• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.314-340
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• 2023

Vascular plants of Yeonhwasan Mt., located in Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do, were investigated. Field surveys were conducted fourteen times between April and September of 2022. A total of 505 taxa were found consisting of 87 families, 282 genera, 441 species, 15 subspecies, 41 varieties, and 8 forma. Among them, the endemic plants of Korea were 22 taxa. The number of threatened and near threatened Red List plants designated by the Korean National Arboretum was four, comprising each one of critically endangered (CN), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU), and near threatened (NT) species. The number of floristic target plants designated by the Ministry of Environment was 102, including one taxon of level V, 9 taxa of level IV, and 34 taxa of level III. Invasive alien plants were 34 taxa, and three taxa were ecosystem disturbance plants. The urbanization index of investigated site was 12.8%, and the naturalization index was 6.7%. To wisely manage Yeonhwasan, measures for preserving biodiversity and preventing invasive plants are needed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.267-290
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• 2011

This research attempts to analyze the effects of demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, health behaviors and social/familial supports on health inequalities among Korean elderly. For this end, this study adopts the multiple linear regression analysis to process data on population aged over 65 contained in 'The Third Korea Welfare Panel Study' published in 2008. The following are the results. First, the less educated they are, the smaller income they earn, the less they drink, the less satisfied with relationships with their family members, the more they turn out to feel depressed. Second, the less educated they are, the smaller income they earn, the less they drink, the less they are satisfied with relationship with family members, the more they benefit from social welfare services, the worse they turn out to rate their health. Based on these findings, three following suggestions could be forwarded. First, vulnerable aged groups including female elderly, low-income elderly, less-educated elderly need customized social supports. Second, new social policy for households is required to enhance elderly people's satisfaction with their family relationships with the rapid trend of a growing number of nuclear families and aging. Third, social welfare service programs need to be reevaluated to enhance their function for the aged.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.220-256
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• 2022

The most important thing for conserving plant diversity in an area is to make an overall inventory of the plant species inhabiting the area. In particular, limestone areas are known for their high plant diversity and distribution of specific plants. Despite that, only a few have been designated as protected areas. This study investigated the vascular plants distributed in Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn., located in limestone areas of the central part of the Korean Peninsula. A field survey was conducted eight times from April to October 2021. As a result, we identified a total of 654 taxa comprising 113 families, 357 genera, 592 species, 15 subspecies, 44 varieties, and 3 formulas. They included four endangered wild plant species: Astilboides tabularis, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Cypripedium macranthos, and Epilobium hirsutum. Endemic plants in Korea were identified as 32 taxa. Floristic target plants were identified as 168 taxa, specifically 5 taxa of grade V, 41 taxa of grade IV, and 36 taxa of grade III. The red data plants included 2 taxa as "Endangered (EN)", 7 taxa as "Vulnerable (VU)", and 7 taxa as "Near threatened (NT)". A total of 41 taxa of naturalized plants were identified, and 4 of them were invasive alien plants. The surveyed vicinity of Goyangsan Mtn. and Munraesan Mtn. showed high plant diversity and contained core habitats for distribution of an endangered wild plant, Astilboides tabularis,in the limestone area. Moreover, both mountains contained a small population of Cotoneaster integerrimus. These findings confirm that the area has conservation values. Therefore, we propose to identify areas with high plant diversity and designate them as special protected areas.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.62-90
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• 2023

