• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2024

Korea is facing a significant problem with historically low fertility rates, which is becoming a major social issue affecting the economy, labor force, and national security. This study analyzes the factors contributing to the regional gap in fertility rates and derives policy implications. The government and local authorities are implementing a range of policies to address the issue of low fertility. To establish an effective strategy, it is essential to identify the primary factors that contribute to regional disparities. This study identifies these factors and explores policy implications through machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence. The study also examines the influence of media and public opinion on childbirth in Korea by incorporating news and online community sentiment, as well as sentiment fear indices, as independent variables. To establish the relationship between regional fertility rates and factors, the study employs four machine learning models: multiple linear regression, XGBoost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Regression. Support Vector Regression, XGBoost, and Random Forest significantly outperform linear regression, highlighting the importance of machine learning models in explaining non-linear relationships with numerous variables. A factor analysis using SHAP is then conducted. The unemployment rate, Regional Gross Domestic Product per Capita, Women's Participation in Economic Activities, Number of Crimes Committed, Average Age of First Marriage, and Private Education Expenses significantly impact regional fertility rates. However, the degree of impact of the factors affecting fertility may vary by region, suggesting the need for policies tailored to the characteristics of each region, not just an overall ranking of factors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.35-43
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• 2015

Purpose - This study aims to seek various plans to maintain the advancement of the overseas and domestic employment scenario through a case analysis of the Japanese industry, which maintains domestic employment while promoting the overseas advancement of companies despite having a similar industrial structure as Korea. The study further intends to derive insightful implications for Japanese manufacturing companies and government policies. Research design, data, and methodology - We selected four companies from the Japanese manufacturing industry. Being companies that were successful in increasing the domestic employment scenario while advancing in overseas markets. We utilized several secondary data sources including Japanese newspapers and report literature. Results - Previous studies have shown a negative relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or offshoring and domestic employment. However, our results showed this relationship with respect to the Japanese manufacturing industry as follows: 1. FDI for developing overseas markets does not decrease domestic production. If Japanese companies change their strategy from exports to overseas production, there will be a consequent decrease in domestic employment of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). However, the local production that plans the sales expansion of a foreign market does not substitute domestic production. 2. Several case studies illustrate that, as the production of final goods is expanded in foreign countries, there is a corresponding increase in the export of intermediary goods from Japan. In this case, if the production process of Japanese companies is promoted in foreign markets, the amount of exported material and parts from Japan will consequently increase. 3. It is difficult to consider that the establishment of subsidiary companies in foreign countries by manufacturing companies for wholesale, retail, and services decreases domestic employment. This is because the international development of these industries needs expatriates, expatriate training organizations, and research and development (R&D) activities. 4. When there is overseas demand, the growth of local management activities is expected to increase the work of the overseas business department in the head office in Japan, if competitiveness can be secured for better localization and management speed. 5. The conversion of the domestic manufacturing industry into high value-added production is necessary. The relocation of domestic production to foreign markets decreases domestic employment. To prevent this, the upgradation of domestic production bases, including high value-added production, and R&D capability need to be strengthened. Technology-based companies must develop new technology, patents, processes, and so forth, which require extensive human resources for R&D. Conclusions - Domestic medium-sized companies that are capable of consistently supplying high value-added products should be actively encouraged to deploy into and develop overseas markets. Further, this paper considers the necessity of a guidance policy that provides suggestions for overseas deployment, by the initiation of the government, to companies that cannot do so due to the lack of foreign experience or decisions by the CEO, despite having the relevant capability and technologies to supply high value-added products.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.37-45
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• 2009

As part of the government's efforts to stabilize the people's livelihood in response to the economic downturn arising from the global financial crisis, this research focuses on a more efficient and appropriate political operation of gift certificate issuance (Onnuri, Hope Labor, regional gift certificates) to support the socially disadvantaged class and increase the income of less affluent regions to stimulate local economy through employment opportunities. This study extends beyond a short-term solution for distributors in traditional markets to provide a framework to improve regional competitiveness.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.597-607
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• 2023

