• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.656-674
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to examine the distinctiveness and generality of landforms of the Korean peninsula, and further discover geomorphological principle that can be applied to land and environmental management in Korea. The research targeted East Asia and Korea, with terrain analysis conducted at a continental scale, national scale, and regional scale sequentially. East Asia displays complicated characteristics and evolutionary history of geotectonics, but exhibits distinct northeast-southwest geomorphological structure and connectivity at the continental level. While the Korean peninsula follows this pattern on a continental scale, it also features NNW-SSE direction (Nangrim and Taebaek Mountains) geomorphological connectivity that intersects at a right angle. From a national perspective, the Korean peninsula hosts the most diverse geomorphological features within East Asia. It does not have a high average altitude, but has relatively high slope angle and intricate topographical distribution in comparison to neighboring areas. While the mountains and plains of the Korean peninsula display a smooth connection, geomorphologically similar areas such as Shikhote-Alin, Huanan in China, and Japan have clear characteristics that divide the mountains and plains. Despite the distinctiveness and diversity that appear in East Asian topography on the regional scale, the connectivity that links the top of mountain (hill) to stream is identical among all areas as a general rule. It is collectively considering the connectivity and the geomorphological and ecological processes that arise within this connectivity that will serve as the focal point for sustainable landscape management.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.45-59
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• 2006

In this study, the effects of the surface topographical characteristics on the meteorological fields are examined in a mesoscale meteorlolgical model. We calculated the direct solar radiation using the illumination angle considering the inclination of topography and tried to find out its effect on meteorological fields. In above experiments, we selected two cases for the clear day and the cloudy day to show the effect of weather and represented the results for two cases. In the correction of the direct solar radiation, the results of two cases indicate that there are obvious differences on the steep Taeback and Soback mountains. And on the time-series analysis the east-facing slope of these mountains receives the more direct solar radiation about $10-60W/m^2$ in the morning hours but lesser in the afternoon hours than the horizontal surface while it is opposite on the west-facing slope. And the results mentioned above are more obvious at clear day. With the same analysis method, at clear day, the surface skin temperature is higher at all hours than that on horizontal surface on the both of slope. At cloudy and rainy day, the surface skin temperature on the east-facing slope is higher in the morning hours but lower in the afternoon hours than that on horizontal surface. But on the west-facing slope, it is higher at all hours than that on horizontal surface. In the two cases, the temperature considering the slope of surface is almost higher than that on the horizontal surface. The wind is stronger than that on the horizontal surface with increasing pressure gradient force according as increasing temperature gradient around the Taeback and the Soback mountains.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.23-36
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• 2010

The Cat Ba Islands in Hai Phong City, northern Vietnam, consist of a large limestone island with a maximum height of 322 m above sea level and 366 small limestone islets with a total area of about $180\;km^2$. The islands are relicts of karst limestone mountains that became submerged during the Holocene transgression 7000 - 8000 year ago. The combination of the longtime karst process and recent marine processes in the monsoonal tropical zone has created a very diversity landscape on the Cat Ba Islands that can be divided into 3 habitat types with 16 forms. The first habitat type is the karst mountains and hills, including karst mountains and hills, karst valleys and dolines, karst lakes, karst caves, and old marine terraces. The second habitat type is the limestone island coast, including beaches, mangrove marshes, tidal flats, rocky coasts, marine notch caves, marine karst lakes, and bights. The third habitat type is karst plains submerged by the sea, including karst cones (fengcong) and towers (fengling), bedrock exposed on the seabed, sandy mud seabed, and submerged channels. Like the landscape, the biodiversity is also high in ecosystems composed of scrub cover - bare hills, rainy tropical forests, paddy fields and gardens, swamps, caves, beaches, mangrove forests, tidal flats, rocky coasts, marine krast lakes, coral reefs, hard bottoms, seagrass beds and soft bottoms. The ecosystems on the Cat Ba Islands that support very high species biodiversity include tropical evergreen rainforests, soft bottoms; coral reefs, mangrove forests, and marine karst lakes. A total of 2,380 species have been recorded in the Cat Ba Islands, included 741 species of terrestrial plants; 282 species of terrestrial animals; 30 species of mangrove plants; 287 species of phytoplankton; 79 species of seaweed; 79 species of zooplankton; 196 species of marine fishes; 154 species of corals; and 538 species of zoobenthos. Many of these species are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam as endangered species, included the white-headed or Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), a famous endemic species. Human activities have resulted in significantly changes to the landscape end ecosytems of the Cat Ba islands; however, many natural aspects of the islandsd have been preserved. For this reason, the Cat Ba Islands were recognized as a Biological Reserved Area by UNESCO in 2004.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1319-1328
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• 2011