This study was conducted to study the vascular plants of Balbaeksan, located on the border between Gyeongsan-si and Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It was performed 13 times from September 2020 to November 2021, and the investigated vascular plants were identified as a total of 93 families, 302 genera, 485 species, 10 subspecies, 40 varieties, 13 varieties, and 545 taxa. Endemic plants were investigated in 18 taxa, 9 taxa of rare plants; Vulnerable (VU) 5 taxa, Least concerned (LC) 3 taxa, Data Deficient (DD) 1 taxa, Red List plants 5 taxa; 3 taxa of least concerned (LC), 2 taxa of Not Evaluated (NE), 183 taxa of biological resources subject to export approval, 78 taxa of specific taxonomy; There were 9 taxa of grade IV, 20 taxa of grade III, 20 taxa of grade II, and 28 taxa of grade I. 4 taxa of plants subject to climate change adaptation; 2 taxa of endemic plants, 1 taxa of southern plants, 1 taxa of northern plants, 4 taxa of climate change biomarker species, 2 taxa of candidate species of climate change biomarker, 65 taxa of exotic plants, and 3 taxa of ecosystem disturbance species. Plants 235 taxa (43.1%), medicinal plants 257 taxa (47.2%), ornamental plants 148 taxa (27.2%), woody plants 54 taxa (9.9%), herbaceous plants 37 taxa (6.8%), industrial plants 15 Taxa (2.8%), 11 taxa (2.0%) of fiber-bearing plants, and plants of unknown use were identified as 73 taxa (13.4%). The flora of Mt. Balbaek was investigated for the first time, and plants to be preserved in order to secure useful plant resources and biological sovereignty were identified. So continuous monitoring is necessary to prevent the introduction of foreign plants that may be caused by the recent increase in the number of people coming and going.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2013

In an effort to characterize the physicochemical properties and microbial risks associated with the soy sauce jangachi (Korean traditional pickle), 15 different home-made products, which were prepared from medicinal plants and wild edible vegetables, from head-families of Andong, Kyungsangbuk-do Province in Korea, and 6 different commercial products sold at supermarket, were investigated. The average pH of the mature soaking solutions and plants soaked in the 21 jangachi were $3.99{\pm}0.38$ and $3.51{\pm}0.41$, and the average acidity of the mature soaking solutions and soaked plants were $1.59{\pm}0.54$ and $1.65{\pm}0.76$, respectively. The average brix of the mature soaking solutions and plants soaked were $27.67{\pm}8.38$ and $25.61{\pm}6.60$, respectively. In salinity, which is a major factor in jangachi industry production, the average salinity of the mature soaking solutions and soaked plants were $7.55{\pm}3.26$ and $5.75{\pm}2.23$, respectively. In particular, the hot-peppers, eusuri, du-rup, kaet-ip, kuji-ppong, myeng-i and sancho jangachi were amongst the home-made products, and the salinity was above 8.8%, which was 2 folds-higher than that of the commercial sterilized products, and 1/3-lower than commercial non-sterilized products. The color difference and turbidity of jangachi were dependent on the plant parts used. In microbial risk assessment, the microorganisms related with food-borne disease, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp, and Shigella sp., were not detected. After some time, total cell count analysis revealed that the commercial products sold at supermarkets were more vulnerable than the home-made products.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.53
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• pp.129-153
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• 2003

