• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.219-243
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• 2005

Homeless people have remained one of the most disadvantaged groups in Korea. Therefore this study aims at examining how the homeless evaluate their quality of life and which factors influence their quality of life. The subjects of this study were 185 homeless adults residing on the street, in the shelter, and in substandard housing in Daejeon Metropolitan City. With a view to collecting the data effectively, different approaches have been taken for each type of homelessness in this study. By using the Korean Version of WHOQOL-BREF(brief version of WHO quality of life measure), this study has examined the current circumstance of the homeless and identified the predictors of their quality of life. The results of this study reconfirm low quality of life of homeless people. Also the results of this study indicate that the important factors influencing their quality of life are age, receipt of public assistance, perceived health status, alcohol use, alcohol addiction, housing type, and recognition by others. Predictors of each domain of quality of life differ to some extent. Statistically significant predictors of physical health are receipt of public assistance, perceived health status, and housing type. Psychological health is significantly influenced by age, receipt of public assistance, perceived health status, housing type, and recognition by others. Significant predictors of social relations are alcohol use, housing type, and recognition by others. Environment is significantly influenced by perceived health status, housing type, and recognition by others. On the basis of the findings of this empirical analysis, some measures conducive to the improvement of quality of life of homeless people are suggested. Only a few studies have been conducted to delve into the quality of life of the displaced group in Korea. In such a context, the significance of this study lies in identifying the circumstances of the homeless as a basic work for upgrading their quality of life on the one hand, and in empirically testing the major predictors of each domain of their quality of life on the other.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.50
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• pp.235-263
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• 2002

The present study is designed to explore restructuring direction of the old-age income maintenance system and development direction of the Seniority Pension Scheme(SPS) in Korea. While the SPS is trifling scheme with tiny benefit amount and small budget, the SPS has important role that function as only public income maintenance scheme for both the low income class and the excluded from public pension and public assistance at present stage because of immature National Pension. This study starts with the research question why serious mis-matching problem between needs and resources in old-age income maintenance system occur. Thus this study explores fundamental change direction of the old-age income maintenance system which is coincide with further situation change(demography, labour market, family structure). Also this study explores desirable SPS's development direction as taking into account relation with other public old-age income maintenance system. This paper suggests basic direction of old-age income maintenance system as follows: principle of universal and individual security; principle of sustainability; principle of equity. Under general principle, this paper also proposes largely two development scenario of the SPS. The one is to maintain present transitional and provisional scheme with trying scheme's substantiality. The other is to change into permanent old-age income maintenance scheme for the excluded public pension and public assistance. At this point it is the public pension's role that the SPS's development direction is determined. If the public pension keep one pension per one earner as present system, non-contribution pension as present SPS should maintain continuously. However, if the public pension reorganize into basic pension of one pension per one person and earning-related pension, the SPS should be managed temporarily until mature of public pension. Therefore whether the public pension play basic security role for all elderly or not will determine the SPS development direction.