• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.55-88
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• 2003

When the definition of income and the equivalence scale was applied just as it was in the LIS (Luxembourg Income Study), the adjusted disposable income inequality calculated by Gini coefficients in Korea was 0.358 for the year 2000. Compare to the 1996 figure of 0.298 the increase of income inequality has skyrocketed. In addition, the adjusted market income inequality increased from 0.302 in 1996 to 0.374 in 2000. The disposable income inequality ranked the third and the market income inequality ranked at the mid level in 2000 among OECD countries. One significant finding in this paper was that the difference between the disposable income inequality and market income inequality in Korea is very small compared to those of other OECD countries. The relative poverty ratio, which is calculated by using 40% of the medium income bracket of the disposable income was calculated at 7.6% in 1996 and 11.5% in 2000. The poverty ratio in 2000 for Korea ranked one of the highest in OECD countries, also.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.187-207
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• 2002

This study investigates the wage determination process of regional labor markets in order to understand the regional dimension of labor market processes in Korean metropolitan cities. Since the financial crisis in late 1997, the interplay between labor market restructuring such as unemployment and skill polarization and income disparity has been shaped by the labor market process in the metropolitan cities. This is also closely related to the fact that both industrial restructuring and expanding information technologies in the metropolitan region have reshaped the labor demand structure and finally resulted in structural unemployment due to skill mismatch and spatial mismatch and wage inequality across different occupations. In addition, since wage determination process clearly has a regional dimension, wage determination and its influence on income profile in a certain regional labor market need to be understood by investigating its labor market characteristics including labor supply and demand structure, industrial changes, changing unemployment, etc. This is why labor market policy as a regional policy needs to be redefined and it can be much enhanced by geographical investigation on regional labor market.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.271-297
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• 2005

Since the 1980s, the western welfare states have experienced a wide spectrum of socio-economic changes; changes in population composition, the economic globalization, the post-industrialization, an increasing flexibility in the labor market. etc. This study examines the trend of poverty in welfare states, and analyzes how those socio-economic changes are related to it. For these purposes, this study first calculates the poverty indices for several years in 10 welfare states using the Luxembourg Income Study database, and then decomposes the index by subpopulation and income sources. Major findings of this study can be summarized as follows. First of all, the welfare state in general has experienced an increasing trend in the degree of poverty since the 1980s. In particular, poverty has greatly intensified in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Many other welfare states including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Norway have also experienced substantial increases in poverty. The increasing trend of poverty is not wholly due to changes in population composition such as increases in the aging population and one-parent(mother) families. Contrary to the traditional belief, these population groups are not as much poor as the working-age population. In particular, the degree of poverty in the elderly is less severe than in the working-age group. Furthermore, since the 1980s the market income poverty in the aging population has shown a decreasing trend in many welfare states. The degree and trend of poverty in one-parent families vary greatly across countries, owing to the labor market and income transfer policies. The most important reason for the increasing poverty trend in the welfare state is that the degree of poverty has been deepening in the working-age population. Especially, the market income poverty of the working-age population has considerably increased in every country except the Netherlands. Structural changes in the economy and the labor market may drive the increasing trend of poverty. Further studies and deliberate anti-poverty policies are needed to tackle the factors relating to the increase in the market income poverty.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.494-502
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• 2017

This study examines how the Netherlands and Denmark lowered the increase in income inequality, at a period in time when income inequality in the world was deepening. This study investigates the level and trend of income inequality in the Netherlands and Denmark compared to those in Korea, the United States, Germany and Sweden. Using the method of the decomposition of changes in income inequality, this study identifies which factors are associated with the changes in inequality in these countries. It also explores which labor market policies mitigated inequality in these two countries. One of the major reasons for the reduction in earned income inequality in the Netherlands is the increased participation of women in economic activity through the increase in voluntary part-time working. In particular, the policies designed to promote equal treatment between full-time and non-regular workers contributed to the active participation of women in part-time work. Using active labor market policies, Denmark improved the proficiency of low skilled and low-wage workers, thereby alleviating the wage gap between high-income and low-income workers. Based on the experiences of the Netherlands and Denmark, this study discusses policy directions to mitigate income inequality in Korea.

