• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.147-168
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• 2017

There have been many studies on accurate stock market forecasting in academia for a long time, and now there are also various forecasting models using various techniques. Recently, many attempts have been made to predict the stock index using various machine learning methods including Deep Learning. Although the fundamental analysis and the technical analysis method are used for the analysis of the traditional stock investment transaction, the technical analysis method is more useful for the application of the short-term transaction prediction or statistical and mathematical techniques. Most of the studies that have been conducted using these technical indicators have studied the model of predicting stock prices by binary classification - rising or falling - of stock market fluctuations in the future market (usually next trading day). However, it is also true that this binary classification has many unfavorable aspects in predicting trends, identifying trading signals, or signaling portfolio rebalancing. In this study, we try to predict the stock index by expanding the stock index trend (upward trend, boxed, downward trend) to the multiple classification system in the existing binary index method. In order to solve this multi-classification problem, a technique such as Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis (MLOGIT), Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) or Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) we propose an optimization model using Genetic Algorithm as a wrapper for improving the performance of this model using Multi-classification Support Vector Machines (MSVM), which has proved to be superior in prediction performance. In particular, the proposed model named GA-MSVM is designed to maximize model performance by optimizing not only the kernel function parameters of MSVM, but also the optimal selection of input variables (feature selection) as well as instance selection. In order to verify the performance of the proposed model, we applied the proposed method to the real data. The results show that the proposed method is more effective than the conventional multivariate SVM, which has been known to show the best prediction performance up to now, as well as existing artificial intelligence / data mining techniques such as MDA, MLOGIT, CBR, and it is confirmed that the prediction performance is better than this. Especially, it has been confirmed that the 'instance selection' plays a very important role in predicting the stock index trend, and it is confirmed that the improvement effect of the model is more important than other factors. To verify the usefulness of GA-MSVM, we applied it to Korea's real KOSPI200 stock index trend forecast. Our research is primarily aimed at predicting trend segments to capture signal acquisition or short-term trend transition points. The experimental data set includes technical indicators such as the price and volatility index (2004 ~ 2017) and macroeconomic data (interest rate, exchange rate, S&P 500, etc.) of KOSPI200 stock index in Korea. Using a variety of statistical methods including one-way ANOVA and stepwise MDA, 15 indicators were selected as candidate independent variables. The dependent variable, trend classification, was classified into three states: 1 (upward trend), 0 (boxed), and -1 (downward trend). 70% of the total data for each class was used for training and the remaining 30% was used for verifying. To verify the performance of the proposed model, several comparative model experiments such as MDA, MLOGIT, CBR, ANN and MSVM were conducted. MSVM has adopted the One-Against-One (OAO) approach, which is known as the most accurate approach among the various MSVM approaches. Although there are some limitations, the final experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model, GA-MSVM, performs at a significantly higher level than all comparative models.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-156
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• 2013

Researchers in welfare services of local government in Korea have rather been on isolated issues as disables, childcare, aging phenomenon, etc. (Kang, 2004; Jung et al., 2009). Lately, local officials, yet, realize that they need more comprehensive welfare services for all residents, not just for above-mentioned focused groups. Still cases dealt with focused group approach have been a main research stream due to various reason(Jung et al., 2009; Lee, 2009; Jang, 2011). Social Security Information System is an information system that comprehensively manages 292 welfare benefits provided by 17 ministries and 40 thousand welfare services provided by 230 local authorities in Korea. The purpose of the system is to improve efficiency of social welfare delivery process. The study of local government expenditure has been on the rise over the last few decades after the restarting the local autonomy, but these studies have limitations on data collection. Measurement of a local government's welfare efforts(spending) has been primarily on expenditures or budget for an individual, set aside for welfare. This practice of using monetary value for an individual as a "proxy value" for welfare effort(spending) is based on the assumption that expenditure is directly linked to welfare efforts(Lee et al., 2007). This expenditure/budget approach commonly uses total welfare amount or percentage figure as dependent variables (Wildavsky, 1985; Lee et al., 2007; Kang, 2000). However, current practice of using actual amount being used or percentage figure as a dependent variable may have some limitation; since budget or expenditure is greatly influenced by the total budget of a local government, relying on such monetary value may create inflate or deflate the true "welfare effort" (Jang, 2012). In addition, government budget usually contain a large amount of administrative cost, i.e., salary, for local officials, which is highly unrelated to the actual welfare expenditure (Jang, 2011). This paper used local government welfare service data from the detailed data sets linked to the Social Security Information System. