• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.75-107
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• 2012

Previous researches on technological innovation have several limitations such as lack of general mechanism for technological innovation(inputs, throughputs and outputs of technological innovation), large company oriented studies, and ignoring importance of technology management capabilities. So, this study suggested a new model using resource-based theory and system theory, and empirically applied that to SMEs. Structural equation model analysis by using 223 SMEs in Daegu region provided a support for most of hypotheses. Research results showed that all of factors on technological innovation were significantly and positively related with each other: inputs(R&D leadership, innovation strategy, R&D investment, R&D human resource management, external network), throughputs(portfolio management, project management, technology commercialization) and output(technological innovation). In case of technological innovation inputs, R&D leadership influenced on innovation strategy positively and significantly. And R&D leadership and innovation strategy had positive and significant effects on R&D investment, R&D human resource management and external network. R&D human resource management and external network exerted positive and significant influences on technological innovation throughputs such as portfolio management and project management. But R&D investment did not significant impacts on technological innovation throughputs. Among technological innovation throughputs, both portfolio management and project management had positive and significant effect on technology commercialization. In addition, technology commercialization acted positively and significantly technological innovation output. This study suggests necessary of efforts to implement innovation strategy and manage R&D human resource effectively based on CEO's innovativeness and entrepreneurship. Also, if SMEs want to develop technology and commercialize it, they have to cooperate with external technology resources and informations. Research results revealed that proper level of R&D investment, internal and external communication, information sharing, and learning and cooperative culture were very important for improvement of technological innovation performance in SMEs. Especially, this research suggested that if SMEs manage technological innovation process effectively based on resource-based and system approaches, then they can overcome their resource limitations and gain high technological innovation performance. Also, useful policy support for technological innovation of central or regional government by this research model is important factor for SMEs' technological innovation performance.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.252-269
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• 2019

Since the inauguration of the Kim Jong-un regime in 2012, the safeguarding and management system of cultural heritage in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been changing to a form similar to that of a democratic country's legal system. In addition, the National Authority for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (NAPCH) has continuously recorded and cataloged intangible cultural heritage elements in the DPRK, listing Arirang, kimchi-making, and ssireum on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative List. In particular, the multinational nomination of ssireum in October 2018 is symbolic in terms of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation for peace and reconciliation, raising expectations for the further multinational nomination of the two Koreas' intangible cultural heritage. Currently, South Korea lists 20 items on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, three of which are shared by various countries with multinational nominations such as falconry, tug-of-war, and ssireum. However, when comparing the process of applying for multinational nomination in the three elements that follow, it is necessary to discuss whether these cases reflect the nature of multinational nomination. In particular, in the case of ssireum, without a working-level consultation between the two Koreas to prepare an application for a multinational nomination, each applied for a single registration; these applications were approved exceptionally as a multinational nomination by the Intergovernmental Committee under the leadership of the Secretary-General of UNESCO, and no bilateral exchanges have taken place until now. This is symbolic, formal, and substantially similar to the individual listings in terms of the spirit of co-listing on the premise of mutual exchange and cooperation. Therefore, the only way to strengthen the effectiveness of the multinational nomination between the two Koreas and to guarantee the spirit of multinational nomination is to request multilateral co-registration, including the two Koreas. For this, the Korean government needs a strategic approach, such as finding elements for multilateral co-listing; accumulating expertise, capabilities, and experience as a leading country in multilateral co-listing; and building cooperative governance with stakeholders. Besides, to reduce the volatility of inter-Korean cultural exchanges and cooperation depending on political situations and the special nature of inter-Korean relations, measures should be taken toward achieving inter-Korean cultural heritage exchanges and cooperation under a multilateral cooperation system using UNESCO, an international organization.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2014

