• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear weapons

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ROKN's Response Strategy to North Korea's SLBM Threat (북한 SLBM 위협과 대응방향)

  • Moon, Chang-Hwan
    • Strategy21
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    • s.40
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    • pp.82-114
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    • 2016
  • The purpose of this article is to analyze the progress of North Korea's SLBM threat, and to assess the technological capacity and threat level of its SLBMs. Currently, North Korea has approximately 1000 ballistic missiles, such as the SCUD, Musudan, and Nodong, in stock. This article pays close attention to the background and strategical implication behind North Korea's obsession with developing SLBMs despite possessing sufficient means to launch provocations with its current arsenal of ground based ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. Based on the abovementioned analysis, this article will recommend possible response directions for the ROK Armed Forces to North Korea's SLBM threat. It is highly difficult to detect SLBMs due to its stealthy nature, as it is launched underwater after covert infiltration. North Korea's SLBM is considered a game changer in that even one SLBM can significantly change the strategic balance of North East Asia. North Korea's SLBM test launch in August has made a 500km flight, landing 80km inside the JADIZ (Japan Air Defense Identification Zone), and as such, it is assessed that North Korea already possesses underwater ejection and cold launch capabilities. The most realistic response to North Korea's imminent SLBM threat is bolstering anti-submarine capabilities. ROK Armed Forces need to upgrade its underwater kill-chain by modernizing and introducing new airborne anti-submarine assets and nuclear-powered submarines, among many options. Moreover, we should integrate SM-3 missiles with the Aegis Combat system that possess strong detection capabilities and flexibility, thereby establishing a sea-based Ballistic Missle Defense (BMD) system centered around the Aegis Combat System, as sea-based ballistic missile threats are best countered out in the seas. Finally, the capabilities gap that could arise as a result of budgetary concerns and timing of fielding new assets should be filled by establishing firm ROK-US-Japan combined defense posture.

Disorder of Endothelia Vessels' Functional State with Malignant Tumors in Patients Exposed Anthropogenic Radiation

  • Pak, Laura;Noso, Yoshihiro;Chaizhunusova, Nailya;Manambaeva, Zukhra;Adylkhanov, Tasbolat;Takeichi, Nobuo;Olzhaev, Sayakhat;Aldyngurov, Daniyar;Tuleutayeva, Raikhan;Argynbekova, Ainur;Tanysheva, Gulyash;Zhazykbayeva, Lashyn;Baissalbayeva, Ainur;Rakhypbekov, Tolebay
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.575-579
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    • 2016
  • The aim of this research is to determine the characteristics of endothelial factors and the hemostatic system conditions with malignant neoplasms patients, which were exposed to ionizing radiation. Total number of examined people is 223, 153 of them are patients with gastrointestinal tract oncopathology. The article presents the results of the analysis of numerical indicators of endothelial condition and platelet hemostasis of patients, who had cancer. They lived in the regions of Kazakhstan, subjected to contamination of radionuclides as a result of nuclear weapons tests, which took place in this region from 1949 to 1989. These results then were compared to cancer patients and healthy individuals with no radiation risk. The study revealed the presence of higher levels of endothelial dysfunction and following trigger of the hemostatic system in patients with malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the defined high degree of endothelial dysfunction include endothelium-dependent vasodilation, content desquamated endothelial cells in peripheral blood and von Willebrand factor. These indicators have a clear correlation with the degree of disorder of studied parameters of the hemostasis, which can cause the development of thrombotic complications.

A Study on Distribution of Cs-137 and Sr-90 in Soils around Taejon Region (대전지역 토양에 대한 Cs-137 및 Sr-90 방사능농도 분포 조사)

  • Lee, Myung-Ho;Lee, Chang-Woo;Hong, Kwang-Hee;Choi, Yong-Ho;Kim, Sang-Bok;Park, Doo-Won;Lee, Jeong-Ho
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.123-128
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    • 1995
  • The concentration of Cs-137 and Sr-90 has been analyzed in soils around Taejon region. A correalation was found between the concentration of Cs-137 and the organic matter content. The mean value of Cs-137 was 14.37Bq/kg-dry and that of Sr-90 was 7.95Bq/kg-dry in undisturbed soils around Taejon region. The concentration ratio of Cs-137/Sr-90 was 1.99. The distribution of Cs-137 and Sr-90 was similar to cumulative fallout level and had been more affected by nuclear weapons test than by the chernobyl accident.

