• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-33
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• 1991

Since the early 1980's, the Korean government has gradually been widening the Korean market to foreign consumer goods. This, combined with the increased purchasing power of the Korean consumers resulting from the continued economic growth of the country, has sparked a spectacular influx of foreign consumer goods into Korea, ranging from BMW's to chopsticks. Import of foreign consumer goods amounted to more than 6 billion dollars in 1989 and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. The increased import of foreign consumer goods doubtlessly improved the overall welfare of the Korean consumers by providing them with a wider range of options to choose from, by lowering the prices of some of the consumer goods domestically produced, and also by forcing the producers of some Korean goods to face competition with better foreign goods, thus giving them an incentive to raise the quality of their products. However, it is agreed by most economists that this increase in general welfare has been much smaller than what they had expected at the outset. Consumer prices of most imported consumer goods are easily double the import price, and in some cases, more than treble the import prices. Further, there has not been a noticeable drop in the prices of domestically produced consumer goods. Much of the blame has been attributed to the distribution sector of Korea. The objective of this paper is to analyze the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea, focusing on the possible sources of the poor performance of that sector, and to make policy suggestions that could potentially increase the welfare. This paper differs from all the previous research by others on this subject in that it analyzes the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea as a vertical structure. The distribution sector of an imported consumer good is a vertical structure since it consists of an international market, an import stage, and domestic wholesale and retail markets, in that order vertically. Our study naturally includes the analysis of the vertical restraints as well as the analysis of the industrial organization of each horizontal stage in the vertical structure. Each horizontal component of the imported consumer goods distribution sector is basically a monopolistically competitive market differentiated by characteristics of goods and by the locations and the services of firms. Further, restrictive dealership and resale price maintenance are found to be widely in use. Our main findings are the follwing; First, most consumer goods are imported monopolistically or oligopolistically through restrictive dealership contracts between foreign producers and domestic importers. Such restrictive dealership gives importers market power in the domestic market and explains many of the large discrepancies betwen the consumer prices and the import prices of many goods. Korean anti - trust law does not cover the issues arising from the market power of an importer resulting from a restrictive dealership contract. Second, some major producers of Korean goods are also importers of foreign goods that are substitutes of their products. The import of substitutes by major domestic producers is anti - competitive because it tends to raise the prices of both domestic goods and foreign goods, and also because it reduces the incentive of the domestic producers to raise the quality of their products. Third, wholesalers and retailers widely use resale price maintenance as a price fixing mechanism, and while this is against the anti- trust law, it seldom gets noticed. Fourth, the high level of rents of real estate for commercial use works as an entry barrier to the distribution sector and results in reduced competition by the firms in that sector. Finally, there are information problems. Consumers have inferior information to firms about the quality of a foreign consumer good that they have not tried before. Such information asymmetry often enables firms to raise prices. In addition, information asymmetry between importers frequently delays the import of cheaper substitutes. In order to alleviate the problems indentified above, we suggest the following policy changes. The government should strengthen the anti - trust law and its enforcement to regulate restrictive import contracts, import of competing goods by major domestic producers, and RPM by wholesalers and retailers that is aimed at price fixing. In addition, the government should loosen its tight real estate policy to encourage investment in the distribution sector. Finally, we suggest that the import price revelation policy that has been in use for some items since 1990 be expanded to most imported consumer goods that are introduced for the first time to give consumer better information and be used only for the period of time needed to inform sufficient number of consumers.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.151-166
