• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.11-28
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to derive implication on the adoption of PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures) to improve quality of care in South Korea. With this purpose, the paper examines the status of PROMs in South Korea and other countries including OECD's PaRIS (Patient Reported Indicators Survey) initiative, and reviews policy cases that have adopted PROMs to improve performance of healthcare system. Methods: We conducted literature review on OECD reports on PaRIS, peer-reviewed journals, and information from the websites of relevant institutions such as ICHOM, NQF and OECD. Results: To identify healthcare services of best values and support patient-centered health system, OECD has initiated PaRIS which develops, collects and analyzes patient-reported indicators for cross-countries comparison. PaRIS is implemented on two work streams: 1) collect, validate and standardize PROMs in the areas where patient-reported indicators already exist such as breast cancers, hip and knee replacement, and mental conditions, 2) develop a new international survey on multiple chronic conditions. Countries like England, U.S., Sweden and Netherlands use PROMs for measuring performance of hospitals and performance evaluation at the national level, and provide the financial incentives for reporting PROMs. Conclusions: The use of PROMs can support the current policy agenda that is the patient-centered healthcare system which has been emphasized to reinforce the primary and the community-based care. For the use of PROMs, it is recommended to actively participate in PaRIS initiative by OECD, select appropriate instruments for PROMs, and continue on standardization of them. This will assure patients' involvement in improving health system performance, systemize information generated in the process of adopting PROMs, and develop a system to evaluate performance.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.410-421
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• 2020

Regarding a long-term strategic plan in the food and agriculture sector, R&D policies and investment trends in major overseas countries are reviewel. The importance of efficient resource management is emphasized along with continuous government support for R&D in the agri-food industry. In response to facing social issues such as climate change, food security, food safety, health, and environment, research and innovation agenda is mainly focused on harmony between economy and environment, human nutrition and health as well as animal and plant health, and an integrated ecosystem approach. Particularly in the food sector, public investment is generally made in food safety, nutrition and health, and private investment for food processing and manufacturing. Public-private collaboration is carried out in order to enhance the efficiency of R&D innovation and development strategies in the agri-food industry.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.3-18
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• 2021

The 'digital divide' is regarded as a latent dysfunction that impedes the intrinsic role of information to contribute to social equality. Therefore, it has drawn great attention inside and outside of academia. The growing interest in the digital divide has been driven by the realization that it can create a serious crisis that threatens a social system compounded by existing economic, social, and cultural inequality, rather than being limited to an uneven distribution of information. In this paper (1) studies on the digital divide published since 1970 are reviewed, (2) studies noteworthy of discussion are selected to assess their academic significance, and (3) the tasks and prospects of digital divide research are explored. Although meaningful achievements have been amassed through continuous interest and efforts of the academic community, two limitations are raised; the gap between pure research and policy research that hinders the working of synthetic imagination, and the intellectual lag falling behind a rapidly changing society. In addition, it is suggested that the operation, curation, and augmentation gaps would emerge as new agenda for digital divide research in the intelligent information age.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 2023

Background: To improve the support low-income individuals' medical expenses, it is necessary to think about ways to enhance the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program. This study proposes expanding support criteria and changing the income standard. Methods: This study conducted simulations using national data from the National Health Insurance Service. Simulations performed for people who have used health services (n=172,764) in 2022 to confirm the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program's size based on changes to the subject selection criteria. Results: As a result of the simulation with expanded criteria, the expected budget was estimated to increase between Korean won (KRW) 13.2 (11.5%) and 138.6 billion (37.4%), and the number of recipients increased between 41,979 (48.9%) and 150,317 (76.1%). The results of the simulation for the change in income criteria (applied to health insurance levels below the 50th percentile) estimated the expected budget to increase between KRW -8.9 (-7.8%) and 55.6 billion (15.0%) and the number of recipients to increase between -8,704 (-10.1%) and 41,693 (21.1%) compared to the current standard. Conclusion: The 2023 Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program's criteria were expanded as per the 20th Presidential Office's national agenda to alleviate the burden of medical expenses on the low-income class. In addition, The Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program needs to be integrated with other medical expense support policies in the mid- to long-term, and a foundation must be prepared to ensure the consistency of each system.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.108-119
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• 2015

