South Korea's Policy Research Articles

Effective solution-building to prevent dropouts in Korea: The case of Q&A diary development†

The number of out-of-school youth in South Korea has been increasing recently, leading to a corresponding rise in school dropouts. Moreover, the importance of schools is also diminishing. However, schools are a national system designed to protect adolescents, and the collapse of this system is far from desirable. Despite this crisis, support policies for out-of-school youth remain overly simplistic. Current policies in South Korea regarding out-of-school youth are based on a fragmented understanding of these adolescents, focusing primarily on preventing dropouts. These policies fail to consider the various sociocultural backgrounds and contexts influencing adolescents’ decision to leave school. For example, “dropping out” and “academic discontinuation” are more problematic issues. The ultimate goal of this study is not only to prevent dropouts but also to assist adolescents in making the best decisions on the basis of a deep understanding of their identities. As a first step, a diary was designed to enhance self-understanding by fostering narrative identity formation. A user test was conducted to create a Q&A diary that can assist out-of-school youth, and a literature review was performed to design practical solutions for preventing dropouts. Ultimately, this paper proposes increasing the flexibility of the school system and strengthening self-understanding activities in career education as measures to prevent dropout.

Who drives the green shift? EV and battery policymaking and systemic marginalisation of auto suppliers in South Korea

The swift global transition to electric vehicles (EV) and batteries in the automotive industry highlights the nature of governments’ efforts towards a green economy, marking a transition from environmental regulations to industrial policies. This shift has led to renewed interest in industrial policies, especially in East Asian developmental states, like South Korea. The EV and battery industries in South Korea have grown rapidly along with the government's efforts to mobilise the entire economy through aggressive green industrial policy, particularly during the Lee Myung-bak administration (2008–2012). Big Korean automobile and electronics manufacturers have participated directly in setting the country's industrial agenda, leading the green industrial policy with their business interests. However, the process of EV and battery policymaking also marginalized auto suppliers in the existing manufacturing sector from agenda setting. Focusing on business’ structural power, this paper explains how big business elites systematically alienate small and medium-sized suppliers from the new growth policy thanks to their strong information monopoly in the hierarchical structure of production in the automobile industry and EV policies in South Korea.

The Shaping of Environmental Health Policy in South Korea in the Early 2000s and the Impact of the Abandoned Mine Investigation in Goseong

The Shaping of Environmental Health Policy in South Korea in the Early 2000s and the Impact of the Abandoned Mine Investigation in Goseong

Relationship between smoking experience and risk of suicide mortality in South Korean adults: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study

BackgroundKorea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Many factors associated with suicidal thoughts or behaviors are known. This study examines the association between 1) smoking status or intensity (pack-years) and 2) risk of suicide mortality in South Korea. MethodsWe analyzed data from 3,966,305 individuals aged ≥20 who underwent health examinations conducted by the South Korean National Health Insurance Service in 2009 and were followed until December 2021. Participants were categorized based on their baseline smoking status and intensity. We performed a Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with subgroup analysis by age, sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, and depression. ResultsDuring an 11.1-year follow-up period, 12,326 individuals died by suicide. Compared with never-smokers, increased hazard ratios of suicide mortality were observed in current smokers (1.64, 95 % CI = 1.56–1.72), but not in ex-smokers. The suicide mortality risk of current smokers increased for all types of smoking intensity without a dose–response relationship. The association between smoking and suicide mortality risk was stronger among women, non-drinkers, adults aged <40 years, non-obese patients, and individuals without depression. LimitationGiven that the study used retrospective data, the causal relationship remains unclear. ConclusionCurrent smoking is associated with a significant increased risk of suicide mortality. Smoking cessation is crucial to prevent suicide, especially among young adults, non-obese individuals, non-drinkers, women, and those without depression. Government policies in South Korea should focus on raising awareness about smoking hazards and providing cessation education to reduce the suicide mortality.

The Impact of a Coastal Water Quality Policy in South Korea: Evidence from the Total Pollution Load Management Program

Deterioration of coastal water quality is a significant concern in economically active cities in South Korea. In response, the South Korean government initiated the total pollutant load management (TPLM) program to control pollutant levels. However, the current evaluation method, based on pre-post comparison, may lead to a biased estimate. Thus, this study aims to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the TPLM program and coastal water quality improvement using a dataset of over 15,000 observations from 2011 to 2021. A difference-in-difference model was employed to assess the program’s impact, considering its staggered implementation and changes in evaluation frequency. Although the effects on overall treated regions remain inconclusive, the study found evidence of water quality improvement associated with changes in evaluation frequency. For instance, chemical oxygen demand levels decreased by 4.8% to 9.8% points, and total phosphorus levels decreased by 11.5% to 14.8% points, maintaining consistency across robustness checks. These findings suggest that frequent municipal evaluations are effective in managing emission reductions. Therefore, it is recommended that the South Korean government, which currently conducts quarterly water quality tests, increase the evaluation frequency for improved monitoring and better control of non-point sources.

