• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.543-553
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• 2023

The current status of domestic a agalmatolite mines in South Korea was investigated with a view to establishing a stable supply of agalmatolite and managing its demand. Most mined agalmatolite deposits were formed through hydrothermal alteration of Mesozoic volcanic rocks. The physical characteristics of pyrophyllite, the main constituent mineral of agalmatolite, are as follows: specific gravity 2.65~2.90, hardness 1~2, density 1.60~1.80 g/cm³, refractoriness ≥29, and color white, gray, grayish white, grayish green, yellow, or yellowish green. Among the chemical components of domestic agalmatolite, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents are respectively 58.2~67.2 and 23.1~28.8 wt.% for pyrophyllite, 49.2~72.6 and 16.5~31.0 wt.% for pyrophyllite + dickite, 45.1 and 23.3 wt.% for pyrophyllite + illite, 43.1~82.3 and 11.4~35.8 wt.% for illite, and 37.6~69.0 and 19.6~35.3 wt.% for dickite. Domestic agalmatolite mines are concentrated mainly in the southwest and southeast of the Korean Peninsula, with some occurring in the northeast. Twenty-one mines currently produce agalmatolite in South Korea, with reserves in the order of Jeonnam (45.6%) > Chungbuk (30.8%) > Gyeongnam (13.0%) > Gangwon (4.8%), and Gyeongbuk (4.8%). The top 10 agalmatolite-producing mines are in the order of the Central Resources Mine (37.9%) > Wando Mine (25.6%) > Naju Ceramic Mine (13.4%) > Cheongseok-Sajiwon Mine (5.4%) > Gyeongju Mine (5.0%) > Baekam Mine (5.0%) > Minkyung-Nohwado Mine (3.3%) > Bugok Mine (2.3%) > Jinhae Pylphin Mine (2.2%) > Bohae Mine. Agalmatolite has low thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, thermal deformation, and expansion coefficients, low bulk density, high heat and corrosion resistance, and high sterilization and insecticidal efficiency. Accordingly, it is used in fields such as refractory, ceramic, cement additive, sterilization, and insecticide manufacturing and in filling materials. Its scope of use is expanding to high-tech industries, such as water treatment ceramic membranes, diesel exhaust gas-reduction ceramic filters, glass fibers, and LCD panels.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2023

The study area was Gangnim-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do, composed of the Chiaksan gneiss complex, and it was revealed that the concentrations of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) within the groundwater of the study area exceeded their water quality standards. Hence, artificial weathering experiments were conducted to elucidate mineralogically the mechanisms of their leaching using drilling cores obtained from the corresponding groundwater aquifers. First of all, the mineralogical compositions of core samples were observed, and the results indicated that the content of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group of minerals that can form through low- and intermediate-temperature metamorphisms, was relatively higher. In addition, the Th concentration was measured ten times higher than that of U. The results of artificial weathering experiments suggested that the Th concentrations gradually increased through the dissolution of radioactive-element-bearing minerals up to the first day, and then they tended to decrease. It could be attributed to the fact that Th was leached with the dissolution of thorite, which might be a secondary mineral, and then dissolved Th was re-precipitated as the various forms of salt, such as sulfate. Even though the U content was lower than that of Th in the core samples, the U concentration was one hundred times higher than that of Th after the weathering experiments. It is likely caused by the gradual dissolution and desorption of U included in intensively weathered thorite or adsorbed as a form of UO₂²⁺ on the mineral surface. In addition, the leaching tendency of U and Th was positively correlated with the bicarbonate concentration. However, the concentrations between U and Th in groundwater exhibited a relatively lower correlation, which might result from the fact that they occurred from different sources, as aforementioned. Among various kinetic models, the parabolic diffusion and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were confirmed to best fit the dissolution kinetics of both elements. The period that would be taken for the U concentration to exceed its drinking-water standard was inferred using the regressed parameters of the best-fitted models, and the duration of 29.4 years was predicted in the neutral-pH aquifers with relatively higher concentrations of HCO₃, indicating that U could be relatively quickly leached out into groundwater.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.439-449
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• 2023

This study was conducted to verify the role of forest roads in the extinction of large forest fires in Korea. The study area was the forest fire-damaged area of Gangneung City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, in April 2023, which is one of the areas with the highest road density among the major forest fires that have occurred so far. The scope of the forest fire damage area was confirmed through on-site survey, and the intensity of the fire was carried out through Sentinel-2 satellite imagery analysis. After that, the relationship between the damage range and intensity and the forest road was examined. About 59.6 km of roads were built within 50 m from the boundary of the forest fire damage area, which can easily access the entire 149.1 ha of forest fire damaged area. The road density is as high as 168.9 m/ha. All forests that were fragmented by roads were fragmented into 83 places, and all of these forests could be judged to have spread by spotting fire. As a result of analyzing the distribution of damage intensity by distance from the road to see the extent of damage according to the ease of access of fire extinguishing vehicles, it was confirmed that the proportion of areas with low-intensity damage has increased sharply even from 75 m or more away from the road. The results of analyzing the distribution of damage intensity by altitude to see the extent of damage according to the ease of access of fire extinguishing showed that the proportion of areas with low-intensity damage increased as the altitude increased, while the proportion of areas with damage of more than strong intensity decreased as the altitude increased. It was confirmed that there is no data that roads inside or adjacent to forests in the forest fire area of Gangneung City are effective in extinguishing forest fires. These results are contrary to the logic that increasing the road density in forests is effective in extinguishing forest fires. In the case of this fire area in Gangneung City, the road density is 43 times higher than the current road density in Korea claimed by the Korea Forest Service of 3.9 m/ha. This study suggests that roads can be a hindrance to extinguishing forest fires.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2024

