• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.1-23
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• 2014

This paper has studied the monetary policy in Korea with a time varying VAR model using four key macroeconomic variables. First, inclusion of the exchange rate was a crucial factor in evaluating Korean monetary policy since the monetary policy demonstrated sensitivity to exchange rate movements during the crisis periods of both the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the global financial crisis of 2008. Second, a specification of the stochastic volatilities in TVP-VAR model is important in explaining excessive movements of all variables in the sample. The overall moderation of variables in 2000s was more or less due to a reduction of the stochastic volatilities but also somewhat due to the macroeconomic fundamental structures captured by impulse response functons. Third, the degree of the monetary policy effectiveness of inflation was mitigated in recent periods but with increased persistence. Lastly, the monetary policy stance towards inflation stabilization has advanced ever since the inflation targeting scheme was adopted. However, there still seems to be a room for improvement in this aspect since the degree of the monetary policy stance towards inflation stabilization was relatively weaker than to output stabilization.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.131-161
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• 2017

The political dynamics of Malaysia in 2016 should be seen as a process of losing an political opportunity mainly due to the split in opposition parties. The opportunity for political development was triggered by the ruling party in crisis. The ongoing 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal involving the Prime Minister Najib Razak would have provided a favorable condition for the transfer of power. The opposition parties have however failed to utilize the chance that has arisen since the general elections in 2008 and 2013 due to the chronic problem of disunity. It can be seen as distortions of political development referring to a phenomenon in which a chance for regime change formed by the crisis in authoritarian regime is distorted by internal conflicts among opposition parties. Malaysia's political turmoil seemed to paralyze its economy while foreign policy was used as a tool for domestic politics. It was reported that the key economic indicator have worsen including exports and budget deficit. The ringgit had dropped to its lowest level since the economic crisis in 1997-98 which was mainly attributed to diminishing credibility on the Najib's administration. Najib's political struggle has also impeded Malaysia's foreign policy which has attempt to embrace China and the Rohingya issue. The chance to manage key risks would be diminished if oppositions' disunity continues as there is speculation that the general election could be held in 2017.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.179-208
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• 2004

With the outbreak of the financial crisis in mid-1997, the Korean government has removed a majority of M&A-related regulations in order to facilitate M&A transactions. This was based upon the belief that M&As are one of the most efficient ways to restructure financially distressed firms compared to other government-driven restructuring programs. In this paper, we try to empirically assess the role of M&A in restructuring distressed firms in Korea following the financial crisis. In doing so, three empirical analyses have been conducted. The first analysis attempts to identify financial characteristics of the insolvent M&A targets. The second exercise directly tests the change in performance of insolvent M&A targets before and after such M&A transactions. The third analysis is a more general assessment on the role of M&A transactions to determine if being involved in an M&A transaction (regardless of its motivate) has reduced the probability of becoming insolvent in the future. Overall, we find some evidence supporting that M&A activities after the financial crisis have played a positive role in restructuring financially distressed firms in Korea.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1419-1425
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• 2009

Quantity Surveying Profession is a new breed with a history of only less than seven years in S. Korea' s Construction Industry. In this paper, the research aims to investigate the background of the market entrance of this profession in Korean Construction Industry, and the current market direction and future market demands. The research concludes that climate changes in Real Estate markets in relation to Project Financing practices caused by economic crisis of late 1997's, enabled the UK originated QSP sustainable in S. Korea. Moreover it was pointed out that the services of QSP current available in S. Korea's market attributed the different aspect compared to traditional quantity surveying services prevailed in UK. Finally it was apparent that the evolutional direction of the future quantity surveying market in S. Korea is most likely toward multidisciplinary skilled services profession processing not only broader architectural knowledges but cost consciousness, specialty in construction costs and construction contract aspects and transparency in ethical manner.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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• autumn
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• pp.369-372
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• 2003

Korea companies have been faced with the demand of environmental changes abroad by suffering Economic Crisis at 1997. In fact, these demand that modern firms are in the keen struggles for existence is the essential condition though of the age of Economic Crisis. Coping with these situation. these companies are making desperate efforts, which are reorganization, renovation, improvement, however, the procedure or the result about these efforts of change have to be checked wisely. That is, the firms have to meet requirement that could enhance their values because organization structure that is not efficient to growth of firms produces a quite contrary result. Such phenomenon is applicable to construction firm as well as limited with partial companies. Therefore, before forming a efficient organization structure, comparing and analyzing the strategy or financial statement according to construction firm, this study will try to grasp a characteristic of organization.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-96
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• 2001

