• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.35
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• pp.289-317
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• 1998

This study aims to review and evaluate the changes of the British social housing policy under the Conservative government(1979-1997), and to get some implications for the Korean case. The Conservatives tried to diminish the role of state in the realm of social welfare :in general, and to retreat the social housing policy in particular as a reaction to the' welfare state crisis' started from the early 1970s. In the realm of housing policy, privatisation and marketisation including the massive sale of council houses were driven enthusiastically. Public expenditure cut and redirection of the housing subsidy scheme were also implemented according to the changed policy orientation. The clear visible results of the policy changes can be seen as follows; radical changes of the housing tenure distribution, changing role of local authorities, and the worsening housing problems- housing shortages, residualisation, affordability problem, deepening dependency and the negative distribution of housing subsidy etc. Furthermore the goal of public expenditure cut, in fact, was not accomplished successfully. The results of this study support the argument that the Neo-liberalistic approach to the 'welfare state crisis' have resulted in reconstruction and redirection rather than total abolition of the role of state in welfare provision. This conclusion could provide important implications to Korean case, especially concerning the role of state in the social housing policy.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.77-115
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to present empirical evidence for discussion of financing social welfare via estimating optimal tax burden in the main member countries of the OECD by using Hausman-Taylor method considering endogeneity of explanatory variables. Also, the author produced an international tax comparison index reflecting theoretical hypotheses on revenue-expenditure nexus within a model to compare real tax burden by countries and to examine feasibility of tax increase in Korea. As a result of the analysis, the higher the level of tax burden was, the higher the level of welfare expenditure was, indicating the connection between high burden and high welfare from the aspect of scale. The results also indicated that the subject countries recently entered into the state of low tax burden. Meanwhile, Korea had maintained low burden until the late 1990s but the tax burden soared up since the financial crisis related to the IMF. However, due to the impact of foreign economy and the tax reduction policy, it reentered into the low-burden state after 2009. On the other hand, the degree of social welfare expenditure's reducing tax burden has been gradually enhanced since the crisis. In this context, the current optimal tax burden ratio of Korea as of 2010 may be 25.8%~26.5% of GDP based on input of welfare expenditure variables, a percent that Korea was investigated to be a 'high tax burden-low ITC' country whose tax increase of 0.7~1.4%p may be feasible and that the success of tax system reform for tax increase might be higher probability when compare to others. However, measures of increasing social security contributions and consumption tax were analyzed to be improper from the aspect of managing finance when compared to increase in other tax items, considering the relatively higher ITC. Tax increase is not necessarily required though there may be room for tax increase; the optimal tax burden ratio can be understood as the level that may be achieved on average when compared to other nations, not as the "proper" level. Thus, discussion of tax increase should be accompanied with comprehensive understanding of models of economic developmental difference from nations and institutional & historical attributes included in specific tax mix.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.319-346
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• 2007

The main purpose of this research is to figure out systematically the total amount of social welfare resources in Korea. For the stated purpose, this research (1) defines the concept of social welfare resource, (2) develops basic framework for measuring total amount of resources, (3) estimates total amount of social welfare resources based on the year of 2004, and (4) presents some implications of findings. Social welfare resource is defined as any valuable things, material or immaterial, that one can put into instrumental use in order to meet social needs or to resolve problems in the interaction process between human and the environment. Institutional sectors of social welfare resource consist the following 5 major areas derived from resource providers: The government, enterprise, market, the third sector (religion & welfare institutions, fundraising agencies, and NPOs), and community (families, relatives, and neighborhoods). For the estimation of the total amount of social welfare resources, this research takes advantages of both the major methods of provider centered approach and the intermediary agent centered approach. Based on the compromised method estimation, the total amount of social welfare resources in Korea in the year of 2004 is 147 trillion won (approximately, 148 billion dollars and 19% of GDP). Among them, central and local governments provide 52 trillion won. The private sector expends a total of 109 trillion won, which contains 44 trillion from enterprise, 54.3 trillion from market, 3.0 trillion from the third sector, and 8.3 trillion from the community. The enterprise and market share of welfare resources exceeds 66% of the total expenditure, and the market is expected to increase gradually in the near future.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2016

This paper examines whether the pension systems of the western countries which was traditionally classified into the Beveridgean and Bismarckian pension regime will converge after recent pension reforms in the financial sustainability and adequacy perspective by comparing between UK, Germany and Sweden. As a result of pension reforms for the last 20 years, the gap between the Beveridgean and Bismarckian pension regime will be likely to decrease and, in particular, the tendency to convergency in adequacy is found. Even though it is not jumped to a conclusion that public pension expenditure between the three countries is likely to converge, the tendency to convergency in financial sustainability is also found if the difference of demographic aging between countries is considered. The paper suggests that it is necessary to make agreement between the range of pension expenditure and replacement ratio that western countries suggest in pension debate in Korea, instead of hitherto useless controversy between financial sustainability and adequacy.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.163-198
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• 2018

This study analyzed the change of the Korean welfare regime during the conservative government. It is clear that the welfare expanded during the conservative government, but this expansion was the process of realizing the constraint of expansion that reduces future welfare expenditure in Korea. In addition, as the public welfare centered on social insurance expanded after 10 years of liberal government, the backward selectivity of the Korean welfare regime strengthened in the conservative administration. Expanding social insurance itself does not reinforce the backward selectivity of the Korean welfare regime. However, the industrial structure created by the export-led growth system has intensified the fragmentation of the labor market, and expanding social insurance designed based on regular workers under these conditions has forced the backward selectivity of the social security system. It is for this reason that the backward selectivity has been reinforced during the conservative government.

