Amid a growing sense of crisis in South Korea, driven by the world’s lowest fertility rate and a rapidly aging population, there is mounting pressure to overhaul the nation’s population policy. Germany’s experience with a low birthrate and aging population, which preceded South Korea’s, along with its efforts to address these challenges in response to a national crisis, offers valuable lessons. In the 1990s, Germany had the lowest fertility rate in Europe, but through significant family policy reforms, including expanding childcare facilities and introducing parental leave, it has emerged as a model for addressing low fertility. Germany’s regional policy, which emphasizes “equal living conditions,” is characterized by the development of policy strategies and specific implementation plans built on social consensus about the policy’s direction. Regarding immigration policy, the government introduced the Immigration Act for Skilled Workers (Fachkr？fteeinwanderungsgesetz) and is working to transform the country into a more attractive destination for immigrants.
The overarching objective of social policy is to enhance people’s happiness and quality of life. This study examines the validity and reliability of measurements of happiness, an abstract experience, and quality of life, a multidimensional concept.
This study reviewed Japan’s population decline policies to identify applicable measures for Korea. Japan’s approach―centered on child-rearing support and regional revitalization―involves collaboration between central and local governments. Key initiatives include attracting foreign talent, supporting internal migration, addressing vacant housing, and assisting shopping refugees. The study suggests five directions for Korea: improve the system by taking advantage of the purpose of the hometown love donation system, respond to the de facto population and the society with more deaths than births, efforts to improve local residents’ awareness and acceptance of foreign workers, promote public-private cooperation and an integrated approach, and establish a support system for shopping refugees.
This study examines the characteristics of parental support during young adulthood. It reveals that parental support extends beyond financial assistance to include emotional support, advice, and involvement, with strong emotional bonds facilitating greater instrumental support. Parents and children recognize the value of parental support, not as a matter of moral obligation but as a crucial factor influencing their transition to adulthood. The study also highlights class-based disparities in parental support.
This study analyzes the characteristics of changes in central government spending on social security from 2007 to 2024. To do so, we built a social security fiscal database and analyzed the distribution of social security expenditures by target, benefit type, and age group. We also compared the changes in fiscal expenditures with the changes in major social risks by age group to draw implications for improving future fiscal expenditures.
The Korean welfare state is facing three megatrends: technological change, demographic change, and climate change. This study analyzes whether and how these three factors individually and collectively reinforce or alleviate existing new and old ‘social risks’ and whether they may lead to new types of social risks. The concept of social risks was reviewed, and the current state of the Korean welfare state was examined. In the main body, each chapter analyzed how each change affects old and new social risks and contributes to forming new types of social risks, referred to as third-generation social risks. Finally, the study explored how these three changes interact or mediate one another to impact social risks. Through this analysis, six emerging types of third-generation social risks were identified.
The evolving demographic landscape necessitates a transformation in the structure of healthcare services required by our society. In particular, the demand for home-based healthcare and domiciliary medical services is rapidly increasing, as these services are essential for patients with mobility impairments. However, the current healthcare system in Korea lacks a comprehensive framework to adequately support and institutionalize these services. At present, various initiatives related to home-based healthcare and domiciliary medical services are being implemented in a fragmented and uncoordinated manner, without a unified strategic direction. Consequently, there is an urgent need to establish a systematic and integrated policy framework that can effectively accommodate the surging demand for such services. In response to this imperative, this study aims to analyze domestic efforts, examine international cases, and provide policy recommendations for the institutionalization of home-based healthcare and domiciliary medical services in Korea.
This study aims to provide policy directions and initiatives to make Korea's healthcare system and policies more person- and consumer-centered. Our recommendations to achieve person- and consumer-centered healthcare system and policies include: 1) shifting paradigms in healthcare system and policies so that they become more person-oriented and person-centered, 2) creating conditions and foundations for shared decision-making in healthcare delivery and use, 3) strengthening consumer empowerment and participation, 4) establishing foundations and platforms to provide, share, and utilize health information and data, and 5) creating conditions for the active participation of healthcare providers.
This study aims to contribute to the OECD initiative for creating child-friendly neighbourhoods by collecting domestic data based on the concept and monitoring indicators of child-friendly neighbourhoods. It provides policy recommendations to improve the living environment faced by children and address the serious issues Korea faces concerning low birth rates and regional population decline. As policy alternatives, this study recommends: creating a child-friendly environment from a multidimensional perspective, developing local data to support the creation of child-friendly neighbourhoods, promoting the OECD Child-Friendly Neighbourhood pilot project, fostering international cooperation to establish an OECD Child-Friendly Neighbourhood monitoring system, and using spatial geographic information systems for data collection.
This study aims to analyze the organizational structure and workforce management of welfare administration in Korean metropolitan governments and explore policy implications for enhancing their autonomy and accountability. This study begins with highlighting key institutional issues. Second, we conduct a cross-sectional and time-series analysis of the budget, organizational structure, and workforce management in Korean metropolitan governments. Third, we qualitatively analyze data from interviews with metropolitan government officials to explore key issues in organizational structure and workforce management. Fourth, an empirical survey of public officials at both metropolitan and local government levels provides further insight into the state of welfare administration. Based on these findings, this study proposes three key strategies for improving metropolitan welfare administration.
