• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.3-23
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• 2012

The recent global financial crisis has highlighted the importance of international monetary and financial system reform. The current system is deemed to be no longer adequate to meet the needs of a complex, integrated world economy. With regards to the reform of the international monetary system, there have been various proposals both in demand and supply sides. These include proposals to build a stronger global financial safety net, to diversify the supply of international reserve currency and so on. These proposals face trade-offs between desirability and political feasibility. Given this situation, a practical transition would be to strengthen policy coordination among the major economies and to reform the International Monetary Fund. The success on both fronts depends heavily on global economic governance reform and the role of the G20. Increased status and representation of Asian countries in the G20 give both privileges and responsibilities to Asians. To meet these responsibilities, Asians should put forth greater efforts to develop their intellectual leadership in global economic issues through creating new forum and institutions.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.117-134
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• 2006

Korean health care system introduced the reform for separation between prescribing and dispensing of drugs (SPD reform) in the latter part of the year 2000. The objective of this paper is to look at what change this reform has brought about in the financial situation of Korean public health insurance scheme, particularly in terms of insurance benefit outlay. Since the inception of the reform is a development of more than five years ago, its impact on the finance situation would now start to become apparent. Hypothesis is set in this study for each of three components of drug reimbursement in health insurance, i.e. average price level, composition of drugs and their overall volume. In terms of the classification of health care services by mode of production, the impact of the SPD reform is confined mainly to the last two among three drug reimbursement fields including inpatient department, out-patient department and pharmacy. Pure impact of the SPD reform was estimated to be more or less than 1.7 trillion won, 13.1% of the total outlay of the Nation Health Insurance in 2001, and more than 2.0 trillion won, 14.9% of the total outlay of the Nation Health Insurance in 2003. Both dispensing fees for the pharmacists, which had been newly introduced on occasion of the SPD reform, and larger share of expensive drugs in the medicines prescribed by doctors were confirmed to be main drivers of the augmentation of drug reimbursement.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.702-712
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• 2016

This study aims to compare the government accounting reform of advanced countries and South Korea and suggest policy implications for South Korea. The reform steps are structured down to institutional introduction, institutional formation and institutional stability. I researched the literatures on the government accounting system and compiled research materials from the Finance Ministries, Audit Offices, and Government Accounting Standards Boards websites of New Zealand, US, UK and South Korea. Analysis showed that advanced countries and South Korea have adopted accrual accounting systems which have provided more comprehensive and objective financial information. But the government accounting system of South Korea compared with those of advanced countries needs reform. The suggestions of this study include: expanding range of whole of government financial statements; giving coherence to the public accounting standards; adopting government audit system; and introducing accrual budgeting. However, there are differences between business accounting and government accounting and the differences are considered for government accounting reform.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.153-195
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• 2010

The recent global financial crisis has been the outcome of, among other things, the mismatch between institutions and the reality of the market in the current global financial system. The International financial institutions (IFIs) that were designed more than 60 years ago can no longer effectively meet the challenges posed by the current global economy. While the global financial market has become integrated like a single market, there is no international lender of last resort or global regulatory body. There also has been a rapid shift in the weight of economic power. The share of the Group of 7 (G7) countries in global gross domestic product (GDP) fell and the share of emerging market economies increased rapidly. Therefore, the tasks facing us today are: (i) to reform the IFIs -mandate, resources, management, and governance structure; (ii) to reform the system such as the international monetary system (IMS), and regulatory framework of the global financial system; and (iii) to reform global economic governance. The main focus of this paper will be the IMS reform and the role of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit meetings. The current IMS problems can be summarized as follows. First, the demand for foreign reserve accumulation has been increasing despite the movement from fixed exchange rate regimes to floating rate regimes some 40 years ago. Second, this increasing demand for foreign reserves has been concentrated in US dollar assets, especially public securities. Third, as the IMS relies too heavily on the supply of currency issued by a center country (the US), it gives an exorbitant privilege to this country, which can issue Treasury bills at the lowest possible interest rate in the international capital market. Fourth, as a related problem, the global financial system depends too heavily on the center country's ability to maintain the stability of the value of its currency and strength of its own financial system. Fifth, international capital flows have been distorted in the current IMS, from EMEs and developing countries where the productivity of capital investment is higher, to advanced economies, especially the US, where the return to capital investment is lower. Given these problems, there have been various proposals to reform the current IMS. They can be grouped into two: demand-side and supply-side reform. The key in the former is how to reduce the widespread strong demand for foreign reserve holdings among EMEs. There have been several proposals to reduce the self-insurance motivation. They include third-party insurance and the expansion of the opportunity to borrow from a global and regional reserve pool, or access to global lender of last resort (or something similar). However, the first option would be too costly. That leads us to the second option - building a stronger globalfinancial safety net. Discussions on supply-side reform of the IMS focus on how to diversify the supply of international reserve currency. The proposals include moving to a multiple currency system; increased allocation and wider use of special drawing rights (SDR); and creating a new global reserve currency. A key question is whether diversification should be encouraged among suitable existing currencies, or if it should be sought more with global reserve assets, acting as a complement or even substitute to existing ones. Each proposal has its pros and cons; they also face trade-offs between desirability and political feasibility. The transition would require close collaboration among the major players. This should include efforts at the least to strengthen policy coordination and collaboration among the major economies, and to reform the IMF to make it a more effective institution for bilateral and multilateral surveillance and as an international lender of last resort. The success on both fronts depends heavily on global economic governance reform and the role of the G20. The challenge is how to make the G20 effective. Without institutional innovations within the G20, there is a high risk that its summits will follow the path of previous summit meetings, such as G7/G8.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.217-233
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• 1998

