Restricted Development Zone(RDZ) is one of the important means of environmental and territorial policy. This is why the government should release the indispensable area at least. Nevertheless, every government, from Kim Dae-jung to Moon Jae-in governm...
Restricted Development Zone(RDZ) is one of the important means of environmental and territorial policy. This is why the government should release the indispensable area at least. Nevertheless, every government, from Kim Dae-jung to Moon Jae-in government, has continuously released RDZ as if they underestimate the policy value of RDZ. RDZ release has been carried out in spite of the difference of government ideology or inclination, which is contrary to a number of studies that generally show that progressive government put an emphasis on environmental preservation.
Based on this critical mind, this study analyzed the institutional context and factors of the policy, with regard to the research question of why RDZ release has been continuously carried out despite the differences of government ideology or inclination, from the perspective of historical new-institutionalism. To this end, based on the theories and previous studies of RDZ and historical new-institutionalism, four independent variables were set: policy environment, interaction of policy actors, policy ideology, and related policy. Also, the study examined how RDZ path worked out and what consequences it showed. The main results of this study are as follows.
First, policy environment required each government to release RDZ. Especially the policy environment surrounding Kim Dae-jung government worked as the initial condition for the release path, and when Kim Dae-jung, who had the pledge to release RDZ, was elected as the president, critical juncture was formed, which led to the path in earnest. Since then, the government's policy environment had influenced the formed path to be continued, including socio-economic environment in particular, such as the rise of housing prices of Seoul metropolitan area, housing shortage, or economic recession.
Second, interaction of policy actors had an influence on releasing RDZ smoothly. Residents and landowners insisted on deregulation in order to ease inconveniences such as property rights restriction. Business operators developing released land were also influential, and local governments emerged as major policy actor to promote local issues. The positive interaction and support of the stakeholder and the central government facilitated RDZ release.
Third, policy ideology served as the basis for the decision to release RDZ. Each government’s policy ideology moved toward development policy for economic growth and stabilization of residence. Also, each government's belief on environmental policy did not restrain development actions that released RDZ. Moreover, the government, especially the president, the chief executive of state affairs, recognized RDZ only as available land. In the end, policy ideology justified the release of RDZ.
Fourth, related policies directly implemented the release of RDZ. Governments enforced public housing policy in order to stabilize common people’s residence, and RDZ was used to foster it. In addition, each government promoted national or local projects on land development with the aim of stimulating economy, activating local economy, and creating jobs. In other words, RDZ served as the tool for government's policy promotion, carrying out the function for system. As such, RDZ has been constantly released with path dependent tendency to a certain degree, without considering the role of environmental and territorial policy.
The process of path development of RDZ release can be summarized as follows. First, under the initial conditions of the late 1990s, various institutional contexts and factors created critical juncture, and Kim Dae-jung government became the first to decide RDZ release in the midst of powerful phase. Second, Roh Moo-hyun government, which succeeded Kim Dae-jung government, continued to release RDZ to implement the policy decided by the previous government. Third, the institutional context and factors in Lee Myung-bak government demanded development policy for economic growth, and the government exploited RDZ for territorial development. Fourth, Park Geun-hye government also carried out continuous deregulation of RDZ with the development logic. Fifth, Moon Jae-in government has lowered the influence of institutional context and factors compared to the previous governments, but still continues RDZ release just as before, following the release path. Through this process, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun governments took full release of small and medium -sized cities, which occupy the largest area of release. Besides, in all governments, the release for resolving civil complaints — clustered settlements, disconnected land, and so on — and the release for policy enforcement — national projects, local issues, and so on — were carried out.
RDZ release by the governments of all time has several characteristics. Institutional context and factors have led to the release of RDZ with the tendency or characteristics as follows. ① Path dependent tendency of RDZ release allowed continuous release in accordance with the logic of development, despite the differences of government ideology or inclination. ② Governments did not recognize the negative impact of RDZ release on the environment. ③ RDZ has been utilized for land supply means with the purpose of housing and land development as the subfield of real estate policy, rather than environmental and territorial policy.
This, in turn, shows the mechanism with regard to RDZ release by the governments. First, policy environment and interaction of policy actors, the variables of system external environment, indirectly had an influence on policy mechanism through demand and support. Second, policy ideology and related policy, the variables of internal characteristics of the system, had a direct impact on decision making of the governments. Third, due to the influence of the above four variables, combined with the active involvement of development logic and the passive absence of environmental awareness, RDZ has been recognized only as the means of land supply. Fourth, in such mechanism, RDZ was to be released despite the differences of government ideology or inclination.
This study has a significance in that it analyzes the development process of RDZ release and the factors driving it continuously in a long term perspective. In addition, the study tried to cover various variables that affect the release of RDZ in a single analysis framework, verifying the hypothesis of all five governments that carried out RDZ release. Based on such significance, the implications of this study are as follows. First, the government should make RDZ release to the minimum degree, with the consideration of positive impact of RDZ on environmental and territorial policy. Thus, efforts should be made preferentially to secure the land which is not RDZ, such as idle areas of a city. Second, the government should be able to make comprehensive value judgment on environmental policy issues including RDZ. Various values such as environment and equity, as well as economic feasibility, should be dealt with in a balanced view.
Meanwhile, this study attempted analysis according to the perspective of historical new-institutionalism and used a wide range of independent variables, which may lead to the weakness of causal relationship due to the increase of explanatory variables. It also has a limitation in terms of reliability and validity, which is generally found in qualitative research such as case studies. If such limitations are complemented in the follow-up studies, it is expected to draw more meaningful conclusions about the factors affecting decision process of environmental policy including RDZ release.