In this study, ICT medical service provider's level of knowledge fire fighting safety and methods on coping with fires in the regions of Gwangju and Jeonam Province of Korea were investigated to determine the elements affecting such levels and provide basic information on the manuals for educating how to cope with the fire fighting safety in medical facilities. The data were analyzed using SPSS Win 14.0. The scores of level of knowledge fire fighting safety of ICT medical service provider's were 7.06(10 point scale), and the scores of level of recognizing how to cope with fire fighting safety were 6.61(11 point scale). level of recognizing how to cope with fire fighting safety were significantly different according to gender(t=4.12, p<.001), age(${\chi}^2$=17.24, p<.001), length of career(${\chi}^2$=22.76, p<.001), experience with fire fighting safety education(t=6.10, p<.001), level of subjective knowledge on fire fighting safety(${\chi}^2$=53.83, p<.001). In order to enhance the level of understanding of fire fighting safety and methods of coping by the ICT medical service providers it is found that: self-directed learning through avoiding the education just conveying knowledge by lecture tailored learning for individuals fire fighting education focused on experiencing actual work by developing various contents emphasizing cooperative learning deploying patients by classification systems using simulations and a study on the implementation of digital anti-fire monitoring system with multipoint communication protocol, a design and development of the smoke detection system using infra-red laser for fire detection in the wide space, video based fire detection algorithm using gaussian mixture mode developing an education manual for coping with fire fighting safety through multi learning approach at the medical facilities are required.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.79-92
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• 2007

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: For the first time, a nationwide survey in the Republic of Korea was conducted to determine the basic parameters for the treatment of esophageal cancer and to offer a solid cooperative system for the Korean Pattern of Care Study database. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: During $1998{\sim}1999$, biopsy-confirmed 246 esophageal cancer patients that received radiotherapy were enrolled from 23 different institutions in South Korea. Random sampling was based on power allocation method. Patient parameters and specific information regarding tumor characteristics and treatment methods were collected and registered through the web based PCS system. The data was analyzed by the use of the Chi-squared test. $\underline{Results}$: The median age of the collected patients was 62 years. The male to female ratio was about 91 to 9 with an absolute male predominance. The performance status ranged from ECOG 0 to 1 in 82.5% of the patients. Diagnostic procedures included an esophagogram (228 patients, 92.7%), endoscopy (226 patients, 91.9%), and a chest CT scan (238 patients, 96.7%). Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 96.3% of the patients; mid-thoracic esophageal cancer was most prevalent (110 patients, 44.7%) and 135 patients presented with clinical stage III disease. Fifty seven patients received radiotherapy alone and 37 patients received surgery with adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy. Half of the patients (123 patients) received chemotherapy together with RT and 70 patients (56.9%) received it as concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The most frequently used chemotherapeutic agent was a combination of cisplatin and 5-FU. Most patients received radiotherapy either with 6 MV (116 patients, 47.2%) or with 10 MV photons (87 patients, 35.4%). Radiotherapy was delivered through a conventional AP-PA field for 206 patients (83.7%) without using a CT plan and the median delivered dose was 3,600 cGy. The median total dose of postoperative radiotherapy was 5,040 cGy while for the non-operative patients the median total dose was 5,970 cGy. Thirty-four patients received intraluminal brachytherapy with high dose rate Iridium-192. Brachytherapy was delivered with a median dose of 300 cGy in each fraction and was typically delivered $3{\sim}4\;times$. The most frequently encountered complication during the radiotherapy treatment was esophagitis in 155 patients (63.0%). $\underline{Conclusion}$: For the evaluation and treatment of esophageal cancer patients at radiation facilities in Korea, this study will provide guidelines and benchmark data for the solid cooperative systems of the Korean PCS. Although some differences were noted between institutions, there was no major difference in the treatment modalities and RT techniques.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.91-116
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• 1991

