• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.434-442
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• 2016

This study examined differences in the preference of the fest therapy program regarding stress level. Using convenience sampling method, the surveys on the preferred type of forest healing program and social and psychological stress scales was carried out for adult male and female. As a basis of Psycho social Stress Scale (PWI-SF: Psychosocial Well-being Index Short Form), the adult 620 people were classified such as healthy group, potential stress group, high-risk stress group. The data were analyzed by use of SPSS 21.0 program. To see the difference in preferences for forest therapy program between the three groups according to stress levels, it was analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Depending on the stress levels, there were differences in the preferences of forest healing program such as breathing, breathing exercises, walking in the forest, listening to the sound of water flowing, viewing the forest, counseling, consultation and expert coaching, stress-related lectures, communication-related lectures, forest bathing wind bathing sun bathing. High-risk stress group preferred cognitive based program such as counseling, consultation and expert coaching, stress-related lectures, communication-related lectures. Healthy group appeared to prefer highly emotional approach of the program to take advantage of the five senses such as breathing, breathing exercises, walking in the forest, listening to the sound of water flowing, viewing the forest, forest bathing, wind bathing, sun bathing. Noticeable preference difference was not observed in the potential stress group. It is hoped this study will serve as a basis for the development of forest healing program regarding stress level.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.231-243
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• 2018

This study was conducted to determine and compare the perceived number of users (PNU) and evaluative standards for each type of visitors to "Healing Field" of Jangseong Pyunbaek Healing Forest (JPHF). Data were collected from 158 samples selected by convenient sampling method from the users of "Healing Field" in JPHF during September 2017. Visitors to "Healing Field" consisted of 49.3% for recreation (VR), 15.3% for healing (VH), and 35.3% for both recreation and healing (VRH). Respondents' average PNU was 23.8 (median: 20.0), and the range of average PNU by visitor type was 21.1-27.8 (median: 20.0). Respondents' PNU showed low correlations with perceived crowding (PC) (r=0.23) and perceived interference of healing experience (PIHE) (r=0.20). There were no differences in the optimal number of users (ONU) of "Healing Field" among the types of visitors. The overall average ONU was 28.9(median: 25.0), and the range of average ONU by types of visitors was 25.4-31.4 (median: 25.0-27.5). The overall maximum acceptable number of users (MANU) was 38.1, and MANU for VR, VH, and VRH was 36.9, 32.0, and 38.0, respectively. Respondents' mean PC was 2.73 (SD: 3.26, 9-point scale) while mean PIHE was 3.26 (SD: 1.77, 9-point scale). The VRH group showed a higher PC and PIHE than the VR group. The group with greater PNU than ONU showed higher PC and PIHE than the other groups. Based on the results, this paper presented some managerial implications, discussed the limitations of the study, and suggested the further studies.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.273-288
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• 2023

Although many studies have been conducted on techniques and effects that can be applied to forest meditation in domestic forest healing meditation research, there has been little research on the space where forest meditation takes place. Nevertheless, a meditation space is not just a place concept but a forest environment element responsible for the healing function of a forest, i.e., a place containing healing factors, and can be an essential clue to the healing mechanism. Therefore, to determine whether a healing forest meditation space is suitable for meditation, this study selected the attribute items of the meditation space using the Delphi expert survey and then surveyed the user satisfaction of the healing forest meditation space using the IPA (Importance Performance Analysis) technique. The survey was conducted from August to November 2022, targeting 315 adults who used the forest meditation space at the National Center for Forest Therapy, the Saneum Healing Forest, and the Jathyanggi Pureunsup Arboretum in Gyeonggi Province. The result of the IPA analysis showed the average satisfaction with the forest meditation space was relatively high at 4.33 points on a 5-point Likert scale (4.33 points for the National Center for Forest Therapy, 4.34 points for the Saneum Healing Forest, and 4.37 points for the Jathyanggi Pureunsup Arboretum), indicating that the three healing forest meditation spaces were suitable for forest meditation. Satisfaction with the "Sounds of nature" was high in all three forests. On the other hand, all three forests showed a relatively low satisfaction with "Quietness," indicating it to be a priority problem to be addressed. Also, an open-ended questionnaire survey showed that the mediation space's natural elements, such as natural sounds, scenery, air, forest spaces, and scents, had a higher positive impact on meditation satisfaction than artificial elements, such as facilities. Therefore, it is essential to secure sound resources such as the sound of water and birds around the meditation space, and it is also necessary to consider ways to create a meditation forest in an independent area to avoid encounters with visitors and allow only participants in the forest healing meditation program to enter to increase satisfaction with forest meditation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.68-76
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• 2013

