KIHASA has published six new research reports, including The 2025 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS): Descriptive Report.

The 2025 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS): Descriptive Report Lee Wonjin; Kang Yeeun; Nam Yunjae; Ryoo Jina; Shin Jae-Dong; Jung Joo-sung; Lee Danbi; Kim Hyunku; Lee Taejin; Lee Bongjoo; Kahng Sangkyung; Park Jung Min; Joung Won Oh; Lim Eunjeong; Kim Gun; Kim Taehyung

Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs(KIHASA) and Seoul National University (SNU) organized the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) in 2006. In 2025, the 20th wave of KOWEPS was carried out. The content of KOWEPS is composed of socioeconomic information, welfare status, and attitude toward the welfare or something for individuals and households. The particular topic for this wave is ‘The Disabled’. This descriptive report provides a wide variety of content about the general features, the economic conditions, the employment status, social security, welfare needs and the special topics for the 20th-year surveys. The results could be reference data for the researchers who would use KOWEPS.

A Study on Support Needs and Disability Recognition for People with Long-Term Conditions Lee Hanna; Kwon Youngji; Yi Mingyeong; Mun Yeongmin; Shin EunKyoung

This study examines the validity of disability recognition and explores institutional support measures for people with long-term conditions who experience restrictions in daily activities but are not formally recognised as disabled. Five conditions―epidermolysis bullosa, PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS), brain tumour, HIV/AIDS, and Crohn’s disease―were inductively selected to represent diverse patterns of functional limitation and institutional blind spots. Based on in-depth interviews with individuals living with these conditions, the study argues for the recognition of disability among people with long-term conditions and proposes expanding eligibility for disability-related benefits within the disability registration system.

A Study on Imputation Methods for Item Nonresponse in the Korea Health Panel Survey Lee Hyejung; Lee Suehyung; Jee Hee-Jung; Park Kyoung Sun; Hyeon Ockju; Yeom Ahrim; Hyun Seungjae; Kim Eunjoo

Missing data is an inherent challenge in the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS). Currently, researchers must apply their own criteria for handling the problem of missing data, highlighting the need for multifaceted research. This study aims to enhance KHPS data quality by analyzing the status of missing data. By examining data collection processes, seeking optimal imputation methods, and evaluating the feasibility of providing imputed data, this research seeks to ensure the provision of more precise and reliable datasets.

Study on Cases and Management Strategies of Data Drift in the Health and Welfare Sector Oh Miae; Lee Jeongran; An Suin

Data drift refers to the phenomenon where the statistical properties of the data used to train machine learning models shift over time. This study examines the unique characteristics of various types of data drift and provides a systematic evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of different detection methodologies. Furthermore, through simulations utilizing public administrative datasets, the research proposes practical measures to enhance the reliability and sustainability of data-driven governance within the health and welfare domain.

Social Isolation and Loneliness across the Life Course and Policy Responses Kim Seonga; Kang Yeeun

Social isolation and loneliness are emerging as new social risks. Along the pathway from the rise of single-person households and solitary living to lonely death, social isolation lies at the core. This study examines current policies along the pathway through which loneliness deepens social isolation, and proposes policy strategies to address social isolation from a life-course perspective, in which risks and vulnerabilities accumulate across the lifespan.

Current Status and Challenges of Policies for Mental Health Welfare Service Providers Jun Jina; Bae Jungeun; Kim Soo Kyoung; Beck Sangsook; Son Haein

Recently, mental health policies have been shifting away from a focus on treating individuals with mental illnesses toward expanding comprehensive mental health and welfare services for the entire population. This reflects changes in domestic and international policy trends and demands, representing a transition toward recognizing mental health as a societal issue and encompassing a service spectrum that includes prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery, and self-reliance support. Accordingly, securing the workforce, enhancing their capacity, and establishing a protection system for providing mental health and welfare services have emerged as critical national tasks. However, domestic workforce policies still heavily rely on the training system for mental health professionals, and systems for assessing the scale of the field workforce, improving working conditions, and supporting capacity building remain insufficient. Consequently, this is highly likely to limit the scalability, accessibility, and quality of mental health and welfare services. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the workforce policies of major foreign countries, comprehensively diagnose the issues within the current domestic situation, and derive improvement tasks for mental health and welfare service workforce policies that are suited to the context of South Korea.