This study examines the socio-economic impacts of recent welfare reform in the United States. Based on the neo-conservative critique to the traditional public assistance system for low-income families, the 1996 welfare reform has given greater emphases on reducing welfare dependency and increasing work effort and self-sufficiency among welfare recipients. In particular, the welfare reform legislation instituted 60-month lifetime limits on cash assistance, expanded mandatory work requirements, and placed financial penalties for noncompliance. With the well-timed economic boom in the second half of the 1990s, the welfare reform seems to achieve considerable progress; welfare caseload has declined sharply to reach less than 50% of its 1994 peak, single mothers' labor force participation has increased substantially, and child poverty has decreased. In spite of these good signals, the welfare reform also has several potential problems. Many welfare leavers participate in the labor market, but not all (or most) of them. The economic well being of working welfare leavers did not increased significantly, because earnings increase was canceled out by parallel decrease in welfare benefits. Furthermore, most of working welfare leavers are employed in jobs with poor employment stability and low wages, making them highly vulnerable to frequent layoff, long-time joblessness, persistent poverty, and welfare recidivism. Another serious problem of the welfare reform is that a substantial number of welfare recipients are faced with extreme difficulties in finding jobs, because they have severe barriers to employment. The new welfare system with 5-year time limit can severely threaten the livelihoods of these people. The welfare reform presupposes that welfare recipients can achieve self-reliance by increasing their labor market activities. However, empirical evidences suggest that many people are unable to respond to the new, work-oriented welfare strategy. It may be a very difficult task to achieve both objectives of the welfare reform((1) providing adequate income security for low-income families and (2) promoting self-sufficiency) at the same time, because sometimes they are conflicting each other. With this in mind, a possible solution can be to distinguish welfare recipients into "(Very)-Hard-to-Employ" group and "(Relatively)-Ready-to-Work" group, based on elaborate examinations of a wide range of personal conditions. For the former group, the primary objective of welfare policies should be the first one(providing income security). For the "Ready-to-Work" group, follow-up services to promote job retention and advancement, as well as skill-training and job-search services, are very important. The U. S. experiences of the welfare reform provide some useful implications for newly developing Korean public assistance policies for the able-bodied low-income population.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.525-540
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate what kind of experiences the deaf elderly would have in the course of life. It also aimed to promote the understanding of their living difficulties and culture among people with normal hearing and provide basic data to help them live with others as members of the community. Phenomenological qualitative research was conducted as part of the methodology. The subjects include seven deaf old people. Based on the results of in-depth interview and analysis, the life experiences of the deaf elderly were categorized into "unforgettable wounds," "life in the community," "life with the family," "marriage of the deaf elderly", and "living by adjusting to reality." First, the subcategories of "unforgettable wounds" include "receiving no treatment for fever," "damage by the Korean War," "alienation from the family," and "people's cold eyes." It turned out that the deaf elderly had led a life, suffering from the heart wounds that they could not forget. Second, the subcategories of "life in the community" include "inconvenience in life," "disadvantages in life," and "severed life." The deaf elderly were not only subjected to inconvenience and disadvantages in life, but also suffered loneliness, being cut off from the community. Third, the subcategories of "life with the family" include "not communicating with children," "being abandoned again," "being used by the family," "being lonely even with the family," and "wishing to live independently from the family." The deaf elderly were not supported by their families and were abandoned or used by them, leading a solitary life. Fourth, the subcategories of "marriage of the deaf elderly" include"send as a surrogate mother," "frequent remarriage and divorce," "lean on as a married couple." Deaf elderly form their own culture of the marriage and lean on each other. Finally, the subcategories of "living by adjusting to reality" include "getting help from neighbors," "behaving oneself right in life," "learning Hangul," "living by working," "living freely," "living by missing," and "controlling the impulse to end life," "resorting to religion." The deaf elderly made the most alienated and vulnerable group with no access to benefits due to their limitations as a linguistic and social minority, but they made efforts to form their own culture and adjust to reality for themselves. Based on those findings, the study made the following proposals: first, there is a need for practical approaches to heal the ineffaceable wounds in the hearts of deaf elderly. Second, there is a need for policies to help them experience no inconvenience and disadvantages as members of community and communicate with people with normal hearing. Third, there should be practical approaches to enable them to get recognition and support from their families and share love with them. Finally, there should be practical policy approaches to help people with normal hearing understand the culture of deaf elderly and assist the deaf elderly to receive supports from the community and live with others within the community.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of the western front (Paju-Yencheon Area) of the Civilian Control Zone. Vascular plants collected in these areas were a total of 558 taxa composing of 501 species, 3 subspecies, 48 varieties and 1 forma of 330 genera under 109 families This shows that 11% of the 4,880 vascular plant species that are known to exist in Korea is distributed in the western part of the DMZ. 1 taxa of endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment was found: the Polygonatum stenophyllum Maxim in the edge of the military operation road from Taepung observatory to Imjin river. For the floristically specific ones of the Korean floristic zones, 3 taxa of the $5^{th}$ grade, 3 taxa of the $4^{th}$ grade, 13 taxa of the $3^{rd}$ grade, 13 taxa of the $2^{nd}$ grade and 22 taxa of the $1^{st}$ grade were found. For the endemic species of Korea, 4 taxa including Cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai were confirmed to be distributed mostly on the slope or the cutting area. Among the collected rare plants (11 taxa), there were 1 taxa of endangered species, 4 taxa of vulnerable species and 6 taxa of least concern species. Also, 51 taxa of naturalized plants were identified and 4 taxa of ecosystem disturbance organism designated by the Ministry of Environment were identified. The urbanization index and naturalization index for all species were estimated to be 15.89% and 9.14% respectively. Our survey is expected to be considered as primary data of biological diversity and ecological axis in the DMZ and the western part of the DMZ. According to the results of this study, it is thought to be necessary to establish policies for conservation and protection of the DMZ.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.58-70
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• 2016