This paper analyzed four different perspectives on health care reform in Korea in terms of the basic values, formulated problems and reform plans, implementation methods, and supporting groups. The medical security plan was insisted by social security specialists and social activists focusing on the integration of medical insurance coops in order to enhancing equity and right of the people. However, its perspective was limited to promoting security instead of reforming health care system. The government proposed the health care reform plans in 1994 and in 1997, focusing on promoting efficiency by remedying many problems in health care delivery system. However, its implementation was not successful due to the lack of organizational and financial supporters. Recently, two opposite proposals were issued. The market reform plan paid attention to revitalizing the market function to promoting efficiency by allowing hospitals to treat private patients instead of applying the medical insurance regulation. The government reform plan focused on intensifying governmental planning and intervention in the health care sector in order to removing inefficiency and promoting equity with the supports of social activists and labor unions. Finally, this paper proposed an alternative plan to promote harmonious social relationship between actors in the health care system.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-64
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• 2004

As of 1 July 2000 a big reform was introduced into the Korean health care system: the separation between prescribing and dispensing of drugs (SPD reform). There was, however, a big financial stake associated with pharmaceuticals, particularly before the reform, because physicians as well as pharmacists were allowed to purchase drugs at much lower costs than the insurance reimbursement. In this respect, this study focuses on the change in income and profit of both doctor's clinics and pharmacies after the reform. Data from National Health and Nutritional Survey by the ministry of health and welfare were used to estimate the income or expenditure that are financed by out-of-pocket payment of the patients, while national health insurance data etc. were used for the estimation of the income or expenditure that is financed by insurers. Average annual income per doctor's clinic increased from 299 million won to 338 million won for the three years between 1998 and 2001, whereas average annual income per pharmacy increased enormously from 60 million won to 305 million won for the same period. Average annual 'profit' increase per each doctor's clinic caused by the reform itself was estimated to range from 50 to 83 million won, while that per each pharmacy, from 23 to 87 million won. In sum, while both doctor's clinics and pharmacies are beneficiaries of the SPD reform, its positive impact is particularly prominent on the latter.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.39-54
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• 1999

This paper focused on meaning, problems and prospect of structural reform of coastal and offshore fisheries in Korea. Structural reform can be defined as effective combination of production factors in order to enhance fisheries productivity and it can be realized mainly through fleet reduction, modernization of fishing vessels and fishing gear etc. However, the structural reform alone will not be sufficient to advance Koreanl fisheries facing with severe challenges from both inside and outside. Domestically, worsening status of fisheries resources, decreasing number of fishermen, worsening financial status of fisheries businesses and severe competition cause structural problem in fisheries sector and internationally the pressure from WTO and OECD to reduce tariff and subsides in fisheries poses severe challenges. The structural reform should be carried out in relation with the general adjustment programs across coastal and offshore fisheries such as M&A among fisheries businesses, adjustment of number of fishing permits and fishing areas. And the policy to enhance the fishing productivity is needed for recovery of fisheries resources and for the reduction of fishing efforts, that is, the approach which combines economic and resources concerns is needed. For the effective implementation of the reform, effect analysis of the reform program is needed and at the same time, eradication of illegal fishing, reduction of fishing fleet and reduction of fishing cost should be realized. However, the most important thing is the will and efforts of the government for successful reform. If the government does not exert sufficient efforts for the structural reform, Korea could be degraded into a backward country in fisheries.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.71-96
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• 2017

