• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.267-274
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• 2021

This paper examines the impact of the Basic Pension scheme in terms of poverty reduction and income distribution among elderly households by focusing on the differences in the household type. It compares the data before (2013) and after (2016, 2019) the introduction of Basic Pension by using Household Income and Expenditure Survey data. Empirical analyses indicate that, first, the overall income and the public income transfer of the elderly households increased during the period compared. Second, the poverty rate was considerably higher for the elderly living alone than for other household types. The government policy led to poverty-reduction for all types of elderly households, wherein the effect was most profound in the case of elderly living with spouse. Third, income distribution improved for all types of elderly households, though maximum margin was observed in the case of the elderly living alone. Fourth, according to the multivariate logit regression, the Basic Pension had a positive impact on reducing the risk of poverty (defined as below 40% of median income) among the elderly households.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.51-71
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• 2019

This study analyzed the poverty rate by poverty dimension, correlation between multidimensional poverty, variables that affected the number of poverty dimension and the probability of the poor or not. The sample consisted of 6,361 elderly households (1,561 baby boom birth cohort, 1,793 post-liberation birth cohort, 3,007 Japanese colonial period birth cohort) taken from the $12^{th}$ Korean Welfare Panel Study. First, the highest poverty rate among the baby boom birth cohort was 62.8% of employment poverty. The highest rate among the post-liberation birth cohort and Japanese colonial period birth cohort, was 82.5%, 92.3% of health poverty, respectively. Second, the highest coefficient in the baby boom birth cohort was .354 for asset poverty and relation poverty. In the remaining two cohorts, the coefficient for asset poverty and relation poverty was the highest at .268, .284, respectively. Third, the average number of poverty dimensions was 2.318 of the baby boom birth cohort, 2.921 of the post-liberation birth cohort, 3.564 of the poverty in the Japanese colonial period birth cohort. Also, the poverty rate for each cohort was 20.179%, 28.779%, and 50.083%, respectively. Fourth, the significant variables in all cohorts were gender, education, marital status, residence, and equalized ordinary income for the multiple regression analysis on the number of poverty dimensions. Additionally, age of the post-liberation birth cohort was significant, age and family numbers of the Japanese colonial period birth cohort were significant. Significant variables in logistic analysis on the probability of poverty or not were the same as those of regression analysis.

• 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.37 no.3
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• pp.617-635
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate both poverty and depression among older adults, focusing on the relationship of these two trajectories. For expanding the understanding about elderly poverty and depression, the study measured the longitudinal patterns of various transition in these two variables. The data for the study is 1st to 9th waves (2006-2014) of Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS), and 4,431 older adults were used for the final analysis. For data analysis, Semi-parametric group-based modeling and Dual trajectory model were selected. The main results of this study were followings; First, The trajectory groups were identified: non-poverty, decrease poverty, increase poverty, remain high-poverty, chronic poverty groups and 4 trajectories of depression: stable, remain low-depression, risk of depression, chronic depression groups. Second, the study was tried to anticipate the longitudinal transition of poverty and depression status, and investigate the concurrent relationship in these two variables. It turned out that the stable poverty status led the stable depression, and vice versa. Based on these result, this study for elderly welfare were discussed to reduce risk for poverty and depression.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2009

This study aimed to identify and compare variables affecting life satisfaction of older women by focusing on household types and poverty levels. The study used data from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging administered by the Korea Labor Institute in 2006. The data for 1,017 older women ages over 65 including 427 single households and 590 couple households was analyzed. First, interaction effects of household types and poverty levels on life satisfaction were statistically significant. For the non-poverty households of older women, there was no explicit difference between single households and couple households in life satisfaction, but for the poverty households, single households were lower in life satisfaction than couple households. Second, as a result of reviewing four groups of older women (poverty-single household, poverty-couple household, non-poverty-single household, and non-poverty-couple household), besides religion, it was found that there were significant differences in age, education level, number of children, health level, residence area, and status of economic activity. Third, when analyzing variables affecting life satisfaction, common predictors for the four groups were health level and ownership of house. Older women who perceived to be healthier and owned their own homes were higher in life satisfaction. For poverty-single households, older women with over middle school graduation were also higher in life satisfaction, but for poverty-couple households, older women with over middle school graduation and more children were higher.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.275-290
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• 2005

This study investigates whether previous experiences in the labor market such as previous employment type and job type are related to the economic status and poverty in the elderly in Korea. Previous studies are limited in explaining the causes of poverty by using only the proxy variables such as age, marital status, and gender to classify the poverty status of the elderly after poverty has been identified. Therefore little is known about how the economic well-being after retirement is interrelated with previous job experiences in the labour market. The results indicate that the last job type and type of employment are significant predictors for the economic status of elderly. Job type in the labour market is critical for the lifetime economic status of an individual. These findings imply that we might need to reconsider the current public pension system which directly relates the benefit level to the amount of contribution. A system introducing a basic pension or a minimum pension benefit based on the citizenship or residence might be an alternative worth to consider.

• 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.

• 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.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.301-321
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• 2018

The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether any combination of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the public pension system is a causal factor for the elderly poverty reduction rate. For this, fuzzy-set qualitative comparison analysis was conducted with the poverty reduction rate as the outcome condition variable, the public pension expenditure ratio, the redistributive index, the first floor public pension weight, the second floor public pension weight and the second floor forced private pension weight did. As a result of the analysis, the combination of high public pension expenditure ratio, low two - tier public pension share and high two - tier compulsory private pension share has become a cause of high poverty reduction rate of the elderly. And more various forms of association were found as the cause of low poverty reduction rate of the elderly. This paper suggests policy proposals based on the above findings.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.209-232
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• 2017

This study proposes supplemental security income programs for the elderly to reduce the serious elderly poverty in Korea. The experiences of the supplemental security income programs for the elderly among the developed countries were investigated. Based on this, the Korean supplemental security income models were proposed, and the effects of the programs on the poverty, inequality, and finance were analysed. The results suggest the following implications. First, the supplemental security income programs cover a sizable portion of the elderly in Korea, and reduce substantially the poverty and inequality problems among the elderly. Second, the supplemental security income programs are efficient compared to the increase of the basic pension. Third, the effects were varied among the combinations of the basic pension models and the supplemental security income models. Therefore Korea needs to introduce an adequate policy mix consisting of basic income and supplemental security income programs so as to construct solid basic income security systems for the elderly.