Abstract
Social conflict related to highway construction in Korea is continuously increasing. As a result, interest, research, and policy-making related to public involvement (PI) have also been increasing. The government has created committees and regulations to find ways to effectively manage conflict. In the highway planning process, opportunities for public debate are extremely limited and come only at the end of the planning process. A successful, ongoing demonstration PI project for the planning of the Chuncheon-Yangyang Expressway has expanded the capability and tools of Korea's highway agencies for involving the public. A PI manual is being developed simultaneously. However, the PI demonstration project also illustrated that PI still started too late in the planning process and that the process still fell short of processes used in Japan and the US. Further, carefully considered legislation will be necessary in order to implement truly effective PI.
