Applied geography:retrospect and prospects

응용지리학 일반의 회고와 전망

The purposes of this study are to review research trends of applied geography field, to retrospect geographical works done by Korean geographers in applied geography, and to prospect the future of applied geography. We are in the period where societal problems such as energy, transportation, pollution, environment, health care, and many others, require careful consideration and need throughout strategies for solution. Most societal problems have some geographical dimensions. Because these problems are geographic in nature, there is an obvious implication that geography as a discipline has something to offer in their solutions. In fact, most geographic problems are best presented and analyzed through the applications of geographic theories, concepts and tools. Applied geography is a branch of general geography. It relies on the scientific methods and uses the principles and methods of pure geography. However applied geography is different in that it analyzes and evaluates real world action and planning and seeks to implement and manipulate environmental and spatial realities. Thus, geographic theories and other social theories that have geographic dimensions are fundamental to applied geography. Applied geography has a short history as theme in Korean geography. During the last two decades. Korea achieved remarkable economic growth. We have also encountered widening regional disparity, housing shortage of larger cities, transportation congestion, environmental pollution and many other problems. Applied geographers have tried to analyze and solve such spatial problems during the last 30 years. The research trend of Korean applied geography can be subdivided into 5 categories: (1) land use analysis and efficient utilization, (2) national physical development and planning. (3) regional development and regional planning, (4) tourism and location-allocation, transportation planning. Still the overconcentration of Seoul metropolitan region and unbalanced regional development are perceived to be the serious spatial problems which may induce more works to solve these problems. In Korea new emphasis has to be given to some professional training and experimental learning, including methodology, field techniques data management, statistical analysis, cartography, GIS, and other tools, as applicable and beneficial to problem solving in real world. The growth of applied geography depends on new insights and purposed solutions of future applied geographers in Korea. Applied geographers will contribute to the creation of future Korean geographies.

응용지리학은 실제세계에서 일어나는 사회, 경제, 환경적 문제들을 해결하기 위해 지리적 지식과 기술을 응용하는 지리학의 한 분야이다. 우리나라의 경우 아직 응용지리학 분야가 중요한 위치를 차지하고 있는 편은 아니며, 또 실제 문제를 해결하는 데 필요한 이 론이 잘 구축된 편도 아니다. 주로 토지이용 및 관리, 지역격차 분석과 그 해소방안, 지역개 발전략과 지역정책, 국토개발과 계획, 그리고 관광 분야에 관한 연구가 수행되고 있다. 오늘 날 지리적 차원에서 야기되고 있는 다양한 문제들과 세계화를 지향하고 국토통일을 내다보 고 있는 현시점에서 응용지리학 분야에 대한 연구는 그 어느때보다 절실하다고 볼 수 있다.