• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.815-825
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• 2007

This study analyzed trends in geoscientific research funding provided by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) and examined strategies to promote geoscientific research. The strengths of geoscientific research in South Korea include the excellent academic quality of researchers, established research infrastructure, and inter-disciplinary research. Weaknesses include insufficient leadership in related societies and institutes, insufficient research productivity, and the exclusion of the field from nationally supported large-scale research projects. Opportunities for expanded research include environmental issues, the sustainable use of natural resources, the promotion of international research cooperation, and the initiation of national efforts to find solutions for regional problems. However, growth in the geosciences is threatened by prioritized investment in fields such as biotechnology, nanoscience, and information technology, a dismissive attitude toward the growth of basic sciences, and an increased demand for projects with visible economic and societal impacts. In terms of funding, group-based programs receive more support than individual-based programs. Between 1978 and 2006, KOSEF invested 1,744 billion won ($1.873 billion US) in a total of 46,748 basic research projects. Of this amount, 62.1 billion won ($66.7 million US) was allocated to 1,901 projects in the geosciences, which was roughly 2.6-10.6% of the money available in a given year. These funds were used to support research and development, the development and maintenance of necessary infrastructure, and the education and training of geoscientists.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1017-1035
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• 2018

The European Union (EU) is the world's third largest producer of beef. This contributes to the economy, rural development, social life, culture and gastronomy of Europe. The diversity of breeds, animal types (cows, bulls, steers, heifers) and farming systems (intensive, extensive on permanent or temporary pastures, mixed, breeders, feeders, etc) is a strength, and a weakness as the industry is often fragmented and poorly connected. There are also societal concerns regarding animal welfare and environmental issues, despite some positive environmental impacts of farming systems. The EU is amongst the most efficient for beef production as demonstrated by a relative low production of greenhouse gases. Due to regional differences in terms of climate, pasture availability, livestock practices and farms characteristics, productivity and incomes of beef producers vary widely across regions, being among the lowest of the agricultural systems. The beef industry is facing unprecedented challenges related to animal welfare, environmental impact, origin, authenticity, nutritional benefits and eating quality of beef. These may affect the whole industry, especially its farmers. It is therefore essential to bring the beef industry together to spread best practice and better exploit research to maintain and develop an economically viable and sustainable beef industry. Meeting consumers' expectations may be achieved by a better prediction of beef palatability using a modelling approach, such as in Australia. There is a need for accurate information and dissemination on the benefits and issues of beef for human health and for environmental impact. A better objective description of goods and services derived from livestock farming is also required. Putting into practice "agroecology" and organic farming principles are other potential avenues for the future. Different future scenarios can be written depending on the major driving forces, notably meat consumption, climate change, environmental policies and future organization of the supply chain.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.244-244
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• 2015

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) in the form of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) systems are being applied for numerous water augmentation projects both in developed and developing countries. Given the onset of Climate Change and its influence on weather patterns and land use, it has been acknowledged the utilization of this technology will be ever increasing. This technique like all others does have its drawbacks or disadvantages, whereby to overcome these drawbacks or disadvantages it is recommended that logical planning process be followed. In this study, we developed a decision framework known as "Decision framework for the planning, designing, construction/testing and implementation of subsurface water storage system" to further standardize the planning and design process of subsurface water storage system to increase the probability of having a successful ASR/ASTR project. The formulation of this framework was based on earlier frameworks, guidelines, published papers and technical reports which were compiled into a data collection database. The database of which consider both qualitative and quantitative aspect for example recharge objectives, site location, water chemistry of the native, source and recovered water, aquifer characteristics(hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, porosity), injection/pumping rate, ecological constraints, societal restrictions, regulatory restrictions etc. The assimilation of these factors into a singular framework will benefit the broad spectrum of stakeholder as it maps the chronological order under which ASR project should be undertaken highlighting at each stage the feasibility of the project. The final stage of which should result in fully operational ASR system. The framework was applied to two case studies and through the application of a modified ASR site selection suitability index (Brown et al., 2005) a score was derived to identify the performance of each site. A high score of which meant a maximize chance of success given the reduce presence of project constraints.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2013.11a
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• pp.30-31
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• 2013

