• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.195-218
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• 2017

The increase in medical expenses for convalescent hospitals is increasing abnormally, which puts enormous burden on the National health insurance finances. This is a phenomenon that has been associated with the social phenomenon of rapid aging. The fact that the convalescent hospitals are paid the fixed amount per day for hospitalization became the incentive for some hospitals to use the patients as means of making money. And these hospitals intend to get regular care or take medicines at other hospitals in order to reduce medical expenses, even when the medical fee is paid. In order to prevent such financial leaks, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service adjusted the patient group for inpatients in a hospital with the above behavior, and then cut the cost of medical care benefits. However, Above decision was canceled by the court on the grounds that there was no basis rule. However, based on the above case, I think that it can be an opportunity to draw up the problem and to improve of the Medical Fee System of hospital. The modified medical fee system can strengthen the medical function of the convalescent hospital. In addition, it seems reasonable to exclude admission for "physically disabled group". Even if admission is allowed for the physically disabled group due to social needs, it should be excluded from the National health insurance for the fianacial soundness and the sustainability of the system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.567-573
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• 2020

This study was done to develop indicators for cities that can be used in the long term and in a sustainable manner. Activation indicators were developed to improve the resilience in the downtown area of Seo-gu, Incheon. Preliminary indicators were derived from prior studies on similar indicators of resilience for urban regeneration, and an expert opinion survey was conducted to analyze the suitability and importance of the indicators. Activation indicators were established for improving urban resilience in six areas: population stability, social inclusion, industrial diversity, local productivity, environmental sustainability, and social-based convenience. From 60 preliminary indicators, 42 indicators were selected through the expert opinion surveys for securing an economically active population, establishing a living infrastructure, improving the settlement environment, and upgrading industry to reflect the characteristics of the West, including industrial complexes. It was found that diversification is necessary. Further study is still necessary to improve the objectivity of the indicators and calculate a resilience index. The significance of this study is that it looks at quantitative indicators, complements other studies on regional decline diagnosis, and presents realistic alternatives suitable for domestic situations based on the concept of resilience.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1-12
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• 2012

This study aims to suggest ways to improve sustainability on housing complexes. This study sampled eight housing projects in Seoul and GyeongGi-Do in Korea, which were completed in June 2007 and June 2008. Then, are retention and maintenance on "constructed greens for ecological environment" including "green structures substitutes retaining walls", "green roofs", and "green walls." Study methods are field investigations of the sampled sites, and Post Occupancy Analysis. Major findings were; 1) "constructed greens" are not well retained in more sites and and this implies the GBCS(Green Building Certification System) does not meet its objectives well, 2) User showed lower user satisfaction to "constructed greens". User satisfaction concerning "green structures substitute retaining walls" was higher than the satisfaction on the other constructed green type. Satisfaction Assessment Criteria lower 1han average were "level of quality", "meet the design objectives", "vegetation management status", "vegetation maintenance". 3) User satisfaction was strongly correlated on the level of quality factor of "constructed green". In addition, tue other factors are the significant correlations between the satisfactions. The present GBCS has inadequate assessment standards for maintenance, which lead to lower the entire satisfaction. Therefore, periodic recertification system, education and information providing for the managing personals, and incentives for good maintenance or disincentive for poor maintenance of the "constructed greens" are suggested to improve the GBCS.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.127-145
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• 1998

Unlike water or air quality standards that have been established by legislation using potential human health impact as the primary criterion, soil quality depends on the soils primary function and its relevant environmental factors, which is much more site- and soil specific. A properly characterized soil quality assessment system should serve as an indicator of the soil capacity to produce safe and nutritious food, to enhance human and animal health, and to overcome degrative processes. For our proposed example, a high quality soil with regard to maintaining an adequate soil productivity as a food production resources must accommodate soil and water properties, food chain, sustainability and utilization, environment, and profitability, that (i) facilitate water transfer and absorption, (ii) sustain plant growth, (iii) resist physical degradation of soil, (iv) produce a safe food resources, (v) cost-effective agricultural management. Possible soil quality indicators are identified at several levels within the framework for each of these functions. Each indicator is assigned a priority or weight that reflects its relative importance using a multi-objective approach based on principles of systems to be considered. To do this, individual scoring system is differentiated by the several levels from low to very high category or point scoring ranging from 0 to 10, And then weights are multiplied and products are summed to provide an overall soil quality rating based on several physical and chemical indicators. Tlne framework and procedure in developing the soil quality assessment are determined by using information collected from an alternative and conventional farm practices in the regions. The use of an expanded framework for assessing effects of other processes, management practices, or policy issues on soil quality is also considered. To develop one possible form for a soil quality index, we should permit coupling the soil characteristics with assessment system based on soil properties and incoming and resident chemicals. The purpose of this paper is to discuss approaches to defining and assessing soil quality and to suggest the factors to be considered.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.757-767
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• 2006

