• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.329-348
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• 2010

Following the welfare state typology well known, the typology in terms of individual system in welfare state has been widely examined and, pension which is the biggest and most important in welfare state has been classified into Beveridge and Bismarckian types based on their pension system design. Such typology focused on benefit type or size of private pension has been recently refined to add a new type - 'Bismarckian Lite' type - in addition to traditional Beveridge and Bismarckian types. Whereas the pension reforms in the developed countries has been changes within their pension regimes, the Korean pension reform in 2007 seems to have changed the existing social insurance type into the 'Bismarckian Lite' type. However, considering the immaturity of Korean pension regime, it is difficult to conclude the existing status of the Korean pension regime and, the Korean one can be classified into a multi-pillar one. Over the last decades the developed countries have increased the size of private pension regardless of their original pension regimes, which tends to converge into multi-pillar schemes. Accordingly, there is recently a new typology focused on the degree of regulation in terms of private pensions, which seems to be the better perspective. It will be more important how to regulate the (immature) occupational pension as well as the National Pension in Korea. Considering that old age income security in countries where the public regulation regarding private pension was absent has been deteriorated, it would be necessary to strengthen the role of government to effectively regulate private pension.