Developmental Stages of University Lifelong Education Policies and Stage-Based Policy Evaluation in Korea

This study examines the long-term evolution of Korea’s university-based lifelong education policy from 2008 to 2025, during which it was institutionalized through the LiFE (Lifelong Education at Universities for the Future of Education) program in 2019 and restructured under the RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) framework in 2025. Drawing on an integrated perspective of policy history and policy evaluation, the study systematically traces and evaluates this trajectory as a coherent reform process. The policy is analyzed across five phases: policy formation (pre-2007), early implementation (2008–2011), institutional consolidation (2012–2018), structural transition (2019–2024), and reconfiguration and diffusion (from 2025). A goal-attainment evaluation framework is applied using six criteria—effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and appropriateness—to assess the realization of policy objectives and institutional change. The findings indicate that early policies expanded community engagement but remained largely government-driven with limited stakeholder participation. Subsequent phases institutionalized adult-learner-friendly academic systems, degree programs, and governance structures, while tensions emerged between stability and repeated program redesign. The LiFE phase introduced multi-year funding and system-level reforms that strengthened governance transformation and broadened participation. With the transition to RISE, university lifelong education has been restructured within regional innovation governance and subnational funding regimes, making policy coherence increasingly dependent on the integration of regional talent development, industry linkages, and adult learning rights. Finally, the study derives structural policy implications and practical pathways for advancing the transformation of the university lifelong learning system within the regional innovation framework.