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that affect social welfare spending of 230 local authorities in 2012. The paper applied multiple regression based model to analyze the pooled financial data from the system. Based on the regression analysis, the following factors affecting self-funded welfare spending were identified. In our research model, we use the welfare budget/total budget(%) of a local government as a true measurement for a local government's welfare effort(spending). Doing so, we exclude central government subsidies or support being used for local welfare service. It is because central government welfare support does not truly reflect the welfare efforts(spending) of a local. The dependent variable of this paper is the volume of the welfare spending and the independent variables of the model are comprised of three categories, in terms of socio-demographic perspectives, the local economy and the financial capacity of local government. This paper categorized local authorities into 3 groups, districts, and cities and suburb areas. The model used a dummy variable as the control variable (local political factor). This paper demonstrated that the volume of the welfare spending for the welfare services is commonly influenced by the ratio of welfare budget to total local budget, the population of infants, self-reliance ratio and the level of unemployment factor. Interestingly, the influential factors are different by the size of local government. Analysis of determinants of local government self-welfare spending, we found a significant effect of local Gov. Finance characteristic in degree of the local government's financial independence, financial independence rate, rate of social welfare budget, and regional economic in opening-to-application ratio, and sociology of population in rate of infants. The result means that local authorities should have differentiated welfare strategies according to their conditions and circumstances. There is a meaning that this paper has successfully proven the significant factors influencing welfare spending of local government in Korea.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.87-111
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• 1998

For the newly approach of policy with the old aged era at hand, the result which examines the 1,200 students attending professional colleges and upward in three small-to-medium sized cities, for two months, from October 1, 1996 to November 30, in order to know the change of consciousness of the growing modern young intellectual age group is as follows. 1. The objects of survey consist of 72.1% of women, 40.4% of 20 to 21 age, 49.1% of atheists, and people from big cities and fishing and agrarian village occupy equally 40.2%. Concerning the long-termed residents, 49% of them dwell in big cities. In case of the parents' age is more than 55, 31.5% in fathers, and 10.9% in mothers. 2. The types of housing in which they desire to reside in their getting older are : 72.8% of them hope to live in individual houses, 16.6% in apartments or villas, and 3.4% in social welfare facilities. Out of respondents, compared with other groups, man rather than woman, those who are 20 to 21 age group and from fishing and agrarian villages and have over 7 family members and live with their parents have a higher preference for independent houses. 3. The districts in which they hope to live when they are old are : 41.6% of them, with the highest percent, hope to live in farming villages, the older they are, the more they hope to live in agricultural district, and women of 21 years and upward hope to live in big cities. On the other hand, the preferable degree for social welfare facilities is higher each in people who are 24 years and upward, buddhists, self-boarding students, and the more poorly they are off, the higher the percent is. 4. The types of preferable welfare facilities for the elderly are : 58.2% of them think silver towns desirable, 28.4% think the charged (or free) elderly welfare facilities. Compared with other groups, the percentage which prefer silver towns is higher in women, people from big cities, residents of main family, long-termed city residents, people with higher income, people having grandparents alive, and people who had experience of taking lectures on hygienics or social welfare. 5. 50.3% of the respondents insist that provision of living expenses against old age should be insured by social security system, and 42.8% by the elderly themselves. The percentage of the former shows higher in people of 21 years and upward, women, residents of fishing and agrarian villages, christians, people in more needy circumstances and people who have experience of using a medical institution. 6. Compared with other nations, 54.5% of the respondents have an opinion that elderly welfare and welfare work in Korea stays in insufficient level and most of them are women, people from farming village, residents of head family, people having younger parents and people being worse health condition, and they have a more positive attitude about the elderly welfare work. 7. 92.3% of the respondents answered that a national budget for the elderly welfare is scarce, and the percentage is higher in people who are older, residents of big cities, people in lower living condition and people in worse health condition. 8. 35.2% of the respondents answered that the proper cost of their old age must be over 220mi11ion. The more a family's total income is, the higher the percentage is. 9. The factors which have an effect on the preference of silver towns are sex(p<0.01, the type of the present residence(p<0.05), and a family's total income(p<0.05). 10. From the survey result of the above, we comes to the conclusion that, for the sake of welfare of the increasing elderly population, government authorities and parties concerned must exert their utmost for the elderly welfare by increasing a budget of it and establishing a number of facilities of the elderly welfare and silver towns located in fresh and comfortable villages. In addition, they have to set up a course of hygienics in all the colleges and instruct the contexts on hygienic welfare as well.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.207-215
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• 1999

