National drought management framework for drought preparedness in Korea (lessons from the 2014–2015 drought)

The scale of damage caused by drought is on the rise in South Korea. The country has been experiencing a 4–6-year cycle of extreme droughts at a nationwide scale. From 2014–2015, South Korea suffered from its worst drought in the past 50 years. This study aims to provide an effective drought management policy by analyzing the Korean government's response to the 2014–2015 drought under the National Drought Management Framework, which is composed of four stages: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The findings indicate that the Korean government effectively addressed the drought, yet there are no measures currently in place to cope with megadroughts that last for more than 5 consecutive years. Immediate attention is required to conduct research and introduce policies that will help in managing megadroughts. This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to drought preparedness research in the context of megadroughts and proposes an efficient national drought management framework that involves engagement of relevant line ministries.