• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-33
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• 1991

Since the early 1980's, the Korean government has gradually been widening the Korean market to foreign consumer goods. This, combined with the increased purchasing power of the Korean consumers resulting from the continued economic growth of the country, has sparked a spectacular influx of foreign consumer goods into Korea, ranging from BMW's to chopsticks. Import of foreign consumer goods amounted to more than 6 billion dollars in 1989 and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. The increased import of foreign consumer goods doubtlessly improved the overall welfare of the Korean consumers by providing them with a wider range of options to choose from, by lowering the prices of some of the consumer goods domestically produced, and also by forcing the producers of some Korean goods to face competition with better foreign goods, thus giving them an incentive to raise the quality of their products. However, it is agreed by most economists that this increase in general welfare has been much smaller than what they had expected at the outset. Consumer prices of most imported consumer goods are easily double the import price, and in some cases, more than treble the import prices. Further, there has not been a noticeable drop in the prices of domestically produced consumer goods. Much of the blame has been attributed to the distribution sector of Korea. The objective of this paper is to analyze the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea, focusing on the possible sources of the poor performance of that sector, and to make policy suggestions that could potentially increase the welfare. This paper differs from all the previous research by others on this subject in that it analyzes the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea as a vertical structure. The distribution sector of an imported consumer good is a vertical structure since it consists of an international market, an import stage, and domestic wholesale and retail markets, in that order vertically. Our study naturally includes the analysis of the vertical restraints as well as the analysis of the industrial organization of each horizontal stage in the vertical structure. Each horizontal component of the imported consumer goods distribution sector is basically a monopolistically competitive market differentiated by characteristics of goods and by the locations and the services of firms. Further, restrictive dealership and resale price maintenance are found to be widely in use. Our main findings are the follwing; First, most consumer goods are imported monopolistically or oligopolistically through restrictive dealership contracts between foreign producers and domestic importers. Such restrictive dealership gives importers market power in the domestic market and explains many of the large discrepancies betwen the consumer prices and the import prices of many goods. Korean anti - trust law does not cover the issues arising from the market power of an importer resulting from a restrictive dealership contract. Second, some major producers of Korean goods are also importers of foreign goods that are substitutes of their products. The import of substitutes by major domestic producers is anti - competitive because it tends to raise the prices of both domestic goods and foreign goods, and also because it reduces the incentive of the domestic producers to raise the quality of their products. Third, wholesalers and retailers widely use resale price maintenance as a price fixing mechanism, and while this is against the anti- trust law, it seldom gets noticed. Fourth, the high level of rents of real estate for commercial use works as an entry barrier to the distribution sector and results in reduced competition by the firms in that sector. Finally, there are information problems. Consumers have inferior information to firms about the quality of a foreign consumer good that they have not tried before. Such information asymmetry often enables firms to raise prices. In addition, information asymmetry between importers frequently delays the import of cheaper substitutes. In order to alleviate the problems indentified above, we suggest the following policy changes. The government should strengthen the anti - trust law and its enforcement to regulate restrictive import contracts, import of competing goods by major domestic producers, and RPM by wholesalers and retailers that is aimed at price fixing. In addition, the government should loosen its tight real estate policy to encourage investment in the distribution sector. Finally, we suggest that the import price revelation policy that has been in use for some items since 1990 be expanded to most imported consumer goods that are introduced for the first time to give consumer better information and be used only for the period of time needed to inform sufficient number of consumers.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2011

Bentonite has been generally used as vertical cutoff barrier material and reported to have several problems regarding its low workability, drying shrinkage cracking by particle cohesion, and ineffective waterproof ability under sea water condition. In this study, the particle sealant, the furnace slag coated by the mixture of bentonite, sepiolite and guargum, was developed to compensate these weak points and the hydraulic conductivity of the particle sealant was evaluated. Drying shrinkage cracking and swelling index was estimated to find the optimal mixing ratio of bentonite, sepiolite and guargum. The hydraulic conductivity of the particle sealants having different amount of sealant (bentonite-sepioliteguargum mixture) coating the furnace slag was estimated using the rigid wall permeameter and flexible wall permeameter. The results showed that drying shrinkage cracking was not found in the bentonite-sepiolite mixture with 20% sepiolite contents and the results from free swelling tests for the sealant having 1 : 0.025, 1 : 0.05 and 1 : 0.075 of weight ratios of bentonite-sepiolite mixture and guargum under simulated sea water condition were higher than those for the bentonitesepiolite mixture without guargum under tap water condition. These three sealants were coated on the furnace slag with 50% and 60% of sealant in the particle sealant and the hydraulic conductivity was estimated. In the cases of the particle sealants having 20% sepiolite in the bentonite-sepiolite mixture and 1 : 0.075 weight ratio of the bentonite-sepiolite mixture and guargum, the hydraulic conductivity from the rigid wall permeameter was below $1.0{\times}10^{-7}$ cm/sec under simulated sea water condition. The hydraulic conductivity of the particle sealant having $1.0{\times}10^{-6}$~$1.0{\times}10^{-7}$ cm/sec by the rigid wall permeameter was estimated using the flexible wall permeameter and found to be below $1.0{\times}10^{-7}$ cm/sec.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2020

