• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.9
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• pp.691-699
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• 2020

South Korea's available water resources per capita is very small compared to global average as there is a high population on small land. Thus, it is imperative to secure water resources for the safe livelihood of the citizens. As an advanced, industrialized country, South Korean economic dependence on agricultural has greatly lowered. Unless South Korea utilizes foreign water resources, it is impossible to provide agricultural and livestock products the same as current levels. However, virtual water-related research in South Korea is still inadequate. When establishing the water resources plan, it does not consider the international trade of virtual water. This research aims to solve this issue by analyzing the international virtual water trends focusing on South Korea. Consequently, the export and import of virtual water trade was identified according to country and item for 248 countries and South Korea. According to the results, South Korea's agricultural and livestock virtual water has much higher imports than exports, which outputs with agricultural by-products being the main import. In 2018, South Korea imported 72.2 billion ㎥, which is 29 times the exported amount of 2.5 billion ㎥. The research results can be used as baseline data for establishing the national water resources plan in the future.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.172-182
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• 2020

Objectives : In this study, we conducted a focus group interview among expatriates living in Korea, to investigate their experiences and perceptions of acupuncture and Korean Medicine in order to improve the usage of Korean Medicine in the medical tourism market. Methods : The inclusion criteria for the focus group interview was: (1) participants between the age of 20 to 75 years old; (2) those who had lived in Korea for more than 90 days, and (3) those who were able to express their thoughts freely in English. The participants were informed that the interviews will be recorded and transcribed. We ended recruitment once saturation of materials was met. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data was analyzed after each interview. Results : The interviews were held between June to December 2016. Twenty-four participants were recruited but four dropped out and a total of twenty participants successfully finished the interviews. Six focus group interviews were conducted. Analysis revealed that Korean Medicine was relatively less known compared to Traditional Chinese Medicine or Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Participants automatically associated acupuncture with the management of pain or stress and replied that these were the areas that they thought acupuncture would be most effective. Positive experiences with acupuncture and with the acupuncture practitioners were factors that promoted the use of acupuncture whereas lack of awareness, accessibility and accreditation were factors that hindered its use. Other factors that hindered the use of acupuncture was needle phobia and the perception that acupuncture lacks scientific evidence. Conclusions : Awareness on Korean Medicine and acupuncture is low. Participants lack awareness on what diseases acupuncture can treat, the scientific evidence behind the mechanism of action, and the rigorous education system that Korean Medicine doctors must go through to get their license. Rigorous marketing should be encouraged, which includes greater exposure in the media, more honest reviews from patients, and promotion of the scientific evidence base.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.671-679
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• 2010

This study investigated the perception, evaluation, and the possibility for globalizing Korean foods and Yak-sun among different nationalities of foreigners living in Korea. A survey was conducted with 171 foreigners (eastern Asian, southeastern and central Asian, European, and American). The questionnaire was composed of three parts, including perception, evaluation, and the possibility for globalizing Korean foods and Yak-sun. The reason for choosing Korean foods cited by southeastern and central Asians and Americans was "taste", whereas eastern Asians and Europeans chose "culture" and "curiosity", respectively. Americans and Europeans considered "spiciness" as a reason not to choose Korean foods (P<0.001). Regarding the possibility of globalizing Korean foods, eastern Asians and Americans/Europeans/southeast Asians and central Asians responded "Korean dining culture" and "incomprehensive menus", respectively (P<0.05). An "explanation of the menu to foreigners" was regarded as the main suggestion for globalizing Korean food. Most of the respondents understood that Yak-sun is an oriental medicinal food that provides improved health and disease prevention. A number of Europeans and Americans expressed high interest in the conceptualization of Yak-sun (P<0.001). With regard to the priority for developing Yak-sun, eastern Asians, southeastern and central Asians, and Europeans picked out "health status improvement", whereas "improved nutritional status" was manifested in the majority of the American's responses (P<0.001). Therefore, it is crucial that "localization" be applied to Korean foods and Yak-sun to meet the international standard. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide simplified and correct Korean food content information to foreigners.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2001

This study is to investigate attitude by college students toward transformation of traditional food into fast food style. Data were collected from a convenient sample of 340 students who were enrolled in colleges in Busan metropolitan area. Bivariate analyses with sociodemographic characteristics were made on attitude including evaluation on effects of western fast food taking on eating practice, comparison of willingness to take western-brand fast food with traditional food in fast food style, evaluation of domestic-brand fast food, need and probability of success of operation of fast food restaurant serving only traditional food, list of kinds of traditional food could be in fast food, perceived obstacles to develop traditional food in fast food style and intention to utilize fast food restaurant serving only traditional food if available.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.81-90
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• 2009