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) due to human activities directly affects natural systems and contributes to changes in carbon exchange and climate through a range of feedbacks. How land use and land cover changes affect carbon exchanges can be assessed using multiyear measurement data from micrometeorological flux towers. The objective of the research is to assess the impact of land use and land cover change on carbon exchange in a heterogeneous cropland area. The heterogeneous cropland area in Haenam, South Korea is also subjected to a land conversion due to rural development. Therefore, the impact of the change in land utilization in this area on carbon exchange should be assessed to monitor the cycle of energy, water, and carbon dioxide between this key agricultural ecosystem and the atmosphere. We are currently conducting the research based on 10 years flux measurement data from Haenam Koflux site and examining the LULCC patterns in the same temporal scale to evaluate whether the LULCC in the surrounding site and the resulting heterogeneity (or diversity) have a significant impact on carbon exchange. Haenam cropland is located near the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula with land cover types consisting of scattered rice paddies and various croplands (seasonally cultivated crops). The LULCC will be identified and quantified using remote sensing satellite data and then analyzing the relationships between LULCC and flux footprint of $CO_2$ from tower flux measurement. We plan to calculate annual flux footprint climatology map from 2003 to 2012 from the 10 years flux observation database. Eventually, these results will be used to quantify how the system's effective performance and reserve capacity contribute to moving the system towards more sustainable configuration. Broader significance of this research is to understand the co-evolution of the Haenam agricultural ecosystem and its societal counterpart which are assumed to be self-organizing hierarchical open systems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.55-70
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• 2024

The loss of biodiversity poses a significant threat not only to business sustainability and investment risk but also to societal well-being. Nature serves as a crucial driver for long-term business viability and economic prosperity. The Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), established in September 2023, mandates that companies assess and disclose their impacts on nature. Despite this, many businesses lack a full understanding of their reliance on and impact upon natural capital and ecosystem services, leading to insufficient disclosures. This study evaluates the applicability of TNFD's assessment methodologies and indicators within a domestic context, highlighting the condition of nature and ecosystem services, and exploring potential synergies with national biodiversity policies. Our analysis suggests that TNFD necessitates a unique approach to the spatial and temporal data and methodologies traditionally employed in environmental impact assessments. This includes assessing the reciprocal influences of corporate activities on natural capital and ecosystem services via the LEAP framework. Moreover, in industries where the choice of specific indicators depends on unique sectoral traits, developing a standardized strategy for data and assessment indicators-adapted to local conditions-is crucial due to the variability in the availability of assessment tools and data. The proactive engagement of the private sector in ecosystem restoration projects is particularly promising for contributing towards national biodiversity objectives. Although TNFD is in its nascent phase, its global adoption by numerous companies signifies its potential impact. Successful implementation of TNFD is anticipated to deepen businesses' and financial institutions' understanding of natural capital and ecosystem services, thereby reinforcing their commitment to sustainable development.

• Trans-
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• v.16
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• pp.1-31
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• 2024

The advent of digital media has facilitated easy access for adolescents to environments conducive to the purchase of narcotics. In particular, there's an increasing trend in the purchase and consumption of narcotics mediated through Social Network Services (SNS) and messenger services. Adolescents, sensitive to such environments, are at risk of experiencing neurological and mental health issues due to narcotic addiction, increasing their exposure to criminal activities, hence necessitating national-level management and support. Consequently, the quest for sustainable treatment methods for adolescents exposed to narcotics emerges as a critical challenge. In the context of high relapse rates in narcotic addiction, the necessity for cost-effective and user-friendly treatment programs is emphasized. This study conducts a literature review aimed at utilizing digital platforms to create an environment where adolescents can voluntarily participate, focusing on the development of therapeutic content through art. Specifically, it reviews societal perceptions and treatment statuses of adolescent drug addiction, analyzes the impact of narcotic addiction on adolescent brain activity and cognitive function degradation, and explores approaches for developing digital therapeutics to promote the rehabilitation of the addicted brain through analysis of precedential case studies. Moreover, the study investigates the benefits that the integration of digital therapeutic approaches and art therapy can provide in the treatment process and proposes the possibility of enhancing therapeutic effects through various treatment programs such as drama therapy, music therapy, and art therapy. The application of art therapy methods is anticipated to offer positive effects in terms of tool expansion, diversification of expression, data acquisition, and motivation. Through such approaches, an enhancement in the effectiveness of treatments for adolescent narcotic addiction is anticipated. Overall, this study undertakes foundational research for the development of digital therapeutics and related applications, offering economically viable and sustainable treatment options in consideration of the societal context of adolescent narcotic addiction.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.561-580
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• 2021

