• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.39-50
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• 2021

We investigate competition and its impact on borrowers' indebtedness (BI) in South Asian microfinance. Our empirical investigations are based on a comprehensive panel dataset of 355 MFIs located in seven countries in South Asia. The empirical results revealed that microfinance in South Asia is imperfectly competitive and the existing industry shows a monopolistic competition during the period under consideration. Also, the competition increased after the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2007-08 which implies that microfinance uses hostile lending behavior through the adverse selection that is highly risky and it can induce repayment crisis. The empirical findings also show that increased competition has significant negative effects on borrowers' indebtedness, particularly in large-scale and regulated microfinance organizations (MFIs). Instead of using equity financing, debt financing could be a better option. Finally, we find that while competition seems to have some positive effects in economic discourse by channeling technological improvements in products and services, its negative effects in microfinance outweigh the benefits over costs, particularly in poverty-stricken nations. The findings are helpful for the policymakers, microfinance industry, investors, borrowers, and Central Bank of South Asian markets.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.95-122
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• 2004

This study focuses on analyzing the potentiality of economic integration and the changes in logistics circumstances in Northeast Asia. So far as the changes in logistics circumstances in it, it is emphasized a complex transport system by sea and by land, according to the connection with the Railroad of South-North in Korean Peninsula and the Railroad of the Continent of Siberia. It first considers the propriety of economic integration among Korea, China and Japan in Northeast Asia. The first stage of the economic integration in Northeast Asia means it is started from contracting of FTA(Free Trade Agreement) which just agreed at the Summit Conference among Korea, China and Japan in ASEAN＋3(Korea China. Japan). At that time, the Summit Conference between the three countries have agreed to study on the propriety of FTA charging by own country's research organization. At first China has been hesitated to join with FTA in spite of high growth in his economy, because the time is not yet for it. After all, China also decided himself to participate to FTA together with Korea and Japan by reacted to the stimulus at the conference atmosphere between every country of ASEAN. The discussion on the changes in logistics circumstances also is needed to deal simultaneously with a situation in the economic integration in Northeast Asia. It is worthy to be paid our attention to the restoration of the Railroad of South-North in Korean Peninsula, which was disconnected for a long time from the dispute between South Korea and North Korea. Therefore, it needs to be investigated together with the movement of economic integration in Northeast Asia. The reaction on the restoration of the Railroad of South-North in Korean Peninsula is not only limited to the transport of trade cargo between South Korea and North Korea, but also it is reached to all of Northeast Asia, so far as to all of the area of Russia, Europe, and the other neighbor countries. Because this railroad is connected with the Railroad of the Continent of Siberia. The transport of trade cargo in Northeast Asia have been mostly depended upon the transport by sea until now. However, it would be divided into the transport by sea as well as by land from now. As its economic effect, the restoration of the Railroad of South-North in Korean Peninsula could be not only contributed to reduce the cost of logistics within South Korea and North Korea, but also within or without in Northeast Asia, Russia, and Europe. Consequently, it could be improved the power of international competitiveness of goods in Northeast Asia, according to the formation of a complex transport system together with the transport by sea and by land.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.405-411
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• 2004

This paper digests the residential environment of row-income households in South-East Asia, and governmental endeavor to the squalid dwellings from the perspective of residence welfare. Two projects related to residential environment improvement, UCDO in Thailand and KIP in Philippines, are chosen for deeper study. Some findings in South-East countries' experiences are expected to instructive clues for Korea situation.

• Atmosphere
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.301-309
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• 2011

In this study, we compared light-absorption properties of aerosols observed in East and South Asia from black carbon (BC) mass concentration, aerosol scattering (${\sigma}_s$) and absorption (${\sigma}_a$) coefficients measurements at four sites: Korea Climate Observatory-Gosan (KCO-G), Korea Climate Observatory-Anmyeon (KCO-A), Maldives Climate Observatory-Hanimaadhoo (MCO-H) and Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (NCO-P). No significant seasonal variations of BC mass concentration, ${\sigma}_s$ and ${\sigma}_a$, despite of wet removal of aerosols by precipitation in summer, were observed in East Asia, whereas dramatic changes of light-absorbing aerosol properties were observed in South Asia between dry and wet monsoon periods. Although BC mass concentration in East Asia is generally higher than that observed in South Asia, BC mass concentration at MCO-H during winter dry monsoon is similar to that of East Asia. The observed solar absorption efficiency (${\alpha}$) at 550 nm, where ${\alpha}={\sigma}_a/({\sigma}_s+{\sigma}_a)$, at KCO-G and KCO-A is higher than that in MCO-H due to large portions of BC emission from fossil fuel combustion. Interestingly, ${\alpha}$ at NCO-P is 0.14, which is two times great than that in MCO-H and is about 40% higher than that in East Asia, though BC mass concentration at NCO-P is the lowest among four sites. Consistently, the highest elemental carbon to sulphate ratio is found at NCO-P.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.29-42
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• 2016

