• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.84-104
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• 2017

In this study, we divided Gyeonggi-do into Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Parts and found out fiscal variables which affected regional economic growth of each Part differentially. And we drew the strategy for economic growth of each Part. After we found out the variables which affected regional economic growth using fixed-effect model, we carried out causality test to determine whether a specific fiscal variable caused economic growth. In the Eastern Part, local tax revenues had a significant effect on the economic growth. Total expenditures, current expenditure in the Southern Part and social welfare expenditure, expenditure on industries, current expenditure in the Northern Part had noticeable effects on economic growth respectively. And we calculated multipliers of fiscal variables to compare the magnitudes of effects among these Parts.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.172-184
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• 2016

Background: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of occurrence and reoccurrence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) on transition to poverty and persistence of poverty in South Korea. Methods: The data of the year 2008-2011 from the Korea Health Panel were used. CHE was defined as the share of total health expenditure in a household out of a household's total income at various threshold levels (more than 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%). The effect of catastrophic expenditure on transition to poverty and persistence of poverty was analyzed through multivariate logistic regression. Results: The shares of households facing CHE at various threshold levels have increased gradually with 37.7%, 21%, 13.1%, and 9.5% in 2011. Households facing CHE were more likely to experience transition to poverty at thresholds level of more than 5% and 20% in 2010 set. Households facing CHE seemed to experience persistence of poverty, but it was not statistically significant. About 40% of households facing CHE in 2009 encountered another shock of CHE in 2010. Households without CHE seemed to experience more transition to poverty and persistence of poverty, but it was not statistically significant. For household with multiple CHE, those with medical aid were more likely to experience transition to poverty with statistical significance, but the statistical significance disappeared in case of persistence of poverty. Conclusion: The Korean health system needs to be improved to serve as a social security net for addressing transition to poverty and persistence of poverty due to facing CHE.

• 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.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2014

Background: Bankrupted households have recently been increased due to excessive medical expenditure in Korea. They have not been protected from economic risk when household's member has severe diseases that need a lot of money for treatment. Purpose of this study examines policy effect by comparing unmet needs' change of policy object households and non-object groups. Methods: We used Korea Health panel 2nd 4th data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance Service. Analysis subjects were 381 households (pre-policy) and 393 households (post-policy) that had cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since it was major concern that estimates benefit strengthening policy started by certain time, we setup comparing households which had diabetes, hypertension disease. Comparison subjects were 393,247 households, respectively and we evaluated policy effect using difference in difference (DID) model. Results: Although unmet needs of policy object households were higher than non-object groups, policy execution variable affected negative direction. But interaction-term which shows pure effect of policy was not statistically significant. We utilized multi-DID model to examine factors affecting unmet needs causes. Copayment assistance policy did not significantly affect households that responded to 'economic reason,' and 'no have time to visit' for unmet needs causes. Conclusion: The second copayment assistance policy did not significantly give positive effect to beneficiary households than non-beneficiary groups. When we consider that primary purpose of public insurance guarantee high medical expenditure occurred by unexpected events, it needs to deliberate on switch of benefit strengthening policy that can assist vulnerable people. Also, we suggest that government forward a policy covering non-reimbursable medical expenses as well as switch of benefit strengthening direction because benefit policy do not affect non-covered medical cost which accounts for quarter of total health expenditure.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2016

This paper examines whether the pension systems of the western countries which was traditionally classified into the Beveridgean and Bismarckian pension regime will converge after recent pension reforms in the financial sustainability and adequacy perspective by comparing between UK, Germany and Sweden. As a result of pension reforms for the last 20 years, the gap between the Beveridgean and Bismarckian pension regime will be likely to decrease and, in particular, the tendency to convergency in adequacy is found. Even though it is not jumped to a conclusion that public pension expenditure between the three countries is likely to converge, the tendency to convergency in financial sustainability is also found if the difference of demographic aging between countries is considered. The paper suggests that it is necessary to make agreement between the range of pension expenditure and replacement ratio that western countries suggest in pension debate in Korea, instead of hitherto useless controversy between financial sustainability and adequacy.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2000

For the longest time, our government has played an inconsiderable role in the public health services of Korea, especially as it relates to their investment. Voices have cried out against increases in national health expenditure and for more establishment of public medical facilities. In light of this, the necessity and importance of public medical facilities have come into focus amidst the recent medical crisis. When public medical facilities filled in the gap created by the suspension or closure of private hospitals and clinics as a result of this national crisis and acted as a safety net, the demand for more establishment of such facilities increased. Although patient diagnosis and treatment are the first priority of public medical facilities, they must also deal with scopes that private medical facilities do not deal with, dislike, or have difficulty with. In this respect, the closure or privatization of public hospitals to reduce their number just because of their low profits or financial burdens that must be carried by the government is to ignore their innate importance and social role; therefore, we must do all we can to block such efforts and further empower these public health facilities according to demands of the time. The improvement of public health services can be realized by redefining its goals and roles, increasing government funding, strengthening of existing public health facilities and reorganizing the public health services system. Even if public health facilities were to increase their medical services and be reinforced, they cannot take on all the services related to public health services, Therefore, in a country like ours where public health services come second to private health services in the health care system, the health of citizens can be safeguarded only when private and public facilities cooperate and private medical facilities share the social responsibilities. Only the show of interest and effort by government, politicians, health professionals, professional organizations and public can initiate the improvement that is sought.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2015

