UBI from Idea to Reality

"Presenting a practical response to rising inequality--one that simultaneously strengthens work incentives, enhances efficiency, and expands opportunity, the book is essential reading for scholars of inequality and public policy, as well as practitioners."
--Torben Iversen, Professor of Political Economy, Harvard University

'"The Republic of Korea is ready, able and willing to introduce a basic income, setting a standard for the rest of the world to follow."
--Guy Standing, Honorary Chair, BIEN

"The worldwide UBI movement has its eyes fixed on Korea. On its president's declarations. And also on its academics' efforts to design a sustainable protection system that addresses the challenge of low fertility as well as those of AI and climate change."
--Philippe van Parijs, Honorary Chair, BIEN

"The proposal is solidaristic in motivation, gender-inclusive in design, and clearly and persuasively articulated--a model for basic income advocates around the world."
--Almaz Zelleke, Professor of Practice in Political Science, NYU Shanghai

UBI from Idea to Reality outlines a policy combining three mechanisms: a prototype universal basic income (UBI), a negative income tax (NIT)-type basic income, and a universal earned income tax credit (EITC). Integrating taxation and welfare, the authors use survey and administrative data to evaluate the financial feasibility of this package and its redistributive effects. While tailored to South Korea, the methodology and theoretical framework are applicable to other national contexts.

Jong-sung You Director of the Korea Inequality Research Lab at Yonsei University. Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University. He taught at UC San Diego, Australian National University, and Gachon University.

Nam Hoon Kang Vice-Chair of the Presidential Commission on Basic Society and Professor Emeritus of Economics at Hanshin University. Ph.D. in economics from Seoul National University.

Seungju Lee Professor of Social Welfare, Daegu University. Ph.D. from Yonsei University. His research focuses on poverty alleviation and social inequality.