In this study, the effects of groundwater artificial recharge through vertical wells in the upper small basin are preliminarily evaluated by using field injection test and a 3-D numerical model. The injection rate per well in a model is set to 20, 37.5, 60, and 75 ㎥/day based on the results of field injection test, groundwater levels, and hydraulic conductivities estimated from particle size analysis, and a numerical model using MODFLOW is conducted for 28 cases, which have diverse injection intervals, in order to estimated the changes of groundwater level and water balance after injection. Groundwater level after injection does not show a linear relationship with the injection rate per well, and the cumulative effect of artificial recharge decreases and the timing of maximum water level rise is shortened as the injection interval becomes longer. In four cases of continuous injection with total injection rate of 1,200 ㎥, it is revealed that the recharge effect is analyzed as 36.5~65.3% of the original injection rate. However, it will be more effective if the artificial recharge system combined with underground barrier is introduced for the longer pumping during a long and severe drought. Additionally, it will be possible to build a stable artificial recharge system by an establishment of efficient scenario from recharge to pumping as well as an optimization of recharge facilities.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.54-63
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• 2018

In this study, the stability and economic feasibility of a MSE (Mechanically stability earth) wall with a pre-cast concrete pacing panel was investigated for a standard section of highway. Based on the design criteria, the MSE walls of the panel type were designed considering the load conditions of the highway, such as the dead load of the concrete pavement, traffic load, and impact load of the barrier. The length of the ribbed metal strip was arranged at 0.9H according to the height of the MSE walls. Because the length of the reinforcement was set to 0.9H according to the height of the MSE wall, the external stability governed by the shape of the reinforced soil was not affected by the height increase. The factor of safety (FOS) for the bearing capacity was decreased drastically due to the increase in self-weight according to the height of the MSE wall. As a result of examining the internal stability according to the cohesive gravity method, the FOS of pullout was increased and the FOS of fracture was decreased. As the height of the MSEW wall increases, the horizontal earth pressure acting as an active force and the vertical earth pressure acting as a resistance force are increased together, so that the FOS of the pullout is increased. Because the long-term allowable tensile force of the ribbed metal strip is constant, the FOS of the fracture is decreased by only an increase in the horizontal earth pressure according to the height. The panel type MSE wall was more economical than the block type at all heights. Compared to the concrete retaining wall, it has excellent economic efficiency at a height of 5.0 m or more.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.859-877
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• 2012

In this study, Echo-sounder($E_s$) monitoring methodology was applied to test environmental impacts of artificial weirs(SCW and JSW) in the Yeongsan River on fish community and habitat structures at first time, and was compared with conventional fish sampling methodologies($C_s$). For the Es monitoring in the fields, parallel transect methods was employed in determining the survey distance interval with every 125 m within the upper-lower 2 km of the weirs. Four different fish sampling gears such as casting nets, kick nets, fyke nets, and gill nets were used for applications of $C_s$ monitoring methodology. According to the Echo-sounder monitoring, fish density, expressed as a number of individuals per square meter, along the longitudinal axis of the weir was significantly greater(JSW, t = 3.506, n = 30, p < 0.001) in the down-river reach of the weir than in the up-river reach. Also, fish density along the vertical water column was highest at mid-depths of Seungchon weir, which has simple habitat substrates, while fish density was highest at hypolimnetic depth of Juksan weir. According to fish sampling by the $C_s$ methodology, the fish compositions decreased as the river goes upward, and significant differences(JSW, t = 0.248, n = 30, p < 0.05) in the compositions of fish species occurred between up-reach and down-reach of the weirs. The dominant species near the two weirs were Opsarichthys uncirostris amurensis, Hemiculter eigenmanni and Coilia nasus. Overall, our fish and habitat data, based on $E_s$ and $C_s$ monitoring methodologies, suggest that the weirs disturbed the rivers due to initial habitat disturbances by the weir constructions as well as the barrier roles of weirs on fish passage and migrations. More long-term scientific and systematic fish impact monitoring and assessments($E_s$ and $C_s$) are required in the future to predict changes of ecological structures and functions on the constructions of the weirs.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.10-13
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• 2010

