• Forest Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.192-203
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• 2018

This study analyzed the distribution of forest income and other variable sources of rural household income and considered their importance for the reduction of income inequality and poverty. We employed Gini decomposition to measure the contribution of forest income and other sources of income to income equality and assess whether they were inequality-increasing or inequality-decreasing in the 14 villages. The forest income Gini correlation with total income was very high, $R_k=0.6960$, and the forest income share of total rural household income was 35% ($S_k=0.3570$). If the income earned from forest activities was removed, the Gini index would increase by 10.3%. Thus, if people could not access forest resources because of vast deforestation, perhaps from the limitations of government-managed forestry, unplanned clearing of forest land for agriculture or the granting of ELCs, there would be an increase in income inequality and poverty among rural households. The findings suggest that policy makers should look beyond agriculture for rural development, as forest resources provide meaningful subsistence income and perhaps contribute to both preventing and reducing poverty and inequality in rural communities. The study found that non-farm activities were inequality-increasing sources of income. The share of non-farm income to the total rural household income was $S_k=0.1290$ and the Gini index of non-farm income was very high, $G_k=0.8780$, compared with forest and farm income. This disagrees with other studies which have reported that non-farm income was inequality-decreasing for the rural poor.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2023

This study employed the Gini coefficient decomposition analysis to classify and examine fishery household income inequality according to income sources. The raw data from the Fisheries Economic Survey by the National Statistical Office were used for the analysis after equalization according to the recommended method of the OECD. In particular, the Gini coefficient was decomposed by classifying with and without public subsidies, and the contribution, correlation, and marginal effect by income source were presented.As a result of the analysis, the inequality of fishing income and non-fishing income of fishermen was worsening, and the inequality of transfer income was continuously easing. Among them, fisheries subsidies have been analyzed to have the greatest contribution to the Gini coefficient of gross income and the highest relative marginal effect, although distribution inequality has been alleviated. On the other hand, other subsidies, including public pensions, were found to have the opposite contribution, correlation, and marginal effect to fisheries subsidies. The results of this analysis showed that even within public subsidies, the contribution to income redistribution might differ depending on the nature of the subsidy. In addition, in the case of other public subsidies, it can be seen that the transition from selective welfare to universal welfare occurs.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.37-46
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• 2011

Using the 1987-2008 quarterly aggregated data of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, this study investigated the factors influencing household saving rate. The independent variables in the AR regression model were the GDP growth rate, shares of the total household expenditure allocated to tax & social insurance, and education, the variables reflecting the conditions of the asset market including interest rate, stock market index, and real estate price index, and the variables representing the social economic conditions including the index of aging and income inequality. Among the independent variables interest rate, stock market index, and income inequality were found to be significantly associated with the household saving rate. These results suggested that the redistribution and financial market policies favorable to savers may be effective for raising the household saving rate.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.625-633
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of private insurance revenues and household spending on household income inequality. To this end, we conducted a concentration index and concentration curve analysis for the income level of medical panel survey data in 2015. The main results are as follows. First, the household income concentration ratio is 0.3580, which means that income is concentrated in the high income group, and the degree of inequality is considerably large. Second, although the portion of the private insurance benefits was small on the high-income household, it helped to strengthen the benefits concentration on this group. Third, the low income group has a large self-pay medical expense. Finally, the index of the income excluding the burden of the total medical expenses in the household income was 0.3676, so that even accounting for medical expenses, the income was concentrated in the high income class. Therefore, private insurance benefits and medical expenses were all contributing factors to the inequality of household income, and this study provides the essential materials for research and policy planning which could lead to the convergence of different fields.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.36-57
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• 2010

The degree of income inequality deepened by health care expenditure was useful in assessing the health security level. This exploratory study was conducted to provide a basic evidence to prove the necessity of reinforcement the benefit coverage of South Korea's health security systems. Data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey of Korea and Luxembourg Income Study were used. Income inequality indices before and after deduction of health care expenditure were computed, and the degree of the increase in the indices was compared among 13 countries. The degree of decrease against the effect of income inequality reduction policies by health care expenditure was determined. The relationships between the national characteristics and the increase in income inequality were examined. In South Korea, all income inequality indices increased after deducting health care expenditure, but the difference was not high compared to the mean of 13 countries. However, the degree of decrease against the effect of income inequality reduction policies by health care expenditure was high, compared to the mean of 13 countries. The proportion of public sector spending on health care proved to be statistically significant with the increase of income inequality indices (p<0.05). In the context of the continuous increase in health care expenditure, if benefit coverage of health security systems is not reinforced, income inequality will all the more increase due to health care expenditure. In the establishment of the policies for reinforcement of the benefit coverage, income inequality after deduction of health care expenditure should be continuously monitored.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.141-190
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• 2004

