没有福利制度的经济增长局限:韩国的经验

The Limits of Economic Growth without Welfare:The Experience of the Republic of Korea

韩国经历了从20世纪60年代到90年代中期的高经济增长期,得以从最不发达的国家之列一跃为最发达的国家之一。韩国在很短的时间内实现了"压缩增长"和公平。这种相对公平的增长模式主要是在初次劳动收入分配上实现的,即没有适当的(再分配性的)社会保障计划。这种独特的韩国历史经验使其社会坚信经济增长与社会福利之间的负向关系,这种关系被称为"经济增长第一,分配第二"。然而,最近的讨论对经济与福利之间负面关系的范式表示质疑,认为韩国经济增速的下降、低生育率和劳动力市场的二元化正是现有"没有分配的经济增长战略"的结果。因此,为了解决当前和未来的社会经济挑战,韩国社会必须增加劳动收入所占份额并积极扩大社会福利。本文介绍这种新兴范式的经济和社会背景,讨论有关当前挑战的政策理念和建议。

Due to Korea’s high economic growth rates from the 1960 s until the mid-1990 s,it was able to transform itself from an undeveloped country into one of the most developed nations.Korea had achieved"compressed growth"combined with equity within a very short period.This relatively equitable growth model was achieved mainly at primary labour income distribution,i.e.without proper(redistributive)social security programmes.This unique Korean historical experience has contributed to a firm conviction about a negative relationship between economic growth and social welfare,which gets paraphrased as"economic growth first,distribution second".However,recent discussion questions the paradigm of the negative relationship between the economy and welfare,suggesting that Korea’s observed decreases in economic growth,low birth rates,and the dualization of labour markets are the results of exactly the existing"economic growth strategies without distribution".Accordingly,in order to solve its current and future socio-economic challenges,Korean society must increase its labour income share and pursue active expansion in social welfare.This article explores the economic and social background to this emerging new paradigm,and discusses policy ideas and proposals responding to those current challenges.