Market liberalization progressing simultaneously with high and rapidly rising domestic wages has created an adverse business environment for domestic firms. Korean firms are losing their international competitiveness in comparison to firms from LDC(Less Developed Countries) in low-tech industries. In high-tech industries, domestic firms without government protection (which is impossible due to the liberalization policy and the current international status of the Korean economy) are in a disadvantaged position relative to firms from advanced countries. This paper examines the division of roles between the private sector and the government in order to achieve a successful structural adjustment, which has become the impending industrial policy issue caused by high domestic wages, on the one hand, and the opening of domestic markets, on the other. The micro foundation of the economy-wide structural adjustment is actually the restructuring of business portfolios at the firm level. The firm-level business restructuring means that firms in low-value-added businesses or with declining market niches establish new major businesses in higher value-added segments or growing market niches. The adjustment of the business structure at the firm level can only be accomplished by accumulating firm-specific managerial assets necessary to establish a new business structure. This can be done through learning-by-doing in the whole system of management, including research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. Therefore, the voluntary cooperation among the people in the company is essential for making the cost of the learning process lower than that at the competing companies. Hence, firms that attempt to restructure their major businesses need to induce corporate-wide participation through innovations in organization and management, encourage innovative corporate culture, and maintain cooperative labor unions. Policy discussions on structural adjustments usually regard firms as a black box behind a few macro variables. But in reality, firm activities are not flows of materials but relationships among human resources. The growth potential of companies are embodied in the human resources of the firm; the balance of interest among stockholders, managers, and workers of the company' brings the accumulation of the company's core competencies. Therefore, policymakers and economists shoud change their old concept of the firm as a technological black box which produces a marketable commodities. Firms should be regarded as coalitions of interest groups such as stockholders, managers, and workers. Consequently the discussion on the structural adjustment both at the macroeconomic level and the firm level should be based on this new paradigm of understanding firms. The government's role in reducing the cost of structural adjustment and supporting should the creation of new industries emphasize the following: First, government must promote the competition in domestic markets by revising laws related to antitrust policy, bankruptcy, and the promotion of small and medium-sized companies. General consensus on the limitations of government intervention and the merit of deregulation should be sought among policymakers and people in the business world. In the age of internationalization, nation-specific competitive advantages cannot be exclusively in favor of domestic firms. The international competitiveness of a domestic firm derives from the firm-specific core competencies which can be accumulated by internal investment and organization of the firm. Second, government must build up a solid infrastructure of production factors including capital, technology, manpower, and information. Structural adjustment often entails bankruptcies and partial waste of resources. However, it is desirable for the government not to try to sustain marginal businesses, but to support the diversification or restructuring of businesses by assisting in factor creation. Institutional support for venture businesses needs to be improved, especially in the financing system since many investment projects in venture businesses are highly risky, even though they are very promising. The proportion of low-value added production processes and declining industries should be reduced by promoting foreign direct investment and factory automation. Moreover, one cannot over-emphasize the importance of future-oriented labor policies to be based on the new paradigm of understanding firm activities. The old laws and instititutions related to labor unions need to be reformed. Third, government must improve the regimes related to money, banking, and the tax system to change business practices dependent on government protection or undesirable in view of the evolution of the Korean economy as a whole. To prevent rational business decisions from contradicting to the interest of the economy as a whole, government should influence the business environment, not the business itself.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.483-490
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• 2020

This study aims to construct an ecological community and lay the foundation for sustainable development in the Korean Peninsula by promoting cooperation between the South and North Korea in the non-political and no-military natural environment sector under the rapidly changing inter-Korean relations. It analyzed South Korea's aid and international cooperation projects in natural environmental sectors in North Korea and examined North Korea's national plan and the cooperation projects that North Korea proposed to the international community to identify potential cooperation projects. It selected 15 potential cooperation projects and 6 crucial factors to be considered in prioritizing the projects through case studies and the first expert survey (five persons). The six crucial factors were i) urgency, ⅱ) linkage between North and South Korea (ecological community in the Korean Peninsula), ⅲ) contribution to sustainable development (prosperity), i) North Korea's acceptability, ⅴ) cooperation conditions and budget, and ⅵ) project sustainability. The second expert survey (14 persons) focused on prioritizing the 15 potential inter-Korean cooperation projects in line with six crucial factors. The 15 potential inter-Korean cooperation projects in the natural environment were comprehensively reviewed and scored based on the six crucial factors. The resulting priority projects were identified as follow: i) Mt. Seorak - Mt. Keumgang International Peace Park, ⅱ) support and cooperation for agro-forestry, ⅲ) joint conservation projects for internationally important migratory birds (such as Black-faced Spoonbills and Cranes), iv) inter-Korean ecotourism linkage and promotion, and ⅴ) establishment of integrated information system on leading ecosystems and biodiversity in the Korean Peninsula. The priority cooperation projects presented in this study are based on the perception of experts engaged in inter-Korean natural environmental cooperation in consideration of existing cooperation cases and conditions. For the actual implementation of these potential projects, a systematic approach, including the formation of consensus between North and South Koreas and the creation of a cooperative network with suitable partners suitable for each project's characteristics, would be needed.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-35
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• 2002

