한국 농어촌 마을의 변화 실태와 중장기 발전 방향(2/5차년도)

Abstract

우리 농어촌 마을은 변화의 기로에 서 있다. 과거 산업화 시대 이촌향도와 농촌 산업기지화 정책 등이 농어촌 마을에 미친 부정적 영향이 주로 강조되었지만, 현재 귀농·귀촌에 따른 도시민 유입을 비롯하여, 경제다각화와 도농교류활동 등 다양한 요인이 농어촌 마을의 분화를 촉진하고 있다는 점이 주목을 받고 있다.

이에 우리 연구원은 2015년부터 농어촌 마을의 변화 실태를 심층적으로 탐구하고 중장기적인 발전 방향을 제시하기 위한 목적으로 5년간의 중장기 연구프로젝트를 시작했다. 2차년도에 해당하는 올해 연구는 작년에 수행된 개괄연구의 성과에 바탕을 두고, 한국 농어촌 마을의 물리적 측면과 사회적 측면의 마을 변화에 초점을 두고 심층적으로 탐구하였다. 이와 더불어, 우리 농어촌 마을이 당면한 중요한 정책 현안을 제시하고 이에 대한 대응책을 제시하고자 했다.

이 연구는 농어촌 마을의 물리적이고 사회적인 변화 실태를 종합적으로 이해하기 위해 다양한 접근방식을 선택했다. 전문성을 지닌 대학과 연구기관과 협업하여 전국 농어촌 통계자료 분석과 마을단위 현장연구, 마을지도자와 주민 대상의 현장 설문조사 등을 병행했다.

Background of Research This study continually examines spatial and socio-economic changes in Korean rural villages at a community scale for five years. In the first year in 2015, we aimed to design the whole research and identify the overall situation of changes in rural villages and their factors. This second-year study analyzes the villages' physical and social changes more empirically, diagnoses the trends in the changes, and presents major policy issues and countermeasures.

Method of Research This study represents the following research methods to compare and analyze the processes of the changes in each type of rural villages. First, we examine the trends in the changes in Korean rural villages through a literature review and statistical data analysis at a national level. Second, we present comparative analysis over 16 villages as for each category, based on field researches: interviews with community leaders and survey for general residents. Last, we diagnose the changes of residential conditions of the ‘eup’ community dwellers through a professional research institution's on-site survey.

Research Results and Implications We draw the following implications from physical and socio-economic changes in the case villages. First, the depopulation of rural villages shows different aspects according to each village's geographic characteristics and socio-economic conditions. In remote areas, with the depopulation by village units in small scattered villages, rural disparity between communities has been deepening between certain villages with appropriate conditions as for the population and the quality of life, and other villages without them. In general rural areas, villages without an economic breakthrough except for rice farming also have difficulty in attracting people returning to farming or rural regions. Therefore, it is urgently needed to seek plans to support securing successors. Second, the importance of people returning to farming has been confirmed as a new social group leading community activities. Despite the general stagnation of rural community activities, people who have returned to farming have been an energetic social group, so their roles should be reviewed in policy aspects. Particularly, a regional implementation system, where private-public cooperation governance and a network for exchange and partnership among communities are interdependently combined, is expected to systematically support diverse village activities and cooperation among villages. Third, spatial patterns among villages formed at the level of living zones are major factors in the villages' social and spatial changes. The population of higher-level centers, including the seat of eup offices, has gradually increased, and residents' economic activities have been centered on built-up areas of eups. However, non-hub villages' residents' demand for living services is still high in lower-level centers such as the seat of myeon (township) offices. Accordingly, the interdependent division of roles will become important between higher-level and lower-level centers in a region. Last, major policy tasks in consideration for the current issues in rural villages are as follows: 1) seeking cohesive territorial strategies and policies for nurturing rural settlements; 2) presenting blueprints to improve a service delivery system and to prepare for the broadening living settlements; and 3) laying the foundation of a planning system for nurturing rural settlement.

Researchers: Seong Joo-in, Song Mi-Ryung, Jung Moon-soo, and Min Kyung-chan Research period: 2016. 1. ~ 2016. 12. E-mail address: jiseong@krei.re.kr