• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2022

Unit capacity factor (utilization rate) of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an important performance indicator. Since the first commercial operation of Kori Unit 1 began in April 1978, the utilization rate of domestic NPPs has gradually increased, reaching 90% from the end of the 1990s. However, due to various issues such as the Fukushima accident in 2011, corrosion of the CLP, the utilization rate dropped to 65~80%. In the early 1980s, the utilization rate of the U.S. NPPs was around 60%. However, since 2004, it has been consistently maintained above 90%. Therefore, in this study, we first examined the causes of declining the utilization rate in domestic NPPs. Next, the significances of the utilization rates are reviewed in five aspects: investment capability, electricity rate, safety and export, etc., with discussion on the current status of the utilization rates in the U.S. Based on this, three key factors are derived as the reasons of the increasing: equipment reliability program, on-line maintenance and the pursuit of institutional rationality. And finally, by synthesizing above results, the measures for increasing the utilization rate of domestic NPPs are proposed in terms of equipment management, institutional improvements, and personnel resources.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2022

Backgrounds/Aims: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease requiring liver transplantation (LT). The objective of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological features and posttransplant courses of seven LT recipients with PFIC. Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study of patients with PFIC who underwent LT from January 2013 to June 2020. Results: Two and five patients were diagnosed with PFIC type 1 and type 2, respectively. For all seven patients, age of PFIC onset was at birth. Jaundice was present in all cases. Mean pretransplant total and direct bilirubin levels were 16.1 ± 8.1 mg/dL and 12.4 ± 6.2 mg/dL, respectively. Median patient age and body weight at LT were 10 months and 7 kg, respectively. Types of donors were mothers of patients in four and deceased donors in three. All five patients with PFIC type 2 recovered uneventfully. One patient each with PFIC type 1 underwent retransplantation due to graft failure or died due to multi-organ failure. Overall graft and patient survival rates at five years were 66.7% and 83.3%, respectively. Bile salt export pump immunohistochemical staining showed normal canalicular expression in two patients with PFIC type 1, focal loss in two patients with PFIC type 2, and total loss in three patients with PFIC type 2. Conclusions: LT is currently the only effective treatment for PFIC-associated end-stage liver diseases. It is mandatory to perform regular follow-up due to the risk of complications including steatohepatitis, especially for patients with PFIC type 1.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.3-30
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• 2012

In the development process, small and medium-sized enterprises in China have shown their unique features and regularities which are closely related to China's national condition and economic characteristics. But in 2008, because of the global financial crisis which started in the USA, the rate of Chinese export and the rate of economic growth has evidently slowed. Due to shortage of funds, foreign orders fell, increase the value of RMB, lack of talented factors, Chinese SMEs are facing bankruptcy. In this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of domestic and international market environment, the government assistance for entering overseas market, entrepreneur characteristics, etc. on the global performance. Based on these, a research model and some hypotheses were set up and tested by the multiple regression analysis with total 317 effective survey data. The results of this paper are as follows. First, a positive effect relation on the financial performance was shown for the companies with high domestic and international market environment in the aspect of market environment. According to such analysis result, it was found that the market environment in which SMEs belong to is a very important factor. Second, in the aspect of government export assistance related to overseas, market development showed a positive effect relation on the both financial and non-financial performance. However, the direct financial assistance showed a positive effect relation only on the non-financial performance. Overall, it was found that the government assistance program on entering overseas market is having significant effects on SMEs, but direct financial assistance have not achieved the desired results. Third, the innovative-ness and progressiveness of entrepreneur showed a positive effect relation on the global market performance. However, the risk-taking of entrepreneur only showed a negative effect relation on the non-financial performance. Overall, it was found that the entrepreneurship of SMEs is an important and influential factor. This is a result implying that the propensity of taking too much risk is not desirable based on the uncertainty of the global environment market. To sum up, this study confirmed that the market environment, the government assistance and entrepreneur characteristics, which are the major prerequisites of global performance, have effects on global performance.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.93-122
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• 1996

