Table 2.

Transition of the health care system and state intervention according to the economic and political characteristics of the Korean state

Period	Phase 1 (late 1970s)	Phase 2 (late 1980s)	Phase 3 (late 1990s)
Transition of the health care system	Introduction of limited SHI (1977) Companies with more than 500 employees (8.6% of the population)	Universalization of SHI (1989) Coverage for all Koreans	Transition to NHI (1998–2000) Full integration into a single insurer
State intervention according to the state’s economic and political characteristics	- Authoritarian developmentalism - State-led industrialization - Great state autonomy and despotic power - Weak infrastructural power	- Democratic breakthrough - Initiating economic liberalization - Relatively strong state autonomy and despotic power - Weak infrastructural power	- Democratic deepening: emphasizing social solidarity - Rapid advance of economic liberalization and globalization - Increased despotic power (economic crisis, 1997) - Weak infrastructural power

SHI, Social Health Insurance; NHI, National Health Insurance (single insurer).