Collaborative networks among local governments in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in South Korea

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine collaborative relationships among local governments in the Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea by applying social network analysis. Background: The capital metropolitan area consists of three upper-level local governments: Seoul, Incheon, and Kyounggi, which consists of 25, 10, and 31 lower-level local governments, respectively. Individual local governments in this competitive environment have sometimes tried to collaborate with each other for regional economic development and growth. This study investigated how they have collaborated with each other, and identified who played key roles in regional networks. Methods: The study applied social network theories and used the UCINET 6 software for an analysis of the network data collected, and the collaborative network among local governments was visualized using NetDraw. Results: The three upper-level local governments played important roles in promoting regional economic growth and coordinating the service delivery system in the capital metropolitan area. Conclusions: This study helps to understand collaborative mechanisms among individual local governments within a fragmented and competitive environment.