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Critical Human Security, State Capacity, and Policy Challenges in a Post-Covid-19 World: South Korea and the UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2025

Patricia Kennett ,
Huck-ju Kwon  and
Eunju Kim
Patricia Kennett*
Affiliation:
School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Huck-ju Kwon
Affiliation:
Global Development Institute for Public Affairs, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Eunju Kim
Affiliation:
Hansung University, Seoul, South Korea
*
Corresponding author: Patricia Kennett; Email: p.kennett@bristol.ac.uk
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Abstract

The papers in this special themed section reflect on, explore, and analyse national and local government policy responses to the recent pandemic between 2020 and 2022, and the short- and longer-term impacts on human security for different groups of people and places, with a particular focus on the UK and Korea. Drawing on an integrated critical human security and state capacity approach and qualitative methodology, they contribute to and further develop debates on the social policy responses to the pandemic and their scarring effects. They also highlight the key role that a state capacity for human security approach can play in promoting inclusive risk governance, recognising and addressing constellations of vulnerability, risk and insecurity, and highlighting the rapid and uneven distribution of the benefits of digital technologies and its potential from compromising as well as enhancing human security.

Keywords

critical human securitystate capacitysystemic riskpandemicinclusive risk governanceSouth Korea and the UK

Information

Type
Introduction
Information
Social Policy and Society , First View , pp. 1 - 5
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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