Rhododendron brachycarpum is a evergreen broad-leaved shrub and belongs to the Ericaceae family and the Rhododendron genus. It is well known for its beautiful leaves and flowers. There are 11 species of the Rhododendron genus in Korea. It includes 3 species - Rhododendron brachycarpum, Rhododendron aureum Georgi and Rhododendron brachycarpum var. roseum Koidz. They grow naturally over 1,000 meters above sea level of the Baekdu Mountain Range in Korea. These habitats, according to investigations of 9 Rhododendron brachycarpum natural habitats, are mostly located on the slope of mountains facing north at an altitude of 1,200 m to 1,526 m above sea level with angle of inclination from 30 degrees to 45 degrees. Based on the result of vegetation analysis of dominance species in the quadrates, there are Quercus aliena, Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb, Abies holophylla in species of upper trees, and so on. Dominant species of woody plants in tree layer are Quercus aliena, Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb, Abies holophylla, Betula platyphylla and Veeatrum patulum Loes. fil, Erythronium japonicum, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, Paeonia japonica var. glabra Makino are founded in herbaceous plants. And we can see another result of the investigation that the flowering rates of the plants with the buds are highly ranked mountains such as Mt. Hambaek 68%, Mt. Gyebang 40%, Mt. Yagksu 9%, Mt. Gaein 7% and Mt. Seolag 0%. The results show that there are 24 over 15-year-old Rhododendron brachycarpums in Mt. Odae and are 56 under 15-year-old trees in Mt. Hambaek and are no trees in Mt. Gyebang and are 9 over 30-year-dead trees only in Mt. Taebaeg. Out of found trees, the highest tree is 7 m in height and 0.6 m in diameter. Also this result shows what are the vulnerability factors of the natural habitats. They are as follows: indiscriminate trails in mountains, damages by mountain climbers, uncareful plant collecting, the fierce competitions with other plants such as Acer pseudosieboldianum var. ishidoyanum Uyeki, Quercus aliena, Celastrus orbiculatus and damages by disease and insect, unusual temperature in natural habitats, etc. Rhododendron brachycarpums have high ornamental value and excellent pharmaceutical effect. But the areas of its habitats decrease dramatically. So we need measures to protect and their natural habitats. It is necessary that we conductfurther investigations to designate conservation area for Rhododendron brachycarpums.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

Korea's traditional Sokgasans(a artificial rock mountain) are elements of our excellent rock garden culture that have been inherited from Goryeo Era to Chosun Era. This study is to analyze how the culture of Sokgasans in the Goryeo and the Chosun Eras has been has been representated the implications and inherited in terms of historical aspects. Korea's traditional Sokgasans, which were created in the Goryeo Era by imitating the landscape of mountain ranges, created a small artificial mountain made of oddly shaped stones, imitating a real mountain. People in those days would reproduce mountain landscapes through a miniaturization technique, enjoying the pleasure of deep mountains and valleys as they lay on their gardens at home while having an aesthetic experience of the landscape that supported their emotional stability and healing. The inner side of these Sokgasan was intended to represent the world of the Taoist hermit with miraculous powers in terms of utopia, expressing 5 Ak mountains(Song Shan, Taishan, Huashan, Heng Shan and Hyeong Shan) where the mountain of 3 Gods(Youngju, Bongrae and Bangjang) wishing for 'No aging and living long' and idea of the Taoist hermit with miraculous powers are concentrated beyond the beauty of form in the landscape itself. In addition, people could refine their minds by practicing the Confucianist lesson of loving the mountain and water by watching the Sokgasan and imitating 'Famous mountains and lakes" from China and they had been changed and advanced embracing various implications in inner side of Sokgasans. Korea's traditional Sokgasans not only made it possible for people to experience aesthetic landscapes as a practical element of the scenery but also had deep symbolic implications that go beyond their formal beauty and were sublimated as an ideational space of unlimited imagination.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.139-156
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• 2009