The objectives of this study are to explain the use of media materials in school health education with other related factors in elementary, middle, and high schools in Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires from June to September in 1998. The number of subjects were 294 school nurses. The PC-SAS program was used for statistical analysis such as percent distribution, chi-squared test, spearman correlation test, and logistic regression. The use of media materials in health education has become extremely common. Unfortunately, much of the early materials were of poor production quality, reflected low levels of interest, and generally did little to enhance health education programming. A recent trend in media materials is a move away from the fact filled production to a more affective, process-oriented approach. There is an obvious need for health educators to use high-quality, polished productions in order to counteract the same levels of quality used by commercial agencies that often promote "unhealthy" lifestyles. Health educators need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the various forms of media. Selecting media materials should be based on more than cost, availability, and personal preference. Selection should be based on the goal of achieving behavioral objectives formulated before the review process begins. The decision to use no media materials rather than something of dubious quality usually be the right decision. Poor-quality, outdated, or boring materials will usually have a detrimental effect on the presentation. Media materials should be viewed as vehicles to enhance learning, not products that will stand in isolation. Process of materials is an essential part of the educational process. The major results were as follows : 1. The elementary schools used the materials more frequently. But the production rate of media materials was not enough. The budget was too small for a wide use of media materials in school health education. These findings suggest that all schools have to increase the budget of health education programs. 2. Computers offer an incredibly diverse set of possibilities for use in health education, ranging from complicated statistical analysis to elementary-school-level health education games. But the use rate of this material was not high. The development of related software is essential. Health educators would be well advised to develop a basic operating knowledge of media equipment. 3. In this study, the most effective materials were films in elementary school and videotapes in middle and high school. Film tends to be a more emotive medium than videotape. The difficulties of media selection involved the small amount of extant educational materials. Media selection is a multifaceted process and should be based on a combination of sound principles. 4. The review of material use following student levels showed that the more the contents were various, the more the use rate was high. 5. Health education videotapes and overhead projectors proved the most plentiful and widest media tools. The information depicted was more likely to be current. As a means to display both text and graphic information, this instructional medium has proven to be both effective and enduring. 6. An analysis of how effective the quality of school nurse and school use of media materials shows a result that is not complete (p=0.1113). But, the budget of health education is a significant variable. The increase of the budget therefore is essential to effective use of media materials. From these results it is recommended that various media materials be developed and be wide used.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.311-318
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• 2005

Transparency on the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is the key issue to enhance the public acceptance for a permanent high level radioactive repository. To approve it, all performances on TSPA through Quality Assurance is necessary. The integrated Cyber R&D Platform is developed by KAERI using the T2R3 principles applicable for five major steps in R&D's. The proposed system is implemented in the web-based system so that all participants in TSPA are able to access the system. It is composed of FEAS (FEp to Assessment through Scenario development) showing systematic approach from the FEPs to Assessment methods flow chart, PAID (Performance Assessment Input Databases) showing PA(Performance Assessment) input data set in web based system and QA system receding those data. All information is integrated into Cyber R&D Platform so that every data in the system can be checked whenever necessary. For more user-friendly system, system upgrade included input data & documentation package is under development. Throughout the next phase R&D, Cyber R&D Platform will be connected with the assessment tool for TSPA so that it will be expected to search the whole information in one unified system.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.1 s.19
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• pp.41-56
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• 2007

Related with the mathematics gifted children the situation of different case studies is the research which is limited in mathematics problem solving process of the most mathematics gifted children. The research which it sees hereupon observes from the scope which is wider the quality of the mathematics gifted children, before the hazard mathematics gifted children whom it sees enter into the mathematics gifted children education center unit life and life after studying living and dismissal of a class from the general school, namely for their general life it leads compared to attitude it observes the reporter it does a quality. For a what kind of interest in the mathematics gifted children, the research leads the family or general class, from the gifted children education center it has it considers encouragement, map and to give a help to good mathematics gifted children education activation, it does. It will reach and to respect with afterwards it set a same three research problem. First, before entering into the mathematics gifted children education center, are the mathematics gifted children what kind of quality? Second, Are the mathematics gifted children what kind of quality for general school hour? Third, Are the mathematics gifted children what kind of quality after dismissal of a class after hour? Being selected in the hazard gifted children education center which solves an up research problem, simple characteristic and approach ease characteristic, by the condition of the permission possibility back it selected 2 person gifted children school boxes which are coming and going. And, before entering into these mathematics gifted children education center, studying life from the general school, life after dismissal of a class it will extend at 1 years, various recording it will ask and it collected direct observation and interview