Filling the gap between bureaucratic and adaptive approaches to crisis management: lessons from the Sewol Ferry sinking in South Korea

Abstract

This research aims to provide critical policy implications derived from the gap between bureaucratic and adaptive approaches of government to crisis management by particularly focusing on keywords in official reports released by government agencies. Based on the review of the bureaucratic and adaptive approach, the study analyzes data from official government reports on the Sewol Ferry sinking, which had been published from April 16 to 26, 2014 by conducting content and semantic network analyses with specialized packages: KrKwic and K-LIWC. The analysis results show that the bureaucratic approach embedded in the current crisis management system caused deficiencies in early-warning systems, resulting in major fatalities. This study contributes to the field of crisis management by providing an important implication that filling the gap between bureaucratic and adaptive approaches to crisis management can help responders to effectively cope with catastrophic events immediately based on a pre-established response plan.