A Study of the Long-Term Care Scheme in Korea

: Focusing on 10-year Issues and Outcomes

Abstract

Korea’s social security scheme is characterized by “low cost-low benefits”, “minimizing the public burden”, and emphasizing that “the role of private service suppliers should outweigh that of public suppliers”. These features apply to long-term care services, which were introduced in 2008, some 10 years ago. It is said that the new services were a trigger to a shift from selective welfare to universal welfare. The long-term care scheme has achieved some successful outcomes, including expanding the welfare infrastructure, increasing the number of beneficiaries and creating new opportunities for employment. However, new problems have arisen, including an increase in social hospitalization, mismatches between the demand and supply for care services and some improper activities of local governments ; these should not be ignored. It goes without saying that these problems have been caused by the introduction of the long-term care scheme.

This article considers these issues and enhances our understanding of the long-term care scheme in Korea. I focus on the introduction of the scheme and outline its development, examine its 10-year outcomes, and utilize findings from interviews conducted with care service suppliers in August 2018.