it led against their quality it analyzed. It shared the result which it analyzes with emotional quality, studying conduct qualities, general qualities of the mathematics gifted children and qualities of mathematics gifted children parents. Studies level of the mathematics gifted children parents high facility when them are young from, the interest and helping out which it has were considerable, to advance with the direction where in order for always with great disaster them are proper the map it did. In general quality of the mathematics gifted children from young age the ability which finds a language and a possibility concept superiorly the ability which expresses the thought of oneself logically was superior, the competitive spirit was high, it liked it came reading, a leader role, to reveal a deepening school with the fact that it comes and goes. Also it will burn with their studying conduct quality and it will roll and it did deeply and it arranged knot eagerly, accomplishing which is superior from the field which is various it showed, the originality was superior, the subject attachment power was high quite, oneself it studies it has a devotion the possibility of knowing it was. And, the social characteristic of the friends and is good with their emotional quality and it does there is own reflection and an encouragement at any time and also a confidence, but just as good as the stress also it receives the possibility of knowing it was to him.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.345-356
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the local stability of the lower extremity joints and muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity during walking between falling and non-falling group in the elderly women. Method: Forty women, heel strikers, were recruited for this study. Twenty subjects (age:72.55±5.42yrs; height:154.40±4.26cm; mass:57.40±6.21kg; preference walking speed:0.52±0.17m/s; fall frequency=1.70±1.26 times) had a history falls(fall group) within two years and Twenty subjects (71.90±2..90yrs; height:155.28±4.73cm; mass:56.70±5.241kg; preference walking speed: 0.56±0.13m/s) had no history falls(non-fall group). While they were walking on a instrumented treadmill at their preference speed for a long while, kinematic and EMG signals were obtained using 3-D motion capture and wireless EMG electrodes, respectively. Local stability of the ankle and knee joint were calculated using Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) and muscles activation and their co-contraction index were also quantified. Hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA and Mann-Whitey. Spearman rank was also used to determine the correlation coefficients between variables. Level of significance was set at p<.05. Results: Local stability in the knee joint adduction-abduction was significantly greater in fall group than non-fall group(p<.05). Activation of anterior tibials that acts on the foot segment dorsal flexion was greater in non-fall group than fall group(p<.05). CI between gastrocnemius and anterior tibials was found to be significantly different between two groups(p<.05). In addition, there was significant correlation between CI of the leg and LyE of the ankle joint flexion-extention in the fall group(p<.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, muscles that act on the knee joint abduction-adduction as well as gastrocnemius and anterior tibials that act on the ankle joint flexion-extention need to be strengthened to prevent from potential fall during walking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.8
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• pp.1304-1316
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• 2014

The aims of this study were to estimate daily intakes of artificial sweeteners from beverages and liquid teas as well as evaluate their potential health risks in Korean children and adolescents (1 to 19 years old). Dietary intake assessment was conducted using actual levels of aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose in non-alcoholic beverages (651 beverages and 87 liquid teas), and food consumption amounts were drawn from "The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007~2009)". To estimate dietary intake of non-alcoholic beverages, a total of 6,082 children and adolescents (Scenario I) were compared to 1,704 non-alcoholic beverage consumption subjects (Scenario II). The estimated daily intake of artificial sweeteners was calculated based on point estimates and probabilistic estimates. The values of probabilistic artificial sweeteners intakes were presented by a Monte Carlo approach considering probabilistic density functions of variables. The level of safety for artificial sweeteners was evaluated by comparisons with acceptable daily intakes (ADI) of aspartame (0~40 mg/kg bw/day), acesulfame-K (0~15 mg/kg bw/day), and sucralose (0~15 mg/kg bw/day) set by the World Health Organization. For total children and adolescents (Scenario I), mean daily intakes of aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose estimated by probabilistic estimates using Monte Carlo simulation were 0.09, 0.01, and 0.04 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, and 95th percentile daily intakes were 0.30, 0.02, and 0.13 mg/kg bw/day, respectively. For consumers-only (Scenario II), mean daily intakes of aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose estimated by probabilistic estimates using Monte Carlo simulation were 0.52, 0.03, and 0.22 mg/kg bw/day, respectively, and 95th percentile daily intakes were 1.80, 0.12, and 0.75 mg/kg bw/day, respectively. For scenarios I and II, neither aspartame, acesulfame-K, nor sucralose had a mean and 95th percentile intake that exceeded 5.06% of ADI.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.61-118
