• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2021

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea did not have direct legislation on natural environmental conservation until the early 1970s when the regime was still in the early stage. The Law on Land was enacted in 1977 to provide the legal basis for protecting the natural environment, including land protection, protection zones, and forest formation and protection. The enactment of the Law on Environmental Protection in 1986 made progress on environmental conservation in the DPRK. The constitutional amendment in 1992 stipulated "the preservation and creation of the natural environment as the responsibility of the state." Based on the Framework Law on Environmental Protection, subordinate statutes in various fields were enacted after the1990s. While the committee designated and managed the protected zones in the early days, the Framework Law on Environmental Protection established the ground for the designation of legally protected areas, and the Law on Protection of Scenic Spots and Natural Monuments enacted in 1995, and the Law on Environmental Protection enacted in 2009 provided the details. Furthermore, the types of nature reserves include biosphere reserves, primeval forest reserves, animal reserves, plant reserves, and scenic reserves. The 2nd National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan established in 2007 based on the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) stated 326 protected zones in the DPRK. However, the 2018 United Nations list of Protected Areas shows only 31 registered zones, indicating the need to establish basic information on protected areas in DPRK. This study can provide basic information for a better understanding of the nature conservation system in the DPRK. Considering that environmental protection activities such as protection of endangered species and recovery of environmental pollution are subject to exceptions under the current sanctions against North Korea (UN Security Council, the United States), it will be possible to contribute to identifying possible inter-Korean cooperation projects in the field of the natural environment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.390-401
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• 2022

This study investigated the characteristics of fish communities and inhabiting status of endangered species in the Bukcheon (Stream) of Seoraksan National Park, Korea from April to September 2020. A total of 4,356 fish of 7 families and 22 species were collected from 17 survey stations during the survey period. The dominant species was Zacco koreanus (relative abundance, 41.8%), and subdominant species was Rhynchocypris kumgangensis (relative abundance, 15.1%), followed by Pungtungia herzi (10.1%), Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpa (5.0%), Coreoleuciscus splendidus (4.1%), Zacco platypus (3.8%), Microphysogobio longidorsalis (3.5%), and Hemibarbus mylodon (2.2%). Among the fish species collected, 14 species (63.6%) were identified as Korean endemic species. There was one natural monument species (Hemibarbus mylodon), and four species of class II endangered wildlife that were designated by the Ministry of Environment (Acheilognathus signifer, Pseudopungtungi tenuicorpa, Gobiobotia brevibarba, and Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis). Among the four species of class II endangered wildlife, B. lenok tsinlingensis inhabited in the upper stream, and A. signifer, P. tenuicorpa and G. brevibarba inhabited mainly in the middle-lower stream. Also, P. tenuicorpa, H. mylodon, and B. lenok tsinlingensis were inhabited in large numbers. Additionally, two cold-water fish species (R. kumgangensis and B. lenok tsinlingensis) and one landlocked species (B. lenok tsinlingensis) were collected. According to the results of cluster analysis, the dominance index decreased from upstream to downstream, but the diversity, evenness, and richness index increased; the cluster structure was divided into the uppermost, upstream, midstream, and downstream. The water quality of Bukcheon was evaluated as good overall since the river health (index of biological integrity) evaluated using fish was evaluated as very good (11 stations), good (2 stations), and normal (4 stations). However, river repair work was being carried out in some areas and some wastewater was flowing in from the midstream, therefore, supplementary measures to preserve fish habitats are required.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.46-58
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• 2022

