• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.329-338
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• 2017

This study aims to examine heterogeneous acculturation patterns of elite North Korean female defectors in South Korea. The study employed a synthetic comparative analysis. A series of in-depth interviews with 5 North Korean female defectors in South Korea were conducted. In addition, the research team implemented 20 open-ended surveys with other defectors. Through this study, we have found various types of cultural adaptation in the group of the elite North Korean women in South Korea. The study findings imply that it is imperative to establish national policies that support different types of North Korean defectors. Putting all North Koreans into one category might result in alienation and discrimination to some groups. Thus how the participants reframed their social identify in South Korea illuminates essential facets of human-right education, especially education for refugees and immigrants in different global and multi-cultural contexts.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.117-196
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• 2000

The purpose of the study was to provide ground information to develop social adjustment programs for North Korean residents who might migrate into South Korea when free transmigration is allowed in the process of reunification. For this purpose, two research methods were employed. First, depth interviews for 10 North Korean defectors were used to find out their social adjustment realities and problems. In addition, empirical survey research was carried out with 397 subjects to identify South Koreans'altitude toward North Korean defectors and the willingness to support them financially and emotionally. North Korean defectors's social adjustment problems were approached based on lifestyle. The depth interviews revealed that difficulties the defectors had experienced at first were mainly in the aspect of consumption caused by lack of understanding about capitalism. However, they could overcome difficulties and assimilate their ways of living to those of South Koreans soon. Other adjustment problems in family living and child rearing especially related with values had more complicated issues. Results of the empirical survey showed that South Koreans' level of interest in defecters was moderate but they thought them rather positively, sympathetically. Concerning supports, South Koreans were agreeing with governmental support more with emotional support than financial support by individuals. In conclusion, present formal education programs provided to defectors were not effective enough for them to team South Korean living culture. To learn by living with interactions with South Koreans was one of the best policies to help defectors' adaptation. Findings that South Koreans were willing to help them emotionally matched and balanced with defectors' needs.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.243-265
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• 2009

Using the children supplements of Korea Welfare Panel Study(first wave), this study examined that the correlation and differences between income-poverty(minimum cost of living)and housing- poverty(sub-standard housing) and analyzed the effects of living in sub-standard housing conditions on children's school achievement. The findings of the study are as follows. First, there is low correlation between income-poverty and housing-poverty. Second. there is differences of household characteristics between only housing-poverty household and only income-poverty household or income and housing poverty household. Third, living in sub-standard housing conditions has statistically significant negative effect on school achievement even after controlling for income-poverty, sex, self-esteem, adaptation to school life, family type, mother's education, private education cost, rearing behavior. The findings of this study suggest that more active housing policy approach is needed to support development of children living in sub-standard housing conditions. Based on this research, we present needed policies in the conclusion.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.162-174
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the changed parenting experiences of mothers of elementary school kids living in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea. Methods: From July to August in 2020, 10 mothers parenting elementary school students under the COVID-19 were interviewed in depth. For data analysis, a phenomenological research methodology suggested by Colaizzi was used. Results: According to the analysis, the experiences of mothers consisted of four categories: the 'pain from the uncontrollable COVID-19', 'the problem of family relations due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation', 'standing firm against the drastic changes', and 'accepting the world changed by the COVID-19'. Conclusion: The findings in this study vividly represent the parenting experiences of mothers of elementary school students after the outbreak of COVID-19. As the pandemic persists, mothers parenting elementary school students feel complex emotions and experience exhaustion, but in the process, they found family members growing positively and trying to adjust to each other to overcome the crisis. To support positive adaptation to catastrophic situations, an institutional and political foundation is needed to develop a systematic crisis management program customized for mothers and families of elementary school students. The results of this study can be used as basic data when establishing national policies and support systems so that mothers parenting elementary school students can better adapt to and overcome crisis situations.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.162-162
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• 2023