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to construct research framework for international franchising based on existing literature and to identify research components in the framework. Franchise can be defined as management styles that allow franchisee use various management assets of franchisor in order to make or sell product or service. It can be divided into product distribution franchise that is designed to sell products and business format franchise that is designed for running it as business whatever its form is. International franchising can be defined as a way of internationalization of franchisor to foreign country by providing its business format or package to franchisee of host country. International franchising is growing fast for last four decades but academic research on this is quite limited. Especially in Korea, research about international franchising is carried out on by case study format with single case or empirical study format with survey based on domestic franchise theory. Therefore, this paper tries to review existing literature on international franchising research, providing research framework, and then stimulating new research on this field. International franchising research components include motives and environmental factors for decision of expanding to international franchising, entrance modes and development plan for international franchising, contracts and management strategy of international franchising, and various performance measures from different perspectives. First, motives of international franchising are fee collection from franchisee. Also it provides easier way to expanding to foreign country. The other motives including increase total sales volume, occupying better strategic position, getting quality resources, and improving efficiency. Environmental factors that facilitating international franchising encompasses economic condition, trend, and legal or political factors in host and/or home countries. In addition, control power and risk management capability of franchisor plays critical role in successful franchising contract. Final decision to enter foreign country via franchising is determined by numerous factors like history, size, growth, competitiveness, management system, bonding capability, industry characteristics of franchisor. After deciding to enter into foreign country, franchisor needs to set entrance modes of international franchising. Within contractual mode, there are master franchising and area developing franchising, licensing, direct franchising, and joint venture. Theories about entrance mode selection contain concepts of efficiency, knowledge-based approach, competence-based approach, agent theory, and governance cost. The next step after entrance decision is operation strategy. Operation strategy starts with selecting a target city and a target country for franchising. In order to finding, screening targets, franchisor needs to collect information about candidates. Critical information includes brand patent, commercial laws, regulations, market conditions, country risk, and industry analysis. After selecting a target city in target country, franchisor needs to select franchisee, in other word, partner. The first important criteria for selecting partners are financial credibility and capability, possession of real estate. And cultural similarity and knowledge about franchisor and/or home country are also recognized as critical criteria. The most important element in operating strategy is legal document between franchisor and franchisee with home and host countries. Terms and conditions in legal documents give objective information about characteristics of franchising agreement for academic research. Legal documents have definitions of terminology, territory and exclusivity, agreement of term, initial fee, continuing fees, clearing currency, and rights about sub-franchising. Also, legal documents could have terms about softer elements like training program and operation manual. And harder elements like law competent court and terms of expiration. Next element in operating strategy is about product and service. Especially for business format franchising, product/service deliverable, benefit communicators, system identifiers (architectural features), and format facilitators are listed for product/service strategic elements. Another important decision on product/service is standardization vs. customization. The rationale behind standardization is cost reduction, efficiency, consistency, image congruence, brand awareness, and competitiveness on price. Also standardization enables large scale R&D and innovative change in management style. Another element in operating strategy is control management. The simple way to control franchise contract is relying on legal terms, contractual control system. There are other control systems, administrative control system and ethical control system. Contractual control system is a coercive source of power, but franchisor usually doesn't want to use legal power since it doesn't help to build up positive relationship. Instead, self-regulation is widely used. Administrative control system uses control mechanism from ordinary work relationship. Its main component is supporting activities to franchisee and communication method. For example, franchisor provides advertising, training, manual, and delivery, then franchisee follows franchisor's direction. Another component is building franchisor's brand power. The last research element is performance factor of international franchising. Performance elements can be divided into franchisor's performance and franchisee's performance. The conceptual performance measures of franchisor are simple but not easy to obtain objectively. They are profit, sale, cost, experience, and brand power. The performance measures of franchisee are mostly about benefits of host country. They contain small business development, promotion of employment, introduction of new business model, and level up technology status. There are indirect benefits, like increase of tax, refinement of corporate citizenship, regional economic clustering, and improvement of international balance. In addition to those, host country gets socio-cultural change other than economic effects. It includes demographic change, social trend, customer value change, social communication, and social globalization. Sometimes it is called as westernization or McDonaldization of society. In addition, the paper reviews on theories that have been frequently applied to international franchising research, such as agent theory, resource-based view, transaction cost theory, organizational learning theory, and international expansion theories. Resource based theory is used in strategic decision based on resources, like decision about entrance and cooperation depending on resources of franchisee and franchisor. Transaction cost theory can be applied in determination of mutual trust or satisfaction of franchising players. Agent theory tries to explain strategic decision for reducing problem caused by utilizing agent, for example research on control system in franchising agreements. Organizational Learning theory is relatively new in franchising