• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.195-229
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• 2018

This study has examined how the welfare system has changed as it has passed through the most controversial period in Korean modern history. The welfare system has changed in a way that adapts to the need for export-led economic growth. Industrialization centered on light industry, which started in the mid-1960s, absorbed the labor force that existed in the rural areas and commodified them, thereby creating a momentum for Korean society to get out of poverty. However, the public de-commodification, ie social security system, adapted to the commodification of the labor force has been institutionalized only in a very limited area and people. Indeed, the de-commodification system was confined to the area directly linked to the reproduction of the labor force. Even so, the target was very limited in the abundance of labor in rural areas. Compulsory medical insurance was rejected because of corporate burden, and industrial accidents insurance was introduced centering on large-scale workplaces. As the Korean economy began to move from the light industry to the heavy industry in the 1970s, the commodificated labor force changed from a low skilled labor force to a skilled male labor force. It is at this time that dual structures have begun to be created between workers employed in export-oriented large enterprises and workers employed in domestic-oriented SMEs. Therefore, the system of de-commodification that supports the reproduction of labor power in response to social risks has also been institutionalized centering on large-scale workplaces.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.31-59
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• 2003

This paper analyzes a social insurance system that integrates unemployment insurance with a pension program, allowing workers to borrow against their future wage income to finance consumption during an unemployment episode and thus improving their search incentives while reducing risks. This paper identifies the conditions under which the integration improves welfare and the factors which determine the optimal degree of integration. A fully integrated system is one in which no reliance is placed at all on a separate tax-funded unemployment insurance program. We show that when the duration of unemployment is very short compared to the period of employment or retirement, the optimal system involves an exclusive reliance on pension-funded self-insurance. This system imposes a negligible risk burden for workers while avoiding attenuating search incentives. We also argue that a joint integration of several social insurance programs with a pension program through an individual account is desirable unless the risks are perfectly correlated to each other.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.39-59
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• 2000

Given the constraint that the unemployment benefit is not allowed to vary freely over the unemployment duration, this paper examines the optimal UI benefit structure. In particular, identifying the conflicting effects of benefit amount and benefit duration upon incentive and insurance, this paper characterizes the optimal combination of UI benefit amount and duration. Based upon some important factors determining the optimal UI benefit structure that are derived from the model, a set of directions for UI reform in Korea have been proposed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2013

Purpose: To analyze the structure of Korean nurse labor market and examine its effect on hospital nurse staffing. Methods: Secondary data were obtained from Statistics Korea, Education Statistics, and Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and Patient Survey. Intensity of monopsony in the nurse labor market was measured by Herfindahl Hirshman Index (HHI). Hospital nurse staffing level was divided into high and low. While controlling for confounding factors such as inpatient days and severity mix of patients, effects of characteristics of nurse labor markets on nurse staffing levels were examined using multi-level logistic regressions. Results: For characteristics of nurse labor markets, metropolitan areas had high intensity of monopsony, while the capital area had competitive labor market and the unemployed nurse rate was higher than other areas. Among hospital characteristics, bed occupancy rate was significantly associated with nurse staffing levels. Among characteristics of nurse labor markets, the effect of HHI was indeterminable. Conclusion: The Korean nurse labor market has different structure between the capital and other metropolitan areas. But the effect of the structure of nurse labor market on nurse staffing levels is indeterminable. Characteristics such as occupancy rate and number of beds are significantly associated with nurse staffing levels. Further study in support of the effect of nurse labor market is needed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2007

This paper develops a Sustainable Regional Economic Growth Model (SREG) which estimates the relation of labor population change and employment increase in each occupation and maximum limits and minimum requirements of employment increase by labor population change in a specified region using multiplier theory. To develop the proposed model, sustainable regional economic growth is defined as a steady increase of labor population over a long term period and the limit of employment increase is defined as the estimated labor population change in the region with no need for commutation from the surrounded areas. Developed model was applied to 67 county in Pennsylvania State and the results revealed that the investment in infrastructure occupations, such as transportation, warehousing, utilities, information, communication, and other public utilities, maximizes the effects for increasing employment, whereas finance, insurance, and real estate occupations have minimum effects for increasing employment. Calculated minimum requirements of occupations show that infra-structure occupations is a critical factor for labor population change and maximum limits of occupations show that agriculture and finance occupations are difficult to increase independently.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.25-43
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to find how economic structures differ among four different household groups('enough', 'so so', 'a little difficult', 'very difficult') classified by subjective evaluation on their economic conditions. The data were drawn from 2004 Korean Labor and Income Panel Study conducted by Korea Labor Institute, and $X^2$-test and F-test were utilized by SPSS for Windows 10.0. The major findings were as following. First, the economic levels of household groups of 'enough' and 'so so' showed to be higher than the average. This result implies that households tend to evaluate by themselves their economic conditions comparing to the others. Second, the deviations of average economic levels among four different household groups were relatively bigger in household economic elements of liquid asset, monthly savings and insurance than the others, and relatively smaller in household economic elements of total expenditure, especially expenditures in food at home, education, medical, communication than the others. Third, the households of 'a little difficult' and 'very difficult' showed undesirable economic structures resulting from lack of savings and insurance for their future.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.163-196
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• 2001