• 한국노년학
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1041-1061
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• 2012

The study looked into the effect of housing poverty on the depression level for the elderly in depth. In this study, we defined housing poverty as sub-minimum standard housing conditions, excess housing expenditure and housing instability. In order to verify the correlation of two variables, a mediating model structured by social welfare service was used which gave out the 4th Korea welfare panel data. When it came to our research methods, structured equation analysis was applied to verify the mediating effect and theoretical background. The results revealed that housing poverty of the elderly directly affected their depression level. Also the satisfaction of social service showed a partial mediating effect between housing poverty and depression level. But the mediating effect of social service experience between housing poverty and depression level was not statistically significant. The outcome of this study indicated the practical and social intervention to promote a mental health of the elderly by improving residential environment.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.39
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• pp.167-187
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• 2008

This study explores the trends of social security expenditures after financial crisis in welfare states. For the purpose, this study analyzes changes in social expenditures during 1980~2003 in 22 OECD countries. The results show that average total social security expenditure(as a percentage of GDP) among the 22 countries increased from 18.0% in 1980 to 22.3% in 2003. Compared to sharp increases during the great expansion period of the welfare state before 1980s, the increase in social expenditures after 1980s is substantially weakened. The slowdown in the increases of social expenditures is remarkable in the social democratic welfare states where social expenditures have already reached a high level. On the other hand, social expenditures are considerably increased in the lagged welfare states such as South European countries and Japan. As a result, the cross-national difference in social expenditures has continuously decreased. These findings suggest that financial crisis is a key factor of welfare-state reorganization. Countries where social expenditures are in high level need more reforms under the pressure of financial deficits. Since 1980s, they have tried various reforms especially in pensions and unemployment benefits. Facing new and increasing demands for social security as well as financial limitations, the welfare state needs major reforms in the social security system to increase effectiveness/efficiency of existing programs and to iron out priorities among programs.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.297-317
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• 2007

In this article, I want to demonstrate wage equality increases support for welfare expenditures while the wage equality depends on how labour market institutions are organized. In other words, this study tries to show that there can be institutional complementarity between inequality-reducing labour market institutions and generous social policy. In the first section, I develop a theoretical models which deal(1) how the inequality of income affects the political support for welfare expenditure(2) how the configurations of labour market institutions affect income inequality in the labour market. In the following section, this study tests the models with data on welfare spending, configurations of labour market institutions, and the inequality of wage and salaries in 14 welfare states from 1980 to 1995. Empirical analysis also provides support for key implications of the models. These models and empirical findings may show that the institutional complementarity stems from the interdependence of institutional influences on actors' decision-making. Moreover, this study suggests welfare policy are always considered with labour market institutions.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.45
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• pp.7-39
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• 2001

This paper examines the effect of active labor market policy on the unemployment rates in 8 welfare states. This paper focuses on the following questions: what are the major predictors of the changes in unemployment rates?; and what is the effect of active labor market policy in reducing unemployment rates? Using the data from Comparative Welfare States Data Set by Stephens (1997), Key Indicators of the Labour Market by ILO (1999) and Social Expenditure Database by OECD (1999), this paper attempts to answer the above research questions. Fuller-Battese model, a data analysis method in pooled cross-sectional time-series analysis, is adopted to identify variables predicting changes in unemployment rates. This paper analyzes the predictors by using 3 analysis models about 2 types of unemployment (overall unemployment and long term unemployment). Results are as follows: (1) economic variable such as changes in GDP has a positive effect in reducing unemployment rates; (2) active labor market policy has a positive effect in reducing unemployment rates as well; (3) job brokering service among 3 major active labor market programs has a positive effect in reducing unemployment rates; and (4) there is an interaction effect between unemployment benefit level and active labor market policy in reducing unemployment rates. Through the empirical analysis, this paper provides valuable knowledge about effects of active labor market policy on unemployment in 8 welfare states and discusses implications for the active labor market policy in Korea.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.169-181
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of living cost reduction through social welfare services and programs and to suggest the further ways of saving living cost for low-income households. For the research purpose, low-income household type was divided into three representative groups such as senior household, household with school-aged children, and household with the disabled based on the literature review. Four case households which live in permanent rental apartment in Seoul were selected as research subjects. During March 14~April 10, 2010, each household was interviewed to examine the details of monthly income and expenditure structure and types of welfare services receiving. Although some differences exist among cases, there was a definite living cost reduction effect through welfare services and programs from 12% to 150%. Household with school-aged children required diversified education programs corresponding to the children's age. Meanwhile, households including senior and the disabled indicated the necessity of convenient transportation system.