• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.425-434
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to introduce the establishment process and results of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's road map on environmental health policy. Methods: The process consisted of expert group meetings, civic participation, research, and questionnaire survey for priority environmental health policy agenda items in Seoul. Results: The announced vision for the environmental health policy was "a healthy environment, safety in Seoul". This policy was established in order to define environment health policy initiatives for a period of five years with an aim to protect Seoul citizens' health from hazardous environmental factors. The resulting Seoul environmental health policy consisted of four areas and 16 key agenda items. The four areas were "Protection for children against hazardous materials", "Enhancement of health and safety of all", "Carcinogen-free and endocrine-disrupting chemical-free Seoul (reducing environmental exposure to hazardous materials), and "Establish the foundation of environmental health policy". Sixteen key agenda items include the enhancement of management of spaces for children, certification of environmental health status at schools, establishment of a unit responsible for the environmental health of children, strengthening environmental health management for susceptible populations (children, the aged, and the socioeconomically vulnerable), management of hazardous materials, physical hazardous factors (noise, radiation, etc.), indoor air quality, and the enhancement of monitoring, research, and regulation of environment health. Conclusion: The Seoul Metropolitan Government established an environmental health policy road map for a five-year period (2013-2017). To implement this environmental health policy, budget allocation, and detailed execution plans are required.

• 한국환경보건학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경보건학회 2005년도 Proceedings of KSEH.Minamata Forum
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• pp.45-48
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• 2005

In 2005, the KMOE and an advisory members for environmental health policy are exploring new environmental policy directions in the 21st century by suggesting a 10-year plan of environmental health policy with its specific goals, grounded on four basic principles: preemptive environmental control instead of post hoc facto control of environmental contaminants or discharged substances, receptor-centered approach, priority on protection of the people vulnerable and sensitive to environmental contamination, and warranty of citizens' rights to be engaged and informed. Such new policy challenges in the area of environmental health, which must be significant of important policy shift for environmental health in the 21t century, is expected to conduct to improvement of environmental health in Korea and Northeast Asian Regions as well.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.71-80
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• 2014

Objectives: The main purpose of this review is to introduce the current status of environmental health indicators of Korea and to share our experience of the developmental process of Korean version of environmental health indicators. Methods: This paper describes 1) the background of environmental health indicators; 2) the ways how we developed environmental health indicators of Korea; 3) the current status of selected indicators; and 4) suggestions for the further policy development. Results: The 6-year long project for the development of environmental health indicator systems in Korea could provide outputs on three major distinct aspects on the indicator issues. Firstly, we have developed the rational process/manual so that the government can select and advocate the potential indicators with a relatively objective manner. Secondly, we have suggested the potential candidate indicators which can be implemented immediately. We also pooled all indicators in order to evaluate the summary index which we expect to tell the status of environmental health. Third, we provided suggestions on the further utilization of this indicator system. Conclusion: The mission of environmental health policy is to resolve the public health problems occurring because of hazardous environment. In order to identify the environmental determinants of the community health problems and to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy implemented, these environmental indicators can be used. Therefore, the government should implement this ready-prepared system of environmental health indicators.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제47권5호
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• pp.379-383
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• 2021

This paper discussed environmental health policies for the past and coming decade by reviewing the First Comprehensive Environmental Health Plan (2011~2020) and introducing the Second Comprehensive Environmental Health Plan (2021~2030). The major achievement of the First Comprehensive Environmental Health Plan was the establishment of receptor-oriented environmental health policies. However, the main limitations were insufficient policy support for relief and/or recovery from environmental pollution damage and low public awareness of environmental health policies. The Second Comprehensive Environmental Health Plan presents the following major policy tasks: establish an omnidirectional environment health investigation and monitoring system, provide customized environmental health services, improve the environmental health damage relief and recovery system, and promote regional environmental health policies. The Second Plan has a clear distinction from the First Plan in that it expands the field of environmental health from the prevention and management of environmental risk factors to proactive damage response and recovery, which will effectively contribute to alleviating the burden of environmental disease.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제15권5호
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• pp.309-322
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• 2006