We studied the effect of $O_2$ plasma treatments on the electrical property of Ti / Al ohmic contacts to N-face n-type GaN. The surface of N-face, n-type GaN has been treated with $O_2$ plasma for 120 s before the deposition of bilayered electrodes, Ti (50 nm) / Al (35 nm), and its contact resistance was compared with that of the reference sample without $O_2$ plasma. As a result, we found that the ohmic contact was reduced from $4.3\;{\times}\;10^{-1}\;{\Omega}cm^2$ to $1.25\;{\times}\;10^{-3}\;{\Omega}cm^2$ by applying $O_2$ plasma on the surface of n-type GaN, which was attributed to the reduction in the Schottky barrier height (SBH), caused by nitrogen vacancies formed during the $O_2$ plasma process.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.227-235
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• 2021

In this study, we have prepared pure planar-type ZnO and calamine powder containing both ZnO and Fe₂O₃ components as a raw material for cosmetics with UV and blue band blocking functions. The planar-type ZnO ceramic powder having a high aspect ratio in the range of 20:1 to 50:1 was synthesized by precipitation method in a zinc acetate and sodium citrate mixed solution with the electrolyte obtained by power generation with a zinc-air battery. The content of Fe₂O₃ in the artificial calamine ceramic powder could be increased by increasing the amount of iron chloride solution added, and in this case, some of the blue region of visible light and ultraviolet light were remarkably absorbed. When potassium acetate was added, the decomposition of the Zn(OH)₄^2- anion in the solution was promoted to facilitate the growth of ZnO crystal in the form of a barrier wall in the vertical direction on the (0001) plane, which could increase UV absorption by providing more opportunities. By controlling the amount of iron chloride solution and potassium acetate solution added, the composition and shape of the thin film plate-shaped artificial calamine ceramic powder can be optimized, and when applied to cosmetic formulations, the light transmittance of the blue region can be greatly reduced.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.561-577
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• 2021

The compacted bentonite buffer in a geological repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal is saturated due to groundwater inflow. Saturation of the bentonite buffer results in bentonite swelling and bentonite penetration into the rock discontinuities present around the disposal hole. The penetrated bentonite is exposed to groundwater flow and can be eroded out of the repository, resulting in bentonite mass loss which can affect the physical integrity of the engineered barrier system. Hence, the evaluation of buffer-rock interactions and coupled behavior due to groundwater inflow and bentonite penetration is necessary to ensure long-term disposal safety. In this study, the effects of the bentonite penetration and swelling on the physical properties of jointed rock mass were evaluated using the quasi-static resonant column test. Jointed rock specimens with bentonite penetration were manufactured using Gyeongju bentonite and hollow cylindrical granite rock discs obtained from the KAERI underground research tunnel. The effects of vertical stress and saturation were assessed using the P-wave and S-wave velocities for intact rock, jointed rock and jointed rock with bentonite penetration specimens. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses of each joint condition were inferred from the wave velocity results assuming an equivalent continuum. The joint normal and joint shear stiffnesses obtained from this study can be used as input factors for future numerical analysis on the performance evaluation of geological waste disposal considering rock discontinuities.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.71-82
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• 2006

One of the most popular pre-reinforcement methods of tunnel heading in cohesionless soils would be the fore-polling of grouted pipes, known as RPUM (reinforced protective umbrella method) or UAM (umbrella arch method). This technique allows safe excavation even in poor ground conditions by creating longitudinal arch parallel to the tunnel axis as the tunnel advances. Some previous studies on the reinforcing effects have been performed using numerical methods and/or laboratory-based small scale model tests. The complexity of boundary conditions imposes difficulties in representing the tunnelling procedure in laboratory tests and theoretical approaches. Full-scale study to identify reinforcing effects of the tunnel heading has rarely been carried out so far. In this study, a large scale model testing for a tunnel in granular soils was performed. Reinforcing patterns considered are four cases, Non-Reinforced, Crown-Reinforced, Crown & Face-Reinforced, and Face-Reinforced. The behavior of ground and pipes as reinforcing member were fully measured as the surcharge pressure applied. The influences of reinforcing pattern, pipe length, and face reinforcement were investigated in terms of stress and displacement. It is revealed that only the Face-Reinforced has decreased sufficiently both vertical settlement in tunnel heading and horizontal displacement on the face. Vertical stresses along the tunnel axis were concentrated in tunnel heading from the test results, so the heading should be reinforced before tunnel advancing. Most of maximum axial forces and bending moments for Crown-reinforced were measured at 0.75D from the face. Also it should be recommended that the minimum length of the pipe is more than l.0D for crown reinforcement.