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• 1991

In this paper, a simple game-theoretic entry deterrence model is developed that integrates both limit pricing and predatory pricing. While there have been extensive studies which have dealt with predation and limit pricing separately, no study so far has analyzed these closely related practices in a unified framework. Treating each practice as if it were an independent phenomenon is, of course, an analytical necessity to abstract from complex realities. However, welfare analysis based on such a model may give misleading policy implications. By analyzing limit and predatory pricing within a single framework, this paper attempts to shed some light on the effects of interactions between these two frequently cited tactics of entry deterrence. Another distinctive feature of the paper is that limit and predatory pricing emerge, in equilibrium, as rational, profit maximizing strategies in the model. Until recently, the only conclusion from formal analyses of predatory pricing was that predation is unlikely to take place if every economic agent is assumed to be rational. This conclusion rests upon the argument that predation is costly; that is, it inflicts more losses upon the predator than upon the rival producer, and, therefore, is unlikely to succeed in driving out the rival, who understands that the price cutting, if it ever takes place, must be temporary. Recently several attempts have been made to overcome this modelling difficulty by Kreps and Wilson, Milgram and Roberts, Benoit, Fudenberg and Tirole, and Roberts. With the exception of Roberts, however, these studies, though successful in preserving the rationality of players, still share one serious weakness in that they resort to ad hoc, external constraints in order to generate profit maximizing predation. The present paper uses a highly stylized model of Cournot duopoly and derives the equilibrium predatory strategy without invoking external constraints except the assumption of asymmetrically distributed information. The underlying intuition behind the model can be summarized as follows. Imagine a firm that is considering entry into a monopolist's market but is uncertain about the incumbent firm's cost structure. If the monopolist has low cost, the rival would rather not enter because it would be difficult to compete with an efficient, low-cost firm. If the monopolist has high costs, however, the rival will definitely enter the market because it can make positive profits. In this situation, if the incumbent firm unwittingly produces its monopoly output, the entrant can infer the nature of the monopolist's cost by observing the monopolist's price. Knowing this, the high cost monopolist increases its output level up to what would have been produced by a low cost firm in an effort to conceal its cost condition. This constitutes limit pricing. The same logic applies when there is a rival competitor in the market. Producing a high cost duopoly output is self-revealing and thus to be avoided. Therefore, the firm chooses to produce the low cost duopoly output, consequently inflicting losses to the entrant or rival producer, thus acting in a predatory manner. The policy implications of the analysis are rather mixed. Contrary to the widely accepted hypothesis that predation is, at best, a negative sum game, and thus, a strategy that is unlikely to be played from the outset, this paper concludes that predation can be real occurence by showing that it can arise as an effective profit maximizing strategy. This conclusion alone may imply that the government can play a role in increasing the consumer welfare, say, by banning predation or limit pricing. However, the problem is that it is rather difficult to ascribe any welfare losses to these kinds of entry deterring practices. This difficulty arises from the fact that if the same practices have been adopted by a low cost firm, they could not be called entry-deterring. Moreover, the high cost incumbent in the model is doing exactly what the low cost firm would have done to keep the market to itself. All in all, this paper suggests that a government injunction of limit and predatory pricing should be applied with great care, evaluating each case on its own basis. Hasty generalization may work to the detriment, rather than the enhancement of consumer welfare.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 1981