This study analyzed the documentation trend of garden components such as plants, infrastructure, unit facilities, and structures, based on 188 measurement drawings of 94 old houses in a report on the documentation of the national folklore cultural heritage. The findings are as follows. First, it was found that plants and structures continuously appeared as the subject of measurement drawings, while infrastructure was often omitted. It was confirmed that unit facilities, which are smaller than other components, were frequently excluded from the documentation subject as well due to frequent changes such as movement, loss, and expansion. Second, the level of expression in measurement drawings showed different aspects for each component. The unit facilities showed a large change over time with respect to the level of documentation, and the level of documentation was somewhat polarized, particularly toward the latter stage. This suggests that the level of documenting the drawings limited to specific facilities improved, but the overall level of drawings did not improve, such as a lack of diversification of expression techniques suitable for various unit facilities. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the level of documenting the drawings for plants, infrastructure and structures did not change to a significant degree, implying that no improvements were made to the expression of components. Third, as for the technique of detailed expression, in the case of plants, vegetation status was prepared without distinction of old or protected trees that have historical value. Above all, there was no record of the vegetation structure that could help grasp the vegetation landscape of the outer area. As for the infrastructure, there was no consistent expression technique to systematically convey topographic changes such as the height and slope of the land. In addition, since there was no subtype classification defined for unit facilities and structures, there was no subject or method of documentation. This study is meaningful in that it expanded the category of documentation, which has been concentrated on buildings in old houses, to gardens, and called attention to the need for documenting the gardens for the preservation and management of old houses as an integration of the building and outer area.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.57-69
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• 2023

The objectives of this study were to analyze the fish community structures and distribution characteristics of fisheries resources in the Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, fishery resources protection areas. For the study, we conducted fish samplings four times in the two streams from April to October 2019. In Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, we sampled 31 species and 29 species and the dominant species were Zacco platypus (28.6%) and Squalidus multimaculatus(41.7%), respectively. According to the life type of fish species, primary freshwater species were collected 18 species(58.1%) and 21 species(72.4%), and migration fishes were sampled 4 species (12.9%) and 6 species (20.7%) in Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, respectively. Fisheries resources species showed high relative abundance in June, and the fish biomass was highest in October. As a results of comparing the previous studies with this study, both rivers showed high biodiversity and were found to maintain stable populations of fishes. According to analysis of tolerance guilds, the proportion of tolerant species, based on the number of individuals, was composed of 14.4% and 1.1% in Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, respectively. This very low ratio of tolerant species confirmed that both streams have very good physiochemical environment conditions. From the above results, it was judged that the fishery resource protection areas of Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream have high ecological function and preservation value. For sustainable use and management of fishery resource protection areas of Osip Stream and Wangpi Stream, it is suggested that biological disturbance management, fish discharge projects considering environmental capacity, efforts to improve the habitat environment, and establishing a fishery resource protection areas management system were necessary as considerations.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.110-130
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• 2023

New years' rites serve a religious function to wish for well-being during the year by bidding farewell to the previous year and welcoming the next. In Japan, in mid-December, to welcome Toshigami, kadomatsu, and shimenawagazari are prepared, as well as osechi ryori to be eaten at the beginning of the year. On New Year's Day, people go to shrines and bow to the gods while saying Hatsumode (初詣). On the fifteenth day of the first month, in the course of a rite called Dondoyaki, all the decorations used in the first month and the amulet used in the previous year are burned. In Korea, when the Lunar New Year approaches, people prepare for their ancestral rites and clean their houses. On the first day of the new year, people hold ancestral rites for their ancestors. There are many different seasonal rites, taking place from the beginning of the year to the full moon. In China, Danwonban (團圓飯), in which the whole family sits together and eats on New Year's Eve, is important. Lights are brightly lit up all night, and the sound of firecrackers outside rings out loudly. On the door, the word chun-ryun is attached to wish for prosperity in the new year. According to the cycle of the four seasons, the first lunar month contains a high proportion of the seasonal rites that are repeated every year. The first month represents the beginning of a year, and various rituals are performed in order to wish for good health and abundance during the coming year. In addition, the "folk religious world view" is integral to annual new years' rites, so it is not difficult to understand the religious character and structure of the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese annual ceremonies. This study examines the current status of annual new years' rites in Korea, China, and Japan, and how the rites are structured according to the inflection points in the year. In addition, religious characteristics are reviewed in terms of gods, predictions, and fertility prayers, exorcisms, health, and restoration. In this way, it can be seen that various religious elements such as shamanism, agricultural faith, ancestor worship, Shintoism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism can be witnessed in the annual new years' rites of Korea, China, and Japan. In addition, differences in the presence or absence of these are shown to depend on the country.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.6_2
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• pp.1615-1633
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• 2023

