• Title/Summary/Keyword: Financial Stability

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Determination of methamphetamine, 4-hydroxymethamphetamine, amphetamine and 4-hydroxyamphetamine in urine using dilute-and-shoot liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (시료 희석 주입 LC-MS/MS를 이용한 소변 중 메스암페타민, 4-하이드록시메스암페타민, 암페타민 및 4-하이드록시암페타민 동시 분석)

  • Heo, Bo-Reum;Kwon, NamHee;Kim, Jin Young
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.161-170
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    • 2018
  • The epidemic of disorders associated with synthetic stimulants, such as methamphetamine (MA) and amphetamine (AP), is a health, social, legal, and financial problem. Owing to the high potential of their abuse and addiction, reliable analytical methods are required to detect and identify MA, AP, and their metabolites in biological samples. Thus, a dilute-and-shoot liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of MA, 4-hydroxymethamphetamine (4HMA), AP, and 4-hydroxyamphetamine (4HA) in urine. Urine sample ($100{\mu}L$) was mixed with $50{\mu}L$ of mobile phase consisting of 0.4 % formic acid and methanol and $50{\mu}L$ of working internal-standard solution. Aliquots of $8{\mu}L$ diluted urine was injected into the LC-MS/MS system. For all analytes, chromatographic separation was performed using a C18 reversed-phase column with gradient elution and a total run time of 5 min. The identification and quantification were performed by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Linear least-squares regression was conducted to generate a calibration curve, with $1/x^2$ as the weighting factor. The linear ranges were 2.0-200, 1.0-800, and 10-2500 ng/mL for 4HA and 4HMA, AP, and MA, respectively. The inter- and intraday precisions were within 6.6 %, whereas the inter- and intraday accuracies ranged from -14.9 to 11.3 %. The low limits of quantification were 2.0 ng/mL (4HA and 4HMA), 1.0 ng/mL (AP), and 10 ng/mL (MA). The proposed method exhibited satisfactory selectivity, dilution integrity, matrix effect, and stability, which are required for validation. Moreover, the purification efficiency of high-speed centrifugation was clearly higher than 6-15 % for QC samples (n=5), which was higher than that of the membrane-filtration method. The applicability of the proposed method was tested by forensic analysis of urine samples from drug abusers.

Potential Benefits of Intercropping Corn with Runner Bean for Small-sized Farming System

  • Bildirici, N.;Aldemir, R.;Karsli, M.A.;Dogan, Y.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.22 no.6
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    • pp.836-842
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    • 2009
  • The objectives of this study were to evaluate potential benefits of intercropping of corn with runner bean for a smallsized farming system, based on land equivalent ratio (LER) and silage yield and quality of corn intercropped with runner bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), in arid conditions of Turkey under an irrigation system. This experiment was established as a split-plot design in a randomized complete block, with three replications and carried out over two (consecutive) years in 2006 and 2007. Seven different mixtures (runner bean, B and silage corn sole crop, C, 10% B+90% C, 20% B+80% C, 30% B+70% C, 40% B+60%C, and 50% B+50%C) of silage corn-runner bean were intercropped. All of the mixtures were grown under irrigation. The corn-runner bean fields were planted in the second week of May and harvested in the first week of September in both years. Green beans were harvested three times each year and green bean yields were recorded each time. After the 3rd harvest of green bean, residues of bean and corn together were randomly harvested from a 1 $m^{2}$ area by hand using a clipper when the bean started to dry and corn was at the dough stage. Green mass yields of each plot were recorded. Silages were prepared from each plot (triplicate) in 1 L mini-silos. After 60 d ensiling, subsamples were taken from this material for determination of dry matter (DM), pH, organic acids, chemical composition, and in vitro DM digestibility of silages. The LER index was also calculated to evaluate intercrop efficiencies with respect to sole crops. Average pH, acetic, propionic and butyric acid concentrations were similar but lactic acid and ammonia-N levels were significantly different (p<0.05) among different mixtures of bean intercropped with corn. Ammonia-N levels linearly increased from 0.90% to 2.218 as the percentage of bean increased in the mixtures up to a 50:50 seeding ratio. While average CP content increased linearly from 6.47 to 12.45%, and average NDF and ADF contents decreased linearly from 56.17 to 44.88 and from 34.92 to 33.51%, respectively, (p<0.05) as the percentage of bean increased in the mixtures up to a 50:50 seeding ratio, but DM and OM contents did not differ among different mixtures of bean intercropped with corn (p>0.05). In vitro OM digestibility values differed significantly among bean-corn mixture silages (p<0.05). Fresh bean, herbage DM, IVOMD, ME yields, and LER index were significantly influenced by percentage of bean in the mixtures (p<0.01). As the percentage of bean increased in the mixtures up to a 50:50 seeding ratio, yields of fresh bean (from 0 to 24,380 kg/ha) and CP (from 1,258.0 to 1,563.0 kg/ha) and LER values (from 1.0 to 1.775) linearly increased, but yields of herbage DM (from 19,670 to 12,550 kg/ha), IVOMD (from 12,790 to 8,020 kg/ha) and ME (46,230 to 29,000 Mcal/ha) yields decreased (p<0.05). In conclusion, all of the bean-corn mixtures provided a good silage and better CP concentrations. Even though forage yields decreased, the LER index linearly increased as the percentage of bean increased in the mixture up to a 50:50 seeding ratio, which indicates a greater utilization of land. Therefore, a 50:50 seeding ratio seemed to be best for optimal utilization of land in this study and to provide greater financial stability for labor-intensive, small farmers.