The training of forest ranger level and forest worker level to push the sound forest management and to increase the employment effects in forestry will be done without delay as soon as possible. So several opinions to be considered are here discussed. 1. The ranger level will be at first completely trained with the technics developed and modernized, to process really the sound forest management based on the concept of ecological and economical technic. 2. The organization of vocational training and it's systematical training method will be newly adopted to increase the labour efficiency in forestry. The case of fulltime worker level should be more intensively trained and part-time worker or forest famer level should be trained by the forest ranger and skilled worker with visiting circularly their working place. And the daily employed workers and village people for working should be done by the skilled workers. 3. The training subjects for them at the beginning step will be exploited by the instructors and concerned experts with studying their current conditions. Their practical training is more reasonable to do in the practically managing forest and to carry out under the responsible of leader of this forest. 4. The instructors included rangers of training forest will get specially certain intensive training through the aids of outside experts or through the group instruction with them. 5. The training fields and their reasons to be learned by them are discussed in this paper from the basic knowledge to the skill technics. 6. In oder to systematize and mordernize more rapidly our forest technics that need for training them and also applying directly in the forest management, a total effort of certain type by scientists and technicians scattered individually all over the country is now earnestly demanded to synthesize their knowledge, technic and experience. So to do like this, the establishment of certain organization through which can do their total efforts together will be considered and assisted by the concerned authority. 7. For better lieving of full-time workers, the whole-round year working amount have to be supplied though the work technic-and working plan development. And under the conditions that the timber harvesting work is still not so enough and it has a bad climatic season, the in-side working system and side - job aids will be developed for their sound lieving. 8. The organization of labour management will be soon introduced in the concerning administrativ authority to solve the forest labour problems and to increase the employing effects in forestry in future. 9. The supply programm of improved and trained tools and maschines for forest work is also considered to use by the trained persons. If not to do so, the training results will return to the original condition and will get nothing any more.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 1976

This study was carried out to exploit and utilize the exotic American Sycamore(Platanus occidentalis) grown in Korea as a veneer species for plywood manufacture. At present most parts of veneer Legs used in Korea were depended entirely upon the gonus Shorea woods(lauan logs) imported from Southeast Asia region. To decrease manufacturing cost and save imported lauan veneer logs, the effects on properties affecting to the six types of plywood made from proper veneer constructions composed by domestic American Sycamore and imported lauan veneers were compared and discussed. The study has important meanings for the promotion of plywood manufacture by domestic materials. Important items dealt with this study were dry and wet shear strength, moisture contents, specific gravties, and bending strength. By the results and discussions it may be summarized as follows: 1) In dry shear strength platanus(sycamore) core lauan plywood was shown most excellent strong results, and next orders were all lauan plywood, platanus faced lauan plywood, lauan core platanus plywood, lauan faced platanus plywood, and all platanus plywood. There was no difference between platanus core lauan plywood and all lauan plywood, but the differences between those plywoods and the other types of plywood were recognized. 2) In wet shear strength platanus core lauan plywood was shown excellent result the same as dry strength. The difference between platanus core lauan plywood and the other types of plywood was shown, but among the other types of plywood except platanus core lauan plywood were not recognized. 3) The differences among moisture contents according to the veneer construction were not recognized. 4) The plywood constructed by two or more sheets of lauan veneer was shown lower specific gravities than the plywood constructed by two or more sheets of platanus veneer. It is believed that this tendency due to the original specific gravities of veneer before construction. 5) The differences among specific gravities of lauan core platanus plywood, all platanus plywood and lauan faced platanus plywood were not recognized, and like this analyzed result among platanus core lauan plywood, all lauan plywood and platanus faced lauan plywood were not recognized. Accordingly it is believed that the differences are not shown among the plywood constructed by two or more veneers of same species. 6) In bending strength platanus core lauan plywood was shown most excellent values. Next orders were all lauan plywood, platanus faced lauan plywood and the other types of plywood. The differences among the plywood constructed by two or veneers of lauan were shown, but not shown among the plywood constructed by tow or more veneers of platanus.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1599-1608