Erwinia amylovora is a gram-negative plant pathogen that causes fire blight in apple and pear trees, resulting in significant damage worldwide. In this study, we monitored the emergence of fire blight from 2019 to 2023 to determine the emergence patterns and the factors affecting the outbreak of the disease. As a result of the 5-year survey on the emergence of fire blight, a total of 2,029 cases have emerged, mostly in apple trees of 1,378 cases (67.9%) followed by 645 cases (31.8%) in pear trees, and from quince, hawthorn, and mountain ash trees. Fire blight appeared in specific areas of Gyeonggi, Chungnam, Gangwon, and Chungbuk provinces in 2019, but spread to Andong and Yesan in 2021, Muju and Bonghwa in 2023. In 2020 and 2021, there were 744 and 618 cases of fire blight outbreaks, respectively, compared to other years (188-245 cases/year). Notably, 914 of these cases were observed in apple trees from May to July, with 667 cases reported in Chungju and Jecheon. The incidence of fire blight was positively correlated with the daily maximum temperatures and rainy days in January and February, as well as the rainy days in May and June. The average age of the diseased pear trees was 25 years, higher than the 10-year average age of the apple trees. This study provides fundamental information to understand the status and factors affecting the fire blight emergence in Korea. Prevention measures should be established through continuous analysis of the status of fire blight.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2023

Background: This study analyzed the differences in practice satisfaction, major, and willingness to work abroad among dental hygiene department students at K University in Gangwon-do based on their participation in international practicums. Methods: A survey was conducted on a total of 215 students through convenience sampling of dental hygiene students, and the final 214 responses were analyzed. General characteristics were examined. Major satisfaction and grades were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. And satisfaction with practice, intention to participate in international practicums, and employment were investigated by papers. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on general characteristics using SPSS software (version 26.0). Due to the convenience sample, nonparametric analysis was used to determine satisfaction with practice and major according to general characteristics using the Mann-whitney U and Kruskal-wallis test. An independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the difference between practice satisfaction and major satisfaction depending on participation in international practicums, and Fisher's exact test was conducted to determine practice satisfaction, willingness to participate in overseas internships, and employment. Results: Concerning future participation in international clinical practicums, 66.7% of students who had previously participated in overseas training expressed willingness to engage again. 40.9% of those who had not participated showed no intention of participating, and there was a significant difference (p<0.05). Additionally, 76.2% of the participants expressed interest in overseas employment, with this difference also being statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was confirmed that students' satisfaction with practice and major increased through participation in international practicums, and that they had a positive intention to work abroad and participate in overseas internship programs in the future.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.69 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2024

A region can be divided into cultivation zones based on homogeneity in weather variables that have the greatest influence on crop growth and yield. This study classified the cultivation zone of soybean using weather indices as a prior study to classify the agroclimatic zone of soybean. Meteorological factors affecting soybeans were determined through correlation analysis over a 10 year period (from 2013 to 2022) using data from the Miryang and Suwon regions collected from the soybean yield trial database of the Rural Development Administration, Korea and the meteorological database of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The correlation between growth characteristics and the minimum temperature, daily temperature range, and precipitation were high during the vegetative growth stages. Moreover, the correlation between yield components and the maximum temperature, daily temperature range, and precipitation were high during the reproductive growth stages. As a result of k-means clustering, soybean cultivation zones were divided into three zones. Zone 1 was the central inland region and southern Gyeonggi-do; Zone 2 was the southern part of the west coast, the southern part of the east coast, and the South Sea; and Zone 3 included parts of eastern Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, and areas with high altitudes. Zone 1, which has a wide latitude range, was further subdivided into three cultivation zones. The results of this study may provide useful information for estimating agrometeorological characteristics and predicting the success of soybean cultivation in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2024

