Evolving welfare system in Japan and Korea.
Panel coordinated by
Sébastien Lechevalier1

Abstract: In this panel, which focuses on Japan and Korea, we argue that these previous
analyses of Asian capitalisms and societies have underestimated or ignored in-depth analyses
from the viewpoint of welfare, in adopting, at least implicitly, a perspective, inspired by theover-simplified typology of Esping Andersen, which can be qualified of “welfare orientalism”(Takegawa, 2005). Moreover, we argue that welfare is at the core of the evolving forms ofcapitalism in these three countries. Our interpretation is that institutional change in Asian
capitalism is currently driven by changes in the social compromise. These two economies andsocieties are experiencing a series of changes that can be interpreted as the manifestations ofinternal contradictions, which require the development of new welfare systems to beovercome. Among these changes, this panel focuses on the ones that affected such institutions
as family and firms, as well as ageing, and rising inequalities. More precisely, we develop
case studies on Korean labor market; social welfare for people with disabilities in Japan;
migration, international marriage and evolving form of families in Korea.

Keywords: welfare, Japan, Korea

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Associate professor at EHESS (Paris). Contact : sebastien.lechevalier@ehess.fr

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Paper 1: “Understanding welfare diversity and evolution in Japan and Korea. A regulationalistinterpretation” by Sebastien Lechevalier (Associate Professor, EHESS)In this paper, which focuses on Japan and Korea, we argue that these previous
analyses of Asian capitalisms have underestimated or ignored in-depth analyses of Asian
capitalisms from the viewpoint of welfare (Takegawa, 2005; Holliday, 2000; Peng, 2004,
among others), in adopting, at least implicitly, a perspective, inspired by the over-simplified
typology of Esping Andersen, which can be qualified of “welfare orientalism” (Takegawa,2005). Moreover and even more importantly, we argue that welfare is at the core of theevolving forms of capitalism in these countries. Our interpretation is that institutional change
in Asian capitalism is driven by changes in the social compromise. To put it differently,
emerging new forms of capitalism may put welfare on the top of their institutional hierarchy
after that the failure of “financialisation” in Japan and Korea has been acknowledged.
Disciplinary field : political economy

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Paper 2: “Development of social security system and change of labor market in Korea” bySangBae KIM (Université Paris I, PhD candidate)
Abstract
Social security, being one of the welfare state’s roles, is not only curative but also
preventive from social risks. It is a question of finding good balance between appeasement
and prevention. But, the development of the South Korean social security system is explainedby the first function which is a reaction to two economic crises, in 1997 and 2007. In otherword, it was due to remedy a worsening of social risks: low birth rate (1.19 in 2013); high rateof poverty (16.5%) especially for the seniors (49%) in 2014; households’ debt (92.9% of theGDP in 2013, 164% of the GDI in 2014), etc.
This paper seeks a link between the increase of social risks and the development of thewelfare state in changes of the labor market. It is liberalization and flexibility of the labormarket implemented in the context of a restructuring of the economic system carried out toface the crisis. These changes are permitted in exchange for improved social protection insome way. In other words, the social safety net came from greater job instability. The article
draws the hypothesis that the role of social security system, generally speaking, should not belimited to alleviating social risks or latent pain but should seek to prevent risk or to improvesocial structure inducing that risks, from description about the causes of the development ofSouth Korean welfare state.

Renforcement du système de protection sociale
et mutations du marché du travail en Corée du SudRésumé
La protection sociale garantie par l’État social n’est pas seulement curative ou correctrice
des problèmes sociaux mais préventive de ces risques sociaux. Il s’agit de trouver le bonéquilibre entre prévention et correction. Les particularités du développement du système deprotection sociale sud-coréen s’expliquent ainsi par le fait que celui-ci est une réaction à deuxcrises économiques, en 1997 et 2007. Il s’agissait de remédier à une aggravation des risquessociaux : taux de natalité bas (1.19 en 2013) ; taux élevé de pauvreté (16.5%) surtout pour lesseniors (49%) en 2014; endettement des ménages (92.9% du PIB 2013, 164% du RDB 2014),
etc.
Cet article cherche un lien entre l’augmentation des risques sociaux et le développement del’État social dans les mutations intervenant dans le marché du travail. Il s’agit d’unelibéralisation et d’une flexibilisation du marché du travail mises en œuvre dans le cadre d’une
restructuration du système économique opérée pour faire face à la crise. Celles-ci sontpermises en échange d’une protection sociale améliorée en quelque sorte. Autrement dit, le« filet social » accompagne une plus grande précarisation de l’emploi. L’article tire de sa
description des causes du développement de l’État social sud-coréen cette hypothèse que lerôle de la protection sociale, généralement parlant, ne doit sans doute pas se limiter à traiterles problèmes sociaux mais doit chercher à les prévenir, ou au moins à en diminuer les risques.

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Paper 3 : Social welfare for people with disabilities in Japan: The intertwining of activism andneoliberal policies by Anne-Lise Mithout (University Paris Dauphine, PhD Candidate)
Abstract: During the 2000 decade, the social welfare system for people with disabilities has
undergone a major turnaround. It echoes the claims of disability rights activists regarding
access to autonomy. However, it also anchored in the general evolution of the Japanese
Welfare State, towards neoliberal policies.
In this paper, we will analyze how the evolution of social welfare for people with disabilities
in Japan combines these dimensions: consideration for human rights claims and neoliberal
reform.
We will base our argument on the case of the « law on support to autonomy for disabledpeople », enacted in 2006. From activist movements, it takes over the terms “autonomy” and“adapted support” and an asserted willingness to break up with the logic of segregation into
special institutions that has been condemned by the champions of “Independent Living”.
Nevertheless, it has also introduced the user-payer principle and tends to consider the“autonomous disabled person” as a “consumer of freely chosen services”. This law has burst
outcry among disabled people’s associations. In 2014, it was replaced by a new law that does
not back out of the user-payer system, but softens its implementation conditions.
Field: sociology
La protection sociale des personnes handicapées au Japon : Au carrefour dumilitantisme et des politiques néolibérales
Anne-Lise Mithout (sociologie)
Depuis le début des années 2000, le système de protection sociale des personnes handicapées
au Japon a connu d’importants changements. Ceux-ci font écho aux revendications desmilitants concernant l’accès à l’autonomie pour les personnes en situation de handicap.
Cependant, ils s’inscrivent aussi dans l’évolution générale de l’Etat-Providence japonais, vers
des politiques d’inspiration néolibérale.
Dans cette communication, on analysera comment l’évolution de la protection sociale despersonnes handicapées au Japon articule ces deux dimensions : reconnaissance desrevendications en matière de droits humains et réforme néolibérale.
On s’appuiera plus particulièrement sur le cas de la « Loi de soutien à l’autonomie despersonnes handicapées », votée en 2006. Celle-ci reprend des mouvements militant les termes« d’autonomie » et de « soutien adapté » et affirme une volonté de rupture avec la logique deségrégation dans des institutions spécialisées dénoncée par les partisans de la « Vie
Indépendante ». Cependant, elle introduit également le principe de l’utilisateur-payeur et tendà considérer la « personne handicapée autonome » comme « consommatrice de services
d’aide librement choisis ». Cette réforme qui a soulevé un tollé dans les associations depersonnes handicapées a été révisée en 2014 dans une nouvelle loi qui, sans revenir sur leprincipe de l’utilisateur-payeur, en adoucit les conditions.

4Paper 4 : XXX by Yejin Kong (EHESS, master student)

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