Income inequality in Korea has increased after the economic crisis, and the main reason for the widening of income distribution is due to the increase of the unemployed when analyzed using the Urban Household Report(UHR). However, income inequality has not decreased although the rate of unemployment decreased after 2000. Further data bases for income-related statistics are necessary to examine the exact causes of changing income inequality as a whole since the UHR covers only statistics on urban employees' wage and salary in Korea.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.331-341
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• 2019

The purpose of this analysis is to examine the effects of health expenditure on income inequality on household income after the financial crisis by using the household income survey form 1996 to 2016. The main results are as follows. First, after the financial crisis, the gross income inequality of households has been changing steadily, though there has been a slight change in each year. Second, high-income earners spend more on health care expenditure by income level. Therefore, unequal levels are maintained. Third, the Gini coefficient of income excluding health care expenditure was calculated. The results of the analysis are larger than the Gini coefficient of total income. Income inequality is intensified by the expenditure of health care expenditure of households. The inequality of household income due to health care expenditure has been increasing steadily since the financial crisis. Efforts such as strengthening the protection of health insurance have been continuously carried out for the purpose of reducing the burden of the national medical expenses. However, it does not contribute to resolving income inequality. In the future, it will be necessary to provide a more selective medical support system to reduce the medical expenditure of the low income class.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.163-188
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• 2012

This study examines recent trends in income inequality among the elderly in Korea. Aggregate income inequality trends are explained by examining evidence from inequality index decomposition by population subgroup and by income source. Data come from Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(KLIPS). The results are as follows. First, elderly income inequality increased from 1999 to 2002, and then decreased until 2008. Second, household composition changes appear to have disequalizing influence. The proportion of elderly people who are economically dependent on non-elderly family member or living with adult children has declined. Equalizing influence of private transfers also decreased between 2002 and 2008. These results indicate that the redistributive role of family has weakened over time. Third, the improvement of education level and changing occupational structure among the elderly household head contributed to increase in elderly income inequality. Fourth, earning's factor share has declined steadily, and the diminishing role of earnings provides equalizing influence on elderly income inequality from 2002 to 2008. Fifth, the impact of recent expansion of social insurance has changed over time. Inequality contribution of social insurance income increased from 1999 to 2002, and then decreased from 2002 to 2008.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.3
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• pp.392-404
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of various income sources on income inequality of forestry households. Data from the Forestry Household Economy Survey from 2013-2016 were analyzed using the Gini coefficient decomposition method via income source. In particular, the income inequality analysis of forestry households was broken down into separate analyses based on group, i.e., the whole of forestry households and the five income quintile classes. The results of the analyses showed that income inequality of forestry households is primarily affected by forestry and nonforestry incomes and income quintile class. Moreover, income inequality of the highest income quintile class was largely affected by forestry income compared with other sources of income, whereas that of other income quintile classes was largely affected by nonforestry income. Therefore, in order to reduce income inequality in forestry households, it is necessary to increase the proportion of forestry income in the lower four quintile classes. Given that the income of the lowest quintile class is negative, it is necessary to devise ways to improve the proportion and quantity of forestry income. At the same time, as forestry income increases, a policy alternative is also required to improve inequality in forestry income.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.31-39
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• 2015

This paper examines trends of the income inequality index and the income quintile share ratios, using the Household Survey released by Statistics Korea. We discuss their respective effects on total income inequality and the income disparity, as a contribution concept defined in this paper for 1990-2014 periods. Main findings are as follows. First, the contribution of 2-person families to total inequality with the current income or the disposable income becomes bigger, and growth rates have been above 10% since 2003. Second, the contribution of 1-person families to income inequality is greater than that of 2-person families. Policy implication is such that the government had better investigate the 1 or 2 person families in-depth to set up the policy measures for weakening the income inequality.