An Exploratory Study on Dual Office Holding of Local Public Employees in the Crisis of Low Fertility and Labor Shortage: Japanese Local Government Cases and Their Implications for Korea

Abstract

Korea and Japan are facing labor shortage problems in the circumstance of low fertility and an aging population. In particular, problems associated with an aging population is getting much worse in rural areas than in cities, which can be considered as a crisis threatening the foundations of local communities such as local key industries. Earlier than Korea, Japan has experienced the problem of declining and aging population in the provinces, and it is implementing long-term policies as well as short-term policies that allow local government employees to hold more than two offices in order to address labor shortage problems in local governments. As in Korea, Japan's law and policies on local public employees strongly prohibit public employees’ dual office holdings, but recently, some local governments allow their public officials to hold dual office holdings. Relevant cases in Japanese provinces are reviewed and implications for Korea are discussed.