Jae-Jin Yang – författare

Even among the four Asian tigers, with their economic miracles during the past several decades that allowed them to join the ranks of the developed nations, South Korea is extraordinary. As significant as its economic progress, from a dirt poor and devastated nation in the 1960s, is South Korea’s emerging welfare state. Although established in a short time, and still immature in some aspects, its unique East-Asian model now faces a population that is aging at an unprecedented rate. This book introduces readers to the impact of demographic changes in Korea, particularly the impact of these on work, retirement and pensions; and as importantly, provides an explanation for the reforms of public policy in these domains. The chapters provide an up-to-date assessment of aging, retirement, and pension policies in South Korea and give valuable insights into the diverse aspects of the unprecedented rapid aging. The theme of this volume, which brings together the foremost Korean scholars and experts, is how rapid demographic change in Korea has been a central factor in income security policy for the elderly, as well as workplace policies.

This book explains why the Korean welfare state is underdeveloped despite successful industrialization, democratization, a militant labor movement, and a centralized meritocracy. Unlike most social science books on Korea, which tend to focus on its developmental state and rapid economic development, this book deals with social welfare issues and politics during the critical junctures in Korea's history: industrialization in the 1960-70s, the democratization and labor movement in the mid-1980s, globalization and the financial crisis in the 1990s, and the wind of free welfare in the 2010s. It highlights the self-interested activities of Korea's enterprise unionism at variance with those of a more solidaristic industrial unionism in the European welfare states. Korean big business, the chaebol, accommodated the unions' call for higher wages and more corporate welfare, which removed practical incentives for unions to demand social welfare. Korea's single-member-district electoral rules also induce politicians to sell geographically targeted, narrow benefits rather than public welfare for all while presidents are significantly constrained by unpopular tax increase issues. Strong economic bureaucrats acting as veto player also lead Korea to a small welfare state.

This book explains why the Korean welfare state is underdeveloped despite successful industrialization, democratization, a militant labor movement, and a centralized meritocracy. Unlike most social science books on Korea, which tend to focus on its developmental state and rapid economic development, this book deals with social welfare issues and politics during the critical junctures in Korea's history: industrialization in the 1960-70s, the democratization and labor movement in the mid-1980s, globalization and the financial crisis in the 1990s, and the wind of free welfare in the 2010s. It highlights the self-interested activities of Korea's enterprise unionism at variance with those of a more solidaristic industrial unionism in the European welfare states. Korean big business, the chaebol, accommodated the unions' call for higher wages and more corporate welfare, which removed practical incentives for unions to demand social welfare. Korea's single-member-district electoral rules also induce politicians to sell geographically targeted, narrow benefits rather than public welfare for all while presidents are significantly constrained by unpopular tax increase issues. Strong economic bureaucrats acting as veto player also lead Korea to a small welfare state.

Even among the four Asian tigers, with their economic miracles during the past several decades that allowed them to join the ranks of the developed nations, South Korea is extraordinary. As significant as its economic progress, from a dirt poor and devastated nation in the 1960s, is South Korea’s emerging welfare state. Although established in a short time, and still immature in some aspects, its unique East-Asian model now faces a population that is aging at an unprecedented rate. This book introduces readers to the impact of demographic changes in Korea, particularly the impact of these on work, retirement and pensions; and as importantly, provides an explanation for the reforms of public policy in these domains. The chapters provide an up-to-date assessment of aging, retirement, and pension policies in South Korea and give valuable insights into the diverse aspects of the unprecedented rapid aging. The theme of this volume, which brings together the foremost Korean scholars and experts, is how rapid demographic change in Korea has been a central factor in income security policy for the elderly, as well as workplace policies.

In a period of rapid change for welfare states around the world, this insightful book offers a comparative study of three historically small welfare states: the US, Japan and South Korea.Examining various aspects of welfare states, chapters explore the underlying reasons behind the restraint of social security in these countries. Featuring contributions from international distinguished scholars, this book looks beyond the larger European welfare states to unpack the many common political and institutional characteristics - from labor organization to party politics - that have constrained welfare state development in industrialized democracies.Offering insight into welfare-state development outside of Europe, this book will be crucial reading for scholars of welfare states, especially those working on Asian and American social policy specifically. It will also be of interest to policymakers and social policy experts in government, civil institutions and international organizations, particularly for those working in developing countries.Contributors include: M. Estévez-Abe, C. Faricy, S. Haggard, Y.-R, Jung, D. Kim, S.-w. Kim, Y.-S. Kim, J. Klein, S.-M. Kwon, D. Oude Nijuis, J.-j. Yang