Yakudō suru Kankoku no Shakaikyōiku / ShōgaiGakushū (Dynamic Social Education and Lifelong Learning in South Korea: Citizens, Communities, and Learning)

In this book, the practices and policies of lifelong learning in South Korea, referred to as regular learning in the Korean language, that have displayed a vibrant dynamism in recent years are described. Citizens, Communities and Learning is the result of five years of collective efforts from approximately 30 Japanese and Korean researchers and practitioners. It is a continuation of the book, Dynamic Social Education and Lifelong learning in Korea—Towards the Creation of a Civil Society (Eidell Institute, 2006), which was edited by Hwang Jonggon, Kobayashi Bunjin, and Ito Osakazu more than a decade ago. Although many years have passed since the publication of this book, lifelong learning in South Korea has subsequently undergone significant changes and developments in both policy and practice. The 2006 book focused on the history and policy trends in social education and lifelong learning in South Korea. Rather than adopting a systematic approach, this book, on the other hand, is more of an effort to capture the dynamic changes in practices.
 
Lifelong learning in South Korea became important after the “5-31 Educational Reform Plan” of 1995 when the construction of a lifelong learning promotion system including legislation for the same was taken up in earnest. After this, government-led initiatives related to lifelong learning including the creation of lifelong learning cities and lifelong learning festivals were promoted and the interest in and awareness of lifelong learning increased, spreading to regions all over the country. The nationwide spread of lifelong learning gradually expanded further under favorable conditions including the revival of the local autonomy system in the mid-1990s and the civic movement that showed a great dynamism at approximately the same time. Trends following the 2007 thorough revisions to the Lifelong Learning Act, in particular, need to be carefully examined. In addition to the traditional government-led type of lifelong learning, various practices by citizens and NPOs have emerged, revealing the spread and penetration of lifelong learning in diverse sectors.
 
In this book, the new trends after the 2007 revisions to the Lifelong Learning Act are described, and its maturing process from citizens’ movements to the course of policy enhancement is introduced in a simple manner. Furthermore, a summary of distinctive features in “Points of Interest” is presented for each section. In addition, it also includes a record of discussions with lifelong learning researchers and practitioners who represent Japan and South Korea on the issues of the future, based on the common awareness of social and lifelong learning seen in Japan–Korea exchanges for more than 20 years. Apart from this, the book includes “columns” by researchers and practitioners who have accumulated a variety of practices and research exchanges. It also includes a “Special Edition” with 10 declarations and ordinances based on local practices which support new practices, as well as a “Resources Section” that is a compact summary of lifelong education methods, chronology, statistics, basic terminology, and translations. This book will aid the understanding of lifelong learning in South Korea.
 

(Written by Lee Jeongyun, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education / 2018)