The Value of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Social Capital for Enhancing Collective Performance in R&D Collaborations of Korean Ventures (벤처기업의 R&D협력에서 사회적 자본과 기업가적 지향성이 협력성과에 미치는 영향)

  • Seo, Ribin
    • Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.1-33
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    • 2017
  • In the last decades, technology-oriented small firms, i.e. venture businesses, have been increasingly engaged in R&D collaborations with external parties as strategic means for technological innovation. Despite ample evidence on the benefit of such collaborations for the firms, there has been less attention to examining whether and how the firms' social interactions with cooperating partners and their managerial characteristics contribute to that benefit. Drawing on the theories of social capital and entrepreneurial orientation, this study is to remedy this gap. The theory of social capital, referring to a sum of the value and potential resources embedded in social relationships of collectives, provides an integrated view of social factors among cooperating partners, e.g. strong ties, network stability, trust, reciprocity, shared vision and value. It categorizes these factors into structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions of social capital. Entrepreneurial orientation theory captures firms' managerial characteristics as a combination of innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking. This addresses firms' managerial process to utilize and combine internal and external resources for wealth creation and opportunity realization. Against this background, this study investigates what roles social capital among cooperating R&D partners and entrepreneurial orientation of the collaborating firms play for collective performance improvement in R&D collaborations. In terms of the collective performance, this study adopts two indicators: technological competitiveness and business performance. Technological competitiveness refers to the contribution of a technology developed by a cooperative R&D project to competitive advantage of a firm while business performance is defined as the financial and economic outcome of a collaboration. Using a sample of 218 Korean ventures engaging in R&D collaboration with external parties, the author finds the significant effects of social capital (i.e. structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions) and entrepreneurial orientation (i.e. innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking) on both of the technological competitiveness and the business performance. Further, the higher the social capital among R&D partners, the more likely it is to foster the entrepreneurial orientation at firm-level. Most importantly, the entrepreneurial orientation at firm-level is an significant mediator of the relationship between social capital and collective performance. Beyond these novel empirical findings, this study contributes to the literature on R&D collaboration. The findings' implications for management and policy are deeply discussed in the conclusion.

Analysis on the Use Characteristics of Citizen based on Urban Green Spaces Type - Focuses on Suwon-City - (도시녹지 유형에 따른 도시민의 이용 특성 연구 - 수원시를 대상으로 -)

  • Kim, Yea Sung;Kim, Hyun;Ko, Jinsoo
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.42 no.5
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    • pp.31-40
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    • 2014
  • The importance of green spaces in the city is growing each day. Local governments are taking charge of park development works that are having difficulty in developing and managing urban parks due to high land value as well as a shortage in finances. This is even though an urban park is defined as an urban planning facility and the law provides park area per person. Civil residents, meanwhile, are using not only urban parks provided by law but also other green areas such as rivers, reservoirs, and school playgrounds because they recognize urban green areas by the concept of use. In this study, accordingly, urban green areas were sorted into two types, urban parks, parks provided by law, and other green areas, and the difference in use pattern and use satisfaction by type was analyzed. As a result of analysis, there was no remarkable difference between the two types. According to such results, it was found that it is necessary to include other green areas, such as rivers, reservoirs, school green areas, and apartment green areas in addition to the current park green areas provided by law when park area per person is calculated, and such calculation of urban green areas reflecting local characteristics can reduce local governments' financial burden and improve the effectiveness of future urban park policies. It is judged that such results can become a plan against the cancellation of unexecuted urban facilities. The fact that accessibility factors, such as road satisfaction, access convenience, and convenient movement, are affecting satisfaction with the use of urban parks suggests that it is important to improve urban park accessibilities rather than to quantitatively expand park area in order to improve satisfaction with urban parks. Considering that people travel to urban green areas mostly by walking, it is necessary for access convenience to conduct follow-up studies such as barrier-free and securing walking stability through analysis of routes to urban green areas.

