UK-South Korea Family Policy Research Network

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted gaps and inadequacies in support for families in the UK and South Korea, as well as how families and households act as the foundations for society and economic growth. Both the UK and South Korea as noted examples of state-society complexes where economic competitiveness is a high priority and where this has come at a cost to households and families who have acted as ‘shock absorbers’ for continuous economic adjustments.

While the UK has approached this from a background of a long-established welfare state and a trajectory of ‘retrenchment’ in social policy support for families, South Korea has proceeded from less developed welfare states to greater social policy intervention. These simultaneous similarities and differences make the two countries the perfect vehicle for comparative research to help us better understand how social policy does/doesn’t, and could better, support families to pursue sustainable and inclusive growth and social cohesion.