This study seeks those elements that form a sense of place in Yen-Ben Street, which represents a typical ethnic enclave in Seoul, to provide a basic resource in the creation of an urban landscape that can provide a positive space for cultural diversity. The results of the study can be summarized as follows: First, the element of a physical environment that develops a sense of place was in fact the poor dwellings that correspond to the economic condition of Korean Chinese. While this element has a negative cognition to outsiders, Korean Chinese feel positively toward it. Secondly, signboards were a physical element of sense of place which retains cultural identity as a means of communication inside the community. Thirdly, it was found that activities such as shopping, recreation, and the exchange of information that are found in the pursuit of daily life act as an essential element in the formation of a sense of place even more than architectural elements. Fourthly, the appropriation of space by Korean Chinese and the isolation from the surroundings were obvious. This isolation is perceived as a negative sense of place formation to outsiders in Yen-Ben Street. Fifthly, the aspects of cultural dualism, mingling the concepts of home country, language, writing, and food have also affected the formation of a sense of place in the area. Sixthly, transience was a prominent phenomenon of Yen-Ben Street and is strengthened by illegal immigration. Although transience causes negative impacts such as in a lack of concern for the residential environment, it acts as a positive factor in the sense of place by mitigating uneasiness, and strengthening insider ties and cooperation.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2021

Recently, as the number of foreigners residing in Korea has increased, Korea is preparing to enter a multicultural country. This study was conducted to present a social integration model for the purpose of solving the social problem of social integration of multicultural families. The purpose of this study is as follows. First, this study examines the role of local social capital for social integration by improving the quality of life of multicultural families and increasing their intention to participate in society. Second, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of multicultural family members on the formation of local social capital, subjective quality of life and social participation intention, focusing on the role of social enterprises. To achieve the purpose of this study, members of multicultural families living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province were selected as samples, and responses to local social capital, subjective quality of life, social participation intention and social identity were collected through structured questionnaires. A total of 363 valid questionnaires were tested for the relationship between variables through the structural equation model. The analysis result of this study is that first, human social capital and corporate social capital of members of multicultural families have a significant positive effect on subjective quality of life. Second, it was found that the corporate social capital and community social capital of members of multicultural families had a significant positive effect on the intention to participate in society. Third, it was found that the subjective quality of life of members of multicultural families did not significantly affect their intention to participate in society. Finally, it was found that social identity plays a partly controlling role when community capital of multicultural family members affects their intention to participate in society. Through this analysis result, it is expected that it will play a meaningful role as basic data for policy proposals for social integration of multicultural families.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.133-143
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• 1997

A population-based study of people aged above 20 years showed that 32% had emmetropia and 68% had ammetropia(myopia 56.6%. hyperopia 11.4%) city in Korea. The percentage of ammetropia in population based study is higher than that of clinic(O.P.D.) based. A 83.3% of the ammetropia had myopia. which is higher than 76.3% of 1968 and 76.9% of 1975 years. A 16.7% of the ammetropia had hyperopia. which is lower than 19.4% of 1968 and 17.3% of 1975 years. In the kind of refractive error. 32.1% of 985 eyes examined had compound myopic astigmatism. 18.2% had simple myopic astigmatism. 14.2% had simple myopia. 6.8% had simple hyperopic astigmatism, 5.0% had mixed astigmatism, 4.7% had compound hyperopic astigmatism and 3.6% had simple hyperopia. In the difference of binocular refractive error, 29% had 0.50~2.00 Dptr difference and 3.6% had difference above 2.00 Dptr. In age related myopic refractive error, 76.7% of people aged 20~29 years and 74.0% of 30~39 years had myopia. It is due to overstudy for entrance into a university that the percentage of myopia is higher than that of abroad. In age related hyperopic refractive error, 2.9% of people aged 20~29 years, 0.6% of 30~39 years. 6.3% of 40~49 years, 16.0% of 50~59 years and 63.9% of 60~69 years had hyperopia. It shows that the age related hyperopic refractive error was significantly increased at aged 40~49 years. The right eye had more myopic refractive error than left eye.