Recently, the ways in which individual communities own and manage parks have been both discussed and realized in America and England. Some benefits of these asset transfers are that local governments can reduce the financial cost of management as well as improve the service of the parks. In addition, communities can develop these parks as unique assets. Ultimately, this is a new understanding of parks as community commons. This study examines the policy of park asset transfers to communities in England. These transfers, which involve reallocating land and building management and/or ownership from the public sector to a community group, are part of a policy agenda known as "Big Society", which aims to create a "small government" within a "big society". The agenda is pursued by both the English Conservative and Unionist Party governments. Eight case studies of community park asset transfers in England were examined in this study, under three categories-transfer process, partnership among stakeholders, and financial structure-and synthesized along three issues-financial contribution, level of public transparency, and closeness of the relationship between park and community. In some cases, new community groups were created specifically to receive park assets, while in other communities, existing groups became the park trustees. For most parks, community groups raise park maintenance funding through diverse methods; however, these groups are often not entirely financially independent from local government. Thus, many park trustees have already created, or are planning to create, other assets from which parks can benefit. Second, some efforts for public transparency include trusts that are registered as charities, of which their public nature is admitted officially. These trusts resolve important decisions through boards of trustees, in an effort to promote income-generating business while not excluding users. Ultimately, a close relationship between park and community empowers the community to participate in managing and maintaining the park; in turn, the park's capacities are improved. Current struggles include the many limits involved in communities accepting ownership and management of a park, and a lack of local government experience regarding public-private management and maintenance of a public asset. This study, however, details interesting policy implications for Korean community involvement as well as diverse financial methods to facilitate park management.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.13-40
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this manuscript was to propose the policy and perspectives of prevention and management for hypertension and diabetes in Korea. Methods: Authors reviewed the chronic disease prevention and management projects and models were executed in Korea until now, and analyzed and evaluated their performances. Results: In the circumstances of Korea, the following several requisites should be improved ; Specific Korean strategy for development and pursuing of national level policy agenda for chronic disease management must be established. There are a need to establish several means of supplementing the weaknesses of the current chronic disease management policies and programs. Firstly, development and distribution of contents of guidelines on the systematic project execution regime (regarding systematization of local community, subjects and contents of the projects) with guarantee for the quality of chronic disease prevention and management are necessary. Secondly, there is a need for development of information system that can lead the chronic disease management programs currently being implemented. Thirdly, there is urgent need to develop resources such as cultivation of manpower and facilities for provision of education and consultation for the patients and holders of risk factors of chronic disease. Fourthly, there is a need for means of securing management system and financial resources for operation of policies and programs. Conclusions: The results can be able to use as a road map, models, and direction and strategies of policies for chronic disease prevention and management of Korea.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1992

Since 1960's along with industrialization and urbanization, economic growth has been . achieved, however, at the same time, environmental condition has been seriously deteriorated. . Currently, volume of wastewater has been increasing at annual rate of 7% in sewage and 20% in industrial wastewater. However, the nation's sewage treatment serves only 33% of the municipal wastewater as of 1991. Major portion of air pollutants comes from combustion of oil and coal which comprise 81% of total energy use and emission gases from motor vehicles increasing at an accelerated rate. It is known that Korea generates the highest amount of waste per capta. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to reduce the volume of waste by means of resources recovery and recycling. Recognizing the importance of global environmental problems such as ozone layer depletion, global warming and acid rain, international society has been making various efforts since the 1972 Stockholm conference. In particular, it is expected that the Rio conference which has adopted the Rio declaration and Agenda 21 will form a crucial turning point of the emerging new world order after the Cold War confrontation. To cope with such issues as domestic pollution and global environmental problems, the fundamental national policy aims at harmonizing "environmental protection and sustainable development". The Ministry of Environment has recently set up a mid-term comprehensive plan which includes annual targets for environmental protection. According to the government plan, gradual improvement of various environmental conditions and specific measures to achieve them is planned in time frame. Additional sewage treatment plants will be constructed in urban areas with the target to treat 65% of the nation's municipal sewage by 1996. Supply of clean fuels such as LNG will also be expanded starting from large cities as a cleaner substitute energy for coal and oil. In parallel with expansion of LNG, emphasis will be placed on installation of stack monitoring system. Due to the relatively limited land, government's basic policy for solid waste treatment is to develop large scale landfill facilities rather than small sized ones. Thirty three regional areas have been designated for the purpose of waste management. For each of these regions, big scale landfill site is going to be developed. To increase the rate of waste recycling the government is planning to reinforce separate collection system and to provide industries with economic incentives. As a part of meeting the changing situation on global environmental problems after UNCED, and accommodation regulatory measures stipulated in the global environmental conventions and protocols, national policy will try to alter industrial and economic structure so as to mitigate the increasing trends of energy consumption, by encouraging energy conservation and efficiency. In this regard, more attention will be given to the policy on the development of the cleaner technology. Ultimately, these policies and programs will contribute greatly to improving the current state of national public health.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.290-308
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• 2008

