In terms of content, democratic citizenship education is the same as civic participation education in lifelong education. Since democratic citizenship education outside of school for adults is within the realm of lifelong education, democratic citizenship education for adults means democratic citizenship education as lifelong education. The continuous maintenance and development of a democratic society, the ultimate goal of democratic citizenship education, is in contact with a learning society, the ultimate goal of lifelong education. The ideal of a lifelong learning society in which anyone can learn what they want anytime, anywhere cannot be achieved without democracy, and a democratic society cannot be sustained and developed without citizens who embody democracy through learning and practice.
Based on this recognition, this study aimed to find a plan to revitalize democratic citizenship education through critical consideration of lifelong education. To this end, first, the theoretical background of democratic citizenship education and lifelong education was examined. Democratic citizenship education basically means education that fosters the democratic citizenship that citizens should have, and aims to sustain and develop a democratic society. Lifelong education, which emerged as a critical alternative to school education, shifted the center of education from educator to learner, and the space of education from school to the living world, and attempted a fundamental transformation of education, paying attention to the learner's social practice. However, as lifelong education in Korea is limited to education outside of school, excluding the school curriculum, its original value and practical power are being lost.
This study presented six ways to revitalize democratic citizenship education through critical consideration of lifelong education. First, the active participation of citizens is important as a subjective existence and active learner in a democratic society. Second, the understanding and practice of democracy should be set as the core content that penetrates all democratic citizenship education programs. Third, democratic citizenship education should be expanded by utilizing various lifelong education programs and projects. Fourth, there is a need for qualitative growth of learning clubs that place importance on social practice rather than quantitative expansion of learning clubs. Fifth, it is necessary to promote institutionalization, such as enacting democratic citizenship education laws and establishing promotion mechanisms. Sixth, it is necessary to positively review the use of lifelong education professionals who are experts in lifelong education along with activists of civil society organizations as field practitioners of democratic citizenship education.