Effortful directed attention becomes fatigued if it is demanded by environment. Kaplan and Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory (ART) proposes that the fatigued directed attention can be restored by a restorative landscape. The four restorative components are being away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. The restorative effect of landscape has been mainly investigated in terms of nature vs. urban dichotomy, although ART acknowledges that various types of landscapes can induce restorative effect. The purpose of this study is to examine whether sense of place of landscape has an influence on the restorative effect, and how the effect relates to the visiting experience. This study was performed in An-Ap-Ji with 200 Korean visitors who participated in the questionnaire survey. Hartig et al.'s PRS (Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was used as the research instrument to measure the restorative quality. The Analysis results are summarized as: 1) PRS was a very reliable measurement for Koreans' assessment of traditional landscape. Especially, the factor analysis produced four restorative components which fully supported ART. 2) The sense of place of landscape was found to have a positive influence on the restorative effect. 3) Landscape beauty was also discovered to be influential in the restoration even though the effect of beauty was lower than that of the sense of place. 4) Among the four restorative components, three components (fascination, escape, compatibility) influenced both visiting satisfaction and revisit intention, where the order of the relevant importance was fascination, escape, and compatibility. Based on the results, it was suggested that PRS should be used in landscape restoration research in Korea in order to re-examine its' reliability. It was also proposed that more research should be directed to investigate the relationship between the sense of place and the restorative effect of landscape.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.4
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• pp.677-685
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• 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of forest environment and therapeutic program to the patients with major depressive disorder in antidepressant medication. The first group participated the four sessions of therapeutic program in the forest environment ("forest therapy"), the second group did in the program in a hospital environment, the third group did merely walking in the forest ("forest bath"), and the last group was controls. All the participants was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and had been taking antidepressant medication longer than 3 months. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression(HRSD), Montgomery-Asberg Depressin Rating Scales(MADRS), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI), and general health perception was measured by Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire(SF-36). Heart rate variability(HRV) were also examined to observe the physiological parameters before and after the program. In the results, HRSD score of forest program group was significantly lower than controls after the program. MADRS score of forest therapy group and hospital program group was also significantly lower than controls after 4 sessions of the program. The remission rate defined as below 7 points in HRSD was higher in the forest therapy group, hospital program group, forest bath group, and controls in order. These results reveals that the therapeutic program performed in forest environment may improve unremitted depressive symptoms of patients with major depressive disorder. Although not significant, the forest therapy program showed better outcome than hosptial program and forest bath.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.463-471
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• 2012

Objective of this study is to provide basic information for developing more differentiated and targeted forest healing policy and Korean medical healing programs grounded on consumer preference for forest based Korean medical healing tourism products. The internet survey(CAWI) by percentage quota sampling with 400 Seoulite ages over 30 by the age, area, and gender was conducted, and 317 samples were used for a final analysis. 61.5% of the Seoulite associated 'forest bath/walking in the woods/tree' with an image of a forest based Korean medical healing tourism product, and preference for the product and the intention to use were positive at the percentages of 72.9% and 67.5%, respectively. Preferred areas were Seoul/Gyeonggi-do(53.5%) and Gangwon-do(38.8%). 'Stress solving and refreshment', 'taking a forest bath and a walk', and 'maintaining and promoting health' were the main purposes of the use. As for a therapy, 'walking therapy' was most preferred, and 'ergotherapy' was the next. First priority as for a use facility was 'healing trail', and 'professional medical facility' ranked second. Although important decision attributes were ' cost of use', 'food', and 'friendliness of medical staff', all the other sets of attributes related to use convenience, quality of medical service and tourism activities also recorded high, which forecasts higher consumer expectation for the product. As the result showing differences in consumer preference by the demographic segmentation, differentiated and segmented consumer needs should be considered when planing and managing a product. The scope of the study is limited to a demographic segmentation which is a basic stage of understanding consumer preference, therefore more detailed future researches on complicated and multi-dimensional consumer needs are required.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.477-496
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• 2017

