This study aims to analyze the impact of public pension enrollment on welfare
attitudes and provide important implications for welfare policy formulation. While
previous research on self-interest factors has primarily focused on experiences of
welfare...
This study aims to analyze the impact of public pension enrollment on welfare
attitudes and provide important implications for welfare policy formulation. While
previous research on self-interest factors has primarily focused on experiences of
welfare receipt, this study centers on expectations regarding benefit receipt. It
conducts an empirical analysis of welfare attitudes among public pension
subscribers, such as those enrolled in the National Pension Scheme. Through this
approach, the study examines how experiences with pension enrollment influence
expectations and support for welfare policies.
Using the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS) data, this study employs
regression analysis to verify key factors affecting welfare attitudes. The results
reveal that, among class factors, individuals in precarious employment exhibit
negative attitudes toward increased welfare spending. However, educational
attainment, a factor representing social status, does not significantly influence
welfare support. Regarding value orientation, progressive attitudes strongly correlate
with support for expanded welfare spending. On the other hand, self-interest factors,
such as public pension enrollment, do not have a significant effect on attitudes
toward welfare policies. This finding suggests that welfare policy support is
associated more with economic interests and political values than with direct
economic benefits.
The study offers critical implications for welfare policy and public pension
reform. Welfare attitudes are not solely shaped by pension enrollment experiences
but rather emerge as the result of a complex interplay of personal values and
economic circumstances. Accordingly, the government should design welfare policies
that ensure equity across social strata while also engaging in policy communication
and coordination that reflects diverse political perspectives.