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The Importance of Military Security -Mainly focused on the Battle of Gaeseong, the early part of the Korean War- (전투사례로 본 군사보안의 중요성 연구 - 6.25 전쟁 초기, 개성일대 전투를 중심으로-)

  • Kim, Gyu-Nam;Lee, Hyun-Hee
    • Convergence Security Journal
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    • v.16 no.6_1
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    • pp.51-58
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    • 2016
  • "History is a mirror" means that we should be prepared for the threats of enemies through learning from repeating history. Currently South Korea is facing various provocations, including North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile s. For the protection of the life and property of its people, South Korea should regard North Korea as a main enemy and be fully prepared for the threats. The Korean War was a war between well-prepared North Korea and ill-prepa red South Korea. After Liberation, North Korean army incorporated the Chinese Communist army, placed battle equi pment with the support of the Soviet army, and finished corps-level training while South Korea at that time did not finish battalion-level training. In wartime and peacetime, an army should improve military security by concealing its own information and find its enemy's information. North Korea carefully prepared for the war, collecting information about the organization, deployment and operation of the South Korean army. South Korean army failed to cope with it and had hard times in its early battles. In this paper, I will emphasize the importance of military security, focusing on the Battle of Gaeseong, the early part of the Korean War.

The Development of Electromagnetic pulse Protection Capability in the Main System of a Tank Battalion (전차대대 주요체계의 EMP 방호능력 발전방안에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Hokab;Han, Jaeduk;Son, Sangwoo;Kim, Sungkon
    • KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.40 no.6
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    • pp.623-631
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    • 2020
  • An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on a nuclear weapon or the airlift of an electronic bomb affects weapons systems, information devices, wired and wireless communication equipment, and power supply equipment. It can lead to confusion on the battlefield. The current standards for EMP protection when applied to the military are centered on fixed and mobile facilities and equipment. It is, however, important to study EMP protection for a single tactical unit centered on the weapon system. In this study, EMP protection standards were established for command and control, maneuvering and firepower systems vulnerable to EMPs, focusing on battle tanks with mobility, firepower, and shock force. Also, specific development plans for EMP protection capabilities are proposed, including the shielding and blocking of EMPs. Through the study, the Korean government intends to ensure a unit's command and control under an EMP attack as well as preserve the viability of a unit's personnel and guarantee the conditions for the execution of a mission.

A Study on the Meaning of Outer Space Treaty in International Law (우주조약의 국제법적 의미에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Han-Taek
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.223-258
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    • 2013
  • 1967 Outer Space Treaty(Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies; OST) is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. OST is based on the 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space announced by UNGA resolution. As of May 2013, 102 countries are states parties to OST, while another 27 have signed the treaty but have not completed ratification. OST explicitly claimed that the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies are the province of all mankind. Art. II of OST states that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means", thereby establishing res extra commercium in outer space like high seas. However 1979 Moon Agreement stipulates that "the moon and its natural resources are the Common Heritage of Mankind(CHM)." Because of the number of the parties to the Moon Agreement(13 parties) it does not affect OST. OST also established its specific treaties as a complementary means such as 1968 Rescue Agreement, 1972 Liability Convention, 1975 Registration Convention. OST bars states party to the treaty from placing nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial body, or to otherwise station them in outer space. It exclusively limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications. However OST does not prohibit the placement of conventional weapons in orbit. China and Russia submitted Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapon in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects(PPWT) on the Conference on Disarmament in 2008. USA disregarded PPWT on the ground that there are no arms race in outer space. OST does not have some articles in relation to current problems such as space debris, mechanisms of the settlement of dispute arising from state activities in outer space in specific way. COPUOS established "UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" based on "IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" and ILA proposed "International Instrument on the Protection of the Environment from Damage Caused by Space Debris" for space debris problems and Permanent Court of Arbitration(PCA) established "Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Outer Space Activities" and ILA proposed "1998 Taipei Draft Convention on the Settlement of Space Law Dispute" for the settlement of dispute problems. Although OST has shortcomings in some articles, it is very meaningful in international law in considering the establishment of basic principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. OST established the principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space as customary law and jus cogens in international law as follows; the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind; outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States; outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. The principles of global public interest in outer space imposes international obligations erga omnes applicable to all States. This principles find significant support in legal norms dealing with following points: space activities as the "province of all mankind"; obligation to cooperate; astronauts as envoys of mankind; avoidance of harmful contamination; space activities by States, private entities and intergovernmental organisations; absolute liability for damage cauesd by certain space objects; prohibition of weapons in space and militarization of the celestial bodies; duty of openness and transparency; universal application of the international space regime.

