• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.209-232
• /
• 2017

This study proposes supplemental security income programs for the elderly to reduce the serious elderly poverty in Korea. The experiences of the supplemental security income programs for the elderly among the developed countries were investigated. Based on this, the Korean supplemental security income models were proposed, and the effects of the programs on the poverty, inequality, and finance were analysed. The results suggest the following implications. First, the supplemental security income programs cover a sizable portion of the elderly in Korea, and reduce substantially the poverty and inequality problems among the elderly. Second, the supplemental security income programs are efficient compared to the increase of the basic pension. Third, the effects were varied among the combinations of the basic pension models and the supplemental security income models. Therefore Korea needs to introduce an adequate policy mix consisting of basic income and supplemental security income programs so as to construct solid basic income security systems for the elderly.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.77-88
• /
• 2019

This study is empirically intended to look into the effects of basic income security on poverty elimination and life independence in income security policies. To achieve this, poverty elimination and life independence through the national pension and basic pension as old-age pension for basic income security and the unemployment benefit and livelihood benefit as employment insurance were determined as dependent variables. The 10th data from Korea Welfare Panel Study were used in the statistical package program to analyze these variables. The overall findings showed that the national pension and basic pension as part of the old-age pension had a positive effect on poverty elimination and life independence. The unemployment benefit and livelihood benefit of employment insurance were not significant and they were rejected. And poverty elimination had a significant effect on life independence and it was adopted. Consequently, the old-age pension is a pensionable income security policy given to all the elderly with lower income, which it is very useful for guaranteeing a basic income. Poverty elimination leads to life independence through the guarantee of a certain basic income, suggesting that they are closely related to each other.

• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.3-35
• /
• 2018

This article critically reviews the arguments that deny the financial feasbility and effectiveness of universal basic income as an alternative to existing social security systems and makes some suggestions to design effective and efficient basic income schemes. Regarding the financial feasibility of universal basic income, I argue that replacement of the existing regressive tax expenditures with universal basic income without raising tax rates can effectively reduce tax burden or provide income support to a majority of people except the rich. Addition of basic income to the tax base and reduction of the number of beneficiaries of public assistance and the amount of cash payment for them can further help save money. Regarding the redistributive effect, I note that the targeting ability of the existing social security systems is not good and that "the paradox of redistribution" that universal-type programs tend to be more redistributive than selective programs applies to universal basic income as well. I demonstrate significant redistributive effect of a hypothetical revenue-neutral basic income scheme and reviews several empirical studies done in Korea and abroad to show that basic income can be more effective in redistribution than social insurances or public assistance programs. Lastly, I emphasize the need to construct a reliable tax-benefit microsimulation model to help researchers to study redistributive effects of basic income schemes and other taxes and social policies.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.221-227
• /
• 2022

This study purports to deal with so-called basic income policy that Korea society has paid a great amount of attention to in welfare policy area. As an introduction, the definitions of basic income policy, and her natures and characteristics, and ideological foundation will be covered. Then, this study will discuss current debating issues upon basic income policy around the world such as basic income policy vs pre-existing social security systems, basic income policy and labor supply, the potential effect of basic income policy upon income redistribution, and feasibility of basic income as an actual policy. In conclusion, this study will investigate major criticisms on basic income policy and suggest viable paths that interested researcher should take for further study on basic income.

• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.37-71
• /
• 2018

Since 2016, public and political interest on basic income has been increased beyond academic interest. The recent debate on basic income has expanded on issues regarding to the concrete implementation of basic income moving further than the debate on conception of the basic income in the abstract level. This study examines major critiques of basic income which was raised from social policy area and makes a counter-argument on these critiques. Major points summarized as follows. First, the problem of jobs and social insurance exclusion is not serious enough to call for basic income. Second, existing social security systems will be crowded out by excessive financial burden if basic income is introduced. Third, policies to cultivate citizens' capacities to cope with a technological change should be given priority over basic income. This study disputes these critiques by counter arguing four points. First, it is necessary to reconstruct welfare state based on basic income, given the labor market changes, such as long-term trend of employment change, newly emerging employment of platform companies, and inconsistency of platform labor and social insurance. Second, hypothesis of crowding-out effect on social security system is just a criticism that can be applied to the basic income initiative of the right-wing. Also, it is unable to find a logical basis or evidence of this hypothesis from the historical process of welfare state development or previous studies. Third, it is necessary to discuss how to reconfigure existing social security system and basic income which are complementary to each other and also have consistency with labor market as a configuration, not as a matter of choosing between basic income and social security system. Fourth, de-laborization does not mean a refusal to labor but a free choice, and the basic principle of social security is not needs but right. In conclusion, in order to develop more productive debate on basic income, it requires more sophisticated discussion and criticism from the point of view of the distributive justice; the debate on the sustainability of social insurance-centered welfare states; and debates on the political realization of basic income.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.9
• /
• pp.689-699
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors influencing poverty in the elderly under the income maintenance, focusing on labor. Accordingly, a Panel Logit Analysis was conducted based on the 7th to 16th data of the Korean Welfare Panel. The analysis results are as follows. First, even if demographic, economic, and health variables affecting elderly poverty are controlled, National Pension and Special Occupational Pension among the income maintenance are negatively related to elderly poverty. On the other hand, it was found that the amount of Basic Pension and National Basic Living Security were positively related to poverty for the elderly. Second, it was found that if the elderly receiving national basic living security work, there is a high possibility of poverty. This raises the need to restructuring the Basic Pension, and suggests that it is necessary to combine the National Basic Living Security with the elderly job policy. Finally, in order to alleviate overall elderly poverty, it is suggested to rebuild the multi-pillar old-age income security system, including Basic Pension and Retirement Pension.