research. It assumes organization tries to maximize performance and learning of organization. In addition, Internalization theory advocates strategic decision of direct investment for removing inefficiency of market transaction and is applied in research on terms of contract. And oligopolistic competition theory is used to explain various entry modes for international expansion. Competency theory support strategic decision of utilizing key competitive advantage. Furthermore, research methodologies including qualitative and quantitative methodologies are suggested for more rigorous international franchising research. Quantitative research needs more real data other than survey data which is usually respondent's judgment. In order to verify theory more rigorously, research based on real data is essential. However, real quantitative data is quite hard to get. The qualitative research other than single case study is also highly recommended. Since international franchising has limited number of applications, scientific research based on grounded theory and ethnography study can be used. Scientific case study is differentiated with single case study on its data collection method and analysis method. The key concept is triangulation in measurement, logical coding and comparison. Finally, it provides overall research direction for international franchising after summarizing research trend in Korea. International franchising research in Korea has two different types, one is for studying Korean franchisor going overseas and the other is for Korean franchisee of foreign franchisor. Among research on Korean franchisor, two common patterns are observed. First of all, they usually deal with success story of one franchisor. The other common pattern is that they focus on same industry and country. Therefore, international franchise research needs to extend their focus to broader subjects with scientific research methodology as well as development of new theory.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.155-166
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• 2000

When the marcher visited Korea in fall 1994, he was shocked to see high rise apartment buildings around the capitol region including Seoul and Suwon, resulting from rising demand of housing because of urban migration followed by second and third industrial development. After 6 years in March 2000, the researcher witnessed more apartment buildings and vinyl house complexes, one of the evidences of continued economic progress in Korea. Korea had to receive the rescue finance from International Monetary Fund (IMF) because of financial crisis in 1997. However, the sign of recovery was seen in a year, and the growth rate of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in 1999 recorded as high as 10.7 percent. During this period, the Korean government has been working on restructuring of banks, enterprises, labour and public sectors. The major directions of government were; localization, reducing administrative manpower, limiting agricultural budgets, privatization of public enterprises, integration of agricultural organization, and easing of various regulations. Thus, the power of central government shifted to local government resulting in a power increase for city mayors and county chiefs. Agricultural extension services was one of targets of government restructuring, transferred to local governments from central government. At the same time, the number of extension offices was reduced by 64 percent, extension personnel reduced by 24 percent, and extension budgets reduced. During the process of restructuring, the basic direction of extension services was set by central Rural Development Administration Personnel management, technology development and supports were transferred to provincial Rural Development Administrations, and operational responsibilities transferred to city/county governments. Agricultural extension services at the local levels changed the name to Agricultural Technology Extension Center, established under jurisdiction of city mayor or county chief. The function of technology development works were added, at the same time reducing the number of educators for agriculture and rural life. As a result of observations of rural areas and agricultural extension services at various levels, functional responsibilities of extension were not well recognized throughout the central, provincial, and local levels. Central agricultural extension services should be more concerned about effective rural development by monitoring provincial and local level extension activities more throughly. At county level extension services, it may be desirable to add a research function to reflect local agricultural technological needs. Sometimes, adding administrative tasks for extension educators may be helpful far farmers. However, tasks such as inspection and investigation should be avoided, since it may hinder the effectiveness of extension educational activities. It appeared that major contents of the agricultural extension service in Korea were focused on saving agricultural materials, developing new agricultural technology, enhancing agricultural export, increasing production and establishing market oriented farming. However these kinds of efforts may lead to non-sustainable agriculture. It would be better to put more emphasis on sustainable agriculture in the future. Agricultural extension methods in Korea may be better classified into two approaches or functions; consultation function for advanced farmers and technology transfer or educational function for small farmers. Advanced farmers were more interested in technology and management information, while small farmers were more concerned about information for farm management directions and timely diffusion of agricultural technology information. Agricultural extension service should put more emphasis on small farmer groups and active participation of farmers in these groups. Providing information and moderate advice in selecting alternatives should be the major activities for consultation for advanced farmers, while problem solving processes may be the major educational function for small farmers. Systems such as internet and e-mail should be utilized for functions of information exchange. These activities may not be an easy task for decreased numbers of extension educators along with increased administrative tasks. It may be difficult to practice a one-to-one approach However group guidance may improve the task to a certain degree.