This study analyzes the process of overcoming the impoverishment due to the failure of North Korea planned economy through marketization. Recognizing the economic policy presented by the convergence of market and planned economy system as a economy system and focusing on the 7.1 Economic Management Measures and the 6.28 New Economic Management Measures. The marketization is classified the indigenous marketization (1990-2001), the marketization focusing on central distribution (2002-2011), the marketization focusing on production (2012-2017). The major events, the economic circular structure and the economic behavior were analyzed. Results showed as following: First, through the process of marketization starting from the expansion of farmers' market and the marketization focusing on distribution, the marketization focusing on production to the marketization focusing on finance. And as the evolution of it continues, to some extent a poverty has been overcomed. Second, corporate institutions, agricultural institutions, financial institutions and progress in becoming a market economy direction. A series of privatization starting from small one to large-scale one have been progressing. Third, in order to overcome the impoverishment completely. Through foreign investment the industrialization covering a wide range of industries are urgently needed, Domestic agricultural reform, enterprise reform, price reform, financial reform, financial reform, trade and direct investment, reform, reform, distribution, etc are needed. The economic reforms across almost all sectors are needed to be combined in a global economy Expanding employment, the acquisition of foreign currencies and the acquisition of technology in the process should also be realized. The direction of change of this series of economic structures has turned Public sector and centralized into Private sector and Decentralization.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.125-151
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• 1990

This paper reviews the economic liberalization experiences of the Southern Cone countries and draws some lessons from their experiences. The Southern Cone countries-Chile, Argentina and Uruguay-followed the different sequences in liberalization. Chile implemented the fiscal reform and the following comprehensive trade reform in the beginning of liberalization, but capital controls were maintained until 1979. Argentina and Uruguay placed more emphasis on the financial reform with the goods market reformed afterwards, but the fiscal sector was never reformed in Argentina. Since the serious inflation plagued the Southern Cone countries, they combined the economic liberalization scheme with the economic stabilization programmes which are based on the monetarist model. Although economic situations in the Southern Cone countries are quite different from those of Korea, we can learn many lessons from their experiences. First, the monetary and fiscal policies should consist of strict financial discipline to bring in the stable domestic inflation. Without the domestic stabilization, the financial liberalization could disturb the domestic economy as the capital inflows in particular generate a real exchange rate appreciation. Second, the monetary approach which is based on the full purchasing power parity and perfect capital mobility make stabilization as simple as a matter of the appropriate exchange rate policy and the proper rate of domestic credit creation. The unsuccessful experiences with monetarist stabilization in the Southern Cone countries suggest that the monetarist model cannot make real exchange rate and real interest rate stable with the trade and financial reform. Third, both the theory and practice have not yet provided a precise solution on the optimal sequencing and speed of the goods and financial market. Nonetheless, it seems desirable to keep the real exchange rate and the real interest rate stable by gradually opening up the current account and then the capital account.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.11-19
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• 2021

The paper examines the nexus between economic globalization, financial development and institutional reform in India and Sri Lanka during the period 1990-2017. Using the panel ARDL method, the study finds the long-run relationship between financial development, economic globalization, and institutional reforms. From the short-run equation, the study finds the negative and statistically significant impact of economic globalization on financial development in India whereas Sri Lanka has a positive impact of institutional quality on financial development. Then, the study finds no short-run causality between financial development, economic globalization and institutional reforms. However, the study finds bi-direction strong causality between economic globalization and financial development. Further, the study finds uni-directional strong causality from institutional quality to financial development and economic globalization. Moreover, there is an existence of long-run causality between financial development, economic globalization and institutional quality. For the robustness of the results, the study considers the financial market as a proxy for financial development. Then, the study applies the panel ARDL test and find the consistency in the results. The policymakers in India and Sri Lanka should focus on institutional reforms so that it can reap the benefit of economic globalization. In turn, the quality of institutional reforms can thereby lead to financial development.