• Industry Promotion Research
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.23-29
• /
• 2020

In order to enrich the lives of senior citizens, this study suggested measures to increase income for the elderly by strengthening the current income security policies. Income security is a policy that guarantees income to maintain a certain standard of living. It is a policy that guarantees income to maintain a certain standard of living when income is suspended due to unemployment, disease, or disaster, or when income is lost due to retirement or death of a dependent due to old age, or when expenditure accompanying birth, death, etc. occurs. According to the study, measures to expand old-age income security are as follows. First, a phased increase in basic pension for the guarantee of old-age income is needed. Second, the income security function of the National Pension Service should be further strengthened. Third, a multi-layered old-age income security system should be established. Fourth, the government should continue to push for the expansion of works for the elderly. In conclusion, in order to strengthen the income security policy for the elderly, a reexamination of the current income guarantee system for the elderly is needed first. Then, it will be necessary to propose measures to gradually guarantee income for the elderly.

• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.45-70
• /
• 2018

After critically assessing the effectiveness of basic income as an alternative to the existing social security system, this article argues that basic income is fundamentally incapable of providing an adequate protection for those in social risks or welfare needs. The proponents of basic income often claims that technological innovations will lead to the end of work and thus that basic income will be required for all citizens in the future. Moreover, they emphasize that labor market flexibility is making a large segment of work forces unstable working poor, what is often called the precariat who are not effectively protected by the existing social insurance programs. For them, basic income is the best source of social protection for the precariat of today and the citizens in the future, freeing them from the necessity of having a paid work. This article, however, points out the ineffectiveness of basic income as social protection due to its unustainably high cost that comes from unconditional benefit provisions regardless of levels of income, social risks, and welfare needs. Also it challenges the simplified 'Luddites' image of workless society in the future, arguning that techological unemployment can be overcome by new job creation as seen in Silicon Valley and job sharing following working time reduction. It maintains that it is more cost-effective and reliable to strengthen the welfare state based on the principle of reciprocity that aims at 'universal sufficient protection for those in social risks and welfare needs.'

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.36-57
• /
• 2010

The degree of income inequality deepened by health care expenditure was useful in assessing the health security level. This exploratory study was conducted to provide a basic evidence to prove the necessity of reinforcement the benefit coverage of South Korea's health security systems. Data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey of Korea and Luxembourg Income Study were used. Income inequality indices before and after deduction of health care expenditure were computed, and the degree of the increase in the indices was compared among 13 countries. The degree of decrease against the effect of income inequality reduction policies by health care expenditure was determined. The relationships between the national characteristics and the increase in income inequality were examined. In South Korea, all income inequality indices increased after deducting health care expenditure, but the difference was not high compared to the mean of 13 countries. However, the degree of decrease against the effect of income inequality reduction policies by health care expenditure was high, compared to the mean of 13 countries. The proportion of public sector spending on health care proved to be statistically significant with the increase of income inequality indices (p<0.05). In the context of the continuous increase in health care expenditure, if benefit coverage of health security systems is not reinforced, income inequality will all the more increase due to health care expenditure. In the establishment of the policies for reinforcement of the benefit coverage, income inequality after deduction of health care expenditure should be continuously monitored.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.116-127
• /
• 2013

Korea, like most of other countries, is enforcing the national pension as social insurance which is a kind of the income policy. Despite the fundamental limitation on public pension or the imperfect policy, the guarantee of the minimum living standard for maintaining dignity of human being is not being reached for the standard. Poverty rate of the elderly in Korea is the first among the OECD countries and public pension dead zone is very large. The elderly low income class could become a serious social problem if low fertility and aging keep getting worse. In this study, I will analyze the present condition of the retirement security for the elderly in South Korea. Also, I will look into the present situation of old-age income security and determine problems, and propose the improvement devices for related laws.