KIHASA has added the following research monographs to its 2024 publications, including “Restructuring Elderly Care in Response to Regional Depopulation” and “Population and Climate Change: Critical Issues and Policy Directions.”

1. Restructuring Elderly Care in Response to Regional Depopulation by Kim Sejin

The purpose of this study is to reorganize the elderly care system to support Aging in Place for older adults in extinction risk area. To this end, the study employed the following research methods. First, issues concerning the distribution of care resources were identified through an analysis of the population and resource status in at-risk regions. Second, existing policies supporting regions at risk of population extinction elderly care policy were analyzed. Third, FGIs with elderly care policy users and service providers were conducted to explore how care services are accessed and delivered in these regions. Fourth, domestic and international cases from regions facing or already experiencing extinction risks were analyzed. Based on these research findings, this study suggested the following policies.

2. Population and Climate Change: Critical Issues and Policy Directions by Woo Haebong

Population dynamics are at the center of climate change and its impact on human society. Population dynamics influence the climate system through greenhouse gas emissions resulting from growth/consumption-oriented developmental activities. On the other hand, climate change affects human societies in terms of well-being and economy. Understanding population dynamics is thus fundamental to future climate change prospects and vulnerability of human societies. This study explores critical issues in population and climate change and proposes future policy directions in times of global climate change.

3. Enhancing the Stability of Medicine Supply in the Post-COVID Era by Park Sylvia

The objective of this study is to lay the groundwork for policies that enhance the stability of the domestic drug supply while building the capacity to respond proactively to future public health crises. It includes a case analysis of the current state of medicine supply chains and examines policy trends in the United States and Europe aimed at strengthening the manufacturing and supply chains of medicines since the onset of COVID-19. The study concludes by proposing four prospective policy measures to improve the resilience of essential medicine production and supply.

4. An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Socioeconomic Inequality and Low Fertility Rates and Its Implications: Focusing on the Characteristics of Birth Cohorts in Korea by Chang Insu

This study was conducted to supplement discussions on the characteristics of Korea’s ultra-low fertility rate. We focused on the possibility that the internal and external vulnerabilities of the current youth generation could negatively affect their progression to key life stages, such as marriage and childbirth. We also considered how the rapid decline in fertility rates may be linked to increasingly individual-level disparities caused by the polarization of social structures and various forms of inequality compared to older generations. Furthermore, we determined that these issues are closely related to the broader social instability currently recognized as a pressing concern in Korea.

5. A Study on Japan's Population Policy by Choi Kyong Duk

This study aims to comprehensively examine Japan’s demographic changes and policies, providing basic data that can be used as a reference for Korea’s population policy. The main objective is to examine the current state and effectiveness of Japan’s population policies, conduct a perception survey, and derive implications for Korea’s population policy.

6. Support and Protection for Elderly Crime Victims in Aging Korea: Policy Options by Hwang Namhui

After analyzing recent trends in crime victimization among the elderly, attributed to the aging population, this study investigates the current policy landscape aimed at safeguarding elderly crime victims. Its goal is to pinpoint areas within the system that require improvement. Drawing from these insights, the researchers seek to propose strategies to enhance support for elderly crime victims in the context of a society experiencing a growing elderly population, examining these issues through the lens of social policy. To achieve these research objectives, the study incorporates a thorough literature review, a quantitative analysis utilizing data from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Statistical Analysis on Crime spanning 2000 to 2021, a qualitative inquiry involving interviews with 19 professionals from organizations dedicated to supporting elderly and crime victims, and consultations with subject matter experts.

7. A Study of Welfare Provision and Attitudes Toward Welfare in Business Establishments by Ko Hyejin

We examine the distinct features of welfare provision and attitudes toward welfare among Korean businesses. We consider not only the non-statutory welfare that establishments introduce but also statutory welfare costs for operating public social security. Besides, we focus on differences in welfare provision at the establishment level and attitudes toward welfare depending on establishment characteristics, such as the company's size, the type of industry, the composition of employees, and the labor unions. We suggest three policy considerations. First, public social security support for vulnerable workers should be expanded to help them cope with social risks. Second, the role and responsibility of the public in supporting childcare should be strengthened. Third, efforts should be made to enhance support for small businesses. Specifically, even small businesses with a strong demand for skilled workers show a clear willingness to provide welfare. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to address the challenges of limited human and material resources in these businesses.

8. A Comparative Study of Citizen Perceptions of Societal Challenges in Welfare States by Shin Young-Kyu

South Korea, like many advanced capitalist countries, faces challenges such as demographic changes, immigration, automation, and climate change. The 10-country survey of this study highlights several key findings about South Korean attitudes. First, despite South Korea’s economic success, there is a high level of concern about globalization, which may stem from uncertainties about the future. Second, South Koreans show insensitivity toward immigrants and ethnic diversity, which could lead to social conflicts. Third, despite having strong digital skills, South Koreans are less confident in their abilities and fear job obsolescence due to new technologies. Lastly, South Koreans express significant concern about climate change, though many worry that climate policies could negatively impact political and economic equality.

