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Income Distribution and Public Transfers as Social Safety Nets in Korea

Author

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  • Sung Jin Kang

    (Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba)

  • Man Woo Lee

    (Department of Economics, Korea University)

Abstract

Using 5-year balanced household panel data, this paper shows that the inequality of per capita income in Korea aggravated during the financial crisis in 1998. The decomposition analysis of income inequality by factor component shows that the dominant positive effect on the income inequality is by the asset income. Next is the wage income, followed by the other income. Furthermore, this paper shows that social safety net programs were not yet in place during the initial period of the crisis. Public transfers were not effective social safety net devices and did not contribute in decreasing income inequality. Private transfers, on the other hand, were effective devices and narrowed the disparity in household income.

Suggested Citation

  • Sung Jin Kang & Man Woo Lee, 2001. "Income Distribution and Public Transfers as Social Safety Nets in Korea," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 26(2), pages 61-75, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:jed:journl:v:26:y:2001:i:2:p:61-75
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cox, Donald & Jakubson, George, 1995. "The connection between public transfers and private interfamily transfers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 129-167, May.
    2. Cox, Donald & Jimenez, Emmanuel, 1990. "Achieving Social Objectives through Private Transfers: A Review," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 5(2), pages 205-218, July.
    3. Sastry, D V S & Kelkar, Ujwala R, 1994. "Note on the Decomposition of Gini Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(3), pages 584-586, August.
    4. Shorrocks, A F, 1982. "Inequality Decomposition by Factor Components," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(1), pages 193-211, January.
    5. Rosenzweig, Mark R & Wolpin, Kenneth I, 1994. "Parental and Public Transfers to Young Women and Their Children," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1195-1212, December.
    6. Cox, Donald & Eser, Zekeriya & Jimenez, Emmanuel, 1998. "Motives for private transfers over the life cycle: An analytical framework and evidence for Peru," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 57-80, February.
    7. Cox, Donald, 1987. "Motives for Private Income Transfers," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(3), pages 508-546, June.
    8. Silber, Jacques, 1989. "Factor Components, Population Subgroups and the Computation of the Gini Index of Inequality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 71(1), pages 107-115, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jun, Hankyung, 2020. "Social security and retirement in fast-aging middle-income countries: Evidence from Korea," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    2. Inyong SHIN & Eiji YAMAMURA & Hyunho KIM, 2012. "The Cubic Form Hypothesis And The Flying Geese Pattern Hypothesis Of Income Distribution: The Case Of Korea," Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 7(3), pages 5-23, August.

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