Posttraumatic growth and psychopathological symptoms as predictors in the integration of North Korean adolescent refugees: Latent profile analysis.

This study is to explore identifiable psychological differences and predictors for the subgroup of refugees who at a very early age moved from a totalitarian country to a westernized democracy, ultimately to improve policies and reduce the maladaptation of refugees to a new society. More specifically, it is to fill in significant gaps in understanding and predicting refugee tendencies toward depression, social withdrawal, aggression, and posttraumatic growth. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify subgroups based on symptom profiles within a sample of 201 North Korean adolescent refugees residing in South Korea. Four subgroups were identified: (a) High growth, (b) Low trauma with high adaptive aggression, (c) Low trauma with high social withdrawal/depression, and (d) High trauma with high comorbidity. Predictors were physical health, self-esteem, peer support, teacher support, and school adjustment. Current refugee policies in South Korea would benefit from refining services to allow customization to the specific needs and characteristics of each adolescent rather than continue the current model of homogeneity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Use of Herbal Decoction and Pharmacopuncture in Individuals with Chronic Disease: findings from a nationally representative panel.

This study analyzed the Korea Health Panel Annual Data 2019 to investigate factors related to the use of non-insured Korean medicine (KM) treatment in individuals with chronic diseases. The non-insured KM treatments of interest were herbal decoction (HD) and pharmacopuncture (PA). Among adults aged 19 or older, 6,159 individuals with chronic diseases who received outpatient KM treatment at least once in 2019 were included. They were divided into three groups according to the KM treatment used (1) basic insured KM non-pharmacological treatment (BT) group (n = 629); (2) HD group (n = 256); (3) PA group (n = 184). Logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with favoring HD or PA use over BT. Potentially relevant candidate factors were classified using the Andersen Behavior Model. Compared to BT, the 1st to 3rd quartiles of income compared to the 4th quartile (odds ratio 1.50 to 2.06 for HD; 2.03 to 2.83 for PA), health insurance subscribers compared to medical aid (odds ratio 2.51; 13.43), and presence of musculoskeletal diseases (odds ratio 1.66; 1.91) were significantly positively associated with HD and PA use. Moreover, the presence of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio 1.46) and neuropsychiatric disease (odds ratio 1.97) were also significantly positively associated with HD use. The presence of some chronic diseases, especially musculoskeletal diseases, was significantly positively associated with HD and PA use, while low economic status was significantly negatively associated with HD and PA use, indicating the potential existence of unmet medical needs in this population. Since chronic diseases impose a considerable health burden, the results of this study can be used for reference for future health insurance coverage policies in South Korea.

Lost in communication: The vanished momentum of just transition in South Korea

As problems of injustice observed in the decarbonization process arose, energy scholars have recently sought remedies to address social justice concerns under the banner of just transition. What remains elusive in the existing literature is the role of communication between proponents of policy ideas and the public in fostering social consensus around just transition, particularly within non-Western contexts. The research presented here aims to fill the aforementioned knowledge gap by investigating reasons behind the vanished momentum of a just transition policy in South Korea, despite a public atmosphere accepting of the need for low-carbon energy transition. Employing natural language processing on 2022 news articles and 32,211 online comments, our research reveals that the public perception of just transition has been influenced heavily by ideologically-driven interpretations of the meaning of justice. This is due primarily to the failure of the speakers of just transition to effectively communicate its intended scope and content. The findings underscore the importance of communication in building a shared understanding of just transition aligned with deep core beliefs of a society to ensure its public acceptance and long-term viability.

Optimal coordination of power to gas-linked energy systems: Focused on energy policy in South Korea

In this paper, the role of Power to Gas (P2G) technology in securing contributions from policy and economic perspectives is explored. The potential of P2G-linked energy systems to enhance the output of uncontrollable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is examined, thereby ensuring more effective power rates from RES and achieving policy-mandated clean hydrogen production targets. From the perspective of policymakers, the integration of P2G technology represents a significant advancement toward achieving policy objectives. Furthermore, this paper investigates how new business models leveraging P2G technology can develop innovative benefit structures and strengthen economic contributions. The feasibility of P2G integration is analyzed from the viewpoints of policymakers, who aim to achieve policy goals, and Energy eXchange Aggregators (EXA), the investment entities responsible for the practical implementation of P2G technology. The research findings confirm that as the capacity of RES increases, the performance of P2G technology significantly improves. Compared to systems not utilizing P2G, the application of P2G technology results in an increase of up to 25 % in the maximum effective power rate from RES and a numerical improvement of approximately 22 % in the benefits derived from RES. While this paper focuses on energy policy factors in South Korea, its findings and implications can be extended to a global context, assuming a mandatory increase in the share of clean hydrogen production and RES globally in the future.