9. Analysis of the Effectiveness of Government Subsidies in the Social Welfare Sector - Social Return on Investment of Public Daycare Centers by Na Wonhee

In this study, the effectiveness of social welfare spending was measured using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis, a method developed in 2000 by the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), a social enterprise investment foundation in the United States. This method is widely used among social impact investors in the United States and Europe, particularly in the UK. The study focused on calculating the SROI for the expansion of public daycare centers, a project funded by national subsidies in the social welfare sector. The analysis revealed that the SROI for the public daycare center expansion project was 1.32 KRW for every 1 KRW invested. This value does not merely represent money but signifies the value expressed in monetary terms. In other words, the value of the public daycare center expansion project is greater than 1, indicating that it holds significant social value.

10. Research on Social Security Financial Long-Term Forecast Model: Focusing on the Social Insurance Field by Lee Youngsook

Concerns about social security finances are increasing ahead of the entry into a super-aging society in 2025. In this report, we conducted an estimation model study to monitor the long-term financial risk of social security targeting the three major social insurances: national pension, health insurance, and long-term care insurance for the elderly. The estimation model is based on statistics published by Statistics Korea, National Pension Service, and National Health Insurance Service. By applying this, the National Pension Service performed financial projections for the old-age pension from 2023 to 2090, and short-term insurance, health insurance and long-term care insurance for the elderly, performed financial projections from 2023 to 2032.

11. Setting Medium-Term Research Tasks to Respond to the Changing Policy Environment by Kim Taewan

This study has two purposes. First, we analyze changes in the policy environment that Korean society and social policies face or will face. Second, we propose directions and tasks that should be promoted for future social policy. As part of this study, an expert panel survey was conducted to predict future policy direction and environment, and our keyword analysis of research conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs over the past three years. The main keywords identified for research direction and task setting were ‘sustainability’ and ‘diversity’. In order to diagnose and set the direction of social policy and the Korean welfare state, government-funded research institutions should be encouraged to engage in collaborative research tasks that can respond to dynamic changes.

12. The 2024 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS): Descriptive Report by Lee Taejin

Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs(KIHASA) and Seoul National University (SNU) organized the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) in 2006. In 2024, the 19th wave of KOWEPS was carried out. The content of KOWEPS is composed of socioeconomic information, welfare status, and attitude toward the welfare or something for individuals and households. The particular topic for this wave is ‘The Disabled’.
This descriptive report provides a wide variety of content about the general features, the economic conditions, the employment status, social security, welfare needs and the special topics for the 19th-year surveys. The results could be reference data for the researchers who would use KOWEPS.

13. A Report on the Korea Health Panel Survey of 2022 (II) by Lee Suehyung

The Korea Health Panel Survey(KHP) is a nationally representative survey on healthcare utilization and expenditures for the Korean population. The KHP began in 2008 and has been administered by a consortium between the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs(KIHASA) and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). The KHP provides not only information on healthcare utilization and expenditures but also insights into various factors affecting health care use, such as socioeconomic characteristics, comorbidities, and health behaviors. This report includes descriptive statistics on comorbidities, healthcare utilization and expenditures, patient experiences, unmet healthcare needs, and health behaviors of 11,811 individuals from 5,505 households in 2022. It provides empirical evidence to better understand healthcare utilization and expenditures among the Korean population.

14. Development and Operation of Korea Health Panel Online Survey System by Park Eunja

The 'Korea Health Panel Online Survey System' was developed to improve the accuracy of medical utilization data collected in the Korea Health Panel Survey and to increase the efficiency of the survey by making panel households of the Korea Health Panel submit medical receipts and other documents through a mobile app on their smartphones after using medical services. Development has been underway since 2020 and is currently being used in various ways in the Korea Health Panel Survey. This report summarizes the development process of the Korea Health Panel online survey system and the operational performance from 2020 to 2024, and presents a plan for its further development.

15. Employment Policy and Retirement Age Extension for Older Worker: Focusing on the Social Welfare Service Industry by Lee Cheolseon

This study examined the possibility of introducing a system to extend the retirement age to 65, which is necessary for increasing the low employment rate of the elderly, which is the main cause of the elderly poverty rate, and for successful reform of the national pension system, and its impact on the social welfare service industry. For the purpose of this study, the current status of retirement system operation in Korea and foreign countries, the scale of benefits and intergenerational job substitution when introducing an extension of retirement age to 65, and the possibility of changes in the demand and supply of social welfare service industries were analyzed through various administrative statistics and surveys. The analysis results show that, first, the retirement system is not applied to workplaces with less than 5 employees, which have many elderly workers, and although the government is operating a retirement system introduction support project, the scale of benefits is small. Second, while foreign countries have introduced work incentive policies to maintain employment rates when reforming pensions, Korea does not have any. Third, when calculating the scale of the extension of the retirement age to 65 using employment insurance statistics, it was very small compared to the number of employed people, and job substitution between generations was also found to be low. Fourth, while the change in demand for social welfare services due to the extension of the retirement age is small, there is a possibility of job creation in the social welfare service industry on the supply side. However, sustainability is decreasing due to wage increases.