Tu Yichao， Bao Yun，The History， Approaches， and Effects of YMCA Korea's Participation in Collaborative Governance of Korean Society，Chinese Journal of Korean Studies，No.1，2025

Abstract

Since its establishment in 1903， YMCA Korea has actively participated in social collaborative governance through the triple action of “spiritcitizen-service” . It is an important foundation for modern lifelong education，sports， and social activities in ROK， gradually developing into an important resource and organizational platform for ROK. It has made significant contributions to the country's independence， modernization， and democratization process， and has always enjoyed high popularity in Korean society. During the Japanese occupation period， YMCA Korea actively promoted national consciousness and preserved ethnic culture. After independence， YMCA Korea continued to build a network of cooperation and connections with other actors guided by the values of freedom， equality， and justice， becoming an important participant in the collaborative governance of Korean society in post-war reconstruction，industrialization， and democratization processes. Since the 21st century， YMCA Korea has faced various challenges such as secularization， politicization， and social trust， which have led to a relative weakening of its social service function and social leadership. This has to some extent constrained the organization's participation in social governance. Its future development depends on whether it can balance the boundaries with politics while maintaining its social service function， and achieve transformation by adapting to the needs of the younger generation.

Keywords

The Republic of Korea； YMCA； Non-profit Organizations；Collaborative Governance