Regional and Urban Policy and Planning on the Korean Peninsula

The potential for reunification of the two Koreas, whether in the short or long term, argues for a comprehensive look at policy and planning issues that encompass the peninsula as a whole. This book deals with spatial policy issues in both South and North Korea in a broad and non-political way.

Part one deals with South Korea, examining cultural changes, the capital city of Seoul, Greenbelt policy, the balanced national (regional) development strategy, and the new mega-regional approach. Part two delves into aspects of development in North Korea, such as the limitations of national statistics, the marketization of the economy, integration with the rest of North East Asia, and the need for a spatial infrastructure strategy. Part three examines the case for reunification in the interests of both the South and North. It argues that a transitional approach would be less costly and less risky than sudden reunification primarily via an early strategy of shifting more capital to the North and later by moderating migration flows to the South. The book also examines whether the capital should remain in Seoul or be relocated elsewhere should reunification occur.

Professors, students and public policy officials in the fields of Asian studies, regional economics and planning, urban studies and political science and any reader interested in the future of Korea will find this book very current and enlightening.