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community resident's consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 2001 to May 31, 2001. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1) The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 2) In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. 3) 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 4) According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it because persons around them recommended it. 5) 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain food should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 6) In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 7) 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 8) 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 51.9% does not know whether taking herb medicine in summer is effective or not because the effect is different according to their physical constitutions. 35.5% thinks that taking herb medicine is summer is effective because their physical stamina is weakened after sweated a lot, while 12.6% thinks that it is not effective because the effect of herb medicine disappears with sweat. 9) According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 10) According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.25-53
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• 1999

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community residents' consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 1999 to May 31, 1999. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, 52.3% of the subjects was 'female'; 25.0% 'fifties of age'; 21.4% 'forties of age'; 20.9% 'thirties of ages'; 69.1% 'married'; 60.1% 'resident in a big city'; 12.1% 'residents in a small town or village'; 39.0% 'highschool graduate'; 35.9% 'above college graduate'; 23.4% 'housewife'; 23.4% 'professional' 34.1% 'Buddhist'; 81.1% 'middle class'. 2. The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 3. In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. Taking herb medicine as a curative medicine appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'thirties of age', 'resident in a town or village', 'above college graduate', 'professional technician', 'Christian', and 'the upper class'. 4. 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 5. According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it. because persons around them recommended it. The preference for the herb medicine displayed significantly higher rate in the groups 'sixties of age', 'the unmarried', 'resident in a big city', 'office clerk', and 'the lower class'. 6. 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain foods should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 7. In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 8. 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 9. 14.2% of the respondents thinks health foods which contain herbs are good, while 16.8% thinks it is bad. 76.7% thinks that medicinal herbs in packages must be included in health insurance coverage, while only 3.0% thinks it needs not be included in health insurance coverage. 10. 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 11. According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 12. According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.53-66
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• 1993

By this time, a few of previous studies of factors related to separation from their jobs and job satisfaction only have dealt with the separation rate. the cause of separation and related factors that induce job satisfaction and incentive factors, the actualities of morale some suggestions for reduction of the separation rate. This study is attempted to determine factors that have effect on job satisfaction of national hospital nurses. and to proide information and materials for the development of the administration of nursing through the appreciation of factors influencing on job satisfaction between isolated ward nurses and general ward nurses working at national hospitals. 185 nurses of national hospitals responsed th this study, and were divided into two groups. Group 1: 57 nurses working at isolated wards for tuberculosis patients and Group 2 : 128 nurses at general wards. Relevant data were collected from August, 5, 1992 through August 20, 1992. The questionnaire consisted of 8 genalized items and 4 items concerning job satisfaction. The collected data were processed with SPSS, and the relationship among vaviables was analyzed by means of $X^2-test$, Pearson Correlation, Multiple Regression. The results of this study are as follows: 1. There is no significant difference between two groups in terms of generalized items. Age distributions show $44.3\%$ under the category of less than 34. and $55.7\%$ under the category more than 35, $19.3%$ was single and $74.6\%$ was married respectively. 2. $79.4\%$ of the nurses have the desire to have in-service education under the satisfactory physical environments such as welfare system, accommodating structures and facilities, instruments or management systems of the hospital, but under the category of unsatisfactory circumstances, $60.3\%$ have the intention of having in- service education. The concern in terms of in-service education shows statistically significant difference between two groups $(X^2=8.85,\;p<0. 05)$. This result accepts the hypothesis that good physical environments could intensify interests in service education. 3. The extent of satisfaction related to psychological environments is heightend according to good physical environments. In result, the hypothesis that the extent of satisfaction in terms of physical environments could raise satisfaction about psychological environment is accepted. 4. In the light of the extent of satisfaction about physical environments, $33.3\%$ of isolated ward nurses are satisfied with physical environments, but only $11.7\%$ of general ward nurses are satisfied. $(X^2=10.88,\; p<0.01)$. This result shows that the satisfaction degree about phusicalenvironments of isolated war nurses was higher than that of general ward nurses in spite of high physical and psychological risks due to exposure to infection. Consequently. the hypothesis was rejected that the satisfaction degree about physical environments would be lower in isolated ward nurses than in general ward nurses. 5. The fact that $87.7%$ of isolated ward nurses took interest in service education and $53.19\%$ of general ward nurses took interest in service education demonstrats that isolated ward nurse have more interest in service education than gerneral ward nurses. The result shows that the hypothesis is accepted that isolated ward nurses would have mor interests in service education than general ward nurses. 6. In the extent of satisfaction about physical environments such as morale human relationship promotion, there is no significant difference between two groups in terms of statistics. The hypothesis is rejected that satisfaction about psychologic environments would be high in isolated ward nurses than in general ward nurses. In conclusion. factors influencing on job satisfaction are considered to have effect on. another, and also interdisciplinary amelioration of factors accompanied with systematic inter cooperative investigation is necessary.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.341-356
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• 2015

