Dahye Kim

Dahye Kim studies social policies in Asia in the context of changing demographics, specifically, population ageing. Ms. Kim has been awarded the journal Population’s Early-Career Researcher Prize for 2024 for an article entitled, “An equal right to inherit? Inheritance rights and gendered intergenerational transfers in South Korea, 1971–2010.” 

(Interview conducted in August 2024)

The article examines how the shift towards gender-equal inheritance rights has affected the gender gap in inheritances and gifts within households over 40 years. I focus on South Korea, which repealed a gender-discriminatory clause in its inheritance law in 1991. The findings reveal that, even after the reform, the gender gap in inheritances and gifts did not narrow. Gifts became a more common method of transferring wealth, predominantly to sons, shortly after the reform. Additionally, equal legal shares were not widely adopted in dividing inheritances, as many households continued to favour unequal distributions through wills and family negotiations. These findings suggest that legal reforms are only an initial step towards achieving gender equality in intergenerational transfers, with norms and cultural contexts often playing a more significant role.

I have a deep interest in exploring vulnerability in ageing societies, particularly in light of shifting demographic landscape and changing informal care arrangements within households. My work focuses on care and social welfare in old age. One of my projects involves analysing the financial profiles of older women post-widowhood, considering state, market, and family transfers. Another project is centred on Community Care through a comparative analysis between South Korea and Singapore. My aim is to contribute to social policy design for care and well-being, especially in response to the rapid ageing occurring in many societies.

I’m deeply honoured and grateful to receive the Population Early-Career Researcher Prize, particularly for a chapter of my doctoral thesis that required significant time and perseverance. The study, which explores the impact of an older policy reform, encountered challenges due to data limitations and the sensitive nature of inheritance and gift information. The interdisciplinary approach was intellectually rewarding but also made acceptance across different fields more difficult. This work was made possible thanks to the support of remarkable scholars, including my PhD committee, generous professors who reviewed my work, and the editors, international jury, and reviewers at Population. While I can’t mention everyone, this achievement is truly a collective effort. Despite the challenges of exploring this niche topic from a multidisciplinary perspective, I hope this recognition will inspire further research on inequality in inheritances and gifts, especially in ageing societies.