Abstract
An imperative challenge emerges from the demand to apply the scientific method in the assessment of recent agricultural and rural policies throughout the world. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ex-post quantitative evaluation of the Comprehensive Rural Village Development Program (CRVDP), a representative rural development policy operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, a central government agency in South Korea. The primary purpose of this program is to ensure sustainable rural society. This study found a moderate but significant positive impact of the policy in enhancing the standard of living in rural areas. The present paper concludes with suggesting some policy implications, limitations and future directions of policy evaluation studies.
Highlights
The rapid economic development in South Korea over the past six decades has been deservedly hailed as globally unmatched
What is the net effect of mean differences of the policy on the program implemented areas compared with non-implemented areas? What areas where the program had not implemented before would be affected if this program had been enforced? To address these sequential questions, a treatment group should be composed of the areas where the program had been implemented, and a control group should be composed of the areas where the program had not implemented
Largely due to the uncontrolled policy effect in the residual effect, we can say that the standard of living of the policy impacted areas was enhanced following program implementation; in other words, while the changes in demographics, spatial and agricultural factors in the policy impacted areas are less favorable in producing a better living environment, diverse government policies intended to enhance living conditions in rural areas have offset the negative changes in the countryside
Summary
The rapid economic development in South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) over the past six decades has been deservedly hailed as globally unmatched. Concomitant with this national economic growth has come an increase in both agricultural production and farmer’s income. The rural and agricultural environment in Korea has undergone rapid change over the past fifty years. The trend toward urbanization, which has been accelerating since the mid-1970s, has resulted in decreasing relative competitiveness of agricultural land use in Korea’s rural areas, which today suffer disproportionately from such problems as an aging population, the collapse of basic industries and a lack of social overhead capital, which adversely affect the living conditions of rural residents. The Korean government has implemented a number of initiatives to revitalize rural areas and to guarantee a sustainable rural society. Social demand that policy be improved in the interests of promoting greater efficiency and competitiveness in rural areas has increased
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