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Phosphate Sorption on Boehmite with Eu(III): P K-edge EXAFS Fingerprinting (뵈마이트 표면의 인산염 및 Eu(III) 수착: 인(P) X-선 흡수분석(EXAFS)에 의한 연구)

  • Yoon, Soh-Joung;Bleam, William F.
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.42 no.5
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    • pp.495-500
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    • 2009
  • Actinide sorption to the geological materials can reduce the mobility and bioavailability of radionuclides released to the environment through the development of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. Under circumneutral pH conditions, actinide sorption can be enhanced by phosphate anions sorbed on oxide mineral surfaces as indicated by the sorption of trivalent lanthanide ions ($Ln^{3+}$), the chemical analog for trivalent actinide ions ($Ac^{3+}$). In this paper, we examined a ternary sorption system of trivalent europium ions ($Eu^{3+}$) sorbed onto boehmite (${\gamma}$-AlOOH) surfaces pre-sorbed with phosphate anions (${PO_4}^{3-}$), using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. In the Eu-$PO_4$-boehmite ternary sorption system, $EuPO_4$ surface precipitates were formed as implicated by Eu $L_{III}$-edge EXAFS spectroscopy. Phosphorus K-edge EXAFS fingerprinting indicated a bidentate mononuclear surface complex formation of phosphate sorbed on boehmite surfaces as well as $EuPO_4$ surface precipitate formation.

Remote Monitoring Panel and Control System for Chemical, Biological and Radiological Facilities (화생방 방호시설을 위한 원격감시 패널 및 제어시스템)

  • Park, Hyoung-Keun
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.464-469
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    • 2019
  • A remote monitoring panel and control system was developed to control various valves and access control chambers, including gas shutoff valves used in CBR(Chemical, Biological and Radiological) facilities. The remote monitoring panel consisted of a main panel installed in the NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) control room and auxiliary panel installed in the clean room, and the size was divided into pure control and control including CCTV. This system can be monitored and controlled remotely according to the situation where an explosion door and gas barrier door can occur during war and during normal times. This system is divided into normal mode and war mode. In particular, it periodically senses the operation status of various valves, sensors, and filters in the CBR facilities to determine if each apparatus and equipment is in normal operation, and remotely alerts situation workers when repair or replacement is necessary. Damage due to the abnormal operation of each device in the situation can be prevented. This enables control of the blower, supply and exhaust damper, emergency generator, and coolant pump according to the state of shutoff valve and positive pressure valve in the occurrence of NBC, and prevents damage caused by abrupt inflow of conventional weapons and nuclear explosions.

