Monitoring the Status of Health Inequality in Korea and Policy Development - Health Inequality in Risk Society

Abstract

The “Monitoring the Status of Health Inequality in Korea and Policy Development – Health Inequality in Risk Society” project is an annual research agenda, which is now in its seventh year. We examine the current health inequalities among social classes by focusing on various "risks" and "disasters", and provide countermeasures against them. This research is organized into seven chapters. Following Chapter 1 for introduction, Chapter 2 discusses definitions of risks and disasters, changes in the environment and conditions associated with disasters, and the accompanying changes in laws and systems, which provide a theoretical foundation for further research. In Chapter 3, we examine the prevailing situation of disasters occurring in South Korea and the discourses surrounding them. The first step involves analyzing the statistical data to determine the current state of damages caused by natural and social disasters in South Korea. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis is undertaken based on the related laws of the disaster recovery support systems for the victims. To better understand current disaster events, which are difficult to understand via statistical data alone, we also study historical disaster issues and discuss how disasters are generated, consumed, and altered. A systematic literature review is conducted in Chapter 4 to determine the health effects on the victims of the major natural and social disasters in South Korea. Based on the results of the systematic literature reviews, a concrete picture is outlined of how disasters affect health and the pathways through which they act on the population’s health and quality of life. In Chapter 5, we analyze the results of questionnaire surveys on the general public's disaster experiences, their consequent experience of damages, and the perception of inequalities in disasters. A survey of disaster damage recovery status (2020, 2021) obtained from the National Disaster Management Research Institute is used to examine disparities in disaster experiences, disaster damages, and recovery levels. In particular, the “Disaster Inequality Perceptions Questionnaire Survey” targets the general public to investigate disaster experiences, perceptions of disasters, deprivation and exclusion resulting from disasters, perceptions of disaster management governance, and perceptions of vulnerability and inequalities. As the conclusion of the discussions per the results presented in chapters 2 through 4, Chapter 6 explores policy implications and potential solutions to the problems. The research identifies four phases of disaster management: prevention, preparation, response, and recovery, which presents policy proposals to address the various forms of discrimination and exclusion experienced by the vulnerable classes during disaster occurrence, response, and recovery. As the final section, Chapter 7 summarizes the main findings and their implications for policy setup.