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KMID : 1001320090360010329
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Social Welfare Policy
2009 Volume.36 No. 1 p.329 ~ p.353
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Korean welfare policies and the ideology and mindset of the Korean people based on J. Rawls` Theory of Justice
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Jung Hyun-Tae
Oh Yun-Sou
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Abstract
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One of the major social issues that have emerged in Korea in the wake of the 1997 financial crisis is income inequality. Although it is true that income inequality has worsened in Korea compared with 20th century, the Korean conditions are not particularly poor compared with other countries. Rather, Korea’s level of income disparity before income shifting ranks as one of the lowest in the world. However, Korean people are highly sensitive to social disparity. It is because of the egalitarianism that has deep rooted in Korean society. Rawls insisted his Theory of Justice that social and economic inequalities should be arranged so that they are both to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged persons. Now, key in applying Rawls’ theory to the Korean welfare system is to define which levels of income inequality and income transfer are appropriate to achieve the greatest benefit of the least advantaged persons. If we say a nation’s social welfare policies reflect the ideology and mindset of the members of society, the levels of income inequality and income transfer should be determined based upon the ideology and mindset of the Korean people. In this process, we can find that ideology and mindset are the very foundation in determining the levels that will effectively utilize Rawls’ Theory of Justice in the policy-making, while laying the stepping stones for the Theory to contribute to tangible Korean welfare policies.
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KEYWORD
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Rawls, justice, social welfare policy, ideology, mindset of Koreans
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