A drastic development of modern cities and transportation means as part of a rapid industrialization and urbanization for the past half-century has consistently broaden the boundaries of urban dwellers while, at the same time, raising issues as to establishing relationships among them throughout the society following the materialization of modern urban planning. Within the framework of the postmodern concept, there have been consistent efforts to create a community space in appropriate size and, in particular, the concept of New Urbanism and Urban Village that emerged in mid 1800s along with the effort to build a community by building an ideal city provides an important meaning today when people are seeking to restore a healthy community. Against this backdrop, this study aims to explore the concept of community and to determine its optimal scope of implementation in the sense of healing environment under the premise that organizing a healthy city is based on building a solid urban community. The study findings and conclusions are as follows. First, a community is a subject of constant consideration in the process of historical development of the city and has required us to take a variety of strategic approaches and to determine the scope of implementation. Second, the activities of a healthy community have been conducted under various types of environments, including churches, commercial facilities, urban plazas, parks, and streets in various scales, reflecting their unique characteristics. Third, in the process of designing a healthy and sustainable city, determination of location carries significant implications along with building a community of appropriate size, which requires multidisciplinary considerations in addition to functional approaches. Fourth, the composition and design of a modern urban community need to seek practical ways of its implementation within the concept of healing environment.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.236-244
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• 2018

In this study, we tried to fabricate self - healing microcapsules using liquid inorganic materials which can be mixed directly with cement composites. The basic properties of the liquid inorganic material were evaluated and microencapsulation was performed. The focus of this paper is on the quality and manufacturing characteristics of cement composites rather than the healing effects of self - healing microcapsules according to mixed capsules. Test results, the self-healing microcapsules encapsulate liquid inorganic material which is stable at room temperature and has high crack followability, and the yield is over 90%. The size of self - healing microcapsule was able to change according to the synthetic agitation speed and it was able to secure more than 70% of target size. In addition, the loss of less than 10% was found to occur through the membrane strengthening of self - healing microcapsules, and it could be reduced by 50% compared with the case without membrane strengthening.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.568-575
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• 2023

This paper aims to evaluate the quality characteristics and healing performance of precast concrete incorporating self-healing technology as a key technique for the construction of smart cities. The study found that precast concrete mixed with hybrid capsules exhibited a tendency of reduced slump and air content, impacting the quality characteristics. Specifically, the slump decreased by up to 14 %, and the air content by up to 9 %. Moreover, the inclusion of hybrid capsules in the concrete resulted in a maximum decrease of 16 % in compressive strength and 18 % in flexural strength. However, the introduction of hybrid capsules significantly enhanced the crack healing performance. The assessment through water permeability tests showed that the healing rate of 0.3 mm crack width after a 28-day healing period improved as the mixing ratio increased, with the healing rates at 1 %, 3 %, and 5 % hybrid capsule mixtures observed to increase by approximately 16 %, 25 %, and 32 %, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.62-67
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• 2024

In this paper, we developed and optimized a chitosan-based polymer microbial bead carrier that is cell-friendly, has a high moisture absorption rate, and effectively provides the conditions for microbial biomineral formation as an optimal microbial carrier that protects microorganisms in concrete, and evaluated the self-healing performance of mortar using it. In order to incorporate circular-shaped microbial endospores, a circular-shaped microbial bead carrier was developed by combining chitosan and alginate polymers, and the amount of calcium carbonate produced could be actively controlled by adjusting the composition of the carrier. The amount of biominerals formed and the size of crystals were maximized in the hydrogel bead carrier containing chitosan, and in the case of mortar cracks using this, it was confirmed that self-healing of cracks with a maximum crack width of 0.3mm was achieved within 96 hours after crack generation.