• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.217-234
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• 2001

The use of district heating is expanding very rapidly in Korea. High population densities and the relatively cold winters make district heating an economically attractive option. About 8 percent of Korean houses are already using district heating and the government is seeking to aggressively expand this number. It has set a target of 15 percent of the residential heat market to be met by district heating in the year 2001. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the consumption behavior of households using district heating. By pooling time-series and cross-sectional data for 12 apartment complexes in Seoul area, a single demand function is estimated and used to forecast the amounts of heat demanded by the individual households. The results shows that the level of consumption varies among households, depending on the non-economic factors such as the installation of individual metering equipment and the volume of apartment building. When individual metering equipment is installed, the level of annual heat consumption per household declines, on average, about 22.1 Mcal per square meters, which is equivalent to 834 won per square meter in terms of heating expenditures. In case that the apartment building was built in more than 6 stories, annual consumption level reduces additionally about 17.3 Mcal per square meters and, thus, save the expenditures by 649 Won per square meters, compared to the opposite case.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.170-177
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• 2011

We examined household's food expenditures in this study. The empirical work outlined here used quarterly data from 2003 Q1 to 2010 Q3. All variables are in log form and were obtained from the Korea National Statistical Office. The food items included cereals, dairy products, fruits, meat, vegetables, and alcoholic beverages. We applied the ordinary least squares method to a model consisting of household income and seasonal dummies. This is because household expenditures are ordinarily a function of income and have seasonal characteristics. The household's food consumption patterns also reflect the prevailing social and environmental circumstances. This study showed that the income coefficients of cereals, meat, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages tend to increase in the long-run, whereas those of vegetables and fruits decreased. The results also revealed that consumption of alcoholic beverages and meat was greatly affected by household income fluctuations, whereas those of vegetables and dairy products were not sensitive to income. The impulse response functions indicated that expenditures not only increased slowly before peaking one to eight quarters after the income shock but declined very slowly to pre-shock levels. The response of dairy products at the twelfth step was three times as large as that of the first step.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.229-241
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• 2023

This study aims to examine the farm household income and consumption structure change as well as farm income inequality. Data from the Agricultural Household Survey for the years 2016, 2021, and 2022 were hired to analyze farm income inequality by the Gini coefficient decomposition method. Results show that from 2016 to 2021, all income quintiles exhibited an increasing trend, but in 2022, income decreased across all quintiles. As a result of analyzing farm household consumption expenditure, consumption expenditure increased in all income quintiles in 2021 and 2022 compared to 2016, but consumption of optional goods decreased in the fifth quintile. In addition, it was found that farmers in the first quartile had higher consumption expenditures and expenditures on options than those in the second quartile. The analysis of farm income by region show that public subsidies increased significantly for general rural farmers than for farmers in special and metropolitan areas in all income quintiles during the period. In the case of the first quintile, farm household income in rural areas in special and metropolitan cities increased compared to general rural areas. In the fifth quartile, agricultural income and sideline income in general rural areas increased compared to rural areas in special and metropolitan cities, while rural areas in special and metropolitan cities increased non-business income compared to rural areas. Results of farming income inequality by income type show a steady decline in inequality from 2016 to 2022, indicating that the decreasing gini coefficinet of public subsidies is contributing to the decline in farm income inequality. Private subsidies and side income are shown to increase inequality.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.1 s.79
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• pp.253-269
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• 2006

This study examined the economic structure of male one-person households, and investigated how it differed by male's age and marital status. Specifically household incomes, expenditure patterns, assets, debts, and other demographic variables were compared by age and marital status. From the 2000 National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure conducted by Korea National Statistical Office(KNSO), 1,389 male one-person households were selected. The findings of this study were as follows: First, the economic status of male one-person households was unstable. They were more likely to depend on labor incomes and transfer incomes, and had less property incomes and total assets. Their average propensity to consumption was higher than that of general households. Second, the economic structure of male one-person households showed large differ+useholders in age 50s allocated $48\%$ of household expenditure to the non- consumption categories, especially child or (ex)spouse support payments. The economic status of householders in age 60s and over was inferior to those of the other groups. Third, there were considerable differences in the economic status of male householders who had different marital status. Divorced and separated males had higher incomes and expenditures, but assigned large portion of their incomes to the non-consumption categories. Widowers' level of economic living, such as incomes, expenditures, and assets, was the worst among male one-person households.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1-12
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• 2003

Determinants of consumption patterns of elderly couple and elderly single were investigated using the 1996 National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure by National Statistical Office. There were large differences in consumption patterns between the elderly couple and single in terms of monthly expenditures and average budget shares of individual consumption items. Consumption functions of individual items were estimated using double-log function. Major determinants of consumption functions were income, overspending behavior, educational level of householder, and net worth for both groups, householder's job status and city residence mainly for elderly couple, and age of householder mainly for elderly single. In addition, income elasticity of elderly households was larger than net worth elasticity for all consumption items.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.517-536
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• 2013

