As extreme weather events and natural disasters become increasingly frequent, effectively managing drought disasters has gained paramount importance. The government plays a central role in guiding residents through various policies aimed at drought disaster prevention and management. Therefore, securing public acceptance of these drought policies has emerged as a key focus for government administration. This study investigates the relationship between knowledge and acceptance of drought policies, emphasizing the roles of trust in government and perceived efficacy. We developed a mediation model based on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) theory, incorporating government trust and perceived efficacy as mediating variables. Regression analysis was performed on survey data collected from 1000 respondents in South Korea. The findings reveal that: (1) knowledge positively impacts trust in government, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and policy acceptance
(2) trust in government, self-efficacy, and response efficacy all positively influence policy acceptance
and (3) trust in government and perceived efficacy sequentially mediate the relationship between knowledge and policy acceptance. This paper builds on previous research by contributing to the understanding factors affecting policy acceptance and providing practical recommendations to strengthen government initiatives in drought management, ultimately enhancing policy support in real-world contexts.