During the last decade, Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has been discussed worldwide as being an important tool for the development of healthy public policy. HIA has been advanced as a means of bringing potential health impacts to the attention of policy makers, particularly in sectors where health impacts may not otherwise be considered. HIA, a systematic assessment of potential health impacts of proposed public polices, programs, and projects, offers a means to advance population health by bringing public health research to bear on questions of public policy. In Korea, health-related items under current EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) system can only be found in the categories of hygiene and public health. However, environment and public health are not adequately connected and also health is underestimated even though health is an important objective component for the implementation of Environmental Assessments (EA). As a result, health is not well integrated within criteria for investigating the impacts on environment. This study examines linkages for HIA from the related and relatively well-developed field of Prior Environmental Review System (PERS) which is similar to SEA and EIA in Korea.

• 환경정책연구
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.127-154
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• 2006

환경이 인간의 건강상태를 결정짓는 중요한 인자라는 인식과 과학적 증거가 국내외적으로 널리 받아들여지고 있다. 이에 정부는 2006년을 환경보건의 원년으로 선포하고 "환경보건 10개년 종합계획"을 수립 발표하는 등 적극적인 대응을 시작하였다. 환경보건정책의 비전과 목표를 효과적으로 달성하기 위해서는 환경보건 분야 조사 연구기반의 확충, 관련 법령체계의 정비 또는 수립, 기타 조직적 제도적 행정적 지원체계의 확립 등 법적 제도적 행정적 기반의 구축이 선행되어야 한다. 본 연구는 우리나라에서 이제 막 시작된 환경보건정책을 효과적으로 추진하기 위하여 필요한 법제정비의 기본원칙을 제시하고자 하였다. 환경보건 관련 법제 정비의 목적은 기존 오염매체 관리 중심의 법체계를 넘어 환경오염으로부터 국민건강과 생태계 건전성을 보호 유지하는 것이다. 이러한 정책목적을 효과적으로 달성하기 위해서는 우선 환경보건의 개념을 명확히 정립 제시함으로써 환경보건 영역의 독자성을 확립하여 관련 정책의 효율적 집행이 가능하도록 해야 할 것이다. 또한 환경 관련 질환의 치료 및 지원 등 사후적인 대책보다는 사전주의원칙(precautionary principle)을 바탕으로 한, 환경관련 질환의 원인규명 조사 감시 예방, 위해성평가 등 사전예방체계의 확립이 환경보건 법령체계의 주요 내용이 되어야 한다. 아울러 환경보건 법제는 어린이 등 환경오염 및 유해물질의 노출에 민감하거나 취약한 계층에 대한 우선적 보호 배려, 환경위해 요인에 영향을 받는 인구집단에 대한 적절한 정보제공 및 정책참여 기회의 증진, 각 매체별 환경계획과 시책의 통합, 조정정책의 수립 추진 등을 위한 규범적 도구가 될 수 있도록 정비 또는 수립되어야 할 것이다. 외국의 관련 입법 및 정책 사례, 우리나라의 현행 관련 법령체계에 대한 검토 및 분석, 환경보건정책의 수립 추진을 위한 법적 제도적 요소들을 중심으로 고찰하였다.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.123-129
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• 2022

