An Evaluation of Public Responses Taken in the Area of Income Security After the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines what Korea’s representative income security systems (National Basic Livelihood Security System, Emergency Welfare Support Act, Basic Pension, EITC, etc.), along with institutional changes and income security policies implemented in response to and following the outbreak of Covid-19. Each of these income security systems, with their eligibility requirements eased, is regarded as having contributed to a certain extent to safeguarding families and individuals and helping them get through the crisis. The near-poor and new vulnerable groups, however, are considered to have received insufficient assistance. In addition to causing social controversy when it was first implemented, the short-term and temporary income support scheme also has the drawback of only helping a small number of recipients. Given that crises like COVID-19 may occur in the future, it is essential to reorganize the income security system into a form of filling the existing gaps and covering new at-risk groups rather than relying on a short-term and temporary income support system.