• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.1-22
• /
• 2017

'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.126-136
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of a health education program for the aged on knowledge about the warning signs and symptoms of acute myocardial infarction and stroke. Methods: Data from 337 elderly people (159 participated and 178 non-participated) at senior centers in Jeju-si were collected by 1 to 1 interview from January to March 2012, one year after the education program provided. Two stages of study were performed: Cross-sectional, case-control study on the level of knowledge about the warning signs and symptoms; and multivariate logistic regression to fine out predictors of optimal awareness. Results: No significant discrepancy of knowledge level between case and control group was found. The knowledge level as high as a surge was shown in both groups one year later. A surge of knowledge had been shown after the education provided in one month. The factors affecting the optimal level of knowledge were education (Odds ratio 3.01; Confidence Interval 1.72-5.26; P-value <0.001) and 7 days of watching TV news per week (2.97; 1.68-5.23; P<0.001). However, participation in the health education was not significant (1.60; 0.98-2.61; P=0.059). Conclusions: The effects of a targeted program in high-risk groups for cardio-cerebrovascular disease are only guaranteed in the enhancement by a population-based mass-media education campaign.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.111-121
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this research is to survey elementary pre-service teachers' in understand the legal Units, focusing on seven basic unit such a 'm', 'm2', 'L', 'kg', 'K', 'cd', 's'. This study specifically investigates whether the students understand the legal units. The subjects were 1096 students from the University of Education in Jinju, Gyeongnam. Data was collected through a questionnaire which was designed by this research and checked by authority, and the frequency and percentage of responses to each question were obtained and analysed. The survey was the legal units on interesting, using the experience of confusing and understanding of elementary pre-service teachers. The Korea Government is regulating using traditional measures such as 'pyeong' or 'don' in commercial transactions change to adopt the metric system for as a subsidiary the first of July, 2007. The interesting of the legal units dose not exceed a positive answer to the question 52.1%. Their were answered that the experience of the confused of 60.1% in the life. How to do efforts for the settle down of the legal units that answered broadcasting>in class>a campaign>study and training by an academic year in oder. Findings show regardless of academic year, gender and from the department of liberal arts or the science department all the students knew very well that 'm' '$m^2$', 'L', 'kg' are included in the legal units, compared to the others low percentage of 'K', 'cd' and 's' the legal units. In case of time(s), women has correct answered 2.7 times than man. In case of academic year, except for the third-year students was not to exceed 50%. In case of from the department of liberal arts or the science department contrary to one's expectations increase of 50% or more correct answer while half the students scored in science. The elementary pre-service teachers are seems to thinking separate the legal units with their in university life. Also elementary pre-service teachers are the lack of interest on society. Their should be for settle down of the legal units through learning to class in university, newspapers, strengthen publicity activities of broadcast media's further more by maintenance efforts of the government.

• Archives of design research
• /
• v.18 no.3 s.61
• /
• pp.129-138
• /
• 2005

It has been assumed that the clarification of a message is a necessary element for successful communication. However, in the today's complicated and changing environment of business marketing media, it is shown that the clarification of the message of advertisement may inhibit the effectiveness of communication. This study was to examine what was effective communication in advertisement when the company, provoking the people's negative emotional response, needs to establish new identities such as the goals and the special fields of business. In particular, the study was to investigate what effect the advertising strategy of strategically emitting ambiguous messages makes on the consumer's recognition, emotional attitude, reliability, and attitude towards the company. It was hypothesized that an ambiguous message in an advertisement has an effect on the consumer's recognition, emotional attitude, reliability, and attitude towards the company. Three texts from the 'Imagination Praises' campaign of KT&G which has been in process since 2003 were systematically sampled and the survey was performed by the means of questionnaires made on the sample The results showed that the ambiguous message of advertising texts gained better responses on the consumer's attention, good impression, affirmation, memory, sympathy than the dear message and that the ambiguous message had an effect on the consumer's attitude towards the advertisement itself. Thus, it could be tentatively concluded that the ambiguous message could be more effective in recognition and recall to promote the changes of identities of the company having the people's unfavorable emotion. But there wasn't any evidence that an ambiguous message in an advertisement was more effective in terms of the consumer's emotional response, reliability, and attitude towards the company. From this, it could be inferred that the receiver had an uncomfortable, doubtful and negative attitude about the implicit expressive code contained in the message. In the future deeper qualitative studies can compensate for the limited explanation of this empirical study focused on statistical analyses.

• The Southeast Asian review
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.213-247
• /
• 2018

Thailand in 2017 the public sentiment has turned against the military government. The four pledges the military declared immediately after the 2014 coup, restoration of democracy, addressing of divisive politics, eradication of corruption, and stimulation of the economy have all failed. In the same year, however, Thai military junta began to recover it's diplomatic relationship with western countries including US and EU owing to promulgation of the new constitution endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the lavish funeral of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej which was attended by huge number of condolence delegations from around the world including US Defense Secretary James Mattis. Since the 2014 coup, US has sanctioned the country under military junta led by General Prayuth Chan-o-cha for urging them back to the barracks. EU also joined this sanction measures. US signaled change in it's policy when General Prayuth got the chance to visit US and meet President Donal Trump in 2017. General Prayuth Chan-o-cha's military junta could start to restore it's reputation internationally. Domestically, he used absolute powers based on section 44 of the interim constitution, also guranteed in the new constitution. Oversea and national human rights groups have criticized that the interim constitution for permitting the NCPO, Thai military junta's official name, to carry out policies and actions without any effective oversight or accountability for human rights violations. On 1 December 2017, Thailand marked the one-year anniversary of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's accession to the throne as the country's new monarch, Rama X. In the first year of King Rama X's reign, arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment under Article 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code (lese-majeste) have continued unabated in Thailand. NCPO has continued to abuse Article 112 to detain alleged violators and curb any form of discussion regarding the monarchy, particularly on social media. In this worsening human rights environment General Prayuth Chan-o-cha enforced continuously campaign like Thai-style democracy- an effort to promote largely autocratic 'Thainess' in such a way that freedom of expression is threatened. It is a resurgence of 'Sarit Model'. In the beginning of 2017 Thai military government raised the slogan of 'opportunity Thailand' in the context of 'Thailand 4.0' project which attempts to transform Thai economy based on industry-driven to innovation-driven for recovering robust growth. To consider freedom and liberty as a source of innovation, 'Thailand 4.0' led by 'Sarit Model' without democracy would be skeptical.