Background: The Environmental Health Action Program was a national project carried out from 2012~2021. It was aimed at developing public technologies to protect people's health from various environmental hazards. Objectives: One of the final goals of the project was "creating health benefits worth more than 179.2 billion won by reducing the environmental burden of disease." This study aims to evaluate whether the program sufficiently achieved the planned benefits. Methods: In order to secure consistency in evaluation, we applied the same equation used in the goal-setting process. It is comprised of six parameters to estimate the benefit: 1. The amount of medical expenses for environmental diseases; 2. The attributable proportion of environmental risk factors' 3. The rate of reduction in medical expenses for environmental diseases; 4. R&D project contribution; 5. The proportion of successful policy reflection; and 6. The contributions of the project. The corresponding variables were estimated at the end of the project, and the health benefits of the project were recalculated using the newly estimated variables. Results: It was estimated that a total of 195 billion won in health benefits occurred or will occur from 2015 to 2026. The main contributors for achieving the target were an increase in medical expenses for environmental diseases, a high score in the R&D project contribution, and the proportion of successful policy reflection. Conclusions: Technically, the equation used in the project is about medical expenses for environmental diseases rather than about the environmental burden of disease. There are several benefits of using the environmental burden of disease in the evaluation of public health policies. In further studies, developing a policy evaluation framework using indicators such as population attributable fraction would be needed.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.293-301
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• 2016

Objectives: This paper presents the current development progress of environmental health indicators (EHIs) in the Republic of Korea and discusses the utilization, limitations and prospects of EHIs. Methods: The development process and assessment criteria of EHIs were established based on the DPSEEA (Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action) framework with reference to that of the World Health Organization-Europe. In order to explore the applicability of EHIs, a case study was performed to compare the atmospheric environmental health status between the Republic of Korea and European region countries using six indicators. Results: Through the development process, 23 indicators in five areas including air quality, indoor air quality, climate change, chemicals, and water quality were developed, mostly using national statistical data. As a result of the case study comparing environmental health indicators in air quality between the Republic of Korea and Europe, it could be useful to understand the different situation of air pollution source, emission, exposure and health effects. Conclusion: In order for EHIs to compare environmental health status and be used as an environmental health policy development tool for vulnerable areas and related factors, it is necessary to develop further indicators for various issues other than air quality and conduct additional research on their interpretation and related implications, such as policy implementation effects.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• 제35권
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• pp.20.1-20.7
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• 2023

The policy proposal by the current Korean government that proposes flexible overtime rules is causing social controversy. This study has explored the 612 experts' opinions on the occupational safety and health impacts of the policy using an online self-report survey. They expected short-term overwork (87.25%), overwork inequality (86.44%), irregular working hours (84.31%), chronic overwork (84.15%), long working hours (83.66%), and unpredictability of working hours (81.86%) as a result of the policy change. They also responded that the policy change would increase industrial accident deaths (87.25%), mental illnesses (87.09%), deaths due to overwork or cardiovascular diseases (83.84%), and accidents (83.33%). They disagreed that the government's flexibilization policy, while agreeing that the necessity of policies on regulating night work (94.77%), guaranteeing wages to eliminate overtime (90.36%), establishing working time regulations for the bogus self-employed (82.84%), and applying the 52-hour workweek system to all workplaces (76.47%). These expert opinions are consistent with previous research on the health effects of working hours.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.22-34
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• 2020

Objectives: Based on the concept of environmental justice, we developed an evaluation model for setting and adopting the direction of environmental health policy using environmental health indicators and statistics from the local governments of Seoul, including environmentally susceptible populations. Methods: We selected a total of 20 variables based on data officially released from national and local governments. After the classification of these variables into the five components of environmental pressure, environmental status, environmental disease, sensitive population, and socioeconomic status, a basic model was constructed to calculate the relative scores of the local governments. Results: The cumulative impact scores for assessment of environmental health status were similar to those of the environmental pressure and status components. The highest five cumulative impact scores fell between 114 and 147. Local government A reported the highest scores and had high environmental pressure, environmental status and socioeconomic status. In addition, the evaluation of the other four local governments indicated that they exhibited above average scores for environmental pressure and environmental status, two did so for environmental disease, and four for sensitive population. Conclusion: We constructed a model to evaluate the environmental health status of the local governments of Seoul based on cumulative impact scores under the concept of environmental justice. As an approach for studying environmentally vulnerable areas through relative ranking, this model was feasible for policy-setting. In addition, this approach would be an analytically useful tool for decision-makers.