• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.435-446
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• 2020

The use of groundwater in Korea has increased in recent years to the point where its extraction is restricted in times of drought. This work models the groundwater pumping field as a confined aquifer in a simplified simulation of groundwater flow. It proposes a genetic algorithm to maximize groundwater development using a conceptual model of a steady-state confined aquifer. Solving the groundwater flow equation numerically calculates the hydraulic head along the domain of the problem; the algorithm subsequently offers optimized pumping strategies. The algorithm proposed here is designed to improve a prior initial groundwater management model. The best solution is obtained after 200 iterations. The results compare the computing time for five simulation cases. This study shows that the proposed algorithm can facilitate better groundwater development compared with a basic genetic algorithm.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.112-127
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• 2017

Groundwater accounts for more than 10% of the total water supply in Korea. However, the contribution of groundwater to public water supply systems has been poorly played role throughout the country except for Jeju Island. Compared with the groundwater uses in foreign countries, the pattern of groundwater use in Korea seems to be very deformed and unreasonable. Currently, the development and use of groundwater in Korea are mostly carried out by the individuals, and public sectors such as central and local governments are not actively involved in such activities. Private groundwater use and management will continue to cause groundwater depletion and pollution problems. It is necessary to actively enhance the role of public authorities in groundwater managements by engaging precise hydrogeological surveys and proper economic evaluation in the development and operation of groundwater sources. Also, in order to solve the problems that public water supply systems overly rely on the surface water sources, it is necessary to take policies that require the water supply companies to secure a variety of water sources.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.95-105
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• 2021

Extensive groundwater abstraction has been recognized as one of the major challenges in management of coastal groundwater. The purpose of this study was to assess potential changes of groundwater distribution of northeastern Jeju Island over 10-year duration, where brackish water have been actively developed. To quantitatively estimate the coastal groundwater resources, numerical simulations using three-dimensional finite-difference density-dependent flow models were performed to describe spatial distribution of the groundwater in the aquifer under various pumping and recharge scenarios. The simulation results showed different spatial distribution of freshwater, brackish, and saline groundwater at varying seawater concentration from 10 to 90%. Volumetric analysis was also performed using three-dimensional concentration distribution of groundwater to calculate the volume of fresh, brackish, and saline groundwater below sea level. Based on the volumetric analysis, a quantitative analysis of future seawater intrusion vulnerability was performed using the volume-based vulnerability index adopted from the existing analytical approaches. The result showed that decrease in recharge can exacerbate vulnerability of coastal groundwater resources by inducing broader saline area as well as increasing brackish water volume of unconfined aquifers.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.19
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• pp.287-291
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• 1999

This study was performed to develop an information processing system for the sound conservation of soil and groundwater resources. The system contains the geographic spatial information system(GSIS), and the numerical model of groundwater flow and contamination. Numerical models (MODFLOW, MOC3D, MT3D, PMPATH, PEST, UCODE) and GSIS(ArcView) were integrated for the construction of an integrated management system of subsurface environment. The developed system was applied to the management of three mineral water companies located in clean mountain area. The impact of pumping over the overall catchment basin was modeled using the developed system for the decision of future management criteria.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.3-5
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.1-38
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• 1996

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.271-280
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• 2024

This study examines the European Union (EU)'s policies on managing nitrate contamination in groundwater and provides implications for the future groundwater management in South Korea. Initiated by the 1991 Nitrate Directive, the EU has pursued a multifaceted approach to reduce agricultural nitrate pollution through sustainable ('good') farming practices, regular nitrate level monitoring, and designating Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. Further policy integrations, like the Water Framework Directive and Groundwater Directive, have established comprehensive protection strategies, including the use of pollutant threshold values. Recently, the 2019 Green Deal escalated efforts against nitrates, aligning with broader environmental and climate objectives. This review aims to explore these developments, highlighting key mitigation strategies against nitrate pollution, and providing valuable insights for the future sustainable groundwater nitrate management in South Korea, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures and collaborative efforts to restore and improve groundwater quality.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.481-489
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• 2022

Various types of karst topographies are found worldwide. Owing to their global distribution, karst areas have been extensively studied by scientists who investigate new discoveries by linking the characteristics of karst topographies with their own research fields. However, there have been only a few studies on karsts in the Republic of Korea, and little research exists on their hydrogeology. Fragmentary studies have been conducted on the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in limestone areas, the causes of high arsenic concentrations in groundwater, and the hydraulic conductivity of limestone areas. Research on hydrogeological characterization and flow mechanisms in these areas has only began recently. Identification and the proper management of available groundwater resources in karst (limestone) areas is essential as their unique geological characteristics render it difficult to construct reservoirs or dams at appropriate scales. We have reviewed prior work on karsts in the Republic of Korea to provide information that supports water resource security in the karst areas, to improve the understanding of the equitable use of water resources, and to identify the best management practices for groundwater resource resilience improvement.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.spc1
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• pp.755-764
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• 2020

In South Korea, 850 standard watersheds and 7,807 KRF catchment areas have been used as basic maps for water resources policy establishment, however it becomes necessary to set up new standard maps with a more appropriate scale for the integrated managements of surface water-groundwater as well as water quantity-quality in the era of integrated water management. Since groundwater has a slow flow velocity and also has 3-D flow properties compared to surface water, the sub-catchment size is more effective than the regional watershed for the evaluation of surface water-groundwater interaction. The KRF catchment area, which has averagely a smaller area than the standard watershed, is similar to the sub-catchment area that generally includes the first-order or second-order tributaries. Some KRF catchment areas, which are based on the surface reach, are too small or large in a wide plain or high mountain area. Therefore, it is necessary to revise the existing KRF area if being used as a unit area for integrated management of surface-water and groundwater. A unit watershed with a KRF area of about 5 to 15 ㎢ can be effective as a basic unit for water management of local government considering a tributary composition and the location of groundwater wells, and as well it can be used as a basic tool for water demand-supply evaluation, hydrological observation system establishment, judgment of groundwater permission through a total quantity management system, pollution assessment, and prioritizing water policy, and etc.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.257-270
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• 2022

This study evaluated the hydraulic factors contributing to the decreasing groundwater levels across Jeju island. Time-series data for groundwater level, precipitation, and groundwater usage and information on land use were acquired, and the correlations among them were analyzed to evaluate the causes of the decreasing groundwater. The effects of precipitation and groundwater usage on the fluctuations of groundwater level were quantified using response surface analysis and sensitivity analysis, and methods for groundwater quantity management by region were proposed. The results showed that the rate of groundwater decrease in the western region was larger than that in the eastern region. For the eastern region, the influence of precipitation was large and the rate of decrease in the groundwater level was relatively small. The geological formation of this part of the island and continuous seawater intrusion suggest that although the absolute amount of groundwater extracted for use was large, the decrease in the groundwater level was not seen to be great due to an increase in pressure by seawater intrusion. Overall, precipitation and groundwater usage had the greatest effect on the amount of groundwater in the western region, and thus their data would be most useful for informing groundwater management, whereas other factors (e.g., sea level and the location of the freshwater-seawater transition zone) must be considered when understanding Jeju's eastern region. As the characteristics of groundwater level fluctuations in the eastern and western regions are distinct, an optimal management plan for each region should be proposed to ensure the efficient management of groundwater quantity.