Future Society Middle Class Changes Outlook and Countermeasures (Summary)

Table of Contents

I. The Advent of a New Risk Society and the Weakening of the Middle Class ······························1

1. Weakening of the Middle Class as a Mega Trend ···································1

2. Review of the Middle Class Concept and the Approach of This Study ···························2

3. Trends and Characteristics of Middle Class Changes ·····································3

4. Causes of Middle Class Weakening and Directions for Response ·····································6

II. The State of the Korean Middle Class and Evaluation of Resilience ···································11

1. The State of the Korean Middle Class ·········································11

2. Social Resilience of the Middle Class and Possibilities for Social Mobility ·····················14

III. Middle Class Departure Routes and Future Outlook ······································19

1. Factors and State of Stratum Structure Change ······································19

2. Comparison of Social Mobility Status in Major Developed Countries ·······························20

3. Characteristics of Social Mobility in Korea ·········································21

4. Class Change Through Middle Class Identification ······································24

5. Policy Implications ··················································25

IV. Responses of Major Developed Countries to Middle Class Weakening ·····························26

1. The New US Administration's Middle Class Policies ······································26

2. UK Middle Class Policies ·············································27

3. Japan's Policy Responses to the Middle Class ····································29

4. Cases of France, Germany, and Sweden ·······································30

5. Implications as a Conclusion ··············································34

V. Korea's Social Safety Net and Crisis Response Measures ····································35

1. Review of Korea's Social Safety Net ·········································35

2. Other Social Safety Nets and Crisis Response Measures ·································38

VI. Implications of the Analysis and Policy Recommendations ········································45

1. Implications of the Analysis ··············································45

2. Policy Directions by Risk Management Area ·····································49