Lessons in disaster management as learned from Korean NGOs

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to improve the role of emergent Korean non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in disaster management by comparing general-goal NGOs and specific-goal NGOs, and ultimately goal provide lessons for international NGOs. Design/methodology/approach: This study used quantitative research to analyze the issue through an international perspective. The hypothesis drafted was that if general-goal NGOs do not perform as well as specific-goal NGOs under actual conditions, their performance will have international implications. The two types of NGOs were systematically contrasted with reference to their social and political practices or culture through three variables: stakeholders, finance and strategies. Findings: The main finding or recommendation is that general-goal NGOs have to be transformed into specific-goal NGOs for effective disaster management, not only in Korea but also in the international community. Originality/value: When reflecting that almost no research has dared to look into the topic on the role or the type of disaster management NGOs in Korea, this paper has potential value as a pioneer study.