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• 2008

This study aimed to assess the health status based on the anthropometric and biochemical measurements of middle-aged and elderly people living in Andong area. The subjects were 1,384 people (532 males, 852 females) aged 50 years and over (average 62.7 years). The mean anthropometric values for males and females were heights of 163.7 and 151.5 cm; weights 63.6 and 57.3 kg; body mass index (BMI) 23.6 and $24.9kg/m^2$; body fat 21.8 and 31.8%, respectively. Height and weight were lower, however, waist circumference (in female) and BMI were higher than those of the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS). Obesity incidences of male and female subjects were 28.7% and 47.3% by BMI; 25.8% and 50.8% by % body fat; and 15.6% and 80.9% by waist circumference, respectively. Also, abdominal adiposity was very severe in female subjects of 50s. The mean biochemical measurements of male and female were as follows: systolic and diastolic blood pressure 136.9, 83.8 mmHg and 133.6, 82.5 mmHg; hemoglobin (Hb) 14.3 and 13.0 g/dL; hematocrit (Ht) 44.7 and 39.8%; blood albumin 4.15 and 4.04 g/dL; total-cholesterol 170.0 and 183.1 mg/dL; HDL-cholesterol 43.6 and 42.7 mg/dL; fasting blood glucose 96.7 and 93.0 mg/dL, respectively. Also, the prevalence of biochemically abnormal subjects according to each cut-off point of biochemical measurements were analyzed. The results for male and female were; hypertension 58.0% and 47.2%; iron deficient anemia 19.3% and 20.6% by Hb, 7.2% and 11.9% by Ht; hypoalbuminemia 9.8% and 11.7%; diabetes 12.0% and 10.2%; hypercholesterolemia 19.5% and 30.5%, respectively. From those results we found that hypoalbuminemia, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were prevalent, and obesity in females of 50s, iron-deficient anemia and diabetes in males of 70 years and over were significant health problems in this area. Therefore, it seems to be necessary to examine their health status periodically and provide the appropriate health and nutrition education program, which includes low sodium intake, balanced diet, exercise and weight control, to prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.2068-2075
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of university students on nutritional information according to food and nutrition labeling systems. A total of 310 customers, who visited family restaurant, were surveyed by a self-recorded questionnaire from March 2006 to April 2011. A total of 286 respondents were surveyed; of the respondents, 108 were males and 178 were females. Two surveys were conducted on the perception of the respondent's health: once in 2006 and once in 2011. According to these surveys, 63.6% and 54% of respondents perceived themselves as unhealthy, respectively. When ordering a meal, respondents were more concerned with price rather than taste, nutrition, new menu items, and food presentation. Compared with 2006, in 2011 more respondents felt that family restaurants provided enough nutritional information and practical use of that information to their customers. When surveyed, respondents felt that the total calories played a significantly higher role in ordering food than foods with higher nutritional values. There was a significant increase in satisfaction with the current nutrition labeling system; in 2006, $2.87{\pm}0.99$, and 2011, $3.35{\pm}0.84$. There was also a significant increase in individuals who felt that there was a need for an ingredient labeling system; $3.68{\pm}0.9$ in 2006 and $4.32{\pm}0.61$ in 2011. There was also a higher demand for nutritional information; $2.85{\pm}0.66$ in 2006, $3.06{\pm}0.65$ in 2011. From these results, it was concluded that the nutrition labeling system adopted by family restaurants did not affect the degree of customers' interest in nutritional information. Contrast to the results, the amount and frequency of nutritional information provided to customers have increased continuously since 2006. Therefore, the nutrition labeling system and recommended dietary allowance should be expanded in order to promote a healthy diet.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.298-307
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• 2009