Sargassum horneri is one of the floating algae in the sea, which breeds in large quantities in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea and then flows into the coast of Republic of Korea, causing various problems such as destroying the environment and damaging fish farms. In order to effectively prevent damage and preserve the coastal environment, the development of Sargassum horneri detection algorithms using satellite-based remote sensing technology has been actively developed. However, incorrect detection information causes an increase in the moving distance of ships collecting Sargassum horneri and confusion in the response of related local governments or institutions,so it is very important to minimize false detections when producing Sargassum horneri spatial information. This study applied technology to automatically remove false detection results using the GOCI-II-based Sargassum horneri detection algorithm of the National Ocean Satellite Center (NOSC) of the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanography Agency (KHOA). Based on the results of analyzing the causes of major false detection results, it includes a process of removing linear and sporadic false detections and green algae that occurs in large quantities along the coast of China in spring and summer by considering them as false detections. The technology to automatically remove false detection was applied to the dates when Sargassum horneri occurred from February 24 to June 25, 2022. Visual assessment results were generated using mid-resolution satellite images, qualitative and quantitative evaluations were performed. Linear false detection results were completely removed, and most of the sporadic and green algae false detection results that affected the distribution were removed. Even after the automatic false detection removal process, it was possible to confirm the distribution area of Sargassum horneri compared to the visual assessment results, and the accuracy and precision calculated using the binary classification model averaged 97.73% and 95.4%, respectively. Recall value was very low at 29.03%, which is presumed to be due to the effect of Sargassum horneri movement due to the observation time discrepancy between GOCI-II and mid-resolution satellite images, differences in spatial resolution, location deviation by orthocorrection, and cloud masking. The results of this study's removal of false detections of Sargassum horneri can determine the spatial distribution status in near real-time, but there are limitations in accurately estimating biomass. Therefore, continuous research on upgrading the Sargassum horneri monitoring system must be conducted to use it as data for establishing future Sargassum horneri response plans.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.140-160
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• 2024

The implementation of the "Basic Law on Korean Heritage" on May 17, 2024, brought about significant changes in the operation of Korean heritage-related ordinances in 17 local governments. This study specifically analyzes the production, collection, and information transfer of Korean heritage information between the Korean Heritage Service and local governments, focusing on the provisions of the law. Finally, in order to achieve the goal of revitalizing the management of Korean heritage information, the study suggests five directions for improvement of the local government ordinance from three perspectives. Firstly, in order to systematize the production of Korean heritage information, it is necessary to specify the entities that produce and manage information in Korean heritage, and to select important Korean heritage information from the information produced and manage it strategically. In today's complex Korean heritage management environment, it is impossible to manage all the Korean heritage information produced by various stakeholders. Secondly, in order to systematize the delivery of Korean heritage information, detailed procedures related to the information to be delivered to the Korean Heritage Service should be specified, and a clear plan for information delivery and management between local and basic local governments should be defined. In the Korean heritage information delivery system, local governments play various roles as direct information providers, managers, consumers, and transmitters. Therefore, it is necessary to specify the provisions of the ordinance so that local governments can systematically fulfill their various roles in the Korean heritage information delivery system. Thirdly, in order to activate the production of Korean heritage information, local governments should review the provisions of the Act to ensure that important Korean heritage information generated from directory provisions and non-mandatory provisions, in addition to the mandatory provisions of the Korean Heritage Act, is not omitted. In particular, Korean heritage information is not just administrative information, but also includes specialized information for the maintenance of the current state of Korean heritage. Therefore, if certain Korean heritage information is partially missing, there may be a gap in intergovernmental communication for Korean heritage management.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.240-252
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• 2024

