Social Policy Dynamics in South Korea

Kim offers unique insight into the deeper political dynamics of Korean social policy by analysing the relationship between the broader context of East Asian commonality and the unique circumstances of Korea. Since the 1980s, South Korea has advanced social policy at a rapid pace with the progress of political democracy and the activation of civil society. Currently, South Korea is equipped with a full range of social policies including public assistance, social insurance, and social services. However, South Korea's road to a remarkable social policy accomplishment was not a smooth one and controversies sizzled over the values, directions, and methods of social policy. Kim delves into the political dynamics of Korea's social policy, spanning from the traditional kingdom era to contemporary South Korea. In doing so he examines the influences of Confucianism, developmental welfareism, and the responses to the Asian economic crisis in shaping these policies. An important resource not only for scholars and students of Korean society and social policy, but also for scholars of social policy more broadly, especially those with a focus on other East Asian countries.

Soon-Yang Kim is professor of public and social policies at Yeungnam University, Korea. He has been an editor-in-chief of the Korean Public Administration Journal and the Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Yeungnam University. He holds two PhD degrees: one from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE, Social Policy), UK and the other from Seoul National University (SNU, Public Policy and Administration), Korea. His main research interests are in social policy, policy theories, welfare administration, and public bureaucracy. He has published more than 170 journal articles and several books (including 3 award-winning books from the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea, and two English books).

Part 1. Introduction Part 2. Korean Social Policy in East Asian Context 1. Confucian foundation of social policy in Korea: Ideal and reality 2. Reinterpreting the Causes of the Underdeveloped Social Policy during the Economic Development Period in Korea: Missing Parts of the Western Perspectives 3. Economic and Social Policies under the Park Chung-hee Military Government in the 1960s and 1970s Korea 4. Labor policy under the growth economy of Korea: Bimodal strategies of labor control 5. Policy responses to economic crises: 1997 and 2008 compared 6. Striving for social pacts in Korean labor policy: An empty promise Part 3. Politics of Social Policy-making in Korea 7. Political economy of the National Welfare Pension Scheme: Blank efforts 8. Politics of gender equality policy-making: Abolition of the patriarchal family system 9. Contrasting social policy-making dynamics under the same authoritarian political system 10. An uphill battle to establish the unified health insurer system in Korea 11. Changing politics and its impacts on Korean health policy-making 12. Civic groups in Korean health politics: Policy advocate or policy broker?