The purpose of this research was to examine the trend of women consumption value and attitude on luxury goods and to analyse the relations between the behavior of purchasing luxury goods and satisfaction of consumers who buy luxury items. A total of 548 questionnaires were obtained in July and August 2011 from female respondents in their 20s to 40s who have bought at least one luxury item in the last 3 years. Collected data was analysed with factor analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's test, and multiple regression in SPSS. The research results are summarized as follows: First, household income and personal expenditure were main factors in determining substantial differences in attitudes towards luxury goods and counterfeits. Second, the difference in frequency of buying luxury items was decided by household income, and expenditure and purchase cost, which varied based on age, education, occupation, household income, and expenditure. Third, both the younger consumers with more household income and expenditure and consumers with positive attitude towards luxury items but negative attitude towards the counterfeits purchased the luxury goods more frequently than those who are older with less incomes and expenditures. Fourth, consumers with more incomes and expenditures along with negative attitude towards the counterfeits spent more money on the luxury items. Consumers with less personal ostentation but with great pleasure consumption value for luxury goods spent more money on luxury goods. Fifth, the satisfactions of purchasing luxury goods were influenced by following variables such as positive attitudes toward luxury goods, ostentation, enjoyment and quality in consumption value.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.167-184
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• 2000

This study has investigated the degree of similarities and/or differences of consumption expenditure styles among the households with different occupation. Two types of analysis were performed. One was comparative analysis which used to identify the changes of consumption expenditure styles among different occupation classes using time-series data of 1977-1996 Korean Urban Household Expenditure Survey and Rural Household Economy Survey. The other was multivariate analysis to investigate the effects of occupation on consumption expenditure styles with 1551 sample household data from 1996 Korean Urban Household Expenditure Survey. The results showed that the differences in consumption styles among different occupation classes including farmers are diminished during last two decades while there still exist some degree of differences in consumption styles. After controlling other socio-economic factors it is found that occupation is a determinant of consumption patterns of urban w ge earners especially consumption for clothing and health items.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.183-196
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to investigate the discretionary consumption expenditure of Korean urban housewives and the factors contributing to the discretionary consumption expenditure. 535 housewives living in Seoul and Gyungki district were selected and frequencies percentile means standard deviation and multiple-regression analysis were utilized. The results of this study were as follows: First the monthly discretionary consumption expenditure of Korean urban housewives was 592,500won. Particularly the level of clothing expenditure for urban housewives of 135,700won was found to be the highest expenditure among other discretionary expenditures while the level of transportation expenditure of 68,100won was found to be the lowest expenditure. Second educational attainment employment status conspicuous tendency of consumption and contribution to household economic of urban housewives husband's job the number of children monthly income debt ownership and home ownership were ignificant variables on each category of discretionary consumption expenditure while age future economic expectation egion and total asset were not significant variables. Third employment status conspicuous tendency of consumption husband's job the number of children monthly income and debt ownership were related to discretionary consumption expenditure of Korean urban housewives.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.23-48
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• 2008

Although the universal health insurance, National Health Insurance (NHI), have improved access to health care and financial burden of health care costs for Koreans, limited coverage of the NHI leads to high out-of-pocket payment for health care. This study examines financial burden of household health expenditures by income level. Data from the Urban Household Expenditure Survey from 1985 through 2005 is analyzed and household expenditure is used as a proxy measure for income. Health expenditures include spending for inpatient care, ambulatory care and pharmaceuticals. If a household spends health expenditure above 40% of household consumption except for foods, that is defined as catastrophic health expenditure. Access to health care for the lowest income group had been improved for two decades relative to other income groups as well as in absolute term. However, both financial burden of health expenditures and the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure had been increased in the lowest income group. Study findings have several policy implications. First, in terms of financial burden of health expenditures. the differences among income groups decreased until 2000 but it was worsen in 2005. This suggests that recent policies for extending NHI coverage are not enough to improve the disparity by income level. Second, a differential catastrophic coverage by income level would be an effective strategy that relieves financial burden for low income group. Third, since the catastrophic coverage is applied to only covered services by the NHI, additional strategy for uncovered services should be considered.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2024

Background: In recent years, studies have shown conflicting results regarding the benefits of dietary supplements in reducing healthcare expenditures. This study aimed to address this inconsistency by examining the association between supplement consumption and health expenditures using nationally representative data from the Korea Health Panel Survey (2019-2020). Methods: A 1:1 matched case-control dataset was established using propensity score matching technique based on supplement consumption. Then, total annual healthcare expenditures were compared between the two groups. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis (Proc Surveyreg) was performed to determine the association between the supplement consumption and medical costs. Results: The supplement user group spent about 1.72 million Korean won, while the non-user group spent about 1.43 million Korean won on medical services (p=0.0186). The results of multivariate regression showed that the costs were approximately 26.15% higher in the user group than in the non-user group (p=0.0004). Conclusion: Contrary to the previous studies that have shown the benefits of supplement use in reducing healthcare costs, this study showed that those who consistently consumed supplements spent more on medical services. This can be interpreted in the same context as previous studies suggesting that dietary supplement intake is a healthy behavior for managing one's health. However, we caution against drawing firm conclusions due to data limitations. Further analysis using patient-level epidemiologic data is needed.