I was motivated strongly to publicize this book especially when I came across with the news that Park regime was trying to remodel the nation. In other word, they were interested in reforming the inside structure of the state, which is a fruitless venture, I believe, in this informatized world. We have to adjust the vertical relationship between state and civil society itself and not simply the horizontal relationship between and among the components inside of state. It is my humble aspiration to contribute to the pending discussion about the alternative to the current governing system in Korea by the publication of this book by sharing ideas, stimulating semi-direct democracy which I believe a temporal solution to our pending thrusts, providing rationale for the reform minded social movements to expand citizen’s participation. I trust wisdom and sincerity of people instead of their political and administrative delegates especially in this era of informatization and subsequent globalization.
Dr. Park Jai-Chang earned his doctorate in Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany and is serving as an Endowed Chair Professor of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea.
He has served as president of major professional associations: Korean Association for Public Administration, Korean Association of NGO Studies, Association of International Area Studies of Korea. He was guest professors as: Humboldt Foundation Scholar at Free University of Berlin, Fulbright Scholar of UC Berkeley, Visiting Professor at Doshisha University, Visiting Scholar at Chiang Mai Rajabjat University and Congressional Fellow of American Political Science Association.
He has led many civil society organizations as: President of Ombudsman Forum, President of Civil Society Forum, National Executive Board Chairman of Voters Association for Clean Election, Co-president of National Citizen’s Alliance for Fair Election, and President of Asian and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs. He has hosted several news commentary programs at four major radio broadcasting systems and contributed many columns to major daily news papers.
He co-chaired Presidential Commission on Devolution Promotion for Local Authorities with Prime Minister and chaired several policy advisory committees of government: Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, Ministry of Environmental Affairs, Korea Independent Commission against Corruption, Ombudsman of Korea, and Special Committee on Political Reform of Ruling Saenuri Party.
He has authored and edited many scholarly books including Political Reform 4.0, National Remodeling in Governance Era, Reponses to the Globalizing World, Decentralization and Korean Civil Society, Global Citizenship and Social Movement, Korean Civil Society in Globalizing Era, Governance in Korea, Democracy in Korea and Civil Society, Sate and Citizen, Korean Civil Society in Crisis, Citizen’s Participation and Governance, Global Citizenship and