By using the MR T2 map technique, this study intends, first, to measure the change of T2 values of cartilage between healthy people and patients with osteoarthritis and, second, to assess the form and the damage of cartilage in the knee-joint, through which this study would consider the utility of the T2 map technique. Thirty healthy people were selected based on their clinical history and current status and another thirty patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who were screened by simple X-ray from November 2007 to December 2008 were selected. Their T2 Spin Echo (SE hereafter) images for the cartilage of the knee joint were collected by using the T2 SE sequence, one of the multi-echo methods (TR: 1,000 ms; TE values: 6.5, 13, 19.5, 26, 32.5. 40, 45.5, 52). Based on these images, the changes in the signal intensity (SI hereafter) for each section of the cartilage of the knee joint were measured, which yielded average values of T2 through the Origin 7.0 Professional (Northampton, MA 01060 USA). With these T2s, the independent samples T-test was performed by SPSS Window version 12.0 to run the quantitative analysis and to test the statistical significance between the healthy group and the patient group. Closely looking at T2 values for each anterior and lateral articular cartilage of the sagittal plane and the coronal plane, in the sagittal plane, the average T2 of the femoral cartilage in the patient group with arthritis of the knee ($42.22{\pm}2.91$) was higher than the average T2 of the healthy group ($36.26{\pm}5.01$). Also, the average T2 of the tibial cartilage in the patient group ($43.83{\pm}1.43$) was higher than the average T2 in the healthy group ($36.45{\pm}3.15$). In the case of the coronal plane, the average T2 of the medial femoral cartilage in the patient group ($45.65{\pm}7.10$) was higher than the healthy group ($36.49{\pm}8.41$) and so did the average T2 of the anterior tibial cartilage (i.e., $44.46{\pm}3.44$ for the patient group vs. $37.61{\pm}1.97$ for the healthy group). As for the lateral femoral cartilage in the coronal plane, the patient group displayed the higher T2 ($43.41{\pm}4.99$) than the healthy group did ($37.64{\pm}4.02$) and this tendency was similar in the lateral tibial cartilage (i.e., $43.78{\pm}8.08$ for the patient group vs. $36.62{\pm}7.81$ for the healthy group). Along with the morphological MR imaging technique previously used, the T2 map technique seems to help patients with cartilage problems, in particular, those with the arthritis of the knee for early diagnosis by quantitatively analyzing the structural and functional changes of the cartilage.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.214-223
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: This study focused on the development of an analytical method about dichlorprop (DCPP; 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid) which is a plant growth regulator, a synthetic auxin for agricultural commodities. DCPP prevents falling of fruits during their growth periods. However, the overdose of DCPP caused the unwanted maturing time and reduce the safe storage period. If we take fruits with exceeding maximum residue limits, it could be harmful. Therefore, this study presented the analytical method of DCPP in agricultural commodities for the nation-wide pesticide residues monitoring program of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. METHODS AND RESULTS: We adopted the analytical method for DCPP in agricultural commodities by gas chromatograph in cooperated with Electron Capture Detector(ECD). Sample extraction and purification by ion-associated partition method were applied, then quantitation was done by GC/ECD with DB-17, a moderate polarity column under the temperature-rising condition with nitrogen as a carrier gas and split-less mode. Standard calibration curve presented linearity with the correlation coefficient ($r^2$) > 0.9998, analysed from 0.1 to 2.0 mg/L concentration. Limit of quantitation in agricultural commodities represents 0.05 mg/kg, and average recoveries ranged from 78.8 to 102.2%. The repeatability of measurements expressed as coefficient of variation (CV %) was less than 9.5% in 0.05, 0.10, and 0.50 mg/kg. CONCLUSION(S): Our newly improved analytical method for DCPP residues in agricultural commodities was applicable to the nation-wide pesticide residues monitoring program with the acceptable level of sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1837-1847
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• 2008

The goal of this study is to express the image of chameleons-that change their colors by light, temperature and its mood-into the sexy styles of corresponding coquettish temperamental people in Wearable Art. The method used in this study was experimenting various production mediums, including creating the textured stretch fabric, in the process of expressing the conceptual characteristics of the chameleon in Wearable Art. The concept of the work was a concoction of 'tempting', 'splendid', 'brilliant', 'fascinating', etc. that highlighted the real disposition of the chameleon. The futuristic preference of the researcher was also implicated. "Comfortable" and "enjoyable" concepts via motions were improved with the its completeness. The point of the design and production is