Religion in Korea has been shaped by its followers to a degree, but the role of religion in Korea has been largely unexamined. This study examines the role of religion and the incorporation of religious beliefs and institutions in the field of disaster management. In doing so, the study examines how three religions—Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism—operate in Korea, in particular in terms of both care-oriented management and mitigation-oriented management approaches. While utilizing descriptive research as a methodology, policy measures have been suggested with the support of theological perspectives. Despite some difficulties in making a generalization, the major finding is that religion has a role to play in supplementing care-oriented management, with mitigation-oriented management approaches, by better grasping the nature of a disaster and its effective management while responding to regional culture. In addition, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, local governments, and other government institutions must play new roles in incorporating religion in disaster management.

Disability inclusion of children in disaster management means to identify and then eliminate the challenges faced by children with disabilities during disaster occurrence. The present research aimed to explore how the challenges of children with disabilities can be resolved in disaster management. Qualitative content analysis was used to compare individual-stakeholder-based disaster management with all-stakeholder disaster management considering three stakeholders: developed nations, developing nations, and international organizations. A key finding is that these stakeholders must shift from the individual-stakeholder-based approach to the all-stakeholders approach while enhancing disaster medicine, education, monitoring, and implementation stages. A comprehensive framework of disability inclusion is proposed to reflect effective disaster management for these children.

This research aimed to compare different voluntary organizations in disaster management in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Comparative case studies were used to evaluate the following: the specialized expertise and unsolicited goods and services approach of the United States, the collaborative relations and small-scale approach of Japan, and the additional support and unsystematic coordination approach of community-based organizations in Korea. Three variables were considered: volunteers and their organizations, financial independence, and preferred strategies. The key findings are as follows: each country has tried to enhance the role of its own voluntary organizations in disaster management; the nations studied have similarities and differences in their strategies and actions; and the specific developments in each country have been varied and reflective of its respective culture. This work, as a pioneering study, evaluated three national cases in terms of voluntary organizations in disaster management in the Asia–Pacific region.

In the field of disaster management, not many have considered the role and needs of people with disabilities despite their number and condition. The purpose of this paper is to push for specific inclusion of people with disabilities, their needs and participation, into disaster management by studying relevant cases from Indonesia, Korea, and the USA. Qualitative content analysis was used as a major methodology by comparing three factors identified in these nations: government policies, schools and advocacy groups’ efforts, and families and local communities’ awareness. Three models, one from each country, were considered major takeaways from this study: the Indonesian moral inclusion, the Korean medical treatment without exclusion, and the US’ extending social inclusion. In addressing the needs and participation of people with disabilities in disaster management, the following recommendations are put forward: for Indonesia, a move away from olden beliefs and misconceptions on disability (e.g. as a punishment) is imperative. In Korea, relevant fundamental laws (e.g. the Basic Act on Emergency and Safety Management) need to be revised while also studying advanced laws on the subject. For the USA, though the country is already advanced, overall improvement is still needed in terms of association with international non-governmental organizations, increase in the number of (emergency or disaster) response officials, and provision of better medical treatment.

The present research aims to determine, from the perspective of public health nursing, how Koreans have implemented the mandatory use of face masks during the COVID‐19 outbreak by increasing public awareness in the following order: familiarly wearing, frequently wearing, and always wearing a face mask. Other nations may consider applying in their own policies the lessons learned by Korea regarding changes in awareness on face mask use.