This is a study of the determinants of sexual, contraceptive, and abortion behavior among unmarried female adolescents and young adults, which has emerged as a growing and serious health problem in Korea. As part of a larger project, data were gathered in three export zones: Kuro (Seoul), Kumi (Kyngbuk) Masan Changwon (Kyongnam) ; and the study samples are regrouped into three categories: 1) factory workers, i.e. , the reference group serving as program participants, 2) entertainment workers, and 3) ob-gyn patients. This study indicates that entertainment workers are at highest risk of experiencing premarital sex, STDs, contraceptive failure, unwanted pregnancies, and induced abortion. Of them, 20 percent had STDs as a result of first sexual experience: and about seven tenths had two or more pregnancies due to the adoption of low-efficacy methods. The proportion of those who had ever been pregnant was 60 percent for the group as a whole: 36 percent for the program participants: 64 percent for the entertainment workers ; and 91 percent four the ob-gyn patients. These proportions are exactly the same for abortion in each group, which means that all pregnancies ended in induced abortion. Of the respondents who said that they were sexually active at the time of survey, abortions were very high: 1.6 for the program participants, 2.3 for the entertainment workers, and 1.9 for the ob-gyn patients. About 80 percent of the women had abortions during the first trimester, and two thirds of the first abortions took place between the ages of 20 and 23. About one fourth experienced post-abortion complication, which was highest among the program participants (39 percent). Sixty percent of those with complications visited a hospital or took medicine to treat the problem. Even after the experience of induced abortion, the use of contraception was very low, except among the entertainment workers, whose level of use reached 53 percent. The most obvious recommendation, arising from this research, is that 'good-quality' counselling and family planning services be established under the auspices of both national and local government, particularly targeted for the entertainment workers as well as the factory workers in various textile, electronic, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. We believe that entertainment sectors should be restructured radically so that young women who work for amusement bars and other entertainment sectors obtain protection from the risk of having unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and induced abortion.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.21-33
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• 2016

This paper aims to investigate the relations among the entrepreneurship, SWOT factors, and performance in Korean hidden champion firms. 112 potential Korean hidden champions were drawn at random from the hidden champion candidates of Export-Import Bank of Korea. For analyzing the relationship of them, the entrepreneurship factors categorized with organizational risk taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness from previous researches(Khandwalla, 1977; Miller, 1983; Miller & Friesen, 1978, 1982). Also, four SWOT factors classified into strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat by confirmatory factor analysis. As a result, we found some statistically significant effects between the SWOT factors and entrepreneurship factors, and they sequentially affects to performance. That is, as a presented with previous research, there is verified that entrepreneurship is caused by organizational risk taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness. Also, SWOT factors significantly affect to business performance. Some guidelines for practicing potential Korea hidden champions as a result of this would include; first of all, it is important to support the potential hidden champions consulting approach in global perspectives; secondly, effective governmental support programs for hidden champions should be developed for positive impacts of according to these results.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.139-175
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• 2017

The Assembly plenary session on December 3, 2017 passed a Product Liability Amendment bill that introduced clauses concerning consumer burden of proof and punitive damage reimbursement. More specifically, these newly approved provisions will reduce the burden of proof placed on consumers and levy triple punitive damage on suppliers. Significant increases in the number of product-liability lawsuit and the number of related insurance contracts are expected. Since military aircraft are designed for operational purpose(seeking greater combat effectiveness over greater safety) and used in high-risk environment, it is practically impossible to obtain an affordable product-liability insurance, Without having any backup plan, military aircraft manufacturers directly face all sort of liability risks under Product Liability Act, Warrant Liability Act and Non-Performance of Contract Act. The U.S. experienced similar problems when they first implemented their product-liability law in 1970s. There had been a big dispute among legal practitioner, insurance professionals and scholars concerning military aircraft manufacturer's liability. In order to settle the issue, the U.S. Supreme Court has established a new precedent of Government Contractor Defense(GCD). The U.S. government also included an indemnity clause for military aircraft manufacturers in their FMS Contract with the Korean government. Likewise, Korean military aircraft manufacturers should 1) clearly understand their current position that they cannot afford expensive product-liability insurance and the cost is not accounted in the military procurement calculation, 2) estimate potential liability risks with the ongoing overseas export expansion in mind, 3) set up appropriate risk management measures through regulatory reform and policy development.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.133-141
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• 2016

Although construction of any new nuclear power projects had not been launched since mid-1970s until recently in the USA, many new nuclear power plants have been constructed in many countries with the support of their governments mainly as part of their national energy security and electric source diversification policies. For many reasons, the nuclear power industry seemed to reclaim their renaissance from the beginning of this century and the investment in the nuclear power projects draw positive concern from the private financial sector. But the global financial crisis in 2008 and subsequent economic slow-down together with tighter bank credit regulations caused commercial banks, the main source of financing, to lose appetite for investing in new nuclear power projects. But the nuclear power economics shows that the nuclear power is viable in terms of the environmental benefit and long-term average cost compared to other power generation sources. Also doubt about nuclear power safety was much mitigated due to technology development and reinforced safety-related tests and monitoring. Therefore, the prospect for nuclear power market expansion remains positive although there are comparatively big differences among different scenarios. After Korea Electric Power Corp. won the UAE nuclear power project in December of 2009, the competition in nuclear power markets is undergoing huge changes. Competitors backed by the support of their own governments are now entering the market with many aggressive and innovative financing packages to win bids of new nuclear power projects. This report analyzed the nuclear power market prospects, competitive edges of nuclear power, risk management measures, and financing challenges and recommends alternative solutions to promote competitive edges in winning bids of new nuclear power projects.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.18
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• pp.27-62
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• 2002

