Professor Kim Cheol Young of Kookmin University has been selected for the Academic Research Support Program organized by the Asan Social Welfare Foundation (Chairman Chung Mong-joon). Professor Kim will receive research funding for the next year to conduct a study titled “Financial Vulnerability of Private Social Welfare Corporations in the Era of Regional Depopulation: A Comparison by Application Type of the Integrated Care Support Act and Identification of Dual-Risk Areas.”

Since its establishment in 1977, the Asan Social Welfare Foundation has supported the creative research of talented scholars to advance academia and society in Korea. In its early years, the Foundation focused on supporting research in the natural sciences to promote economic and technological development; subsequently, it expanded its support to the humanities and social sciences to address social issues. In particular, since 2022, the Foundation has selected research topics addressing issues critical to the development of Korean society, supporting talented scholars in publishing academically outstanding papers in domestic and international journals through active research.

The Integrated Care Support Act, which took effect in March 2026, aims to establish a community-centered integrated care system and designates private social welfare corporations as the core providers. However, given that 118 (52%) of the nation’s 228 cities, counties, and districts—more than half—are classified as regions at risk of depopulation, a paradox has been raised: the areas with the highest demand for care may also be those where private providers have the weakest financial foundations. This study empirically examines precisely this issue.

Professor Kim Kim Cheol Young’s research aims to quantitatively verify whether private social welfare corporations in regions with high local population decline risk indices experience greater financial vulnerability, and whether this effect is more pronounced among corporations operating facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities—which are subject to the Integrated Care Support Act. Furthermore, the study identifies “dual-risk regions” where both demand (risk of depopulation) and supply (financial vulnerability of organizations) are simultaneously under threat, and analyzes these regions by linking them to citizens’ perceived accessibility to welfare services, satisfaction levels, and trust in institutions.

This study is distinctive in that it empirically demonstrates the link between “provider finances” and “user experience”—two factors that have previously been addressed only in isolation. This analysis is expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based welfare policies by identifying blind spots in institutional support and, based on data, pinpointing regions where limited resources should be prioritized.