This study analyses the historical and cultural streets at Pinggang Road in the city of Suzhou, by understanding the development and conservation of the area, and uses the following ways to investigate its development, re-organization, and current state. This paper comprehensively compares, collates and investigates 4 different historical and cultural areas in Insadong and Samcheong-dong in South Korea, and South Luogu Lane in China. From initial research and analysis, this paper gathers the cultural, economic, and societal perspectives as non-physical measures, and spatial structure, road structure, and building maintenance as physical factor framework. It is significant in that it can provide an evaluation model for the preservation and regeneration of historical and cultural streets by presenting the viewpoint of complex development of non-physical and physical elements in Pyeonggang-ro. In addition, it is necessary to conduct optimization and specific research on insufficient areas, such as maintenance and development of programs and signature systems for visitors, and continuous development of historical and cultural network platforms by combining on-site surveys. Basic data should be provided for reference on the street.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Heavy metals emitted from urban development do not decompose in the soil and remain for long periods, continually impacting the environment. Since the mid-1990s, there has been increasing societal concern in South Korea regarding soil contamination, prompting various legislative revisions to reduce pollution. This study utilizes the Environmental Impact Assessment Support System (EIASS) to investigate projects in the metropolitan area that have exceeded the Ministry of Environment's soil contamination concern levels from 1989 to 2022 and to examine improvements in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The results reveal that the average concentrations of nine contaminants-cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and fluoride (F)-have all increased over the years. Among these, Zn had the highest relative proportion, with 37.5% of the 40 sites exceeding environmental concern levels. Investigation of 19 specific projects at these exceedance sites showed that only 7 had documented analyses of contamination causes and remediation plans, and just one had contracted additional remediation services, though results from these efforts were found to be lacking. Furthermore, since 2019, a significant proportion of these sites were involved in residential developments, likely due to government initiatives in new city development and extensive housing supply plans. This research emphasizes the importance of public disclosure of the processes and outcomes of remediation efforts on historically contaminated soils prior to project development. It discusses improvements to the EIA by reviewing current legislation and international examples. The findings of this study are expected to heighten public awareness about heavy metal contamination and enhance transparency in soil remediation efforts, contributing to sustainable environmental management and development.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.613-623
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• 2013

As Limestone mines have been operated with various environmental, societal and managemental problems depending on their characteristics and developing methods, many great efforts have been applied to solve these problems. Installing the mining facilities underground is one of the successful efforts to keep the sustainable limestone mine development. This effort could reduce these problems. However, unfortunately it made an side effect of constructing a large underground space in mining site. Moreover, this space caused a necessity of various disaster managements for the safety of workers and facilities. This study introduces the priority list of a limestone mining process if there are disasters in underground mining site. This result is coming from the risk assessment and business impact analysis on survey data which were obtained from the miners of that particular limestone mine. According to the result, the highest risk is 'disregard of safety guidelines in crushing & classifier process'. The result also shows the highest priority business, above all things, is 'a pit linked work of in & out process'.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.378-388
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• 2016

International societies are currently working together to achieve the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) initiative which aims the triple wins: (1) sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; (2) adapting and building resilience to climate change; and (3) mitigating greenhouse gases emissions. In terms of its scope and context, CSA follows the '3Nong (三農)' vision cast about 200 years ago by Dasan Jeong Yak-Yong who emphasized the triad of governance, management and monitoring towards comfortable, profitable and noble agriculture. Yet, the CSA provides the practical aims that facilitate the development of holistic indicators for quantitative evaluation and monitoring, on which decision-making support system is based. In this study, we introduce an agent-based model, i.e. Mathematical Programming Multi-Agent Systems (MP-MAS), as a tool for supporting the decision-making toward CSA. We have established the initial version of MP-MAS adapted for domestic use and present the preliminary results from an application to the rice farming case in Haenam, Korea. MP-MAS can support both farmers and policy-makers to consider diverse management options from multiple perspectives. When the modules for system resilience and carbon footprint are added, MP-MAS will serve as a robust tool that fulfills not only CSA but also Dasan's '3Nong' vision of sustainable agricultural-societal systems.