The publication aims to be a space for Korean workers and activists, civil society movements to introduce global pro-public movements, actions and campaigns to raise awareness and educate members - as well as the wider public – about the value of public services in public ownership and control; the need to strengthen publicness of public and social services in Korea; and to explore the public policy alternatives needed to bring about the transformation our societies, economies, and institutions need to successfully address the multiple crises the world is facing, including the cost of living, climate, inequalities and democracy.

Published in March 2023 in Korean and in English, the first issue of KPTU/PPIP’s “The Future is Public” features contributions that focus on the meaning of publicness of public services at times of multiple crises and reviews the reasons and goals of union struggles and social movements currently ongoing across the world, including in France and the UK comparing and contrasting with Korea and drawing lessons for public policy and public funding alternatives for life-saving service provision - including care, health, energy and transportation among others - as well as medicine production in a post-pandemic context.

The issue also features a PSI analysis on the wave of industrial strikes led by frontline and public service workers’ unions in countries including the UK, France, Germany, Canada, the USA and Switzerland against austerity policies, public funding and staff cuts, privatisation and the undercutting of wages that have been dominant over decades.

The KPTU and the PPIP have also recently launched a policy brief in collaboration with PSI on “The municipalisation of care service providers in South Korea”.