Foreign experience in using regional programs in post-war reconstruction of territories using the example of the Republic of Korea

The article is devoted to determining the features of the use of regional programs in the post-war reconstruction of territories using the example of the Republic of Korea. Regional imbalance in the Republic of Korea is negatively manifested not only in the economic sphere, but also in the social sphere. As the country becomes more urbanized, rural regions of Korea are facing demographic problems caused by the aging and shrinking population, partly caused by the migration of young people to cities. This has increased pressure on the metropolitan region and depleted the viability of rural areas. The government is trying to solve this problem through regional policy. Thanks to the policy implemented, many economic and social indicators reflecting regional imbalance, such as population migration, the level of accessibility of education, and medicine, have changed in a positive direction for the regions. Special attention is paid in the study to the consideration of regional programs of the Republic of Korea in different historical periods. For the twentieth century, a characteristic manifestation was Saemaul Undong (SU), as a key program for increasing agricultural production and developing rural areas. Among the completed projects of the 21st century, the Innovative Cities Initiative, which began in 2004 and will end in 2020, is worth highlighting. The initiative aimed to relieve pressure on Seoul while catalyzing the development of the country's secondary cities. The government of the Republic of Korea invested in improving public services, housing, cultural amenities, and transportation infrastructure in these cities to encourage the movement of personnel and help them integrate into new communities. The goal of South Korea's regional policy in recent decades has been to promote broader growth across the country in order to reduce pressure and restore balance between the metropolitan region and rural areas. This policy is based on a number of initiatives, such as the development of 10 "innovative cities" and the new multi-purpose administrative city of Sejong. Korea is also one of the leading countries in the field of smart cities, as represented by two well-known pilot projects in Sejong and Busan.