Economic Growth Low Income And Housing In South Korea

'...a wide-ranging, scholarly and humane book which should be read by anyone seriously interested in this country.' - David Donnison From the devastation of the Korean war, there emerged one of the most dynamic, rapidly growing economies the world has ever seen. Starting from a concern about the housing of people struggling to survive on low incomes in the cities of South Korea, Kim Woo-Jin throws light upon the whole development of Korean society since the civil war. He argues that housing has played a central part in both the development of the economy and its more recent slowdown. In the future, housing policies may play their part in resisting the destructive forces that the probable reunification of North and South will bring and recreate hope for the future.

Analyzes Korea's structure of owner-occupied housing provisions in light of the rapid urbanization of the country over the past few years. Places the analysis within an account of the larger relations between the state and the economy, details the social and economic consequences of recent housing policies, and argues that conventional studies based on state-centered social policy analysis or neoclassical economics are not sufficient. Distributed in the US by Ashgate. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This report, undertaken within the framework of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative, assesses inclusive growth trends and challenges in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Korea is facing mounting economic challenges. Productivity growth has been on a trend decline amid demographic headwinds, while the societal demand for inclusive growth has been on a steep rise. Furthermore, the government-led unbalanced growth model—which served Korea well in the past—has become less effective and politically palatable in recent years. As such, Korea needs a major paradigm shift to embark on a new sustainable and inclusive growth path. But policy response has been modest at best with no major reforms being implemented over the past two decades. We propose a paradigm shift in Korea’s economic framework, involving a simultaneous big push for greater economic freedom and stronger social protection within the parameters set by long-run fiscal sustainability. We also provide a detailed account of structural reforms to boost economic freedom and sustainable funding plans for stronger social protection.

How did a country with a dearth of natural resources, a sprawling population congested in a limited arable land transform itself to a modern industrial state within a generation? How could these have been achieved given the lingering geopolitical threats to its very survival as a state, as evidenced by the Korean War and the internecine aggressive posturing of its neighbor from the north? This book looks at strategies, institutional arrangement, role of entrepreneurs and workers in this odyssey, and on how those factors have worked together through effective leadership to transform South Korea’s economic fortunes.

In just one generation, South Korea has transformed from a recipient of foreign aid to a member of the G20. In this informative book, South Korea is used as a case by which to explore and illustrate specific issues arising from the complex relationships between the nation’s economic development and society. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial}

"In the early 1990s, South Korea was showcased as a country that had combined extraordinary economic growth with a narrowing of income distribution, achieving remarkably low rates of unemployment and poverty. In the years following the financial crisis of 1997–1998, however, these rates ballooned to pre-crisis levels, giving rise to the perception that the gap between the rich and the poor in Korea had once again widened. Income Inequality in Korea explores the relationship between economic growth and social developments in Korea over the last three decades. Analyzing the forces behind the equalizing trends in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the deterioration evident in the post-crisis years, Chong-Bum An and Barry Bosworth investigate the macroeconomic conditions, gains in educational attainment, demographic changes and conditions in labor markets, and social welfare policies that have contributed to the evolution of income inequality over time. The authors also raise fundamental questions about whether the pre-crisis pattern of combining strong economic growth with improving equality can be restored, as well as how government policies might be designed to promote that objective. The book concludes with a discussion of some proposals for improving the efficacy of redistributive policies in Korea."