Purpose: The purpose of this study is to draw implications by comparing and analyzing the development process,institutionalization process, and characteristics of regional policies in Korea and Japan. Research design, data, and methodology: As for the research method, the literature analysis on the developmentprocess of regional policy in Korea and Japan after 1945 and the development process of regional policy in Koreaafter the 1997 IMF economic crisis were comparatively analyzed. Results: The results of this analysis are as follows. First, in the regional gap between Korea and Japan, low fertilityand aging and population decline acted as major background factors. Second, in the course of regional policydevelopment, Korea's deregulation policy became common along with global liberalization, globalization, and opennessafter the 1990s, and as economic deregulation in the metropolitan area progressed, the gap with the provinces wasfurther aggravated. However, in the National Comprehensive Development Plan Government in 1961, Japan promotedregional development policies based on strengthening international competitiveness and corporate rationality as aplan to prevent urban overcrowding in order to narrow the gap between industrial regions and underdevelopedregions in the high-...