Institutions, policy learning and isomorphism: The case of biocidal regulation in South Korea

Despite the expansion of research on policy transfer, research on how international policy learning occurs in different environments remains limited. To address this gap, we explore the policy process of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act in South Korea containing regulatory instruments of similar design to the EU's Biocidal Products Regulation. This study analyses the role of institutions and the impact of policy learning on policy design. It adopts policy isomorphism as a conceptual lens and complements the existing isomorphism literature by focusing on the design of a regulatory act. The methodology employs a historical case study and a thematic analysis, determining that institutions contribute to the occurrence of coercive isomorphism, while policy learning can be considered as a factor contributing to the occurrence of normative and mimetic isomorphism. These findings suggest that an effective emulation can occur in different contexts.