The international sale contract is the central contracts in export-import transactions. A good sale contract or set of general conditions of sale will cover all the principal elements of the transaction, so that uncertainties are avoided. The parties' respective duties as concern the payment mechanism, transport contract and insurance responsibilities, inter alia, will all be clearly detailed in the contract. The following key clauses should be included in international contracts of sale and general conditions of sale: ${\bullet}$ preamble ${\bullet}$ identification of parties ${\bullet}$ description of goods ${\bullet}$ price and payment conditions ${\bullet}$ delivery periods and conditions ${\bullet}$ inspection of the goods - obligations and limitations ${\bullet}$ quantity or quality variations in the products delivered ${\bullet}$ reservation of title and passing of property rights ${\bullet}$ transfer of risk - how accomplished ${\bullet}$ seller's warranties and buyer's complaints ${\bullet}$ assignment of rights ${\bullet}$ force majeure clause and hardship clause ${\bullet}$ requirement that amendments and modifications be in writing ${\bullet}$ choice of law ${\bullet}$ choice of dispute resolution mechanism Under most systems of law, a party can be excused from a failure to perform a contract obligation which is caused by the intervention of a totally unforeseeable event, such as the outbreak of war, or an act of God such as an earthquake or hurricane. Under the American commercial code (UCC) the standard for this relief is one of commercial impracticability. In contrast, many civil law jurisdictions apply the term force majeure to this problem. Under CISG, the standard is based on the concept of impediments to performance. Because of the differences between these standards, parties might be well advised to draft their own force majeure, hardship, or excusable delays clause. The ICC publication, "Force Majeure and Hardship" provides a sample force majeure clause which can be incorporated by reference, as well as a hardship clause which must be expressly integrated in the contract. In addition, the ICC Model provides a similar, somewhat more concise formulation of a force majeure clause. When the seller wishes to devise his own excusable delays clause, he will seek to anticipate in its provision such potential difficulties as those related to obtaining government authorisations, changes in customs duties or regulations, drastic fluctuations in labour, materials, energy, or transportation prices, etc.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2010

Although international construction market gradually takes a important position among the export industries, the previous studies about international construction entry strategy have just focussed on trend investigation or suggestion for revitalization. Moreover, in order to prepare the market uncertainty such as world financial crisis and to plan the long term strategy, specific strategy studies based on corporate level are required. Therefore, this study estimates the nine strategic index and four financial index of 31 companies that performed 1920 international projects from 1993 to 2007 and evaluate the performance as three periods by multi-regression analysis. Also, this study analyze dynamic correlation between these index and the performance considering times. this study verifies that market diversification, product diversification, localization and decrease of debt to asset ratio make a good effect on the international order as long term strategy and shows that collaborated entry with domestic corporations, alliance entry with host country's company, alliance entry with third country's company, portion of labor cost and portion of management expense differently make a influence on the performance as times. these results will be helpful for the construction companies to plan the international entry strategy reasonably and specifically.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-51
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• 2016

This study analyzed the expected economic effects of the Korea-GCC FTA and sought strategies for industrial cooperation. To see the economic effects of Korea-GCC FTA, we analysed the effect of the oil tariff reduction of economy by Vector Autoregression(VAR) model. The estimation results shows that following the abolishment of the tariff on crude oil imports, GDP, GNI and consumption are expected to grow by 0.212%, 0.389% and 0.238%, respectively. Meanwhile, investment, export and import are estimated to drop by 0.462%, 0.413% and 0.342%, respectively. As for prices, producer prices are to rise by 6.356%p, whereas consumer prices fall by 2.996%p. In short, the Korea-GCC FTA and resultant abolishment of the tariff on crude oil imports followed by the decline in crude oil prices will result in declining prices whilst macroeconomic indices, such as GDP, GNI and consumption, will increase exerting positive effects on domestic economic growth. Also, it is necessary to proactively respond to GCC member states' industrial diversification policies for FTA-based industrial cooperation to diversify the sources of crude oil and natural gas imports for further resource risk management.