Climate change is a complex phenomenon having its impact on diverse sectors. Temperature and precipitation are two of the most fundamental variables used to characterize climate, and changes in these variables can have significant impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, and human societies. This study evaluated the historical (1981-2010) and future (2011-2100) climatic trends in the Seti-Gandaki basin of Nepal based on 5 km resolution Multi Model Ensemble (MME) of 18 Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) for SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-85 scenarios. For this study, ERA5 reanalysis dataset is used for historical reference dataset instead of observation dataset due to a lack of good observation data in the study area. Results show that the basin has experienced continuous warming and an increased precipitation pattern in the historical period, and this rising trend is projected to be more prominent in the future. The Seti basin hosts 13 operational hydropower projects of different sizes, with 10 more planned by the government. Consequently, the findings of this study could be leveraged to design adaptation measures for existing hydropower schemes and provide a framework for policymakers to formulate climate change policies in the region. Furthermore, the methodology employed in this research could be replicated in other parts of the country to generate precise climate projections and offer guidance to policymakers in devising sustainable development plans for sectors like irrigation and hydropower.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.565-583
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• 2023

This study sought to examine the effects of current single-parent family policies on the psychological adaptation of family members in single-parent homes, while also confirming that visitation and child support are indeed in the best interests of children in such cases. An online survey was conducted in 2021 for divorced single mothers and their children (aged 11 to 19) living in metropolitan regions (Seoul, Kyunggi, and Incheon). A total of 171 dyads, comprised of single mothers and their adolescent children, participated in this study. Using the collected data, descriptive statistical analysis and structural equation modeling were performed. The major results of this study are as follows. First, visitation with fathers was not significantly associated with self-esteem, aggression, or life satisfaction among the participating adolescent children. On the other hand, when child support was paid, aggression among adolescents was lower than when child support was not paid. Second, neither visitation nor child support was significantly associated with single mothers' levels of depression and life satisfaction. The enforcement of child support guarantees the welfare of children and conforms to the principle of promoting the best interests of minor children. Therefore, child support should be continuously encouraged and supported by agencies in accordance with current law. In order for the implementation of visitation to be in the best interest of the child, the amount and quality of visitation should be secured so that the child can still recognize their non-custodial parents as "caregivers."

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.164-180
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• 2024

In the context of a globalized society where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) have emerged as pivotal values, the fashion industry is undergoing scrutiny for its practices related to body DE&I. This study examines the nature of the discourse surrounding body DE&I within the fashion industry, focusing on how such discussions are shaped, disseminated, and manifested in both the industry and broader society. Critical discourse analysis is applied by utilizing, content from the New York Times and leveraging Fairclough's analytical framework encompassing textual, discursive, and social practices. The findings indicate that the New York Times emphasizes diversity, with a significant focus on the shapes and sizes of women's bodies, developing a narrative centered around women's bodies through visible and representative domains. The analysis suggests conflicted discourse, with prevailing critiques against the fashion industry's standardization of beauty and superficial inclusivity efforts. Moreover, the industry's adaptation to social demands for body DE&I is observed as sporadic, often leveraging non-normative bodies as a marketing strategy rather than genuinely embracing diversity. This study highlights the importance of continuous, in-depth discourse and social practices regarding DE&I within the fashion industry, as well as the need for systemic changes and policies that genuinely reflect societal demands for inclusivity. The findings provide a foundation for future investigations into the multifaceted relationship between fashion discourse, DE&I, and social practices, advocating for a more inclusive and critically aware fashion industry.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.137-152
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• 2000