Purpose: The Ministry of Employment and Labor has been working hard to ensure the safety of workers due to heavy rain during natural disasters as the responsible ministry in charge of preventing industrial accidents and health problems for workers. Accordingly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor intends to analyze actual cases of responding to heavy rain disasters and suggest ways to improve the response system. Method: An emergency response system implemented to respond to heavy rain disasters with an internal expert group composed of those in charge of disaster work at headquarters, local government offices, and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and an external expert group composed of professors, consulting representatives, and disaster managers from other ministries. Contents on self-inspection by industry, workplace inspection, use of serious siren, safety management and restoration work guidance were reviewed. Result: First of all, it is necessary to check the regular contact system from time to time, and it is also necessary to prepare and distribute detailed self-checklists for each industry. In addition, it is necessary to check the implementation of self-inspection when inspecting workplaces, and it seems necessary to have measures to increase the readability of information notified through serious disaster sirens. In addition, since safety work is done in the form of a contract, it seems necessary to prepare specific safety guidelines. Conclusion: In order to protect the lives of workers due to seasonal harm and risk factors, unlike the passive coping methods of the past, abnormal weather should not be regarded as an unexpected situation, and it should be actively and preemptively responding beyond the conventional framework.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.172-181
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• 2022

Objectives: In order to reduce the burden on employers and increase the reliability of measurement results, improvements to the provisions related to the work environment measurement reporting system, such as the current Occupational Safety and Health Act and its Enforcement Rules, are planned. This study aimed to suggest improvements for the work environment measurement reporting system through a survey and Delphi investigation. Method: This survey included workplaces (health managers), national institutions (the Ministry of Employment and Labor) that use the results of the work environment measurement reporting system for policy and supervision purposes, and work environment measurement institutions that enter the results were included. In addition to the survey, we tried to derive results through meetings with stakeholders and expert advisory meetings. Results: It is difficult to abolish or partially improve the reporting system under the Enforcement Regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act at this point because the opinions of workplaces, supervisory agencies, and measuring agencies differ in terms of its intended purpose and use. In the case of high-exposure harmful factors (over 50% on the basis of exposure) in the "comprehensive opinion" described in the work environment measurement results table, it is necessary to insert unit of work with exposed harmful factors, exposure factors, and current conditions in checklists or tables so that they can be reflected in government policies. In the case of workplaces that are feared to be highly exposed to substances subject to measurement, it seems desirable to improve them so that industrial health instructors registered with the Korea Safety and Health Agency or local labor offices can provide technical guidance. As an improvement plan to increase the reliability of data and the use of big data, it is necessary to improve the input method for processes and jobs. Conclusion: The laws and regulations of the work environment measurement reporting system are difficult to revise due to a lack of consensus among current stakeholders, but improvements can be achieved by improving the Ministry of Employment and Labor's notifications and other means. In addition, in order to effectively utilize the data from the K2B system, it is necessary to improve the input method for processes and jobs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2000

The purpose of this case study is to report a case of lung cancer with exposure to welding fumes of welders in Korea and to demonstrate the causal relationship with exposure to welding fumes, especially with nickel and hexavalent chromium. The case is 47 years old, and had been engaged in welding, gas cutting, grinding and gousing on mild, stainless steel and nickel steel for 11 years from 1982 to 1993, and have been engaged in cleaning steel rollers with a cleaning oil in the same work shop since 1993. The level of welding fume exceeded the occupational exposure limit of $5mg/m^3$ established by the Korean Ministry of Labor and American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Especially, detectable hexavalent chromium and nickel was generated during welding, gousing on stainless and nickel steel. However, there was no ventilation systems(local and dilution) and no personal protection. There is several evidence that the past (1983-1993) exposure would be higher than the present. In conclusion, the lung case could be associated with his task including welding, gousing, and this association could be attributed to carcinogenic potential of the nickel and chromium in the fume.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.167-178
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the direct investment decision factors in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Vietnam, and to contribute to the creation of domestic jobs and the revitalization of the inter-Korean economy. According to the analysis, most of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Vietnamese investment companies are entering the complex for the purpose of utilizing cheap labor, cheap factory locations, sales/development of local markets, and bypass export production bases in third countries. This can be divided into production-efficient investors using differences in production price such as labor costs and market-oriented investors to sell and expand the local market, which seems to be consistent with global direct investment patterns such as Nike, Apple, and Amazon. However, even if the North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks ease or lift sanctions, Vietnamese investors' willingness to invest in the North Korea has been most burdened by the possibility of closing special economic zones due to political risks. Last but not least, it is important to note that those willing to invest in North Korea are mostly smaller enterprises in textiles, sewing, footwear and leather industries-those that benefit from low-cost labor. Since their size is small, they need policy support in financing, especially in the early stages of their business. Even after they grow past the early stages, those without collateral would still need state guarantee letters to get financing. Thus, it is worth considering to use the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to compensate commercial banks for bad loan loss or for low-interest loans for smaller SMEs. The interviews with SMEs found that red-tape is one of the biggest difficulties they face. Thus, it is recommended that a one-stop service agency should be established to cover all processes and issues related to inter-Korean economic cooperation to eliminate redundancy and expediate government support for SMEs.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.450-460
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• 2015

