Adaptive Governance in Crisis: Collaborative, Agile, and Learning-Based Responses to COVID-19 in South Korea

Abstract

This study examines adaptive governance for crisis management by analyzing South Korea's response to COVID-19. It investigates how adaptive governance strategies, collaborative action, agile action, and crisis learning shaped the effectiveness of the national response, with a focus on the roles and interactions among key governance stakeholders. Drawing on survey data (N = 1020), the study identifies specific adaptive actions that contributed to effective crisis response based on citizens' perceptions across sectors. The findings show that collaboration was the most effective overall, agility was particularly effective in central government initiatives, and crisis learning contributed meaningfully to sustained responsiveness. These results highlight the importance of cross sectoral coordination and adaptive governance for strengthening crisis response capacity.