ABSTRACT
Eunju Chi focuses on economic and social well-being in “Income inequality and welfare in Korea and Taiwan.” Dr. Chi states that deepening inequality is a trend that makes sustainable development difficult to attain. She writes that when a government actively responds to the deepening inequality by providing welfare, inequality is alleviated, and sustainable development is possible. In this chapter, Dr. Chi examines the causes and processes of deepening inequality in Korea and Taiwan, then turns to policies associated with improving economic distribution. Chi finds that democratization required measures to protect the victims of wealth polarization and, as a result, measures to tackle income inequality in Korea and Taiwan were introduced. However, these were implemented in an ad hoc fashion, rather than resulting from clear goals and plans.