A nation has a sovereign right to develop and use its natural resources according to its policies with regard to development and the relevant environment. A nation also has an obligation not to harm other countries or damage environments of neighboring countries as consequences of such actions of developments or use of natural resources. However, international precedents induce a nation to take additional actions not to cause more damages from the specific acts causing environmental damages beyond national borders, when such acts have economic and social importance. That is to say that there is a tendency to resolve such issues in a way to promote the balance between the mutual interests by allowing such actions to continue. A solution to China's Three Gorges Dam dilemma based on a soft law approach is more credible than relying on a good faith approach of national responsibilities and international legal proceedings since the construction and operation of the dam falls within the category of exercising national sovereign rights. If a large scale construction project such as the Three Gorges Dam or operation of a nuclear power plant causes or may cause environmental damage beyond the border of a nation engaged in such an undertaking, countries affected by this undertaking should jointly monitor the environmental effects in a spirit of cooperation rather than trying to stop the construction and should seek cooperative solutions of mutual understanding to establish measures to prevent further damages. If China's Three Gorges Dam construction and operation cause or contain the possibility of causing serious damages to marine environment, China cannot set aside its national responsibility to meet international obligations if China is aware of or knows about the damage that has occurred or may occur but fail to prevent, minimize, reverse or eliminate additional chances of such damages, or fails to put in place measures in order to prevent the recurrence of such damages. However, Korea must be able to prove a causal relationship between the relevant actions and resulting damages if it is to raise objections to the construction or request certain damage-prevention actions against crucial adverse effects on the marine environment out of respect for China's right to develop resources and acts of use thereof. Therefore, it is essential to cumulate continuous monitoring and evaluations information pertaining to marine environmental changes and impacts or responses of affected waters as well as acquisition of scientific baseline data with observed changes in such baseline. As China has adopted a somewhat nonchalant attitude toward taking adequate actions to protect against marine pollution risks or adverse effects caused by the construction and operation of China's Three Gorges Dam, there is a need to persuade China to adopt a more active stance and become involved in the monitoring and co-investigation of the Yellow Sea in order to protect the marine environment. Moreover, there is a need to build a regular environmental monitoring system that includes the evaluation of environmental effects beyond borders. The Espoo Convention can serve as a mechanism to ease potential conflicts of national interest in the Northeast Asian waters where political and historical sensitivities are acute. Especially, the recent diplomatic policy advanced by Korea and China can be implemented as an important example of gentle cooperation as the policy tool of choice is based on regional cooperation or cooperation between different regions.