The distribution status of the nature monument species, Hemibarbus mylodon, was investigated from 2021 to 2024 in Geumgang River and Mujunamdae Stream (a tributary of the Geumgang River). In 2021 to 2023, five individuals from Gemgang River upstream were collected by Geumsan-gun, Chungchangnam-do. In 2021 to 2024, 1,592 induviduals juvenile from seven sites were collected by surveying 15 sites from Mujunamdae Stream. The main habitat of juvenile was about 0.3~1.5 meters water deep, 0.14~0.16 meters per second in the middle-upper stream of rock and sand bottom with slow rapids and pools. The age groups for H. mylodon estimated by the frequency distribution of total length in after spawning season (May) to October indicated the 10~65 mm is 0-year old, 75~90 mm is 1-year old group. In addition, over the 120 mm group is 2-years old, the 190~250 mm is more than 3-years old group. In 2024, we identified 35 spawning place from six sites were sites were collected by surveying 15 sites. Spawning place at the river bottom were top of the rapids, 30~60 cm (mean 48.2 cm) water deep, and the place was covered with stone and gravel, water velocity was 0.13~0.34 (mean 0.25 m/sec) meter per second. The spawning place size of the gravel piles was as follows: length 35~48 cm (mean 40.7 cm), width 25~37 cm (mean 34.5), and height 5~12 cm (mean 8.6 cm). Thus, H. mylodon reintroduced to Mujunamdae Stream has successfully settled down and increase in abundance within the natural habitat.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.519-529
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• 2024

Vehicle toll discounts on private roads are categorized into two types: non-sunset and sunset. Sunset types refer to provisions in which all or part of a law loses its effect upon a specific legislator-set deadline. Vehicles eligible for 'sunset' discounts include cargo vehicles operating late at night and eco-friendly vehicles powered by electricity or hydrogen. Korean government has subsidized all reduced toll fees for vehicles classified as non-sunset types on private roads to operators, but no subsidies have been provided for toll reductions on sunset vehicles. The rapid increase in electric hydrogen vehicles escalates the burden of reduced toll revenue on private road operators. This study analyzed traffic volume and toll reduction data from eight private road operators nationwide as of the end of 2023 to propose the necessity and method of supporting sunset-type toll reduction subsidies. In 2022, the subsidy for non-sunset types amounted to 87.5 billion won, or 18.6 % of total traffic revenue. The toll exemption and reduction ratio under the concession agreement ranged from 4.0 % to 5.65 % of total traffic volume for each operator. Although the proportion of vehicles exempted from sunset traffic increased from 0.85 % in 2017 to 2.79 % in 2022, the reduction amount ratio reached 4.2 % (KRW 25.5 billion) of total traffic revenue in 2022. The escalating number of registered eco-friendly vehicles is gradually causing operating profit losses on private roads. In alignment with the government's policy to expand eco-friendly vehicles, it is imperative to consider including vehicles eligible for toll reductions listed under the sunset category for subsidy payments. The study established a minimum ratio for toll reduction assistance at 4.0 %, agreed upon between the road authorities and private operators. Three policy alternatives were proposed to ensure preservation of amounts exceeding this threshold for sustaining adequate toll revenue for private road operators.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 1980

One of the most important basic problems for developing the new techniques in the field of road landscape planting practices in Korea, is to clarify, analyse, and evaluate the existing technical level through actual field survey on the various kinds of planting techniques. This study is, therefore, aimed at the good grasp of detail essences of the existing level of road landscape planting techniques through field investigations of the executed sites. In this study, emphasized efforts are made to the detail analysis and systematic rearrangements of such main subjects as; 1) principles and functions of the road landscape planting techniques; 2) essential elements in planning of it; 3) advanced practices in execution of planting of it; 4) and improved methods in maintenance of plants and lands as an entire system of road landscape planting techniques. The road landscape planting techniques could be explained as the planting and landscaping practices to improve the road function through introduction of plants (green-environment) on and around the roads. The importances of these techniques have been recognized by the landscape architects and road engineers, and they also emphasize not on]y the establishment of road landscape features but also conservation of human's life environment by planting of suitable trees, shrubs, and other vegetations around the roads. It is essentially required to improve the present p]anting practices for establishment of the beautiful road landscape features, specially in planning, design, execution, establishment, and maintenance of plantings of the environmental conservation belts, roadside trees, footpathes, median strips, traffic islands, interchanges, rest areas, and including the adjoining route roads.