A Study on North Korea's UAV Threat and Response Stance (북한의 무인기 위협과 대응 자세)

  • Hyeonsik Kim;Chanyoung Park
    • The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.227-233
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    • 2023
  • Along with the 4th Industrial Revolution, the impact of "unmanned" is affecting all fields around the world, and in particular, in the military sector, "unmanned" is so important that it occupies a part of the main combat system. Recently, the South Korean military is facing a crisis due to the North Korea's UAV incident that invaded our airspace and descended to Seoul. In response, the South Korea military declared its willingness and countermeasures to capture and destroy North Korea's UAV. However, as the technological development of UAV continues and the utilization plan is expanding, the countermeasures for UAV at the current level can be useless. Also, the threat from North Korea is not just UAV. North Korea has practically a nuclear power and is set to conduct its seventh nuclear test, and its missile technology is also being advanced, with 38 arounds of 67 missile tests conducted in 2022 alone. It is also developing five key strategic weapons that can pose a fatal threat to Korea, and North Korea's strong conventional forces are located around the NLL(Northern Limit Line), and the port of Long Range Artillery is facing the Seoul metropolitan area. It is important to respond to North Korea's UAV threats, which are now receiving much attention, but it will be necessary to comprehensively analyze and clearly prioritize North Korea's threats and use a limited budget to respond to them.

Clinical Usefulness of PET-MRI in Lymph Node Metastasis Evaluation of Head and Neck Cancer (두경부암 림프절 전이 평가에서 PET-MRI의 임상적 유용성)

  • Kim, Jung-Soo;Lee, Hong-Jae;Kim, Jin-Eui
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.18 no.1
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    • pp.26-32
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    • 2014
  • Purpose: As PET-MRI which has excellent soft tissue contrast is developed as integration system, many researches about clinical application are being conducted by comparing with existing display equipments. Because PET-MRI is actively used for head and neck cancer diagnosis in our hospital, lymph node metastasis before the patient's surgery was diagnosed and clinical usefulness of head and neck cancer PET-MRI scan was evaluated using pathological opinions and idiopathy surrounding tissue metastasis evaluation method. Materials and Methods: Targeting 100 head and neck cancer patients in SNUH from January to August in 2013. $^{18}F-FDG$ (5.18 MBq/kg) was intravenous injected and after 60 min of rest, torso (body TIM coil, Vibe-Dixon) and dedication (head-neck TIM coil, UTE, Dotarem injection) scans were conducted using $Bio-graph^{TM}$ mMR 3T (SIEMENS, Munich). Data were reorganized using iterative reconstruction and lymph node metastasis was read with Syngo.Via workstation. Subsequently, pathological observations and diagnosis before-and-after surgery were examined with integrated medical information system (EMR, best-care) in SNUH. Patient's diagnostic information was entered in each category of $2{\times}2$ decision matrix and was classified into true positive (TP), true negative (TN), false positive (FP) and false negative (FN). Based on these classified test results, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, false negative and false positive rate were calculated. Results: In PET-MRI scan results of head and neck cancer patients, positive and negative cases of lymph node metastasis were 49 and 51 cases respectively and positive and negative lymph node metastasis through before-and-after surgery pathological results were 46 and 54 cases respectively. In both tests, TP which received positive lymph node metastasis were analyzed as 34 cases, FP which received positive lymph node metastasis in PET-MRI scan but received negative lymph node metastasis in pathological test were 4 cases, FN which received negative lymph node metastasis but received positive lymph node metastasis in pathological test was 1 case, and TN which received negative lymph node metastasis in both two tests were 50 cases. Based on these data, sensitivity in PET-MRI scan of head and neck cancer patient was identified to be 97.8%, specificity was 92.5%, accuracy was 95%, FN rate was 2.1% and FP rate was 7.00% respectively. Conclusion: PET-MRI which can apply the acquired functional information using high tissue contrast and various sequences was considered to be useful in determining the weapons before-and-after surgery in head and neck cancer diagnosis or in the evaluation of recurrence and remote detection of metastasis and uncertain idiopathy cervical lymph node metastasis. Additionally, clinical usefulness of PET-MRI through pathological test and integrated diagnosis and follow-up scan was considered to be sufficient as a standard diagnosis scan of head and neck cancer, and additional researches about the development of optimum MR sequence and clinical application are required.

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