roles of the government because of the profound impact of new public management(NPM), which stems from neoliberalism, a neoconservative government reform paradigm. Recently, however, the weakening of the role of the government and government administration, that is, a small and efficiency-driven government, has been increasingly viewed negatively. In particular, the relevancy of government size is not being discussed because it is not considered a major issue in the context of increased expectations of more active government roles and the implementation of government administration, particularly with the presence of the demand for improvements in the quality of life and the expansion of social welfare. Instead, the increased interest in preemptive responses focuses on redesigning the function of the future government to maximize the effectiveness of government policies, including the government’s operational efficiency under diverse and complex changes in global environments.

This study breaks away from the perspective of government organization reforms reflecting the political implications and controversial suitability of the government scale by seeking ways to redesign functions of future governments at the level of readjusting administrative functions to satisfy the following aspects of the administrative demand: society, economy, science and technology, environment, job creation and stability, and social welfare.

□ Key Words: Administrative Environment, Governmental Functions, Government Reform, Government Reorganization