• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.17-31
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• 2014

This study examines trends in the overall income inequality of fishery household from 2003 to 2012 with the panel data of the Fishery Household Economy Survey. To investigate the potential determinants of income inequality, we decomposes the Gini coefficients into five income sources, fishery income, non-fishery income(non-fishery business income, non-business income), transfer income, irregular income and calculate the impact of each income sources on total income inequality. An evident trend toward increasing inequality of household income was found. Also, we find rising fishery income and non-fishery income play important role in the rapid increase of income inequality. Only transfer income appear to reduce total income inequality.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.3-38
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• 2021

Does Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) exacerbate income inequality in South Korea? If so, does rising income inequality come for the sake of economic growth? This study explores the impact of FDI on income inequality and growth in South Korea. To this end, we collect data on FDI and income inequality/economic growth at both national and provincial levels and empirically test their relationships in South Korea. The empirical results confirm our expectation that FDI magnifies income inequality. Furthermore, we fail to find a positive relationship between FDI and economic growth, implying that income inequality as a consequence of FDI does not come for the sake of economic growth in Korea. Findings suggest that more systematic research and nuanced policy design is necessary to circumvent the mechanisms at play that link the surge of FDI inflows and the exponential expansion of economic inequality.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.478-488
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• 2021

This study analyzes the change in the contribution of the elderly to income inequality by using the Gini coefficient and the decile distribution ratio from the data of the Korea Welfare Panel Survey from 2007 to 2018 on economic inequality in old age. According to the study, the Gini coefficient of total income gradually decreased from 0.430 in 2007 to 0.383 in 2018. As a result, inequality decreased. Also, the higher the income quintile, the higher the income growth rate. Market income inequality has increased and inequality between public and private transfer income has decreased. Analysis of the contribution of income inequality to total income confirmed that public transfer income has replaced the role of private transfer income in reducing inequality over time. The expansion of public transfer income for the maintenance of basic living of the elderly is an important source of income for the elderly despite the crowding-out effect of private transfer income, market income, public and private transfer income, which are components of the income structure of the elderly, mutually complement total income. Therefore, it is important to identify income sources that contribute to alleviating income inequality among the elderly and reflect them in policy-making process.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.18-33
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• 2020

Purpose - This paper investigated the effect of international trade affects income inequality. It also compares the different effects between developing and developed countries over the period from 2005 to 2014 for 58 countries. Design/methodology - The econometric estimation was used to identify the relationship between export, import, FDI, GDP, unemployment and income inequality. In this empirical analysis, we utilized a Vector Error Correction (VEC) model using panel data. Findings - The findings show that there is a close correlated between trade and income inequality. The higher export ratio of GDP tends to have a 1.79 times more income inequality in developing countries than in developed countries. The higher import ratio of GDP tends to have a 2.44 times higher income inequality in developing countries than in developed countries. Further, Increasing FDI tend to have an approximately 1.43 times higher income inequality in developing countries than in developed countries. Korea is in the middle of developed and developing countries' result. Originality/value - To correct the global income inequality regarding trade, developed countries' proactive trade policies, such as granting preferential tariff benefits to developing countries, are likely to be needed and Income Safety Net in international trade must be taken into account.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.77-102
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• 2007

This paper compares income and consumption for their relative effectiveness in measuring inequality. Although income inequality has received more attention in the literature, the permanent income hypothesis links consumption to welfare more directly than income. To the extent economic agents smooth their consumptions, consumption inequality is a better indicator for an economy's welfare inequality, and it is especially so when income volatility is high. The empirical analysis in this paper indicates that the income and consumption patterns among the Korean wage/salary worker households are quite consistent with the permanent income hypothesis. Further, it is found that consumption inequality tends to be lower than income inequality, and more importantly, that the two inequalities do not always vary in the same direction. These results call for stronger emphasis on consumption inequality in inequality literature.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.175-203
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• 2021

Over the past decades, financial markets have been integrated across countries while income inequality has increased in most countries. This paper studies the effect of financial market integration on income inequality and investigates whether this effect varies with the degree of financial market development. We find empirical evidence that financial market integration and financial market development interact to change income inequality. Specifically, the effect of financial market integration on income inequality is nonlinear, and the degree of financial market development plays an important role. Opening financial markets worsens income inequality in the countries holding the underdeveloped state of financial markets, however, the effect of capital account openness on income inequality is statistically insignificant in the countries with developed financial markets.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2019

The objective of the study is to examine the impact of financial development and foreign remittances on poverty and income inequality in the context of Pakistan. The study used ARDL-Bounds testing approach for robust inferences. The results show that in the short-run, remittances increases poverty and income inequality, which further translated into its long-run impact. The result confirmed the inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita income and income inequality, while the second order coefficient of per capita income substantially decline poverty incidence in a country. In the long-run, the results disappeared and it's turned into U-shaped relationship between income inequality and country's per capita income. Education largely decreases income inequality both in the short and long-run, however, it increases poverty in the long-run. Unemployment rate substantially damaged the pro-poor growth scenario, as high unemployment rate increases both the poverty rates and income inequality, which suffered poor more than non-poor in a country. Financial development has a positive impact on poverty reduction and income inequality in the short-run. The impact of income inequality on poverty incidence is positive both in the short- and long-run, which need pro-poor growth policies and rationale income distribution in a country.

• 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.