• 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 the Chungcheong Mathematical Society
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.329-336
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• 2016

The optimal portfolio choice problem with a stochastic income is considered in continuous-time framework. We provide a novel approach to treat the stochastic income when the market is complete. The developed method is useful to obtain closed-form solutions of the problems under borrowing constraints.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.301-316
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• 2016

Due to the dramatic increase in consumers' price sensitivity and growing importance for global retailers to create relevant price strategies, this study investigates the global pricing strategy of the main SPA brands such as ZARA, H&M and UNIQLO. Based on price information shown on official website, the study developed SPA brand index by using exchange rates in terms of US dollars and ratio of differences between the local price and the US price. These figures were compared with GDP per person data in order to analyze each brand's price level against the income level. The study also compared SPA brand index with Big Mac index to identify the difference in price levels between the fast fashion market and the fast food market. ZARA and H&M were mostly targeting Middle East and Asia as a high-price market when considering index only. After taking the income level into account, however, Asia came out be the highest price market and Middle East was similar to the US market. On the other hand, UNIQLO targeted Asia as the lowest price market and the US and EU as the highest in terms of index only. But, Asia came out to be the highest price zone after considering the income level while the price of the US and EU was reasonable. Comparison with Big Mac Index indicated that most of Asia had a higher price level of the fashion market than the food market, whereas most European countries had a similar or high-price level of food market.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.17-37
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• 2023

The rental housing market in South Korea, specifically monthly rent with deposit, has been expanding over the last three decades (8.2% in 1990 to 21.0% in 2020), partly replacing the traditional Jeonse market. The distribution of rent has changed due to public rental subsidies and the emergence of luxury rental housing, while the distribution of rental household income has been polarized because of the emergence of rich renters. This study attempts to measure the structural changes in the rental market by developing a new indicator of income-rent mismatch. Using the seven series of the Korea Housing Survey, this study analyzed the changes in rent (reflecting the conversion rate) and income levels of rental households in 2006 (base year) and 10-15 years later (the analysis year) at the national level and at the spatial unit of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces (excluding Sejong), respectively, by dividing them into quartile data. The result reveals that rental housing was undersupplied in middle- and high-income rental housing due to the decline in the highest quartile (25%→18%) and the third quartile groups (25%→20%), while the supply of public rental housing expanded for the second quartile (25%→28%) and the lowest quartile (25%→35) groups. On the demand side, the highest income quartile shrank (25%→21%), while the lowest income quartile grew (25%→31%). Comparing the 16 metropolitan cities and provinces, there were significant regional differences in the direction and intensity of changes in rent and renter household income. In particular, the rental market in Seoul was characterized by supply polarization, which led to an imbalance in the income distribution of rental households. The structural changes in the apartment rental market were different from those in the non-apartment rental market. The findings of this study can be used as a basis for future regional rental housing markets. The findings can support securing affordable rental housing stock for each income quartile group on monthly rent and developing housing stability measures for a balance between income and rent distribution in each region.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.24-28
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• 1993

Even though the price level of organic rice is 20% higher than conventional product, 25% of the total surveyed consumers are willing to purchse organic rice of different income level, the monthly average income was 1, 100, 000Won. 35% of the total consumers in this income class is willing to purchase organic rice.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2019

Purpose - The international market provides a growth momentum for firms by allowing them to tap into a new market. Given information asymmetry between firms and financial analysts, firms' international growth can be perceived as a higher business prospect by analysts. This paper explores the possibility of analysts' over-emphasis on foreign income growth in predicting earnings. Research design, data, and methodology - We utilize a sample of U.S. firms to test the relationship between foreign income growth and analysts' forecast optimism. Our sample of publicly listed and traded U.S. firms between 1976 and 2016 consists of 6,120 firm-year observations. Results - Empirical analyses show that firms that show higher international growth in earnings are likely to face forecast inaccuracy by financial analysts. From the perspective of firms, their earnings are less than what analysts forecasted. Contrary to our prediction on the moderating effect of innovative capabilities, optimistic bias is not intensified - rather, it is reduced - when firms have higher innovative capabilities. Conclusions - Our results imply that while analysts favor firms with higher international growth, innovative capability on the international market places additional risks to firms' operation.