Can Lufthansa Successfully Limit its Liability to the Families of the Victims of Germanwings flight 9525 Under the Montreal Convention?

  • Gipson, Ronnie R. Jr.
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.279-310
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    • 2015
  • The Montreal Convention is an agreement that governs the liability of air carriers for injury and death to passengers travelling internationally by air. The Montreal Convention serves as the exclusive legal framework for victims and survivors seeking compensation for injuries or death arising from accidents involving international air travel. The Montreal Convention sets monetary liability caps on damages in order to promote the financial stability of the international airline transport industry and protect the industry from exorbitant damages awards in courts that would inevitably bankrupt an airline. The Convention allows a litigant suing under the Convention to avoid the liability caps in instances where the airline's culpability for the injury or death is the direct result of negligence, another wrongful act, or an omission of the airline or its agents. The Montreal Convention identifies specific locations as appropriate venues to advance claims for litigants seeking compensation. These venues are closely tied to either the carrier's business operations or the passenger's domicile. In March 2015, in an act of suicide stemming from reactive depression, the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525 intentionally crashed the aircraft into the French Alps killing the passengers and the remaining crew. Subsequent to the crash, there were media reports that Lufthansa made varying settlement offers to families of the passengers who died aboard the flight ranging from $8,300 USD to $4.5 Million USD depending on the passengers' citizenship. The unverified offers by Lufthansa prompted outcries from the families of the decedent passengers that they would institute suit against the airline in a more plaintiff friendly jurisdiction such as the United States. The first part of this article accomplishes two goals. First, it examines the Montreal Convention's venue requirement along with an overview of the recoverable damages from countries comprising the citizenship of the passengers who were not American. The intentional crash of Germanwings flight 9525 by its First Officer encompasses the possibility that Lufthansa may be exposed to unlimited compensatory damages beyond the liability caps contained in the Convention. The second part of this article explores the application of the Convention's liability limits to the Germanwings flight to demonstrate that the likelihood of escaping the liability limits is slim.

The Achievements and limitations of the U. S. Welfare Reform (미국 복지개혁의 성과와 한계)

  • Kim, Hwan-Joon
    • Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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    • v.53
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    • pp.129-153
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    • 2003
  • This study examines the socio-economic impacts of recent welfare reform in the United States. Based on the neo-conservative critique to the traditional public assistance system for low-income families, the 1996 welfare reform has given greater emphases on reducing welfare dependency and increasing work effort and self-sufficiency among welfare recipients. In particular, the welfare reform legislation instituted 60-month lifetime limits on cash assistance, expanded mandatory work requirements, and placed financial penalties for noncompliance. With the well-timed economic boom in the second half of the 1990s, the welfare reform seems to achieve considerable progress; welfare caseload has declined sharply to reach less than 50% of its 1994 peak, single mothers' labor force participation has increased substantially, and child poverty has decreased. In spite of these good signals, the welfare reform also has several potential problems. Many welfare leavers participate in the labor market, but not all (or most) of them. The economic well being of working welfare leavers did not increased significantly, because earnings increase was canceled out by parallel decrease in welfare benefits. Furthermore, most of working welfare leavers are employed in jobs with poor employment stability and low wages, making them highly vulnerable to frequent layoff, long-time joblessness, persistent poverty, and welfare recidivism. Another serious problem of the welfare reform is that a substantial number of welfare recipients are faced with extreme difficulties in finding jobs, because they have severe barriers to employment. The new welfare system with 5-year time limit can severely threaten the livelihoods of these people. The welfare reform presupposes that welfare recipients can achieve self-reliance by increasing their labor market activities. However, empirical evidences suggest that many people are unable to respond to the new, work-oriented welfare strategy. It may be a very difficult task to achieve both objectives of the welfare reform((1) providing adequate income security for low-income families and (2) promoting self-sufficiency) at the same time, because sometimes they are conflicting each other. With this in mind, a possible solution can be to distinguish welfare recipients into "(Very)-Hard-to-Employ" group and "(Relatively)-Ready-to-Work" group, based on elaborate examinations of a wide range of personal conditions. For the former group, the primary objective of welfare policies should be the first one(providing income security). For the "Ready-to-Work" group, follow-up services to promote job retention and advancement, as well as skill-training and job-search services, are very important. The U. S. experiences of the welfare reform provide some useful implications for newly developing Korean public assistance policies for the able-bodied low-income population.