North Korean fugitives is one of various nominations referring to the North Koreans who have secretly crossed the territorial border of their country. It is a new terminology that huts gained wider usage in our society as we entered the 1990s. North Koreans list various motives for escaping their county, such as food shortage and disillusionment of belief in the system. Most of the forced repatriation of North Korean escapees takes place in China. The purpose of this study examines the family knife of female fugitives from North Korea in order to provide pertinent alterntives which are needed to secure basic human right of the female fugitives and enable them to keep stability of their family lives and to adapt themselves into new socio-cultural circumstances in China. For this, the preliminary survey performed to examine the demographic characteristics on the female fugitives; to find out the incentives and channels of their escape out of North Korea; to investigate what types of family life and family relationship they manage in China; to grasp their problems and need of family life in adaptation into Chinese society. The specific questions for grasping the general characteristics of the female fugitives are composed of age, education level residential district in North Korea. In order to find out main causes and influential factors of their escape from North Korea, the following questions are included: what the most important incentives and motives are; the frequency of escape; and whether they discuss their escape with their family or not. The questions to find out their present actual life situations in China are about difficult things to adjust in China, family life, relationship with husband, and their conversational diction, the degree of their mastering the chinese language, the degree of their adaptation to chinese way of living, and so forth, which reveal to what extent they are adapted themselves to new cultural situation in China. This study collected the data through face-to-face personal interview from July to October, 1999 Yenben province along the China-North Korea border. Data from 202 female fugitives were used in final analysis. This study uses the SAS PC program for windows, Ver, 6.12 to analyze the data such as the distribution of frequency, percentage, mean and so on. The results from this analysis are follows; the most principal motive of North Korean women's escape to china is to eat to live because of famine. Concerning the year when the fugitives escape from North Korea, all of the interviewees haute escaped since 1990. After escape their continual contact with their family in North Korea, 81.7% of the respondent have not been in touch with their family. The main reasons for their not contacting with their family in North Korea are that it is not helpful although they contacts with their family. Female fugitives from North Korea have difficulties in life. They have rather stable relationship to their husband, but they have experienced difficulties in other aspects of family life. Their main difficulties are largely from their relationships to husbands'family members, and from the problems relate to their family in North Korea, and their children. Based on this study, further research has to present supportive policies that help North Korean female escapees live without being deprived and protect their human rights. And the development of practical program to help their efficient social adaptation has to be continued without stop together.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.103 no.4
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• pp.646-654
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to draw policy implications for the development and expansion of Korea's forest ODA through investigating the perceptions of stakeholder on the fields that contributed the development of forestry in Korea and would have competitiveness in developing countries and priority fields for Korea's forest ODA. For this, the survey was conducted for 248 subjects from the general and expert stakeholder groups. Chi-square test in cross analysis, independent sample t-test, ANOVA and Duncan test were conducted to compare the difference of perceptions by group. The whole general and expert groups consider that 'forest conservation and rehabilitation' contributed to the development of Korea's forestry most and consider its global competitiveness most high. Comparing expert groups, ODA experts evaluated the competitiveness of 'capacity building for policies, institutions and research' higher than the forestry experts. For priority fields of Korea's forest ODA, general groups perceived 'management of CERs' and 'conservation of biodiversity' most important, showing the clear difference in perception compared to that of experts. In Conclusion, for the effective forest ODA of Korea, the effort to fill the gap between the general and expert groups needs to be made, as well as developing forestry capacity building programs to cope with the fields such as climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation, which is newly required in a global society, in addition to using the past experience of forest rehabilitation in Korea. It will be useful for the rehabilitation of North Korea's forest in the future.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.751-763
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• 2015

Both the selection of indicators and weights for them are critical issues in the vulnerability assessment. This study is to assess the air pollution vulnerability focused on ozone for 249 local jurisdictions using weights calculated by the entropy methodology and then examine the applicability of the methodology. We selected indicators for air pollution vulnerability assessment and standardized them. Subsequently, we calculated weights of each indicator using the entropy method and then integrated them into the vulnerability index. The exposure indicators consider meteorological and air pollution factors and the sensitivity of the local jurisdiction include variables on vulnerable areas and environments. The adaptive capacity contains socio-economic characteristics, health care capacities and air pollution managemental factors. The results show that Hwaseong-si, Gwangjin-gu, Gimpo-si, Gwangju-si, Gunpo-si are among the highest vulnerabilities based on the simple aggregation of indicators. And vulnerability-resilience (VRI) aggregation results indicates the similar spatial pattern with the simple aggregation outcomes. This article extends current climate change vulnerability assessment studies by adopting the entropy method to evaluate relative usefulness of data. In addition, the results can be used for developing customized adaptation policies for each jurisdiction reflecting vulnerable aspects.