Forgotten Concepts of Korea's Welfare State: Productivist Welfare Capitalism and Confucianism Revisited in Family Policy Change.

This article focuses on the development and current architecture of family policy within South Korea’s welfare state, critically examining the continuing relevance of its original foundations: productivist welfare capitalism and Confucianism. It argues that productivism remains central to family policy, repositioned to emphasize social reproduction as essential for economic growth, while Confucianism’s influence has diminished, particularly as policies promote women’s labor participation and men’s caregiving roles. Despite significant family policy expansions since the early 2000s—including leave policies and childcare services—the state maintains limited financial support and often balances market-based provision with modest welfare interventions. The article concludes that South Korea’s welfare state continues to be shaped by productivist principles, with Confucianism weakened but not entirely absent, and that recent political shifts may affect the trajectory of these welfare foundations.