Policy Transfer and Feedback from Domestic Stakeholders: The Korean Adaptation of Arts Council England

Abstract

Despite a growing interest in adaptation and indigenization in the process of policy transfer, less attention has been paid to communication with domestic stakeholders in borrower countries and its impact on policy success. This study aims to highlight how feedback from domestic stakeholders can be a vital part of the transfer process and the ways in which it can contribute to the policy transfer heuristic. The South Korean adaptation of Arts Council England is explored from two perspectives: (1) borrower - lender communication, and (2) borrower - stakeholder communication. Interviews with key transfer actors from the Korean side are drawn upon along with newspaper reports, National Assembly records and grey literature from government organizations in England and Korea. The findings reveal that, despite a clear understanding of the functioning of the English policy, the Korean government's efforts were less successful due to disagreements arising from stakeholders' interpretation of the arm's length principle.