Population decline and public attitudes toward multicultural immigration policies in South Korea

AbstractPopulation decline due to low fertility and aging causes socioeconomic challenges such as a shrinking labour force and regional decline. In response to these challenges, there is a growing discussion about accepting immigrants to mitigate the side effects of population decline. This implies the importance of analyzing local peoples' perceptions as a basis of policy and planning in anticipation of demographic transitions toward a multicultural society. While there are many studies on local problems caused by depopulation and perceptions of immigrants based on contact theory and group threat theory, there has been relatively little research on the relationship between depopulation and individual perceptions of immigrants. This study fills this gap by using survey data of Seoul, Korea, the city experiencing both population decline and an increase in immigrants. It employs the multilevel ordered logit model to explore how the decrease in local population associates with individuals' perception on the need for multicultural immigration policies. The results suggest that individuals are more likely to have a positive view of multicultural immigration policies if their region is experiencing a higher population decline. This finding is significant as it demonstrates that a shift to an unfavourable demographic structure can have a positive impact on perceptions of immigrant acceptance, offering a new perspective on the relationship between immigrants and native residents.

The Impact of Political Orientation and Government Change on Public Satisfaction with Food Policy in South Korea.

This study investigates the relationship between political orientation, government change, and public satisfaction with food policies in the Republic of Korea. Utilizing data from the Consumer Behavior Survey for Foods (CBSF) conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute from 2020 to 2021, we employ fixed effects models to examine the impact of political orientation, the presence of a conservative government, and their interactions on satisfaction across various dimensions of food policy. We also analyze the change in satisfaction levels from 2020 to 2021 based on shifts in political orientation. The results reveal complex dynamics between political alignment, government performance, and public perceptions. While conservatives and liberals exhibit higher satisfaction with labeling policies, they show lower satisfaction with safety and redress policies. The presence of a conservative government is associated with higher satisfaction in specific policy areas but lower overall satisfaction. Changes in political orientation significantly influence policy satisfaction, with shifts away from conservatism and towards liberalism leading to decreased satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the nuanced preferences of different political groups and the need for responsive and transparent food policy frameworks. This study advances the theoretical understanding of the political economy of policy satisfaction and provides novel policy implications for effective governance.

Analysis of Fishing Vessel Accidents and Suggestions for Safety Policy in South Korea from 2018 to 2022

Commercial fishing, one of the most dangerous sectors globally and, particularly, in South Korea, faces fatal accident rates significantly exceeding other industries, and an urgent improvement in safety measures is necessary to reduce these numbers effectively. The main objective of this study is to analyse fishing vessel accidents in South Korea and present the direction of safety policy for fishing vessels based on the lessons learnt from previous accidents, and, ultimately, to contribute to reduce fishing vessel accidents. For this purpose, we have analysed the marine accident data from the last five years provided by the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST), the statistical yearbook of oceans and fisheries provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), and the statistical survey of marine fisheries provided by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. After thorough review and analysis of the accident data, we have proposed seven suggestions for the direction of future safety policy for fishing vessels in South Korea: adopt international safety benchmarks, focus on occupational and collision accidents, tailor safety measures to vessel size and age, enhance lookout practices to prevent collisions, implement comprehensive strategies to mitigate human errors, and address communication issues among Korean and international crews.

Social Integration of Foreign Immigrants in South Korean Local Communities

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving cooperative dynamics of immigrant policy in South Korea, emphasizing the interactions between central and local governments, as well as among various local authorities. It discusses the need to empower local governments with greater authority and responsibility in implementing immigrant policies, highlighting the importance of collaboration, coordination, and cooperation across multiple layers of governance. The article focuses on two case studies, the National Multicultural City Council (NMCC) and the Multicultural Immigrants Plus Center (MIPC), to illustrate the practical implications of this multi‐layered governance approach. The theoretical implications of the case studies are rooted in the concept of multi‐layered governance (MLG) and its application to immigrant policy governance, providing valuable perspectives for understanding and optimizing immigrant policy implementation across diverse socio‐political contexts.