An investigation was carried out to study the diversity of aquatic insects, functional feeding groups (FFGs), habitat oriented groups (HOGs), and species-specific distribution in the Taean area in Korea from June to August, 2015. As a result, a total of 72 species belonging to 30 families and six orders were identified in all the investigated regions. Odonata (22 spp.: 30.56%) was the largest group in species richness followed by Coleoptera (21 spp.: 29.16%), Hemiptera (17 spp.: 23.61%) and Diptera (8 spp.: 11.11%) while for Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, only two species (2.78%) were found. In addition, Plecoptera and Megaloptera inhabiting clean and flowing waters were not found. In the FFGs, predators (48 spp.: 66.67%) were relatively larger as represented by Odonata, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera, whereas shredders and scrapers were lower in proportion. The dominant groups of HOGs were swimmers (24 spp.: 33.33%), climbers (18 spp.: 25.0%), and sprawlers (12 spp.: 16.67%), which were characterized as aquatic insects community of island. Four species: Cybister lewisianus Sharp, Helophorus auriculatus Sharp, Agrypnia pagetana Curtis, Diplonychus esakii Miyamoto & Lee that are designated as Endangered, Near Threatened, and Vulnerable (Korean Red List) have been found to inhabitthe Taean area. Also, two species belonging to the exportable species group (Ceriagrion auranticum Fraser, Paracercion melanotum (Selys)) and one species belonging to the climate-sensitive biological indicator group (Ischnura elegans (Van der Linden)) were identified. In this study, four significant species including the Endangered are presented on the Korean distribution map based on the information in the national ecosystem survey accumulated for 7 years (2006-2012) by the Ministry of Environment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.272-289
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• 2017

This study analyzed the status of the naturalized plants in islands in Jeollanamdo from an island biogeographic perspective. As a result of a floristic analysis at 47 inhabited islands and 194 uninhabited islands, 30 families and 134 species naturalized plants are reported. The most commonly occurring naturalized plant from 141 islands was Rumex crispus. The average number of naturalized plants by islands is 20.6 species (${\pm}14.22$) at the inhabited islands and 3.7 species (${\pm}3.89$) at the uninhabited islands. Presence of fifty nine naturalized species at Geumodo in Yeosu-si is the largest in number. The naturalization ratio, which is the ratio of naturalized plants to native plants, is 7.66% (${\pm}3.96$) in the inhabitable islands and 4.97% (${\pm}3.70$) in the uninhabitable islands. The naturalization ratio among islands of the West Sea in Jeollanam-do is 5.92% (${\pm}4.49$), and it is higher than 4.96% (${\pm}2.15$) in islands in the South Sea. Especially, the naturalization ratio at the inhabitable islands, i.e., 8.39% (${\pm}4.37$) at the islands of the West Sea is higher than 5.80% (${\pm}1.41$) at islands in the South Sea. The naturalization ratio of naturalized plants at the islands shows positive correlation with the size of the island (r=0.412, p<0.01), but the correlations with distance from the mainland and altitude above sea level are not significant. Eight ecosystem disturbing species designated by law are reported, and each species shows distinct distributional ranges. The regional differences in the number of naturalized plant species seem to be a result of the complex reflection of natural and human environmental factors, such as the degree of traffic between mainland and islands, degree of cultivation activities, along with the physical environmental differences. Since islands have limited habitats and resources, islands could be more vulnerable to the incoming species from outside, and environmental changes than mainland. Therefore, continuous monitoring and management against the naturalized plants in islands are needed.