• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2013

Purpose - The TOEIC test has been leading the change in the quality and the globalization of companies for about last 30 years. The TOEIC test is taken by about two million people each year and is used as a criterion to select new employees in companies or government offices, for performance ratings, and for overseas posting selections. Universities also use TOEIC test in various ways. Since the TOEIC test is used for the selection of new students for admission, transferring extra credits, scholarships, graduation certification, and admission of international students studying abroad, many universities all over the country provide students with TOEIC study lectures through their own language institutes. Despite the fact, there has been no research on the service quality or even the current situation of these institutes. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the factors that impact TOEIC lecture service quality and analyzes the effect of the expectation related to the education service quality and the result of education on intentional behavior. Research design, data, methodology - Data was collected by administering a survey to current TOEIC students from different university language institutes. The survey questionnaire comprised of a five-point Likert scale. The demographic analysis was conducted using the frequency analysis method and the factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity of questionnaire over any variable. The reliability analysis was conducted to verify the reliability of the results. Besides, multiple regression analysis, regression analysis, and mediated effect verification were also conducted. For education service quality, four different independent variables such as reliability, response, conviction, and sympathy were considered using the SERVQUAL survey model. Based on the research models, the study hypotheses below were formulated in order to recognize an effect relationship between the variables. The four hypotheses are, "the hypothesis on education service quality and TOEIC study result expectation," "the hypothesis on education service quality and behavioral intention," "the hypothesis on study result expectation and behavioral intention," and "the hypothesis on study result expectation and mediated effect." Results - The results are as follows. First, the factors like response, conviction, and sympathy have a positive influence on TOEIC study result expectations. Second, the TOEIC study result expectation has a positive influence on the factors of behavioral intention such as re-sign up, positive word-of-mouth, "loyalty towards school." Third, it was verified that the mediated effect on behavioral intention was influenced by education service quality at university foreign language institute, while the study result expectation has only a partial mediated effect. Conclusions - The implications of this study are summarized as follows: First, it suggests a new research model for the effect of the expectation related to the education service quality and the result of education in the university language institutes on the behavioral intention. Second, it has established a relationship between the education service quality and study result expectation by verifying the mediated effect on them.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.77-85
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• 2018

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to subdivide trade transaction-centered structure in a logistics/distribution industry system to apply blockchain, to establish and resolve with which types of technology, and to provide policy direction of government institution and technology to apply blockchain in this kind of industry. Research design, data, and methodology - This study was conducted with previous researches centered on cases applied in various industry sectors on the basis of blockchain technology. Results - General fields of blockchain application include digital contents distribution, IoT platform, e-Commerce, real-estate transaction, decentralized app. development(storage), certification service, smart contract, P2P network infrastructure, publication/storage of public documents, smart voting, money exchange, payment/settlement, banking security platform, actual asset storage, stock transaction and crowd funding. Blockchain is being applied in various fields home and abroad and its application cases can be explained in the banking industry, public sector, e-Commerce, medical industry, distribution and supply chain management, copyright protection. As examined in the blockchain application cases, it is expected to establish blockchain that can secure safety through distributed ledger in trade transaction because blockchain is established and applied in various sectors of industries home and abroad. Parties concerned of trade transaction can secure visibility even in interrupted specific section when they provide it as a base for distributed ledger application in trade and establish trade transaction model by applying blockchain. In case of interrupted specific section by using distributed ledger, blockchain model of trade transaction needs to be formed to make it possible for parties concerned involved in trade transaction to secure visibility and real-time tracking. Additionally, management should be possible from the time of contract until payment, freight transfer to buyers through land, air and maritime transportation. Conclusions - In order to boost blockchain-based logistics/distribution industry, the government, institutionally, needs to back up adding legal plan of shipping, logistics and distribution, reviewing standardization of electronic switching system and coming up with blockchain-based industrial road maps. In addition, the government, technologically, has to support R&D for integration with other high technology, standardization of distribution industry's blockchain technology and manpower training to expand technology development.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2013

