If "welfare through work" is to become a reality, Korea should dispense with the old method of haphazardly importing welfare programs based on one-to-one comparisons with developed countries and instead redefine the overarching goal of the welfare system by establishing a universal structure...

"In order to ensure that government policies do not produce government failure that impedes the vitality of the market and keeps disadvantaged individuals from becoming self-sufficient, the public assistance system needs to be reorganized, welfare programs that overlap different ministries...

"Because there is a significant mismatch between low wage and low income, policies tackling the poverty issue must focus on low income households rather than low-wage workers and emphasize the EITC or labor market policies that support low income households rather than the role of the minimum...

"The maturing of the National Pension scheme has helped improve income distribution recently, but its effect has been limited due to a large coverage gap in the system. Against this backdrop, the focus in pension reform discussions needs to be reset toward enhancing enrollment instead of...

"Korea's public support system for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is in urgent need of reforms that will harmonize the objectives of social policy while improving service quality through linkages to financial assistance and information disclosure. A shift primarily attributed to...

When it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic required widespread lockdown of all but essential firms, most governments took measures to protect vulnerable workers and firms from the worst effects of the sudden drop in activity. These measures included unemployment benefits, grants, transfers,...

For Europe, the war in Ukraine is a first-order economic shock. While the direct fiscal implications of taking care of refugees, increasing military spending and strengthening energy autonomy remain limited, the impact of elevated energy and food prices on national income and its distribution is...