to express symbolically the chameleon in real life, analyzing its sleek body lines, conditional colors changing, outer skins and the cubic textures. The coquettish temperamental image, the conceptual image of the chameleon, was also expressed by implication into the whole work. The entire line of this work is body-conscious silhouette. It was symbolically selected to image the outline of the chameleon that has the slim and sleek body. The exposed back is intended to express symbolically the projected back bones of the chameleon. The hood of gentle triangle line expresses the smooth-lined head part. The irregular hemlines represent the elongated chameleon's tale. The chameleon with its colors of vivid tones is characterized the colors changing by its conditions. This point was importantly treated in the working process by trying the effects that the colors are seen slightly different according to the light and angles. The material was given the effect that its surface colors are seen different in lights and angles because of the wrinkles protruded lumpy-bumpy. The various stones of red and blue tones are very similar to the skin tones of the real chameleon, and their gradation makes the effect that the colors are visibly changed with each move. The textures of the chameleon were produced via the wrinkle effect of smoke-shape, which is the result of using the elastic threads on the basic mediums stitched with 50/50 chiffon and polyester along with velvet dot patterns. The stretching fabric by the impact of the elastic threads is as much suitable for making the body-conscious line. The stones are composed of acrylic cabochon and gemstone. They are symbolically expressed the lumpy and bumpy back skin of the chameleon and produced the effect of the colors visibly different. The primary technique used in this dress is the draping utilizing the biased grains. The front body piece is connected to the hood and joined to the back piece without any seam. For the irregular hemline flares, leaving the several rectangular pieces with bias grains, they were connected by interlocking. What defines the clothes is the person in action. Therefore, what decides the completeness of clothes might be its comfortable and enjoyable feeling by living and acting people. The chameleon dress could also reach its goal of comforting and pleasing Wearable Art in the process of studying the techniques and effects that visibly differentiate the colors. It is considered as a main point of the Wearable Art, which is a comfortable enjoyable clothing tempered with the artistic beauty.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.327-335
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• 1993

Phase relations in the system Pd-Sb-Te were investigated at $1000^{\circ}$, $800^{\circ}$, and $600^{\circ}C$, using the sealed-capsule technique; the quenched products were studied by reflected light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron microprobe analysis. At $1000^{\circ}C$, the solid phases Pd, $Pd_{20}Sb_7$, $Pd_8Sb_3$, $Pd_{31}Sb_{12}$, and $Pd_5Sb_2$ are stable with a liquid phase that occupies most of the isothermal diagram. Additional solid phases at $800^{\circ}C$ are $Pd_5Sb_3$, PdSb, $Pd_8Te_3$, $Pd_7Te_3$, and a continuous $Pd_{20}Te_7-Pd_{20}Sb_7$ solid solution becomes stable. At $600^{\circ}$, $PdSb_2$, $Pd_{17}Te_4$, $Pd_9Te_4$, PdTe, $PdTe_2$, $Sb_2Te_3$, and Sb and continuous PdSb-PdTe and $PdTe-PdTe_2$ solid solutions are stable. All the solid phases exhibit solid solution, mainly by substitution between Sb and Te to an extent that varies with temperature of formation. The maximum substitution (at.%) of Te for Sb in the Pd-Sb phases is: 44.3 in $Pd_8Sb_3$, 52.0 in $Pd_{31}Sb_{12}$, 46.2 in $Pd_5Sb_2$ at $800^{\circ}C$; 15.3 in $Pd_5Sb_3$, 68.3 in $PdSb_2$ at $600^{\circ}C$. The maximum substitution (at.%) of Sb for Te in the Pd-Te phases is 34.5 in $Pd_5Sb_3$ at $800^{\circ}C$, and 41.6 in $Pd_7Te_3$, 5.2 in $Pd_{17}T_4$, 12.4 in $Pd_9Te_4$, and 19.1 in $PdTe_2$ at $600^{\circ}C$. Physical properties and X-ray data of the synthetic $Pd_9Te_4$, PdTe, $PdTe_2$, $Pd_8Sb_3$, PdSb, and $Sb_2Te_3$ correspond very well with those of telluropalladinite, kotulskite, merenskyite, mertieite II, sudburyite, and tellurantimony, respectively. Because X-ray powder diffraction data consistently reveal a 310 peak ($2.035{\AA}$), the $PdSb_2$ phase is most probably of cubic structure with space group $P2_13$. The X-ray powder pattern of a phase with PdSbTe composition, synthesized at $600^{\circ}C$, compares well with that of testibipalladite. Therefore, testibiopalladite may be a member of the $PdSb_2-Pd(Sb_{0.32}Te_{0.68})$ solid solution series which is cubic and $P2_13$ in symmetry. Thus the ideal fonnula for testibiopalladite, presently PdSbTe, must be revised to PdTe(Sb, Te). Borovskite($pd_3SbTe_4$) has not been found in the synthetic system in the temperature range $1000^{\circ}-600^{\circ}C$.