Improving Local Safety Management in Korea: A Case Study on Local Safety Index and Leisure Sports Safety Management

With the increasing frequency of natural and man-made disasters, Koreans pay greater attention to safety management. In response, the Korean government has developed a ‘local safety index,’ which measures the level and awareness of safety management by region. This index has been annually reported based on statistical measurements of seven safety areas: traffic accident, crime, suicide, infectious disease, fire, safety-related accidents, and natural disaster. Among the seven areas, the study examines weaknesses of leisure sports safety measures. Furthermore, it recommends how Korean safety management can be strengthened. Along with diversified types of leisure sports, the risk and likelihood of safetyrelated accidents have grown due to insufficient precautions. Despite increased demand for leisure sports, legal measure and institutional framework for safety management are still weak in Korea. Often, individual laws and regulations of different government entities are to be jointly applied according to recreational site or facility standards. But the legal basis for direct safety management is insufficient. Hence, the Korean government seeks to improve safety policies. The underlying problem is the absence of safety education and training activities. In response, the legislation on leisure sports’ safety should be enacted by incorporating various aspects like safety education, safety inspection, facility safety management, etc. Only then, everyone can safely enjoy leisure sports.