Metropolitan-wide economic region policy which was enforced by Lee Myeongbak government was a timely policy at least to Dongnam region. However, examining the activities and outcomes of Dongnam Regional Development Committee, there are many doubts about the policy as metropolitan-wide governance. Dongnam Regional Development Committee had many operational problems. It had few independent labor force and low budget. Also its authority was limited. Above all, its purpose and function was unclear. As a result, the policy was abolished as new government suceeded. Henceforth Dongnam region needs metropolitan-wide governance for metropolitan-wide economic development. If an organization which supports industrial and regional development of Dongnam region would be reestablished, the orientation of governance has to be determined. In this case, the main function of the organization would be researching about Dongnam metropolitan-wide economic region, and suggesting and recommending metropolitanwide development strategy. For the benchmark of the organization, Metropolitan Planning Organization of the US, Joint Venture at Silicon Valley and Regio Randstad of the Netherlands would be appropriate. Above organizations receive budgets from central and regional government and private sector. They research about regional economics and urban development which is comprehensive and metropolitan-wide and could not be done by local government alone.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.19-65
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• 2000

This study analyzes the development of technological infrastructure(TI) and technological infrastructure policy(TIP) to enhance the technological capabilities of small and mid-sized manufacturing enterprises(SMEs) in the U.S. and Korea in terms of the technological system(TS) concept, which is composed of technological infrastructure, industrial organization, and institutional infrastructure. In order to analyze the internal dynamics of the system, such as incentive mechanisms, the interaction among economic actors, and the policy implementation process, we compare the MEP(Manufacturing Extension Partnership) system of the U.S. and the Joong-Jin-Gong system of Korea. Among many similarities, contrasts, and insights from each country's effort to construct TI and TS, the main findings are as follows. (1) Both the MEP system and the Joong-Jin-Cong system are TI-led or government-led type TS. However, the nation-wide picture is different: in the U.S., most TSs including the MEP system., are classified as TI-led type; in Korea, many TI-assisted or private sector-led TSs have been developed since the early 1960s. (2) the MEP system, as a representative case of the U.S., is less stable than the Joong-Jin-Gong system of Korea in terms of financing and political cycle. (3) The MEP system is a more complex and cooperative network than the Joong-Jin-Gong system. NIST, as a critical mass, generates the system, bridges various institutions, and influences the development of the system by providing funding. (4) Regarding TI components, TSs in both countries focus on utilizing off-the-shelf technologies rather than advanced technologies. However, the direction of movement is different: in the U.S., TSs have come to emphasize existing technologies to counterbalance an innovation system that has been highly focused toward new technologies; in Korea, TSs have been moving from focusing on a higher diffusion rate of imported process technologies to stressing new technology development. (5) Personnel and staffing, embodying technological capability, is an important concern in both countries. But the human capital infrastructure of the U.S. system is more efficient and industry-oriented than that of the Korean system due to a more flexible labor market. (6) While the U.S. has a strong tradition of state and local autonomy in constructing TI and TS to fit SMEs's specific need, Korea has a centralized and bureaucratically-led policy implementation process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.389-395
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• 2016

Objectives: Acute methanol poisonings known to be typical occupational diseases occurring in developing countries broke out in sub-contract manufacturers in the early 2016. The present paper attempted to identify underlying causes which hide under apparent findings, and suggest alternative policies to prevent recurrence of similar intoxication Methods: We evaluated occupational health and safety characteristics of workers in micro-enterprises similar to workplaces with methanol poisoning by in depth-interview of employers, workers, and labor inspectors, and literature review. Results: The common findings of workplaces with methanol poisoning were addressed; First, the victims were illegal agency workers. Second, the workplaces were sub-contract micro-manufacturers with less than 5 employees. Investigators found that local ventilations did not work, while most of workers did not wear any proper personal respiratory protective equipment in the workplace. In addition, periodic environmental monitoring and medical check-ups were not done. However, these apparent findings do not appear to be root causes of methanol poisoning. Our in depth-analysis clarified a root cause; micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees are exempted with essential regulations of OSH Act, and employers do not know about OSH Act. Conclusions: We suggest occupational health policies to prevent recurrence of similar intoxication; First, government should introduce programs so that all employers should know about employers' responsibilities in OSH Act from the start of business. Second, even manufacturers with less than 5 employees should not be exempted with essential regulations of OSH Act. Finally, employers should take responsibilities for health and safety of all the workers including agency workers working in workplaces.