This study examines how community care policies are locally implemented in South Korea through a comparative analysis of Seoul and Busan. Drawing on a multi-layered welfare governance framework, the research explores how different localities interpret, structure, and operationalize the national vision of community care within their respective institutional and administrative contexts. Methodologically, this study employs comparative case study analysis, focusing on the “Care SOS Center Implementation Plan” in Seoul and the “Busan-type Integrated Care Master Plan” in Busan. Both documents are analyzed across four levels of governance: national, metropolitan, municipal, and community. Each level’s roles, actors, and organizational configurations are evaluated to understand how care services are delivered and governed. Findings suggest a clear divergence in implementation logic. Seoul, although autonomous in initiating its own plan outside the national framework, remains institutionally centralized, with local administrations (especially community service centers) serving as primary operators. In contrast, Busan aligns more closely with central government guidelines yet places stronger emphasis on public-private partnerships and resident engagement. These contrasts reveal structural contradictions inherent in Korea’s community care policy namely, the tension between central control and local autonomy. This study contributes to the field by applying a multi-layered governance perspective to integrated care policy, highlighting the need for region-specific strategies that address not only formal institutional design but also the operational realities of care at the local level.
Son et al. (Thu,) studied this question.