In publishing the book
Prologue: The Day of the Beginning: An Economy That Cannot Return to Pre-Pandemic Conditions

Part 1: The Economic Upheaval Caused by the Pandemic
1.
How Modern Financial Capitalism Works
2.
The eve of the pandemic
3.
The Pandemic: A Crisis Like No Other
4.
Structural changes brought about by the pandemic
① The emergence of inflation
② Uneven impact and polarization of crisis
③ The second act of the US-China conflict… This time, there's no end in sight.
④ Acceleration of digital transformation
⑤ The Path to a Net Zero Society

Part 2: The Challenge of a New Balance
1.
Prepare thoroughly for the possibility of a complex crisis.
2.
Social consensus on the role of fiscal policy
3.
Resolving polarization
4.
Advancement of the platform regulation system
5.
The Future of Blockchain and Virtual Assets
6.
Developing a carbon neutral implementation plan

Epilogue: A World Transformed by the Pandemic: A New Philosophy of the Age Needed
The organizer's words: A crystal ball that sees the future, today

In an era of complex crises, the survival puzzle the Korean economy must solve.
How to create a sustainable and future-oriented economic structure

This book is largely divided into two parts.
Part 1 examines the changes before and after the 2008 global financial crisis, the most significant event before the pandemic, and examines the development and characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, which had an even greater impact, and the structural changes it brought.
Part 2, as mentioned earlier, contains key topics and suggestions that our society should pay attention to and examine to create a sustainable system after the pandemic.
Part 1, which examines the structure and phenomena of the pandemic crisis, begins by explaining the operating principles of modern financial capitalism, which became a hot topic during the 2008 global financial crisis and the process of overcoming it, and the inherent risks within it.
This is the theoretical foundation of this book.
Next, we take a look at the phenomena that occurred in the global financial market over the past decade, including the European debt crisis, the taper tantrum, Abenomics, the 2015 China mini-crisis, the Fed's monetary policy normalization, and the US-China trade conflict on the eve of the pandemic.
The latter half of Part 1 summarizes the key aspects of the pandemic's onset, development, and resulting structural changes, based on field experience.
The author predicts that the economic upheaval brought about by the pandemic will bring significant structural instability to the global financial system, to the point where even the concept of the "new normal," popular since the 2008 crisis, will become meaningless.
Inflation suddenly appeared in advanced economies struggling to avoid falling into the trap of deflation, becoming the hottest policy issue, and the macroeconomic environment, including prices, employment, and growth, changed rapidly.
In addition, the world is contemplating new sustainability approaches in the face of significant challenges such as the digital revolution and carbon neutrality.
The diagnosis of a 'complex crisis' is truly fitting.
Part 1 is more like a preparatory work for Part 2.
Part 2 focuses on the key issues that the Korean economy must consider at this point in time.
Signs of a complex crisis are appearing in the global economy, and if such a crisis truly unfolds, the Korean economy could face a harsh period.
Moreover, the seriousness of this situation is further enhanced by the need to re-establish the direction of fiscal policy to overcome this crisis.
The author delves into the complex nature of the crisis and the debate surrounding fiscal policy, arguing that expansionary fiscal policy to overcome the crisis must be accompanied by structural reforms addressing factors that threaten mid- to long-term fiscal soundness.
Chapters 3 to 6 of Part 2 cover detailed policy topics.
Chapter 3 proposes an idea to provide an additional 200,000 won per month in temporary old-age pensions to those aged 75 and older to address the polarization problem and poverty among the elderly, the biggest social problem in our society.
Chapters 4 and 5 discuss establishing a regulatory framework for digital platforms and virtual assets, areas where the gap and delay between institutions and reality are most severe as digital transformation accelerates.
In these two areas, significant innovations and challenges are occurring that are related to the future of national monetary sovereignty. However, the institutional response of the government and the National Assembly has been fragmented compared to the speed and impact of change.
Chapter 5, in particular, is interesting because it introduces the progress of the virtual asset policy in December 2017, when the author directly led the policy direction.
The vivid story of how the decision to completely shut down virtual asset exchanges took a sharp turn and culminated in the current real-name verification system is revealed for the first time in episode form.
Chapter 6 covers the Carbon Neutrality Action Plan, a key national task that the next administration must address.
Finding a way to develop an effective green transition program that can persuade the international community, which is extremely sensitive to the climate crisis, while also preserving manufacturing competitiveness is a critical task facing us.

The world shaken by the pandemic will experience aftereffects in various fields even after the epidemic is under control.
The author warns that the post-pandemic landscape has changed so drastically that sailing with old charts risks running aground on unexpected reefs or currents.
Beyond the pandemic, the challenges facing the Korean economy are immense, yet existing response methods are inadequate.
But if you think about it the other way around, the author says that while the risk has increased, it has also opened a new window of opportunity for some.
The key will be to strike a new balance that prioritizes community sustainability and resilience while properly analyzing crises and changes and developing response capabilities.
This is an issue that our society, including the newly inaugurated government, must immediately consider.