Mitigating Psychological Impact: The Experience of Korean Disaster Management

The psychological impact of disasters has not been adequately addressed in Korea. This research aims to evaluate how Korea should improve its management of the psychological impact of disasters toward the ultimate goal of effective disaster management. Qualitative content analysis is the main method applied. Nonprofessional management is compared with professional management by considering governments, psychology specialists, disaster victims, and local communities. The main finding is that Korea must change its current management style from nonprofessional to professional. Neighboring nations need to implement supplementary measures toward adopting a systematic approach that considers all phases of the disaster management cycle, emergency planning, and a long-term approach. The value of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of the issue of psychological impact from the perspective of disaster management in Korea.