This study was conducted to investigate the early life history by observing the egg development of Ladislavia taczanowskii in endangered fish and to use it as basic data for species conservation research. The broodstork used in the study was secured from the area of the Hongcheon River in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon State. The broodstork, who was being raised in the laboratory, selected mature individuals in May 2021 and induced them to spawn by hormone injection. The size of the maturation egg was 1.50~1.79 (average 1.59±0.08, n=30) mm due to the circular invasive egg. The incubation time took 168 hours at 16.5℃ and 109 hours and 30 minutes at 25.5℃. Newly hatched larvae, the consonants had a total length of 5.55~6.31 mm (6.30±6.93, n=30) mm, and the mouth and anus did not open and had egg yolk. 5 days after hatching, the preflexion larvae had a total length of 9.91~10.8 (10.1±0.27, n=30) mm, and the mouth and anus opened, and feeding activities began. 8 days after hatching, the flexion larvae had a total length of 10.3~11.4 (10.8±0.38, n=30) mm, and the end of the vertebrae at the tail fin tip began to bend upward. 10 day after hatching, the postflexion larvae had a total length of 11.8~13.1 (12.3±0.43, n=30) mm, and the end of the vertebrae at the tail tip was completely bent at 45°. 18 days after hatching, the total length of the juveniles was 18.9~23.4 (20.4±1.69, n=30) mm, and the number of fins in each part was fin rays with 10 dorsal fins, 9 anal fins, 22 caudal fins, and 7 ventral fins. As a result of the study, the postflexion larvae showed differences in morphology from other Gobioninae fishes in the upper part of the tail's hypural, the shape of spots on the dorsal vertebrae, the vertical stripes developed on the head, and the irregularly deposited melanophore throughout the body.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.40-50
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• 2024

Pine forests are continuously declining due to competition with broadleaf trees, such as oaks, as a consequence of changes in the natural dynamics of forest ecosystem. This natural decline creates a risk of losing the various benefits pine trees have provided to people in the past. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare future forest management directions by considering the state of pine tree decline in each region. The goal of this study is to understand the characteristics of pine forest changes according to forest dynamics and to predict future regional changes. For this purpose, we evaluated the trend of change in pine forests and extracted various variables(topography, forest stand type, disturbance, and climate) that affect the change, using time-series National Forest Inventory (NFI) data. Also, using selected key variables, a model was developed to predict future changes in pine forests. As a results, it showed that the importance of pine trees in forests across the country has decreased overall over the past 10 years. Also, 75% of the sample points representing pine trees remained unchanged, while the remaining 25% had changed to mixed forests. It was found that these changes mainly occurred in areas with good moisture conditions or disturbance factors inside and outside the forest. In the next 10 years, approximately 14.2% of current pine forests was predicted to convert to mixed forests due to changes in natural forest dynamics. Regionally, the rate of pine forest change was highest in Jeju(42.8%) and Gyeonggi(26.9%) and lowest in Gyeongbuk(8.8%) and Gangwon(13.8%). It was predicted that pine forests would be at a high risk of decline in western areas of the Korean Peninsula, including Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeonnam. This results can be used to make a management plan for pine forests throughout the country.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.37-49
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to explore whether there are differences in smoking status between two regions of Wonju-City and Chuncheon-City, Gangwon State, and to determine whether the experience of smoking cessation programs in the region affects quit attempts. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional study in which adults aged 19 and older living in two cities were surveyed using a pre-developed mobile app to investigate social capital for smoking cessation, and a total of 600 citizens were participated, including 310 in Wonju-City and 290 in Chuncheon-City. The statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Wonju-City had a higher prevalence of current smoking than Chuncheon-City. Among smoking cessation programs operated by local public health centers, Wonju-City had a lower odds ratio for experience with smoking cessation education than Chuncheon-City (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.33 to 0.81). When examining the effect of smoking cessation program experience on quit attempts, in Wonju-City, citizens who had completed smoking cessation education and used a smoking cessation clinic were more likely to attempt to quit than those who had not (OR=2.31 and OR=2.29, respectively). In Chuncheon-City, citizens who were aware of smoking cessation support services were 2.26 times more likely to attempt to quit smoking than those who were not, but statistical significance was not reached due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Therefore, healthcare organizations in both regions should develop more practical intervention strategies to increase smokers' quit attempts, reduce smoking rates in the community, and address regional disparities.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.8
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• pp.509-518
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• 2024

Flash drought is a rapid-onset drought that occurs rapidly over a short period due to abrupt changes in meteorological and environmental factors. In this study, we utilized satellite-based soil moisture product from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2(AMSR2) ascending X-band to calculate the weekly Flash Drought Intensity Index (FDII). We also analyzed the characteristics of flash droughts on the Korean Peninsula over a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. The analysis of monthly spatial distribution patterns of the irrigation period across the Korean Peninsula revealed significant variations. In North Korea (NK), a substantial increase in the rate of intensification (FD_INT) was observed due to the rapid depletion of soil moisture, whereas South Korea (SK) experienced a significant increase in drought severity (DRO_SEV). Additionally, regional time series analysis revealed that both FD_INT and DRO_SEV were significantly high in the Gangwon province of both NK and SK. The estimation of probability density by region revealed a clear difference in FD_INT between NK and SK, with SK showing a higher probability of severe drought occurrence primarily due to the high values of DRO_SEV. As a result, it is inferred that the occurrence frequency and damage of flash droughts in NK are higher than those in SK, as indicated by the higher density of large FDII values in the NK region. We analyzed the correlation between DRO_SEV and the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) across the Korean Peninsula and confirmed a positive correlation ranging from 0.4 to 0.6. It is concluded that analyzing overall drought conditions through the average drought severity holds high utility. These findings are expected to contribute to understanding the characteristics of flash droughts on the Korean Peninsula and formulating post-event response plans.