This paper is a critical assessment of 'productive welfare policy' of the Kim Dae-jung adminstration and I tried to make several recommendations as alternatives. Quite contrary to concept of 'productive' welfare, which promotes less government intervention and more market-friendly approach, the Kim Dae-jung adminstration seems to have been moving in the opposite direction. As alternatives, I suggested i) work-fare rather than cash assistance, ii ) Employment Insurance Account to cover non-regular workers, iii) Medical Savings Account for minor medical services to reform medical insurance, and iv) enhancement of labor market flexibility by abolishing mandated retirement allowances in Korea I finally proposed the tuition and fellowship support program to the low-income group to enhance their economic status in a knowledge-based society.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.77-105
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• 2004

Given the limitations of UI benefit and self-insurance through precautionary savings, this paper suggests a new scheme of income support for the unemployed, which offers unemployed workers not only UI benefit but also borrowings from their future pension incomes. Allowing individuals to have effective self-insurance through pension- borrowing, this scheme provides them with consumption-smoothing and reduction in risk burden while maintaining search incentives of the unemployed. Simulation study based upon household panel data in Korea suggests that a heavy reliance should be set upon self-insurance through pension-borrowings rather than upon UI benefit, even for the low-income individuals who are subsidized under UI system. This result provides us with insightful implications for a social safety net in (fast-growing) developing countries, where people cannot afford a good amount of UI benefit or of precautionary savings against unemployment although they expect their incomes to be much higher in the future. Indeed, it is consumption-smoothing effect of self-insurance through pension- borrowings, as well as its incentive-maintaining effect, that makes it a promising alternative of social safety net in developing countries.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.585-598
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• 2011

This study was conducted to examine the trend of national health insurance service use with relation to pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium among pregnant and postpartum women older than 35 over the last decade. A descriptive analysis was conducted, using the data which were drawn from the "nationwide claim database of Korean National Health Insurance Corporation(NHIC)". Data were composed of the total cases related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium (International Classification of Disease, $10^{th}$revision [ICD-10] codes O00-O99) from 2001 to 2008. During 2001-2008, the number of pregnant and postpartum women older than 35 had continuously increased and the percentage of them also had increased in both hospital and ambulatory care. There are similar trends in their total use of national health insurance service and total expenditure. According to demographic characteristics, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in residents in large cities, self-employed workers, ones in the highest income level. According to ICD-10 codes, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in O10-O16 (oedema, proteinuria and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium). According to the major prevalent disease, there was the biggest increase of the percentage in O60 (preterm labor and delivery). Throughout the past decade, the necessity has been emphasized of supporting pregnant and postpartum women older than 35. But in maternal and child health care, they are in an early stage of development. The findings of this study would be helpful in developing the support programs for the aged pregnant and postpartum women.

• Journal of Practical Engineering Education
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.187-202
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• 2020

Can job training be considered a social right? Who must bear the costs of individual job training? This paper studies these two issues by examining the Korean Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) revised in 2020 and proposes future policy directions. Although there is no explicit legal provision stipulating job training as a lawful right in Korea, such absence does not negate the government's role of providing vulnerable people, etc with necessary training. Korean ILA heavily depends on the Skills Development Scheme under the Employment Insurance System which succeeded the past mandatory training levy system and it becomes harder to maintain principle of insurance because of sizable volume of atypical workers who are not insured. For future policy directions, it is desirable to increase the burden of general budget and self-financing as they are below 30% combined and the coverage of the ILA needs to be steadily expanded to all economically active people. Also, labor-management should step up joint efforts to stimulate the use of already existing policies such as paid training leave and request for reduction of working hours.