A Comparative Study of National Human Resource Development Plan Implementation Systems in Korea, the United States, and Japan

Abstract

This article provides a comparative analysis of National Human Resource Development (NHRD) Plan implementation in Korea, the United States, and Japan. This study demonstrates that Korea is in a position very different from America`s and Japan`s with their unified NHRD Plans. First, while Korea provides systematic legal support in order to realize the NHRD Plan, especially with the enactment of the Human Resource Development Act, Japan and the United States lack such a legal basis. Second, from the perspective of systems to promote cooperation and participation, Korea has a key minister in charge of policy enforcement and an interagency process. Third, to win funding and support from policy-makers, Korea, the United States, and Japan fully recognize the importance of NHRD Plans and make their best efforts to win budget and support from top decision-makers. Fourth, in terms of the substantiality of annual enforcement plans, Korea has rather abstract criteria and less consistency in implementation. Fifth, as far as active publicity efforts are concerned, Korea lags behind Japan and the United States.