KIHASA has added five more research monographs to its 2023 publication, including “Analysis of North Korea's Housing and Daily Life Indicators for Reducing the Social Gap between North and South Korea” and “Climate Crisis Inequality and Social Security: Focusing on Conceptual Approach and Case Studies.”

1. Analysis of North Korea's Housing and Daily Life Indicators for Reducing the Social Gap between North and South Korea
This study is conducted to collect empirical data on the housing and daily lives of North Korean residents to promote inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation aimed at mitigating social disparities on the north and south Korean Peninsula. It represents the fourth year of a mid-term research project attempting to establish and refine a standard living model in North Korea, while simultaneously analyzing the case of China, a leading example of a system transition country in Asia. The research findings indicate that although North Korea has been promoting improvements in people's living conditions under Kim Jong-un's rule, it faces limitations in mobilizing material resources due to international isolation and voluntary border closures following COVID-19. Amid sanctions, North Korea's trade volume has decreased, revealing regional and class disparities in housing, transportation, and leisure usage within the country. Meanwhile, the increase in mobile telecommunications usage demonstrates the potential for internal changes in North Korean society. Looking at the example of China, mitigating internal inequality will be an important task alongside future reforms and opening initiatives.

2. The Changing Population Structures and Future Prospects of Old Age Income Security

The system of old-age income security, which is closely linked to demographic change, is a multi-pillar system consisting of the national pension, the basic pension and the retirement pension plan. As the population is expected to age rapidly, even if the current system of income security in old age remains in place, the level of security for current and future generations will differ. This study forecasts the level of old-age income for each generation, including the national pension, the basic pension and the retirement pension, in preparation for rapid demographic change in the future, and examines the policy direction of a multi-pillar system based on the results of the analysis.

3. Climate Crisis Inequality and Social Security: Focusing on Conceptual Approach and Case Studies

The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual foundation for follow-up studies and to derive policy implications for improving the social security system related to climate crisis inequality. To achieve these research objectives, this study examines in depth the conceptual approach to climate crisis inequality and examines the target and scope of policy and the characteristics of inequality response directions through case studies.

4. Understanding the Life Trajectories of Young Adults in Transition: Analysis of Transition Dynamics and Influential Variables

The life histories of young people in South Korea have changed dramatically in a short period of time, with recent cohorts showing a pattern of decreasing diversity in trajectories, with delayed marriage and childbearing experiences, less stable labor market transitions, and fewer types of full-time caregiving. The survey of transition to adulthood practices and perceptions found shifts in traditional gender role norms and gender awareness gaps, a tendency to find earning activities more rewarding than family caregiving, and gender, regional, and educational differences in perceptions of sexism. The analysis of perceptions of adulthood found that age does not play a significant role in determining adulthood; prioritization of economic independence and residential separation; the need for more time between economic independence and residential separation and marriage and childbirth; women perceive the age of transition to be somewhat higher than men; and the emergence of “new adults” who do not fully fulfill the transition to adulthood, including economic independence, residential separation, marriage, and childbirth. A review of international case studies confirms that there are differences in the duration and pathways to adulthood depending on the level of social safety nets. At the policy level, this suggests that policy responses are needed to raise awareness of gender roles in the completion of adult transitions and that social security systems need to be reorganized in a way that is responsive to changes in the life course.

5. A Study on Welfare Finance Issues to Respond to the Declining Birthrate

The decade from 2023 to 2032 will be the last period in which the number of females in the prime childbearing age group (31-35 years old) will increase, requiring concentrated policy responses. According to ‘The 4th plan for Ageing Society and Population 2023 Implementation’ of the central government and local governments and the OECD’s Social Expenditure on Family, it is required to guarantee maternity and childcare leave, expand policies from infants and toddlers to all age groups of children, effectively link youth policies with low birth rate response policies, strengthen the role of local governments, and strengthen support for low-income, multi-child, and multicultural households. For this purpose, we can consider operating a ‘(tentative name) Birth and Childcare Fund or a ‘Future Generation Fund’ for the next 10 years temporarily like the cases of Japan and France. Securing financial resources requires review of the current tax system, social insurance, financial system divided into central government-local government-education office, and financial resource distribution structure.