Biological assessments are the primary tool for evaluating the biological condition of a water body and makes it possible to understand accumulative and long-term effect of stressors. They also provide reliable biological information for which disturbed systems are to be restored. Sustainable water environment is not enough with attaining only the clean water, but it should sustain healthy and diverse aquatic life. Aquatic organisms are affected by various factors, including not only water quality but also habitat condition and stressors, and thus good condition of both physical and chemical water quality is prerequisite for sustaining healthy organisms. Therefore, biological assessment, along with other physical and chemical assessments, are crucial for evaluating the health of a water body. Overall, sustainability of water environment demands the attainment and maintenance of ecological integrity, which is resulted from the combination of physical, chemical and biological integrity. The biological criteria will play very important role in the water resource management and policy issues, and thus bioassessment program should be fully implemented and supported eventually by the law. To keep ecosystem health of water environment safely from the toxic pollutants and other stressors, the following suggestions need to be considered in environmental quality standards in Korea. For the first step, the biological indicators need to be introduced in evaluating river quality condition; they provide a qualitative description of biological condition of water body. Secondly, the biological water quality standards using biotic indices should be developed and implemented under the consideration of characteristics of Korean river systems. Lastly, the ecological status classification regime (ESCR) should be developed and introduced; it could be used in quality assessment of the water environment in general. In developing ESCR, integration of physico-chemical, biological, and habitat parameters should be taken into account.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 2017

It is known that energy usage from Korean Universities was growing rapidly in the early 2000s. But since 2011, the change was caused by GHG emissions regulation enforced by the government. The purpose of this research was to find the characteristics and trends of greenhouse gas emissions from major universities in Korea according to the each university's data and information. The result shows that GHG emissions from University have increased steadily prior to enforcement by 4-5% annually, but the rate of increase marked 0.5~1% in 2011~2013 is the season of emission regulation and the total amount of emissions decreased 3%~5% in 2014~2015 while preparing an emissions trading scheme. Therefore we can say that the enforcement of GHG reduction such as energy target management system makes a visible effect at least in the University sector that level of GHG emissions is from $75kg/m^2$ to $58Kg/m^2$ for seven years. Another result says that the size of research fund is the main factor that affects the amount of GHG emissions before 2011, but the size of building area has been a new factor influencing the GHG emission since 2013. Thus we suggest that the criteria for evaluating the level of GHG emission from University is suitable if it is based on the building area intensity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.110 no.1
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• pp.91-105
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• 2021

We conducted a study to identify the relationships between the investigated factors and provide a methodology and generate data by applying deterioration classes to the Seonjaryeong Forest Trail (4.3 km) in the Baekdudaegan Ridge. The average trail width (1.7 m) and bare width (1.4 m) were wider than those obtained in the previous studies. The frequency of trail deterioration was also high. Specific data on deterioration classes were obtained and evaluated using qualitative criteria. Specific data for heavy class stands at 20.1% in trail grade, 13.3 cm on average, and 16.1 cm in the center of erosion depth, 16.2 cm of CSA, 12.3 kg/cm (20.1 mm) on average and maximum 39.3 kg/cm (29.6 mm) of soil hardness. We observed a positive correlation between the deterioration class and trail grade, and the average and maximum soil erosion depths of the hill side were deeper than those of the ridge. The soil hardness data showed a statistically significant difference in terms of the transect site and calculation method (㎏/㎠, mm). Therefore, trail deterioration was observed at the sites having ≥20% trail grade; thus, continuous monitoring at fixed sites over time will be required for sustainability. Furthermore, the trail grade should be of the utmost priority in trail design and management.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.129-140
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• 2022