The industrial development of Goryeong County was started by the operation of the Ssangrym Agro￢industrial complex in the 1980s. As of 2m3, there are 6 industrial complexes in Goryeong County which account for 80 percent of total employment and 67 percent of total production outPuts in local manufacturing. The local manufacturing industries grew steadily before the 1997 financial crisis which resulted in industrial decline and have shown again a growing tendency since 2000. In this period of growth, manufacturing outPuts are increased and the industrial structure are improved, while employment and value added are in stagnation. The major industrial agglomerations are based in Gaejin-Myun, Dasan-Myun and Ssangrym-Myun, all of which are those in which the agro-industrial complex is operated. More than half of local manufacturing finns are those which came to move in from other regions, looking for cheap labour forces, agglomeration of the related finns and the easy accessibility to transport and communication. However, such local advantages are increasingly losing due to the shortage of labour forces and the lack of industrial networks. Some policy agendas can be suggested as follows. First of all, industrial policy should attempt links with the building-up of the Daegu Technopolis and the up-grading of the local industrial structure towards the knowledge-based industries. Secondly, the local government should make efforts to establish the innovation supporting system for local firms and the industrial and residential basis.

• Korean Journal of Comparative Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.81-103
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• 2016

The reform of teacher policies to raise the quality of teachers has been one of the major priorities of countries around the world. Especially, the structure of elementary and secondary teacher education institutions has been the focus of international teacher policy reform agenda. Despite the problems faced by Korean teacher education system, the reform policy effort has not been actively pursued. Based on this problem recognition, this study seeks to analyze the case of Ireland to reveal the characteristics of teacher education system restructuring including background of restructuring, key strategies, and major contents. We found that the restructuring of Irish system was triggered by both domestic and international initiatives to tackle the problems of the system. The restructuring effort was led by the government and showed several distinctive features, such as reducing the number of institutions, combining elementary and secondary teacher education institutions, and strengthening research capacity of institutions. Base on the findings, a few policy recommendations were made to reignite the discussions on the reform of teacher education system in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.256-269
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• 2016

In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) has adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a goal of the international community to push forward from the year 2016 to 2030. Accordingly, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) has established a new chapter on sustainable development and intangible heritage the through revision of the Operational Directives for the Implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Although Sustainable development is a fundamental principle of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is believed that the Convention has not provided guidelines of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development. The Operational Directives provide States Parties with guidelines on the integration of sustainable development and safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. Intangible Cultural Property Institution of South Korea was designed to preserve the traditional culture in the economic development process of the industrialization since the 1960s. The institution played a role of cultural support on the development of the modern concepts. Now South Korea should implement intangible cultural heritage policy combined with sustainable development while succeeding the efforts from the former development. This study examines the meaning of sustainable development and how it should be implemented in the intangible cultural heritage policy in South Korea. And this study suggests that the South Korea's intangible cultural heritage policy should foster sustainable development particularly along with social development and human development.