Purpose - The environment-friendly agricultural product market in Korea sees continual high growth. Recently, the Korean government has been actively fostering environment-friendly agriculture as an engine of future growth. Korean people have increasingly become more health-conscious and interested in food safety issues. Many distribution and retailing companies have responded with various promotional activities. However, most of these are not strategic and appear to have unsatisfactory outcomes. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest effective marketing strategies for environment-friendly agricultural products. To achieve this aim, the study empirically investigates the effects of consumer characteristics and trust on the purchase intention of environment-friendly agricultural products. Research design, data, methodology - Based on the theory of planned behavior, and previous studies related to the purchase intention and consumption of environment-friendly agricultural products, we set up five study hypotheses. These related to the demographic characteristics of consumers, purchase intention, and behavior of the products. We then set up a study model and four study hypotheses relating to health consciousness, environmental consciousness, consumer trust level, purchase intention, and behavior of the products. The data were collected using a questionnaire given to consumers living in Seoul and southern Geonggi Province. The final sample size is 403 and mean age is 44.3. SPSS 15.0 for Windows and Amos 7.0 were used as statistical analysis tools. Meaningful results were derived using frequency analysis, correlation analysis, a t-test, and structural equation modeling. Results - Empirical results of this research are as follows. (1) First, it is shown that consumers consider such attributes as intimacy and health to be important when they buy environment-friendly agricultural products. (2) We also found that consumers recognize the value of environment-friendly agricultural products as high, but their trust level as low. (3) Consumer groups consisting of married couples, with higher education, higher income, and higher age are shown to have a higher intention of buying environment-friendly agricultural products than any other consumer group. (4) It is estimated that the level of consumer trust positively affects the purchase intention of environment-friendly agricultural products. The path coefficient (.138) between consumer trust and purchase intention is statistically significant at the α = .05 level. (5). It is also estimated that environmental consciousness positively affects purchase intention. The path coefficient (.245) between environmental consciousness and purchase intention is statistically significant at the α = 0.05 level. The standardized path coefficients of consumer trust and environmental consciousness with purchase intention are .556 and .288 respectively. Therefore, consumer trust affects purchase intention more than environmental consciousness. (6) Finally, purchase intention is estimated to positively affect purchase behavior. Conclusions - Based upon empirical results, this research suggests that marketers of environment-friendly agricultural products should focus more on increasing consumer trust levels, emphasizing the training and education of employees. The government also should pay attention to a standardized certification system for environment-friendly agricultural products. Marketers of environment-friendly agricultural products should consider the consumer groups of married couples, with higher education, higher income, and higher age as a major target segment.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2017

In Korea, previous certification of water supply infrastructure was mainly focused on economical and physical aspects. Recently, hygienic safety of water supply service has become a sensitive and important issue to our people for evaluating the water quality with growth of economy and education system. According on water quality in 497 Korean water supply facilities, pH values in the supplied water have ranged between 5.8-8.5. However, little is known about metal leachability at the pH conditions observed in the real water supply systems because a fixed pH condition (pH 7.0) has been used in the current standard method, 'Hygienic Safety Testing Method', in water supply. In this work, we examined the effects on heavy metal leachability with pH differences in the water supply pipes which are typically used in Korea. As a result, the amounts of metal leachability were tended to increase when pH levels were decreased. Especially at pH 5.8, Cu leachability from Cu pipes was found to exceed the public health standard level even after applying a normalization factor (NF) given by the current Korea standard method. The Cr and Cu leached from stainless steel pipes, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn from Cu-based pipe fittings, and Zn from Zn-based pipe fittings were exceeded the Korean hygienic safety standards while, after applying the NF, concentrations of the leached metals were satisfied with the current Korean standard. The findings from this work provide implications on the needs of reforming the current hygienic safety standard methodology.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.34-48
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was two-fold; first, to develop safety performance functions (SPF) using transportation-related big data for all types of roads in Korea were developed, Second, to provide basic information to develop measures for relatively dangerous roads by evaluating the safety grade for various roads based on it. The coordinates of traffic accident data are used to match roads across the country based on the national standard node and link system. As independent variables, this study effort uses link length, the number of traffic volume data from ViewT established by the Korea Transport Research Institute, and the number of dangerous driving behaviors based on the digital tachograph system installed on commercial vehicles. Based on the methodology and result of analysis used in this study, it is expected that the transportation safety improvement projects can be properly selected, and the effects can be clearly monitored and quantified.