Environmental impact assessment on development projects is a process in which various stakeholders derive consultations by reflecting project characteristics and regional environmental status, and implementation of consultations is a prerequisite for securing sustainability of the local environment. The business plan can be changed to respond to changes in social and environmental conditions. And the business plan for which the environmental impact assessment consultation has been completed, it can be changed as a systematically prepared procedure (called Consultations on Amendment). As a result of investigating and analyzing the current status and major changes in the development project, Consultations on Amendment in industrial complexes were the most common, and the environmental impact is increasing accordingly. As the results of the analysis of operational status and the case studies, the main causes of Consultations on Amendment in industrial complex can be summarized into three categories: (1) formal demand forecasting for tenant industries, (2) excessive omission and simplification of administrative procedures under the Special Act, and (3) the use of an expedient change consultation system to facilitate environmental impact assessment consultation and shorten the period. This study proposes the following three measures to prevent the deterioration of the environmental impact assessment function due to frequent consultations on industrial complex changes; (1) Ensuring residents' participation procedures for Consultations on Amendment that changes important matters, (2) Reasonable revision of the "Simplification of Industrial Complex Procedures Act" to enhance the feasibility of industrial complex development plans and locations, (3) Development of evaluation criteria and methods for verification of real demand for objective demand management for industrial complexes, and (4) Preparation of a review guideline for Consultations on Amendment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2020

Echinosophora koreensis (Nakai) Nakai an endemic plant with limited distribution in some parts of the Korean Peninsula, is designated as "Endangered" species on the IUCN Red List. The species is under the threat of deterioration in nature due to various environmental changes causing loss of natural habitats. We investigated the distribution pattern and population structure of E. koreensis to serve as a basic reference for identifying the dynamics and persistence of natural populations of this species in the future. To determine the characteristics of the E. koreensis population, we laid two to three large plots sized 20m×30m on the ridgeline as the reference in Yanggu, Chuncheon, and Hongcheon and laid four to seven small quadrats sized 1m×1m on the transect. A total of 530 plots were laid, 10 each at 2m interval, to measure the number of the stems, the number of fruiting, height, and other factors. The collected distribution information was compared with the existing IUCN assessed categories by applying IUCN Red List ver 3.1 Criteria B. The average population density of the three surveyed areas was 3.47 stem/㎡; the density of each area was 3.95 stems/㎡ in Yanggu, 3.37 stems/㎡ in Chuncheon, and 2.87 stems/㎡ in Hongcheon. The number of fruiting per stem was 0.0038, indicating only 7 fruits out of 1,837 stems and that vegetative reproduction is likely to be more dominant than sexual reproduction. The distribution tendency of population density in the small plots in three surveyed areas showed that the density of E. koreensis tended to decrease toward the center of the forest with low crown openness and around the mountain ridge with high crown openness. It indicated that the quantity of light could be a very important factor for the growth of individuals of this species. The analysis of the heights of individuals present in the surveyed plots showed a range of 2.3 ~ 68.5cm and an average of 20.1cm. An analysis on the stage-structure of the E. koreensis population based on the sieve height found that the appearance frequency decreased with increasing height above 15 ~ 20cm and that the percentage of individuals lower than 10cm, which were presumed to be seedlings, was severely low, indicating a necessity of study on the population sustainability based on the monitored data. The occupied area calculated with the collected species distribution information was 200㎢, indicating the EN category according to the IUCN Red List Reference B.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

This study focused on establishing a natural rainwater circulation system using rainwater meant for relatively large urban development projects such as a new town development. In particular, when the location selection techniques for individual elements of a natural rainwater circulation system are developed for the integrated rainwater management, changes in hydrological environment will be minimized and the natural water circulation would be restored to realize the low impact development (LID). In that case, not only the excess will be reduced but water space and green areas in a city would also increase to improve the urban sustainability. First of all, there were five elements selected for the location selection of a rainwater circulation system intended for the integrated rainwater management: rainwater collection, infiltration, filtration, retention and movement spaces. After generating these items, the location selection items and criteria were defined for each of the five elements. For a technique to apply the generated evaluation items and criteria, a grid cell analysis was conducted based m the suitability index theory, and thematic maps were overlapped through suitability assessment of each element and graded based on the suitability index. The priority areas were identified for each element. The developed technique was applied to a site where Gim-cheon Innovation City development is planned to review its feasibility and limitations. The combined score of the overlapped map for each element was separated into five levels: very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Finally, it was concluded that creating a rainwater circulation system conceptual map m the current land use plan based on the outcome of the application would be useful in building a water circulation system at the de1ailed space planning stage after environmental and ecological planning. Furthermore, we use the results of this study as a means for environment-friendly urban planning for sustainable urban development.