The recent economic crisis started at the end of 1997 has brought about changes in labor market practices. One of them is rapid increase in the ratio of workers with alternative employment arrangement, so-called contingent workers. This type of arrangement, unlike traditional employment arrangement, makes employers properly adjust employment to business cycles and it also makes it possible for employees to solve time and spatial constraints related to labor supply. However, recent experience has revealed its negative characteristics such as lower wage rate, deficient fringe benefits, insufficient job security. Using the data from the first and the second wave of the Korea Labor and Income Panel Survey, this study focuses on change in the tendency of being contingent workers and decomposition of the wage differentials among regular and contingent workers by estimating the switching regression model. Results show that the recent crisis significantly contributed to probabilities of being contingent workers, especially for women, the young, the older, and the lowly educated. Decomposition shows that one quarter or one third of 35% of wage differentials are due to the price effect that the same productive characteristics are differently paid by the types of employment arrangements.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.114-125
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• 2010

Objectives : This study investigates the determinants of contingent workers' ratio in public health centers. Since the economic crisis in 1997, there have been many studies on contingent workers in Korea. But, previous studies have been not conducted focusing on public health center. Methods : This study used 253 public health centers, installed and operated since December 31, 2008. in Korea as units of analysis. To examine the determinants of contingent workers' ratio, this study uses Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results : The following appeared as significant variable affecting contingent workers' ratio in public health centers; degree of the local government's financial independence(p<0.001), rate of increase/decrease in ages 65 and over(p<0.001), rate of increase/decrease in basic livelihood security recipients(p<0.01) and rate of increase/decrease in registered disabled persons(p<0.01). In contrast, internal organizational environment characteristics related variables were not statistically significant. Conclusions : Contingent workers' ratio in public health center is significantly affected by financial vulnerability of the local government and increase in demand of health care services.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2015

It is widely believed that increasing socio-economic polarization inspired by globalization and economic restructuring worsens residential segregation by class in Korean cities. However, the existing literature falls short in showing the recent changes of the residential segregation, particularly after the 1997 financial crisis, with reliable and systematic segregation measures. Noting that there are the two major dimension in residential segregation - evenness-concentration and exposure-clustering - this study introduced not only global measure (dissimilarity index and isolation/interaction index) but also local measures (location quotient and Local Moran's I) for each dimension. These measures are applied to the case study of Seoul in the 2000s. The class is defined by education attainment and the data is obtain through the MicroData System Service System(MDSS). The result shows that the residential segregation by education attainment persists through 2000s and even get worse in some dimension. More significantly, it turns out that high-class and low-class residence are nearly mirror-images of each other, indicating high segregation.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.805-810
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• 2003

The annual air pollution emissions from construction and agricultural equipments were estimated from 1987 through 2000. The annual numbers and operation hours of 5 major construction equipments (Excavator, Bulldozer, Loader, Fork lift, Crane) and 3 major agricultural equipments (Power Tiller, Agricultural Tractor, Combine) were investigated for emission estimation. And monthly variation factors of operation hours of construction equipment were investigated too. The NO$_{x}$ emission from construction equipment have been gradually increased since 1987 to 1997, but sharply decreased as -45％ in 1998 due to economic crisis in Korea. The NO$_{x}$ emission was estimated as 64,300 ton/year from construction equipment, and as 23,300 ton/year from agricultural equipment in 2000.000.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.57-75
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• 2001

Since the Korean economic crisis in 1997, consumers are selecting goods that are more economical and more reasonably priced. Markets for wealthy people, however, have seldom been influenced by economic conditions. Consequently, 'noble marketing' is a new term that marketers should become acquainted with (Kim, 1998). The continuously expanding 'noble market' that generates high profit for marketers needs to be explored, especially the men's wear market. This study adopted a qualitative method (i.e., in-depth interview) with 16 male consumers each. These men who spent more than 3,600,000 won on apparel goods in 2000 and each man had purchased at least one item-suit, jacket, trousers, or coat-from a list of high-priced brands that were selected by the researcher. Findings imply that material or functional benefit of the high-priced apparel were not a critical determinant for choosing the brand. Rather, a socially well-established image for the brand name, especially in terms of psychological/symbolic appeal, played a more important role. This finding supported previous studies. Therefore, for high-priced men s wear, the role of promotion, including advertising or word of mouth, is critical; the image that advertisers should promote is one that characterizes the clothing, and ultimately the wearers, as dignified, legitimate, traditional, and upper class.