Adhering to a Policy: The Moon Jae-in Government’s Housing Policy in South Korea

Adhering to a Policy: The Moon Jae-in Government’s Housing Policy in South Korea

Advancing Korean nationwide registry for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic sampling approach utilizing the Korea Central Cancer Registry database.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a substantial public health challenge in South Korea as evidenced by 10,565 new cases annually (incidence rate of 30 per 100,000 individuals), in 2020. Cancer registries play a crucial role in gathering data on incidence, disease attributes, etiology, treatment modalities, outcomes, and informing health policies. The effectiveness of a registry depends on the completeness and accuracy of data. Established in 1999 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) is a comprehensive, legally mandated, nationwide registry that captures nearly all incidence and survival data for major cancers, including HCC, in Korea. However, detailed information on cancer staging, specific characteristics, and treatments is lacking. To address this gap, the KCCR, in partnership with the Korean Liver Cancer Association (KLCA), has implemented a systematic approach to collect detailed data on HCC since 2010. This involved random sampling of 10-15% of all new HCC cases diagnosed since 2003. The registry process encompassed four stages: random case selection, meticulous data extraction by trained personnel, expert validation, anonymization of personal data, and data dissemination for research purposes. This random sampling strategy mitigates the biases associated with voluntary reporting and aligns with stringent privacy regulations. This innovative approach positions the KCCR and KLCA as foundations for advancing cancer control and shaping health policies in South Korea.

Post-conflict economic recovery and land policy in South Korea between 1948 and the early 1960 s

A multiplicity of issues impact upon post-conflict economic recovery, one of which is land policy. Depending on the policy adopted, it could promote post-conflict economic growth, but it could also hinder the economy. This study reviews post-conflict economics and land conceptually and analyses the effect of land policy on post-conflict economic recovery in South Korea. Conceptually, post-conflict economy and land are interrelated in terms of security of land tenure, the land market, land (taxation) reform and revenue. Land tenure is secured through land reform in post-conflict situations. Security of land tenure stabilises and revitalises the land market, which leads to an increase in land tax. In addition, land taxation reform provokes an increase in land tax, and land tenure needs to be secured to maximise land tax collection through land taxation reform. The revenue collected through revitalisation of the land market and land taxation reform is utilised to stimulate post-conflict economic recovery. However, the South Korean case is not completely in line with the conceptual relationship. First, land taxation reform in South Korea resulted in an increase in public revenue, and the government was able to spend this revenue in supporting the war and partially stimulating post-conflict economic recovery. On the other hand, land tax reform could promote post-conflict economic recovery at the national level, while at the same time causing poverty at the individual level. Second, the South Korean case suggests that the foundation for the land market was laid during the post-conflict period and an increase in revenue through the revitalisation of the land market mainly contributed to economic development after the post-conflict period. In South Korea, land taxation reform had been more important than the land market for post-conflict economic recovery.

Impact of renewable energy expansion policies on the economy, income distribution, and air pollution reduction

This study employs a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model to evaluate the consequences of renewable energy (RE) expansion policies in South Korea, focusing on their impact on the economy, income distribution, and air pollution reduction. It assumes a scenario in which RE generation constitutes 20% of the total electricity generation by 2030. Various scenarios are explored, including those with and without emission regulations and those considering increased productivity of RE technology. Key findings suggest that expanding RE policies stimulates labor demand and revitalizes upstream industries. However, its effectiveness depends on increasing the efficiency of RE technologies. Carbon regulation, such as emissions trading schemes, reduces greenhouse gases and air pollutants, with environmental benefits outweighing GDP reductions. It decreases income inequality, whereas policies to promote RE exacerbate it, requiring corrective measures. Nevertheless, productivity improvements in the RE sector enhance income distribution.

Monetary Policy, Homeowner Balance Sheet Channel, and Integration: A Lesson from South Korea during the 2000s

We estimate the household consumption function using the Korean labor and income panel data (2001-2012) with the instrument of the housing supply to figure out the homeowner balance sheet channel of monetary policy in South Korea during the 2000s and the early 2010s. We find that monetary policy has a significant effect through both the wealth and collateral effects comprising the homeowner balance sheet transmission channel. Furthermore, the wealth effect shows a significant result across all income quantile groups, whereas the collateral effect is significant in the low- and middle-income quantile groups. This finding implies that the lower-income groups are more sensitive to changes in the value of real estate assets. Based on the analysis, we derive policy implication that socio-economic integration will be enhanced under the considerately targetted monetary policy, which is a lesson for the emerging or developing countries whose current economic situation is similar to the past South Korea.

To do or not to do: Pyongyang’s seventh nuclear test calculations

ABSTRACT A nuclear test often is as political as it is technical. The intricacies of domestic and external politics play into Pyongyang’s decisions on nuclear testing, going far beyond the technical aspects of such tests. This article explores the repercussions of the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi in 2019 across all policy realms in North Korea and how domestic and external factors could inform and shape Kim Jong-un’s decision on a seventh nuclear test. In order to delve into what to look out for in 2024 and beyond, this article focuses on Pyongyang’s approach to the civilian economy as opposed to national defense and the reorientation of its foreign and South Korea policies as potential key indicators of Kim’s thinking on nuclear testing.

Public support for tobacco endgame policies in South Korea: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control Korea Survey

BackgroundStrong public support can increase the likelihood of adopting tobacco control policies. We assessed support for six commercial tobacco endgame policies in South Korea: limiting the nicotine in cigarettes, banning...