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Study on the Adolescent′s Attitude Patterns toward the Meaning of Aging and the Elderly - Q-Methodology - (노인의 의미에 관한 청소년의 태도 유형 연구 - Q 방법론 적용 -)

  • Park In Sook;Lee Keum Jae
    • Child Health Nursing Research
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.292-304
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    • 1999
  • The lengthened average span of human life by virtue of recent developments in medicine has caused the Population of elders to increase. The development of modern industrial society has transformed family structure from the large family system to that of a nuclear family. Due to the shift in family structure, the problem of support for the aged has surfaced as a nursing problem as well as a social problem. With regard to this problem, this study aims to investigate the adolescent's understanding of elders and aging. By identifying their understanding and classifying their attitude patterns, this study will help the nursing assessment of the support of elders in the family. This study employed Q-methodology and the research was conducted from December 1998 to May 1999. One method of the research included deep interviews with elders, those who are in their 50's. 40's or 30's. and the adolescent. 183 Q-Populations taken from literary works such as poems or novels were also formed as another method. Finally. 36 Q-cards were made after consultation with Professors of the nursing department. The subjects of the P- sample were 30 high sohoolboys/girls - who were in first, second, and third years. The result showed that 3 factors provided an explanation for 59.14% of the whole variables: the first factor, 41.37%; the second factor. 11.49%, and the third factor. 6.28%. These three factors were analyzed and categorized as three types. Twenty subjects out of the 30 were included in Type 1: Respecting Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: 'The declining age is a perfect time to prosper completing a worthy life' ; 'Getting old. one needs financial stability' and 'Elders wish the best for their children' The statements showing the most negative response were as follows: 'It is better to die than to live as an older person' ; 'Elders are insignificant' ; and 'Getting old is the worst unhappiness that tortures human.' Four subjects were included in Type 2. Resenting Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: 'Aging is a process of dying that nobody can escape from'. 'Elders should be concerned about his health and try to maintain their health' ; and 'When you set older. you regret about the life in the Past.' The statements showing the most negative response were as follows: 'When You get older. You should stand aloof greed and worldly things' 'When You got older, You become generous and gentle' ; and 'When You set he gets old. You change to become a comfortable and warm person.' Six out of 30 subject were included in Type 3 Caring Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: 'Elders should be concerned about his health and try to maintain their health' ; 'Elders wish the best for their children' ; and 'Elders deserve to be treated with filial respects.' The statements showing the most negative response were as follows 'Elders are insignificant' ; 'Elders have freedom and plenty of free time.' and 'Elders are alienated form and drove out of the society.' The above-mentioned results show that most adolescents in Korea recognize aging as the time of fruition and development: it is a time of benefiting and giving back to society. Aging can also be seen as a time of generosity and magnanimity and the time of respect and favorable treatment from society. despite the change of modern society and the ostensible transformation of a family system. Their recognition seems deeply rooted in the traditional confucian values and the dual family system which is Peculiar especially to the Korea - one which maintains both the superficial form of nuclear family and the substantial mode of the enlarged family system. In sum, many Korean adolescents attribute the meaning of the elderly and aging to the type of the respect with the elderly and the type of the elderly's caretaking.