Performing an online health search is a popular activity conducted on the Internet. Research studies from developed countries provide information on source used, type of search performed and devices used to perform the search. However, the same cannot be said about the online health information searching scene in South East Asia. Online health information searching is gaining popularity in South East Asia. Citizens in these countries are turning to the Internet to obtain health information quickly. Current research studies pertaining to online health information searching in South East Asian is limited, particularly relating to search experiences of South East Asian health searchers. Search experience is pertinent as it could deter or encourage the possibility of conducting future health searches. In this research study, a user study was conducted to describe the online search experience of South East Asian health searchers. A face to face interview with 50 participants was conducted. The interview was audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results indicate participants have positive and negative search experiences. In some cases, post search outcomes influenced the search experience. Results of this research study contribute to the growing domain of knowledge in relation to online health information searching. Results of this study also provide an understanding pertaining to the search experience of South East Asian online health searchers.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 1998

A comparative analysis on mantle communities in South Korea and Japan was carried out. The study was accomplished by using syntaxa and hierarchical system of mantle communities in South Korea and Japan through Zurich-Montpellier School's method, and also achieved comparison on syntaxonomy, synecology, syndynamics and syngeography between two countries. Mantle communities in South Korea and Japan were defined to the Rosetea multilorae representing mantle vegetation in Northeast Asia. Mantle communities in Japan showed much diverse than those in South Korea. Mantle communities in South Korea and Japan considerably corresponded between the two. Results of the current study will make possible to accumulate qualitative $\bullet$quantitative informations on mantle communities in Northeast Asia. And the subsidiary knowledge from this study will provide practical data on comparative analysis about whole mantle communities in Northeast Asia.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.183-200
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• 2014

Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.7-52
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• 2017

This paper analyzes the scholarly approaches to the problem of "local" vs. "cosmopolitan" in the context of the cultural transfers between South and Southeast Asia. Taking the "localization" paradigm advanced by Oliver Wolters as its pivot, it reviews the "externalist" and "autonomous" positions, and questions the hermeneutical validity of the fuzzy and self-explanatory category of "local." Having discussed the geo-environmental metaphors of "Monsoon Asia" and "Maritime Asia" as alternative paradigms to make justice to the complex dynamics of transregional interaction that shaped South and Southeast Asian societies, it briefly presents two case studies highlighting the tensions between the "local" and "cosmopolitan" approaches to the study of Old Javanese literature and Balinese Hinduism.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.489-504
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined socio-economic differences in diverse food consumption among children 6-23 months of age in South Asia and Southeast Asian countries. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data from Demographic and Health Surveys in four countries in South Asia (n = 15,749) and four countries in Southeast Asia (n = 10,789) were used. Survey-design adjusted proportions were estimated for the following 10 food items: grains, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV), vitamin A-rich fruits, vitamin A-rich vegetables, other fruits and vegetables (OFV), fish, meat, dairy, and eggs. An equity gap was defined as an arithmetic difference in the proportion of each food item consumed in the past 24-hours between the wealthiest and lowest quintiles and between rural and urban areas, denoted by percentage points (pp). RESULTS: The consumption of most of the 10 food items was higher in the wealthiest quintiles and urban areas across eight countries. The size of equity gaps was greater in Southeast Asia than in South Asia, particularly for vitamin A-rich fruits (3.3-30.0 pp vs. 0.3-19.6 pp), vitamin A-rich vegetables (12.1-26.7 pp vs. 2.4-5.9 pp), meat (17.7-33.4 pp vs. 3.4-13.4 pp), and dairy (14.7-32.5 pp vs. 3.3-11.4 pp). However, the size of equity gap in egg consumption was greater in Southeast Asia than South Asia (11.2-19.8 pp vs. 11.0-26.7 pp). Relatively narrower gaps were seen in the consumption of grains (0.3-12.9 pp), DGLV (0.6-12.4 pp), and fish (0.1-16.8 pp) across all countries. CONCLUSIONS: Equity gaps in food consumption differed by socio-economic status and region. Reducing equity gaps in nutrient-rich foods and utilizing regionally available food resources may increase child dietary quality.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2011

In this study, 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to analyze the population structure of 55 mungbean accessions (34 from South Asia, 20 from West Asia, 1 sample from East Asia). A total of 56 alleles were detected, with an average of 3.73 per locus. The mean of major allele frequency, expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content for 15 SSR loci were 0.72, 0.07 and 0.33 respectively. The mean of major allele frequency was 0.79 for South Asia, and 0.74 for West Asia. The mean of genetic diversity and polymorphic information content were almost similar for South Asian and West Asian accessions (genetic diversity 0.35 and polymorphic information content 0.29). Model-based structure analysis revealed the presence of three clusters based on genetic distance. Accessions were clearly assigned to a single cluster in which >70% of their inferred ancestry was derived from one of the model-based populations. 47 accessions (85.56%) showed membership with the clusters and 8 accessions (14.54%) were categorized as admixture. The results could be used to understanding the genetic structure of mungbean cultivars from these regions and to support effective breeding programs to broaden the genetic basis of mungbean varieties.