Mountain tourism is regarded as an important inbound tourist destination for the whole world. The Himalayan Mountains are house of world's highest peaks that includes over 100 mountains exceeding 8,500 meters. However limited dimension of visitors constraints and motivation has been reported about the high altitude mountain. This research work permits the identification of some of the motivation and constraints related to the decision making of tourism in high altitude mountains. The study was conducted in Korea, Indian state (Sikkim), and Nepal (Kathmandu) due to the popularity and the major destination for mountain tourism. A set of 9 motive, 45 motivation items and 40 constraints were initially generated from a review of research pertaining to visitor motivation and constraints. They were considered to be the most appropriate for measuring visitors motivation and constraints for experiencing high altitude mountain tourism. Validity of dimensionality and inter correlation was evaluated by factor analysis investigation and analysis of obtained data revealed that constraints of Korean are significantly higher than Indian and other inbound tourist. Among the major constraints structural constraints were recorded higher for Indian, Korean and other visitors. Similarly, motives of different visitors varied significantly. This analysis also revealed that Korean motives for travelling were influenced by health and pleasure, whereas, Indian and others motives were mostly related to knowledge seeking and adventure. The environmental importance were given priority by all the countries. The purpose of this study includes; (1) To identify the motives of visitors in high altitude destinations. (2) To analysis the major motivation factor for the altitude tourism. (3) To report the major constraints of visitors travelling to the high altitude. (4) To study whether the strength of motivation help to overcome the constraints.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 1993