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Disability-Rights Based International Cooperation: With Some References to North Korea (장애 권리 기반한 국제협력: 북한 관련하여)

  • Kim, Hyung Shik;Woo, Joo Hyung
    • 재활복지
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.1-30
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    • 2018
  • This paper attempts to explore the place of human and disability rights from the perspective of Social Welfare within the context of the UN Disability Rights Convention of 2006. The overall discussion is focused especially upon the situations of human and disability rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as it is being challenged to drastically address the issues of human rights in general, and disability rights in particular. The UN Disability Rights Convention challenges every ratified State party to commence legal reforms, legal harmonization, and policy and program developments to implement the Convention. Both North and South Korea are not exceptions to this. Even without drawing upon the UN's the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the dire situation of human rights in North Korea is well documented. However, this paper does not assume South Korea's human rights are any way superior to that of North Korea. This paper spells out areas for further action common to two Koreas and to any other nations for that matter. Apart from the general discussion on disability rights, the distinctive contribution of this paper lies in the fact that it has endeavored to draw upon any latest information and data on North Korea. It relied on various sources from UN and also from North Korea itself. One can note that North Korean disability authorities are making strenuous efforts to improve human rights of persons with disabilities in their desires to seek assistance from outside. It also shows an enormous need for international cooperation in seeking financial and material supports. This paper notes the latest political development between North and South Korea in taking "phased" steps for peace and stability as a positive sign for North and South Koreans' DPOs collaboration under the banner of International Cooperation of the article 32 of the UN Disability Rights Convention. More critically, this paper points to the further need to improve the overall data bases to ensure balanced legal reforms, policy developments and sharpen the areas of international collaboration.

China's Government Audit and Governance Efficiency of Companies: Analyses of Listed Companies Controlled By China's Central State-Owned Enterprises (중국의 정부감사와 기업의 관리효율성 : 중국 중앙기업 상장자회사 분석)

  • Choe, Kuk-Hyun;Sun, Quan
    • International Area Studies Review
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.55-75
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    • 2018
  • In China, different from the private enterprises or the locally-administered state enterprises, central state-owned enterprises generally spread over cornerstone industry which is greatly influenced by the public policy, which results in the objective existence of government influence in their productive activities. As the strategic resource, listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises, mostly distributed in the lifeblood and security of key industries. Therefore, listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises' governance efficiency play an important role in optimal allocation of state-owned assets, improve capital operation, improve the return on capital, and maintain state-owned assets safety. As the immune systems of national governance, the government audit strengthen the supervision of listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises in case of the loss of state-owned assets and significant risk events occur, to ensure that the value of state-owned assets. As an important component of national governance, government audit produced in entrusted with the economic responsibility of public relationship. Government audit can play an important role in maintaining financial security and corruption, and also improve listed company's accounting stability and transparency. While government audit can improve governance efficiency and maintain state-owned assets safety, present literature is scarce. Under the corporate governance theory and the economical responsibility theory, the thesis select data from 2010-2017 to verify the relationship between government audit and listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises' corporate performance. Results show that listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises are more likely to be audited by government of poor performance. Results also show that the government audit will have a promoting effect on listed companies controlled by central state-owned enterprises, and through to the improvement of the governance efficiency will enhance its companies' value. The results show that China's government audit has appealing role in accomplishing central state-owned enterprises to realize the business objectives and in promoting the governance efficiency.

Health and nutrition intake status of the Korean elderly according to their food security level: data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII), 2016-2018 (식품안정성 수준에 따른 한국노인의 건강상태와 영양섭취현황: 제7기 (2016-2018) 국민건강영양조사 자료 활용)

  • Maeng, Ahreum;Lee, Jeehyun;Yoon, Eunju
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.54 no.2
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    • pp.179-198
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: This study examined general characteristics, health status, accessibility to medical services, health-related quality of life, dietary behavior, and energy and nutrient intakes of the elderly at different levels of food security utilizing data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). Methods: The elderly subjects (1,721 males and 2,271 females) were divided into 3 groups (secure, mildly insecure, moderately/severely insecure) according to their food security levels. Health and nutrient status was determined using energy intake, nutrient density, the prevalence of insufficient nutrient intake, dietary behavior, and health status. Results: The elderly with food insecurities had a lower self-evaluated health status and a higher prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic diseases such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis for males, and hypertension, stroke, arthritis, and osteoarthritis for females. The associated financial burden was the major reason for not accessing medical services in the food insecure group. Furthermore, the food insecure group had a higher risk of impaired health-related quality of life compared to the secure group. The proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement was higher in the food insecure group and a significantly higher prevalence of insufficient intake was observed for all the nutrients (proteins, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron) assessed in this study compared to the food secure group. Conclusion: This study suggests that food insecurity poses a challenge to the health and nutritional status of the elderly population in Korea and needs proper management. It would be helpful to develop food and nutrition assistance programs to ensure the food stability of the elderly population and assure quality to address gaps in their nutrient intake.