This research studied the formation process of Korean military social welfare policy since the early 2005's to 2008's and sought theory to explain the process of the military social welfare policy and found out participants' role of the social welfare policy formation and a historical change and character of Korean military social welfare policy. So, I executed interview investigation regarding, and there is the conclusion as shown below.
The theory which can explain the formation process of Korean military social welfare policy is well suited for elite theory than the pluralism theory. Even though there were the needs of the military soldiers and military families, expectations of the nation, military social welfare experts' and organizations' participations for the Military social welfare, the basic law was established with the vision of the ministry and office concerned because the Ministry of Defense has received instructions from the President. The elite group which participated as the centerpiece in the forming process for creating a policy and legislating can be grasped with the work teams' characteristics. The team of the Basic Law consists of Welfare Bureau of the Department of Defense Military Health and Welfare, senior professional members of Congress, the Nation Bureau of planning management coordinator. And, the Defense of human rights inspection teams in each group was in charge of Professional advisers for barracks' life. In the process of formation of military social welfare policy, a military officers in the government-funded institutions formulate policy for implementation with the help for making drafts from military welfare organizations. The president got reported and announced. Therefore, in the formation of military social welfare policy in South Korea, the core was the National Assembly Defense Committee and the administration of the ministry and office concerned. And, the assistant was the expert of military social welfare.
The elites in administration who took a central role for the formation of the military social welfare policy was a head of a department or a chief of the bureau. The military social welfare policy was confirmed through passing the Cabinet meeting and legislation process of the Congress. But, there virtually had no change in the contents. A head of a department or a chief of the bureau determined the Military social welfare policy because that is not the main task of the ministry and office concerned, and minister and vice-minister cannot participate on the process of establishing policy. So, military welfare policy in Korea has been changed depends on what opinion a head of a department or a chief of the bureau has about soldiers' maladjustment, military culture, the policy for military family. The policy on military culture and military society welfare was established with deep interest on the stability of the soldiers' and military family's life. However, the Military Welfare Basic Law and the implementing ordinances focused on military social welfare activities and the other was treated as an incidental business.
The ministry and office concerned took a central role at the formation of Korean military social welfare, but in policy formation process such as agenda-setting, planning, legislating, the opinion of military social welfare organizations and experts of military social welfare was reflected partly. The enforcement ordinance was prepared in consultation again.
First, in the social welfare agenda setting phase, the comments of military experts and military social welfare organizations were reflected. The main agenda of military welfare basic law and the barracks' life professional consultant is that military social welfare policy should be established. That was reflected according to the claim of the military social welfare experts and social welfare organizations. Contrastively, the agenda which is adapting military social welfare worker was not reflected.
Second, in the planning phase, the interests between the ministry and office concerned and other administration have been adjusted. Especially for the basic law, the ministries cooperate once a week. but, the opinion of civil society including human rights issues was not reflected due to the difference of interest.
In the third stage, the opinion of legislative branch and Department of Defense made compromise. The basic law was actively prompted as a joint initiative of 141 people in legislatures because that was the will of the Minister of the Ministry of defence. When you look at the way to adapt military social worker, you can realize that the legislative branch does not affect much on military social welfare policy. The Basic Law is promoted by the Ministry of Defence and initiated by members of the National Assembly, reviewed by standing committee and passed accordance with the standing committee's opinion.
Forth, in the formation process of military social welfare policy, the opinion of military social welfare organization, experts and civic group was not reflected effectively. Barracks life professional consultant system has some operational problems and that need a comprehensive improvement.
Korean military social welfare policy was changed with the intention to institutionalize and to extend the affairs concerning military social welfare.
In the course of enacting the basic law, the Ministry of defence reported the basic law to the President and prepared enforcement ordinance. Because the Military social welfare policy is for soldiers and military families, the human rights should be guaranteed in order to improve the quality of life. And several administrations should work actively for military, as well as consultant for maladapted soldiers. Also, the policy should help to collect the need of military family and should institutionalize the participation of the military social welfare experts. So that military's perspective should be reflected in that policy.
As the contents of the presented proposal, It should be suggested of adaption of military social worker and legislation as a priority, several administration should cooperate for the establishment of the family support system for healthy home. Another is placing military social worker at military hospital.
In the preparation of military social worker, miliary social worker should be contained when Korea social welfare association enforce the system of the expert of social welfare. and Korea social welfare association would join the task of military social work. when military social worker system is qualified, the application and utilization will be studied at he legislature or the administration. The support for military family is not sufficient even though the military welfare basic law was enacted. For military families, new agenda should be cooperated, settled, and applied with 'Healthy Family Act', 'Care Act' which are being implemented in other ministries. In addition, in the process of the preparing for the revised Act on military welfare, it is required satisfaction research and requirement research for some sectors. with this process, the enforcement ordinance should be more detailed and developed.
Finally, as well as the establish of national defense medical center, some opinions and strengthen activities forward the legislature and the Department of Defense community are necessary for deploying mental health, medical social worker at military hospital.
When you view the reality of our military, there are much necessity we can recognize such as the introduction of the military welfare system, the improvement of service. Military social workers are cooperator and facilitators. They should enhance the quality so can prepare to enter military. The fact that social worker's role is becoming diversification should be stressed on they need to adapt the flow of the change of the society and also the social welfare organs need efforts that much.
With this study, the flow of the formation of South Korea's military welfare policy has been established, the best policy would be developed. So, those make soldiers and military families improve the quality of life, furthermore, with establishing military combat readiness, we may hope that the people love the improved army.