Recently, by fast industralization and development without environmental concern, our environment deterioration have being continued rapidly. Therefore, many species is placed on crisis of extinction or was already extincted by habitat destruction. In Minjujisan area, there is a plan to construct the Sport and Leisure Complex by which convert the forest conservancy district to the district of development promotion and district of sighseeing and leisure by Yongdong District. To investigate the avifauna impacts by habitat destruction, bird censuses was carried out before the Sport and Leisure Complex be construct in Minjujisan and Sokgisan area during 4-5 May, 1992 and 16-21 June, 1992. Total 229 birds of 41 species in 23 family of 9 orders were recorded during censuses. Sitta europaea amurensis was the most abundant species and Parus ater amurensis, Phylloscopus borealis xanthodryas, Parus major wladiwostokensis, Parus palustris hellmayri, and Turdus pallidus were dominant species. Accipiter nisus nisosimilis, Accipiter soloenis, and Otus scops stictonotus were found out to the natural monuments in this suvey. Halcyon pileate was observed to a rare bird in this surveyed area. Species diversity of this census was 3.381 which showed slightly higher degree than other surveyed area. The area of Minjujisan, Sokgipong, and Samdopong which have little pollution agent around there and kept away from mankind were approved the heavy avifauna area which have so many bird species. Biogeographically, the Taebaek Mountains was connected with the Sobaek Mountains through this area, therefore it was significant that many animal species could be move to each mountains ranges. The construction plan of the Sport and Leisure Complex in Minjujisan area should be restrain with concern about environmentally destruction by the Muju Resort in Dokyusan National Park which connected to that area have master plan to development the ski slopes for the 1997 Universiad with permission by the Ministry of Environment.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1-15
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to consider the relationship between point of view and prospect behavior occurring in the experience of a painted landscape. This study analyzes one hundred scenes from the 'real landscape painting' by Kyumjae, one of the most famous landscape painters in 18th century Korea. The results of the study are as follows: 1. It clarified that Kyumjae's real landscape painting's 100 scenes have many view points such as roads, bridges, pavilions, mansions, towers, terraces, hillsides, bases of mountains, broad flat roots, brooksides, and ferries that are apt to occur in the experience of a landscape. The spatial characteristics of view points are expanded fields of vision, evening and night scenes, edges of landforms and structures from which to improve ones vantage point. 2. It showed that 99 out of real landscape painting's 100 scenes depict a view point'to look'and 79 of 'to look through', 73 of 'look around'and 24 of 'to look over'. 3. It showed that real landscape painting's 100 scenes depict that the view point 'to look' is mainly upon a road from which people are looking over an elevated landscape such as the top of a mountain or rockwall. The view behaviors of looking down are depict 15 pavilions, 14 mansions, 2 broad rocks and 10 mountain tops on which people experience landscapes such as fields, rural communities and streams. The view behaviors to look depict 33 ships, 24 roads, 24 pavilions, 19 mansions and 12 terraces on which people experience landscapes such as distant views of mountains, rivers and landscapes. The view behaviors to look around to obtain orientation of landscape are depict 16 pavilions, 10 mountaintops. To glimpse on the way of journey depict 33 ships and 29 roads. To look over depict 11 mansions and 6 pavilions on which experience borrows the landscape. To look through landscapes such as rivers, mountains and rockwalls depict 15 roads, 14 pavilions and 11 mansions. To exchange looks depict 30 ships, 14 roads, 12 pavilions and 12 mansions. We expect that these results might give clues toward the experience of landscapes and the practice of landscape design methods which select viewpoints, and in the design of view points suitable to prospect behaviors.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to find one of the standard scales of outside space. Fortunately, Korea has interesting old geographical name representing the environment where people feel comfortable by being enclosed by hills or mountains like in a room. The name of Chinese letter "谷" meaning valley is enunciated as "Gog", and Korean native equivalent word is "Sil." We thought we can find the standards of scale of the villages with name that ends with "Gog" or "Sil" by examining the scale of the village of the certain geographical name. We could collect 33 village's geographical names in Jin An Gun area, examined the scale, and considered the results from various aspects. The main conclusions are following: 1) Almost of the 33 villages with geographical names of "Gog", or "Sil" were surrounded by the hills of mountains, and the scales of the spaces surrounded were roughly 10~25ha. 2) Our ancestors felt comfortable be being enclosed with hills or mountains like in a room, and they have recognized the certain scale of the enclosed spaces. 3) After converting the 33 areas into squares for convenience, the scales of the spaces with the geographical name of "Gog" or "Sil" were roughly $300m{\times}300m{\sim}500m{\times}500m$.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1991

The distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants in Korea is reviewed in connection with palaeoenvironment, along with a discussion to their origins, patterns of migration, and their refugia. At present, the estimated number of Korean arctic-alpine and alpine species is 419, and this includes 75 arctic-alpine species, 239 alpine species and 105 Korean endemic alpine species. The disjunctive distribution of cryophilous arctic-alpine and alpine plants is likely to be due to first, the downslope and southward expansion of those species towards the Korean peninsula as a primary refugia from the arctic region as the Pleistocene glacial phases approached, and then their subsequent isolation upslope in mountain areas toward a secondary refugia as the interglacial and post-glacial climatic ameliorations followed; secondly, the expansion of forest tree communities on lowland and montane areas subsequent to the end of the Pleistocene has had the effect of dividing formerly high mountains as a result of the increased competition; and thirdly, the general disapperance or restriction of available habitats for arctic-alpine and alpine species because of post-glacial climatic amelioration. The existence of 139 alpine species exclusively in the north of Korea may be due to the following reasons; first, frequent exchanges of alpine floras with other neighbouring East Asian regions would have been facilitated; secondly, there are numerous high mountains available for the alpine plants to survive and prosper during the post-glacial period; thirdly, the existence of easy accesses between mountains within the north, which has enabled alpine floras to migrate when necessary; and finally, the availability of diverse environments and habitats for the alpine flora of the north. However, the continued survival of those species in Korea at the world's or East Asia's southernmost limits of their distribution for many species is in danger if global warming associated with the greenhouse effect takes place.