• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.59-77
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of traffic-related air pollution on the urban population in the Metropolitan Seoul area. In particular, this study analyzes urban population exposure to traffic-related particulate materials(PM). For the purpose, this study examines the relationships between traffic flows and PM concentration levels during the last fifteen years. Traffic volumes have been decreased significantly in recent year in Seoul, however, PM levels have been declined less compare to traffic volumes. It may be related with the rapid growth in the population and vehicle numbers in Gyenggi, the outskirt of Seoul, where several New Towns have been developed in the middle of 1990's. The spatial pattern of commuting has changed, and thus and travel distances and traffic volumes have increased along the main roads connecting CBDs in Seoul and New Towns consisting of large residential apartment complexes. These changes in traffic flows and travel behaviors cause increasing exposure to traffic-related air pollution for urban population over the Metropolitan Seoul area. GIS techniques are applied to analyze the spatial patterns of traffic flows, population distributions, PM distributions, and passenger flows comprehensively. This study also analyzes real time base traffic flow data and passenger flow data obtained from T-card transaction database applying data mining techniques. This study also attempts to develop a space-time model for assessing journey-time exposure to traffic related air pollutants based on travel passenger frequency distribution function. The results of this study can be used for the implications for sustainable transport systems, public health and transportation policy by reducing urban air pollution and road traffics in the Metropolitan Seoul area.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.355-366
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• 2014

Objectives: This study seeks to evaluate the vulnerability assessment of the human health sector for $PM_{10}$, which is reflected in the regional characteristics and related disease mortality rates for $PM_{10}$ in Busan over the period of 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ is comprised of the categories of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes of the exposure and sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. Variables of each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and each regional relative vulnerability was computed through the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The regions with a high exposure index are Jung-Gu (transportation region) and Saha-Gu (industrial region). Major factors determining the exposure index are the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}{\geq}50$, ${\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions that show a high sensitivity index are urban and rural regions; these commonly have a high mortality rate for related disease and vulnerable populations. The regions that have a high adaptive capacity index are Jung-Gu, Gangseo-Gu, and Busanjin-Gu, all of which have a high level of economic/welfare/health care factors. The high-vulnerability synthesis of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indexes show that Dong-Gu and Seo-Gu have a risk for $PM_{10}$ potential effects and a low adaptive capacity. Conclusions: This study presents the vulnerability index to $PM_{10}$ through a relative comparison using quantitative evaluation to draw regional priorities. Therefore, it provides basic data to reflect environmental health influences in favor of an adaptive policy limiting damage to human health caused by vulnerability to $PM_{10}$.

• Advanced Industrial SCIence
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2023

Recently, it is increasing that a issue of concern about radiation exposure. It affects soil, water, air, crops, etc., and in the long term, environmental pollution and food pollution occur, and it is considered to cause social problems and economic damage. Radiation exposure causes diseases and health problems, but as a method for diagnosing diseases, nuclear medicine tests such as X-ray imaging, CT, and PET-CT are conducted, and radiation isotopes are exposed for the purpose of cancer treatment. A Hungarian case study on radiation in water, particularly drinking water, following the release of radioactive waste from Fukushima, and an examination of the Larsemann Hills area in Antarctica, found that it was within the prescribed radioactivity limits of drinking water recommended by the World Health Organization. We looked at radioprotective agents, focusing on DNA damage, cell and organ damage, and cancer, and also investigated various literatures on ACE inhibitors, antioxidants, and natural substances among restoration materials. Although exposed to radiation in everyday life, the reason why it can be safe is probably because there is a radiation protection material and a recovery material for radiation exposure, so we are trying to find possible materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.77-87
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of current smoking and the factors that influence current smoking among male high school students in Korea according to school type. Methods: Data were extracted from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2017) and multiple logistic regression was used based on complex sample analysis. The study sample comprised of 15,777 male high school students: 12,583 from general high schools (GHS) and 3,194 from specialized vocational high schools (SVHS). Results: The prevalence of current smoking was significantly higher in SVHS students (19.6%) compared to GHS students (12.6%). Low academic achievement, depressive symptoms, current drinking, and high household economic status were commonly associated with current smoking in male students from both school types. However, exposure to secondhand smoking at home, non-exposure to anti-smoking advertisement, exposure to tobacco advertisement, participation in smoking prevention or cessation education were related to current smoking in GHS students, while living in rural area was associated with current smoking in SVHS students. Conclusion: To reduce current smoking among male high school students, it is necessary to develop smoking prevention policies reflecting the factors associated with current smoking that are different by school type.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.17-24
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• 2001