Objectives: Civic participation, that which directly influences important decisions in our personal lives, is considered necessary for developing a society. We hypothesized that civic participation might be related to self-rated health status. Methods: We constructed a multi-level analysis using data from the World Value Survey (44 countries, n=50 859). Results: People who participated in voting and voluntary social activities tended to report better subjective health than those who did not vote or participate in social activities, after controlling for socio-demographic factors at the individual level. A negative association with unconventional political activity and subjective health was found, but this effect disappeared in a subset analysis of only the 18 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Moreover, social participation and unconventional political participation had a statistically significant contextual association with subjective health status, but this relationship was not consistent throughout the analysis. In the analysis of the 44 countries, social participation was of borderline significance, while in the subset analysis of the OECD countries unconventional political participation was a stronger contextual determinant of subjective health. The democratic index was a significant factor in determining self-rated health in both analyses, while public health expenditure was a significant factor in analysis of 18 countries. Conclusions: Our investigation suggests that civic participation, including unconventional political activity at the contextual level, might be a significant determinant of health status of a country.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.23-48
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• 2008

Although the universal health insurance, National Health Insurance (NHI), have improved access to health care and financial burden of health care costs for Koreans, limited coverage of the NHI leads to high out-of-pocket payment for health care. This study examines financial burden of household health expenditures by income level. Data from the Urban Household Expenditure Survey from 1985 through 2005 is analyzed and household expenditure is used as a proxy measure for income. Health expenditures include spending for inpatient care, ambulatory care and pharmaceuticals. If a household spends health expenditure above 40% of household consumption except for foods, that is defined as catastrophic health expenditure. Access to health care for the lowest income group had been improved for two decades relative to other income groups as well as in absolute term. However, both financial burden of health expenditures and the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure had been increased in the lowest income group. Study findings have several policy implications. First, in terms of financial burden of health expenditures. the differences among income groups decreased until 2000 but it was worsen in 2005. This suggests that recent policies for extending NHI coverage are not enough to improve the disparity by income level. Second, a differential catastrophic coverage by income level would be an effective strategy that relieves financial burden for low income group. Third, since the catastrophic coverage is applied to only covered services by the NHI, additional strategy for uncovered services should be considered.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.79-99
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• 2018

Purpose - Food consumption in Korea has changed in paradigm as it has grown qualitatively in the past in quantitative shortages. Consumer food consumption patterns are rapidly changing due to changes in economic, social and population conditions, scientific and technological development, climate change, and market opening. At the same time, there is a need to actively respond to these changes in terms of the food industry, market, and government policy. The purpose of this study is to examine the changes and characteristics of food consumption expenditure of Korean consumers in-depth and depth in order to provide implications for agriculture, food market and policymakers. Research design, data, and methodology - We analyzed various food consumption changes from the 1980s to 2015 through Household Income and Expenditure Survey raw data from MDIS(Microdata Integrated Service) of Statistics Korea. and conducted the age effect, generation effect, and year effect by cohort analysis. We also conducted comparisons with OECD countries on several indicators. Results - Food consumption spending was slow, and there was no significant change in home consumption, while eating out consumption increased about 20 times in 2015 compared to 1980. Income, age, residential area, number of household members showed significant changes in food consumption. According to the cohort analysis, the changes in the food consumption structure are largely due to age effect, and the year, age, and generation effects are different for each food item. Conclusions - Food consumption has a significant impact on not only the nutritional status of consumers but ultimately the public health. Therefore, they should be regarded as a strategic policy area of central government rather than a matter of size and change of food consumption expenditure.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.97-122
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• 2011

After global economic crisis, most countries increased the welfare expenditure as a part of stimulus package. As a However welfare expenditure was decreased radically as the crisis was transmitted into the financial crisis. Which turning point is the welfare state going through now? Although the need for the welfare and the role of the state to take responsibility of public welfare has increased because of poverty and polarization, responses of the state against the crisis had focused on the aid to the financial industry and cutting taxes and showed limitations in coordination. Financial limitation of welfare expenditure, political individualism, the change of class politics and the mixture of the welfare institutions and financial institutions make have a pessimistic prospect of the retrenchment to the minimalist welfare state. As neoliberal state is continued cash benefits mainly for the middle class is being decreased. As a result, the direction the welfare states pursue is prospected to win over the poor by strengthening selectivity in welfare provision rather than class coordination.