• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.199-237
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• 2006

The relationship between growth and distribution, which has been revealed through many empirical evidences, is that growth is distribution neutral on average and high asset inequality could be a hindrance of economic growth. The growth versus distribution dichotomy is false, as poverty reduction requires blending policy of growth and distribution both theoretically and empirically. At this present, the pro-poor growth policy, which has been recommended by the World Bank, should be urgently needed in Korea to achieve the reduction of absolute poverty through the harmony between growth and distribution. However, it is not easy to expect the reduction of absolute poverty if the Korean government, in means of reducing absolute inequality, pursues anti-polarization policy. Specifically, we cannot deny the existence of negative correlation between absolute poverty and absolute inequality on average.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.26
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• pp.113-137
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• 2008

Present study investigated the effects of poverty and poverty-co-factors in childhood. The effect of poverty status was measured by needs-income ratio. It compared its effect on children's socio-emotional development with that of poverty proxy variables such as recipient of public assistance, financial stress, subjective perception about social class, residence in public housing. It also examined the effects of poverty-co-factors after poverty status were controlled. Results show that poverty status has a more consistent negative relationship with socio-emotional development than other proxy variables. However, the relationship between them disappeared after poverty-co-factors were controlled. Findings from the present study suggest that targeted efforts for decreasing poverty-co-factor risks should be made along with financial support.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.89-112
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• 2017

Because of low amounts of pension benefit, the Basic Pension of Korea has played a very limited role in reducing the high poverty rates of the elderly. Based on an empirical analysis of the poverty alleviation effect of alternative pension amounts, this paper shows that although the higher basic pension amounts help to reduce the absolute poverty rate of the elderly, it cannot significantly reduce the relative poverty rates. Authors contends that the main objective of the basic pension should be targeted to combat the absolute poverty level. This paper also argues that in order to reduce the relative poverty level of the elderly, the benefit level of National Pension should also be increased.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of absolute / relative poverty on the life satisfaction focusing on mediation effect of subjective social status by type of elderly residents. In order to analyze the distinct characteristics of the elderly, analysis was conducted with 3,327 the elderly living together and 668 the elderly living alone using 'Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA)' from 3rd to 5th wave data provided by the Korea Employment Information Service. The main analysis results are as follows. First, each poverty rate for the elderly living together accounted for 43.5 percent and 51.4 percent, while 63.8 percent and 77.2 percent for the elderly living alone respectively. Second, life satisfaction was higher among the elderly living together than living alone, However, life satisfaction was not related to condition of poverty among the elderly living alone. Third, absolute / relative poverty were associated with life satisfaction of the elderly living together, and subjective social status had a mediating effect. However, relative poverty was not related to life satisfaction among the elderly living alone, which indicated that it needs to support not only the financial approach to overcome absolute poverty but also the multi-dimensional poverty perspective in the intervention of the elderly living alone Based on the results, the study suggested to make a tool to measure of poverty using multi-dimensional poverty indicators.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.57-78
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• 2004

The economic crisis in $1997{\sim}1998$ caused massive unemployment and unprecedentedly increased the number of the poor in Korea. As many unemployed families fell into poverty, the poverty rate skyrocketed to higher than 10 percent. Not later than 2000, unemployment late got back to normal and real average income among urban households approached to the income level prior to the economic crisis. Although the economic crisis has been passed through, poverty was not decreased to the low level prior to the crisis by 2000. Why does it remain high? This study attempts to provide an answer to this question by analysing the poverty trend over the 1990s. Data come from the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditures 1991, 1996, and 20001. Results show that poverty was rapidly reduced in the first half period of the 1990s. This reduction in poverty is largely explained by steady and rapid economic growth. Modest improvement in income inequality also contributed. In contrast, the poverty rate considerably increased in the latter half of the 1990s. Average income was not fully recovered to its prior level, which reflected the economic crisis and the subsequent economic stagnation. Worsened income inequality led to higher poverty rate too. In addition, demographic changes increased the share of economically vulnerable types of families, such as families headed by single parents and the elderly. The most significant factor in explaining the higher poverty rate was extended income differential among non-elderly adults, while the next was the increased number of the elderly families. Yet, findings a little differ depending on which concepts of poverty to adopt. In the analyses based on the concept of absolute poverty, economic growth the most significantly affected the poverty trends in the 1999s. Changes in income inequality played the most important role in explaining the trend in relative poverty. Adopting the concepts of quasi-absolute poverty, which is preferred in this study, results show that rapid economic growth significantly reduced poverty in the first half of the 1990s and both worsened income inequality and stagnated economic growth increased poverty in the latter 1990s.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.31-53
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• 2008