Risk assessment is useful tool making good decisions on the risks of certain hazardous com-pound and suggests safe margin through scientific process using toxicological data, statistical tool, exposure value and relevant variants. The goal of risk management is to protect the public health from hazardous compound based on result of risk assessment having reality. For the suggestion of exact man-aging information, risk assessment must be designed to represent a "plausible estimate" of the exposure to the individuals and to minimize uncertainty. Risk assessment methodology and knowledge are expected to change more rapidly than before and up-to-date methodology should be applied in regulatory aspects through the Agency. For the useful application of risk assessment, the communication between the risk assessor and the risk manager is needed before the initiation of the risk assessment and upon its completion. Generally, the risk assessment itself as a practical tool in the regulatory decision making process would be regarded with social economic impact.ic impact.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the association between exacerbated economic hardship during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and changes in the health behaviors of Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey and included 44 908 students (22 823 boys and 22 085 girls) as study subjects. The dependent variables included changes in health behaviors (breakfast habits, physical activity, and alcohol use) that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aggravation of economic hardship by COVID-19 and the subjective economic status of the family were used as exposure variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to calculate the prevalence odds ratios (PORs). Results: Severe exacerbation of a family's economic hardship due to COVID-19 was negatively associated with the health behaviors of adolescents, including increased breakfast skipping (POR, 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 2.21 for boys and POR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.92 for girls) and decreased physical activity (POR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.57 for boys and POR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.60 for girls). These negative changes in health behaviors were further amplified when combined with a low subjective family economic status. Conclusions: The experience of worsening household hardship can lead to negative changes in health behavior among adolescents. It is crucial to implement measures that address the economic challenges that arise from stressful events such as COVID-19 and to strive to improve the lifestyles of adolescents under such circumstances.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.421-435
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• 2022

As natural disasters have been increasing due to climate change, sustainable solutions are in need to alleviate the degree of drought hazard, assess and project the drought influence based on future climate change scenarios. In assessing drought risk, socio-economic factors of the region must be considered along with meteorological factors. This study categorized drought hazard, exposure, and vulnerability as three major components of drought risk according to the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC) risk assessment framework, and selected indices for each component to quantify the drought risk in South Korea according to the mid-size basins. Combinations of climate scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway; RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5) and socio-economic scenarios (Shared Socio-economic Pathways; SSP 1, SSP2 and SSP3) for the near future (2030-2050) ant the far future (2080-2099) were utilized in drought risk analysis, and results were compared with the historical data (1986-2005). In general, the drought risks for all scenarios shows large increases as time proceeds to the far furture. In addition, we analyzed the rank of drought hazard, exposure, vulnerability for drought risk, and each of their contribution. The results showed that the drought hazard is the most contributing component to the increase of drought risk in future and each basin shows varying contributing components. Finally, we suggested countermeasures for each basin according to future climate change scenarios, and thus this study provides made the basis for establishing drought management measures.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2015

It is widely believed that increasing socio-economic polarization inspired by globalization and economic restructuring worsens residential segregation by class in Korean cities. However, the existing literature falls short in showing the recent changes of the residential segregation, particularly after the 1997 financial crisis, with reliable and systematic segregation measures. Noting that there are the two major dimension in residential segregation - evenness-concentration and exposure-clustering - this study introduced not only global measure (dissimilarity index and isolation/interaction index) but also local measures (location quotient and Local Moran's I) for each dimension. These measures are applied to the case study of Seoul in the 2000s. The class is defined by education attainment and the data is obtain through the MicroData System Service System(MDSS). The result shows that the residential segregation by education attainment persists through 2000s and even get worse in some dimension. More significantly, it turns out that high-class and low-class residence are nearly mirror-images of each other, indicating high segregation.

• Strategy21
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• s.37
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• pp.144-176
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• 2015

In September 2013, President Park Geun-hye announced her controversial "Look North" policy, of which the most salient aspect is the "Eurasia Initiative". This comprises various proposals designed to overcome existing constraints by developing new markets and creating new economic partners in continental areas from which South Korea has been alienated since the end of World War II, and this dovetails nicely with China's One Belt, One Road Initiative. The concepts of the "Silk Road Rail Express (SRX)" and the "East Sea Rim Maritime Community (ESRMC)" have also been discussed. SRX is at present a purely symbolic railroad project intended to encourage individual, cultural, trade and diplomatic exchanges. ESRMC is a model for establishing an ad hoc community to promote regional economic cooperation around the East Sea. President Park's Eurasia Initiative will provide South Korean investment for the Northeast to complement Russian plans, like the "Northern Energy Road" being built by Gazprom, and Chinese plans, like the Chang-Ji-Tu Development Plan for the North Korean port of Rajin. China's trade, as well as its energy and food supplies, pass through the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean, and are thus vulnerable to interdiction by India or the US. China is therefore trying to reduce its exposure geopolitical risk by establishing a network of corridors between the Belt and the Road to provide alternative paths. The "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" and the "China-Myanmar Economic Corridor" provide such connections, and South Korea hopes that SRX and ESRMC can become part of a "China-South Korea Economic Corridor". This concept could do much to revitalize the underdeveloped northern provinces of China and Russia's Far East, not to mention North Korea. By linking up the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Trans-China Railway, the Trans-Mongolian Railway and the Trans-Korean Railway all these Asian countries will be connected to one another, and ultimately to Europe. An interim connection between China and South Korea using a rail-ferry has also been proposed.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 1993

It is a fundamental element of the nuclear power plant operation to assess exactly the occupational radiation exposure. And, according to recently published ICRP 60 recommendation, it is needed to reduce individual radiaton exposure limit further. In this paper, an optimization techique was suggested for selection of alternatives for reducing occupational radiation exposure, and used in reviewing alternatives given by a plant utility. After the basic analysis, sensitivity analysis was performed to consider the variabilities of the economic variables. From the result, it was found that an option using steam generator nozzle dam and torquing machine was the best with respect to total benefits, and in case of multi-attribute utility analysis, an option using Co-No seal had the highest utility. Therefore, it was necessary to apply more than one technique togeter in optimization study and to consider qualitative factor, too.