In this highly industrialized and rapidly changing world, volunteering becomes an important indicator to classifying a certain country as a welfare state. Since the last two decades, Korea, an emerging advanced country, has seen a wide spread of volunteering in almost every sector of life. For instances, middle and high schools require students to take part in voluntary activities as extra-curricular program; many of business corporations encourage their employees to perform volunteering; and almost every social and cultural organization implements a variety of volunteer utilization programs. Central and local governments have also encouraged people to participate in voluntary activities by developing such public schemes as legislative action, establishment of national council on volunteerism, establishment and supporting volunteer centers, and provision of various incentives for volunteers.
As a special measure to vitalize volunteer efforts throughout nation in the years ahead, the Korean government announced the 5-Year Volunteer Promotion Plan in 2007. Directing toward "the construction of volunteer nation," the plan aims at achieving 30% of adult population volunteering in the plan period.
Achieving the goal, however, would not be an easy task, unless a number of obstacles were eliminated. Thus, this study tried to identify some barriers and to find out feasible means to deal with them. Adopting a literature survey method, this study collected and analyzed the written documents produced by a number of seminars, conferences, forums, workshops and academic journals in both home and abroad.
Some of the major findings and suggestions are given as follows:
First, it is necessary to develop systematic management and support models so that they can be applied through all stages of recruiting, training, positioning, evaluating and rewarding for volunteers.
Second, it is necessary for government to provide legal, administrative and financial assistance to voluntary organizations. Special attention of government on hiring and benefiting staff of volunteer centers should be paid.
Third, in order to improve professional competence of volunteer coordinators, intensive training program should be developed arid job guideline and evaluation scheme should also devised.
Fourth, it is necessary to construct social network among voluntary centers and organizations.
Finally, the paradigm of public-private partnership should be materialized, so that autonomy and creativity of voluntary organizations should be ensured.