The Future of Korea is a research initiative undertaken by the National Assembly Futures Institute, which aims to forecast the future of 2050, identify the goals that our society needs to achieve, and present various pathways to reach them. In 2021, the National Assembly Futures Institute proposed a national vision of “Going beyond a growth society to a mature society.” This vision defines a mature society as one that avoids state-led growth in favor of individual-led growth, moves beyond centralized governance to strengthen autonomous governance of local communities, and prioritizes the needs of socially underprivileged and marginalized groups above all else.
To forecast the future in collaboration with the public and identify ways to realize this vision of a mature society, the National Assembly Futures Institute forecasts the future in six areas: social relations, residential environment, education, economy, politics, and international relations. The Institute develops mid- to long-term strategies and policies for each field and presents common tasks that combine top-priority policies and fields.
During this process, 52 internal and external experts analyzed trends to date, forecasted the long-term future through forecast modeling, and participated in discussions to present strategies and policies necessary for our society based on the forecast results. The following are the preferred futures presented for each of the six areas: “A society of free and non-isolated individuals” in the field of social relations, “A safe and healthy life wherever you live” in the residential environment, “Expanding opportunities to rise up the social ladder anywhere” in the field of education, “A harmony between people, mother nature, and technology” in the field of economy, “Decentralized governance for the coexistence and development of diverse communities” in the field of politics, and “Smart Power Korea based on competence and trust” and “Coexistence mutually recognized by the two Koreas” in the field of international relations.
While this future may be considered utopian compared to the present reality, the effort to move step by step toward this goal is crucial. By sharing and spreading the idea of incremental progress, the future gradually becomes a tangible reality. It is hoped that the results of this study will contribute to presenting a small but practical hope to our society.
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