미세먼지 관리정책의 변동과 경로의존성에 관한 연구 = A Study on the Changes and Path Dependency of Korea Particulate Matter Management Policies

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

South Korea ranks at the bottom among OECD member countries regarding exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). Most major cities, including Seoul, fail to meet the national environmental standards for particulate matter. Despite the implementation of particulate matter management policies over the past 30 years, the domestic particulate matter issue persists. What explains the continued problem, and why have previous policy efforts failed to achieve their goals?
This study seeks to provide insights into these questions by examining the evolution of particulate matter policies from an institutional perspective. The analysis reveals that although particulate matter management policies have incrementally strengthened in response to external environmental factors, institutional settings, and actors, they remain entrenched in their initial formulation stages, replicating themselves without significant deviation. This phenomenon can be interpreted as a path dependency of institutions, where, once established, they tend to repeat past choices rather than adequately respond to environmental changes, leading to a divergence between the two.