This study intends to verify the poverty characteristics of the rural elderly households so as to provide more specific data for the intervention of social welfare in the improvement of quality of life of the rural elderly. According to my study of the absolute poverty ratio, the poverty gap, the relative poverty ratio, the subjective poverty ratio, the subjective economic level and the life satisfaction level of the rural elderly households in comparison with those of the other groups, the conclusion is as follows: First, the total living cost of the rural elderly households is rather low with the food cost taking about 30% of the total living cost. Second, in terms of the poverty ratio based on socio-demographic characteristics, higher poverty ratio show among women, older people and households of fewer members. Third, 82.2% of the rural elderly households living with an income below the minimum living cost is found around the poverty line. Fourth, the rural elderly households show a comparatively higher poverty ratio than the other groups in the absolute and relative poverty, but lower economic strain than other groups in the subjective poverty ratio and life satisfaction level. In short, the rural elderly households' poverty level is generally high and therefore need ways of active economic supports, while a political approach to the subjective needs of the regional and intergenerational groups is also required.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.195-218
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to analyze the phenomenon of poverty among North Korean settlers in Korea in terms of its magnitude, the severity, and its determinants by comparing it with the South Korean poor. The data used for this analysis were the second Korean Social Welfare panel data for the South Koreans and the third longitudinal study on North Korean settlers in the South. The average household income of the North Korean settlers reached about 70% of the South Korean counterparts. The percentage of the North Korean households that earn 200% of the poverty line was about the same as the South Koreans, which indicates the improvement of the economic status of the long-term settlers in the South. However, the North Korean settlers below 100% of the poverty line were twice as much , and those under 50% of the poverty line were 8 times more than their South Korean counterparts. Despite the improved economic status of the long-term North Korean settlers in the South, those who still live below the poverty line tend to remain in poverty, which is chronic and severe. The determinants of the North Korean settlers' poverty were identified as age, number of household members in employment, alcohol problem and health satisfaction level. Policy implications were discussed in conclusion.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.3
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• pp.9-33
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• 2017

This study estimated the socioeconomic costs of child poverty. Based on previous studies, the present study organized component categories for direct and indirect costs of child poverty, and estimated the cost of each category in 2015 through the collection of existing data and Delphi survey techniques among experts. The total socioeconomic costs of child poverty were compared to Korea's GDP. The results of this study were as follows. First, the socioeconomic costs of child poverty in Korea in 2015 ranged from 55 trillion KW(3.5% of GDP) to 99 trillion KW(6.5% of GDP). Second, the indirect socioeconomic costs of child poverty are much higher than the direct costs. Third, among the total cost categories, costs related to productivity loss and unemployment accounted for the largest portion of both the socioeconomic costs based upon absolute poverty and relative poverty. Crime costs are the second largest. Based on these results, we discussed the importance of early intervention for children in poverty; implementation of two-generation program that intervenes simultaneously with parents and children; and long-term, continuous and integrated intervention for high-risk groups such as poor children.

• Social Workers
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• no.3 s.35
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• pp.32-35
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• 2005

사회복지공동모금회에 의하면 지난 '희망 2005 이웃사랑캠페인'에서 전년보다 개인기부나 기업기부가 각 60% 이상씩 늘어났다고 한다. 경제가 최악이라고 다들 말하지만 국민들의 따뜻한 마음은 최악이 아니였던 것이다. 이렇게 모인 금액은 우리가 흔히 말하는 불우이웃, 즉 빈곤층과 소외계층에 나누어져 지원된다. 그런데 문제는 이러한 분위기가 정부보다는 국민들에게 더 강하게 어필되고 있는 느낌이다. 우리나라 빈곤층은 1997년 경제위기 이후 급격히 늘어 1999년 정점에 이른 뒤 2000년부터는 감소추세였다. 그러나 2003년 기점으로 절대빈곤률과 상대빈곤률이 다시 높아지고 있으며, 특히 상대빈곤층은 최악의 상태였던 1999년보다 높아졌으며 중산층은 줄고 고소득층은 늘어 사회가 양극화 되고 있다. 가난의 굴레를 벗어나기가 쉽지 않다고는 하지만 그나마 사회안전망이라 할 수 있는 국민기초생활보장제도도 빈곤층에게 인간다운 아름다운 삶을 보장받게 해주지 못하고 있는 것이 사실이다. 또한, 정부의 복지정책의 근간이 되는 기본 실태조사좌도 그 신뢰성에 문제로 제기하고 있는 현 상황과 대책을 알아보고자 한다.

• Defense and Technology
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• no.6 s.172
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• pp.14-17
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• 1993

국방과학기술은 불확실한 전략적 미래에 대한 가장 확실한 담보물입니다. 따라서 투자재원, 기반기술 등의 절대빈곤 가운데에서도 군사력전략목표와 개념구현을 위한 기술집약적 군사력 건설이 필수적으로 요구됩니다 총력전 시대의 국방체계 발전 요체는 군사기획가의 과학기술 이해, 활용능력 향상과 당대 최고의 과학기술자가 국방에 다수 참여하여 업적을 쌓을수 있는 내외부 여건이 성숙되어야 합니다