• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 2021

The web-based crowdfunding platform provides small-cap companies the opportunity to reduce financial risks and to reliably produce new products through pre-orders. Meanwhile, crowdfunding projects are also helping companies as a channel to test new products before mass production. Despite these advantages, from the point of view of businesses and consumers, it is true that web-based crowdfunding platforms have limitations in the retail environment. For example, the limited social elements of a web-based platform are somewhat in conflict with the basic characteristics of crowdfunding projects - which inevitably demand high social influences for the success. As such, understanding the mechanisms of social factors of crowdfunding platforms from the consumers' perspective is important. Therefore, in this study, we empirically tested the effect of social factors of crowdfunding platform on consumer participation and evaluation. Based on the Social Influence Theory and Social Presence Theory, we developed a conceptual framework where the social group size and social presence of other backers were the independent variables and the purchaser's intention to participate as the dependent variable. In the results, the size of the social group size and the perceived social presence have a significant positive effect on purchaser's participation intent. In addition, the social presence had a greater influence on the purchaser's intention to participate than the size of the sponsor's social group. We believe that our findings contribute to the extant literature by empirically demonstrating the valid effect of social factors of crowdfunding platforms on consumer evaluations.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.125-144
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• 2023

Recently, the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT has been increasing in various fields such as interactive commerce and mobile financial services. However, LMMs, which are mainly created by learning existing documents, can also learn various human biases inherent in documents. Nevertheless, there have been few comparative studies on the aspects of bias and discrimination in LLMs. The purpose of this study is to examine the existence and extent of nine types of discrimination (Age, Disability status, Gender identity, Nationality, Physical appearance, Race ethnicity, Religion, Socio-economic status, Sexual orientation) in LLMs and suggest ways to improve them. For this purpose, we utilized BBQ (Bias Benchmark for QA), a tool for identifying discrimination, to compare three large-scale language models including ChatGPT, GPT-3, and Bing Chat. As a result of the evaluation, a large number of discriminatory responses were observed in the mega-language models, and the patterns differed depending on the mega-language model. In particular, problems were exposed in elder discrimination and disability discrimination, which are not traditional AI ethics issues such as sexism, racism, and economic inequality, and a new perspective on AI ethics was found. Based on the results of the comparison, this paper describes how to improve and develop large-scale language models in the future.

• Journal of International Area Studies (JIAS)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.135-156
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• 2009

The two waves of EU enlargement in 2004 and 2007, have been milestones of European integration. While research has been conducted into the impact of these events on both the European and the global economies,1 there have been few attempts to assess the effects of EU enlargement and the introduction of the euro on countries such as Russia, which neighbour the EU but currently have no perspective of accession. This paper aims to provide an assessment of the effects that EU enlargement and the introduction of the euro have had on Russia, the largest country neighbouring the EU. In particular, it focuses on trade and investment links between the EU and Russia, as well as the use of the energy by Russian residents and authorities. Economic links between Russia and the EU are found to have strengthened considerably in the areas of trade, investment and other financial flows in recent years. Strong growth, particularly in Russia, as well as the high price of oil and gas, Russia's major export items, has facilitated this expansion of trade and finance. Moreover, available data do not suggest that EU enlargement has had a negative impact on Russia in terms of trade or investment diversion. Thus, the strategic partnership between Russia and the EU has been increasingly underpinned by an expansion of cross-border economic activities. Thus, the paper contributes to two broad strands of literature on this subject, namely the impact of regional trade and economic arrangements on non-member countries and the international role of currencies.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.5-29
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• 2012

Previous performance evaluation focusing on objective data of service agency has the limitations that did not reflect user-centered evaluation. With the expansion of voucher service, importance of perspective of service user such as satisfaction index is increasing. As voucher service has been delivered by the financial burden of government and user, we need the performance evaluation system that reflects the both performance indices to meet the accountability of two stake-holders. So this study focuses on deriving integrated evaluation system developing systems what mixed objective and subjective performance. Data used in this study is collected form 70 social service agencies that deliver voucher service and 1445 service users. Using General Satisfaction Index and Efficiency Index by DEA, this study analysed the correlation between efficiency and satisfaction index, and integrated performance evaluation model is constructed through portfolio map. This study has the following implication. This study theoretically explains the relation of objective performance and subjective performance and gives practical guidance in performance evaluation criterion and interpretation of performance.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.181-213
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• 2018

How to study Southeast Asia (SEA)? The need to explore and identify methodologies for studying SEA are inherent in its multifaceted subject matter. At a minimum, the region's rich cultural diversity inhibits both the articulation of decisive defining characteristics and the training of scholars who can write with confidence beyond their specialisms. Consequently, the challenges of understanding the region remain and a consensus regarding the most effective approaches to studying its history, identity and future seem quite unlikely. Furthermore, "Area Studies" more generally, has proved to be a less attractive frame of reference for burgeoning scholarly trends. This paper will propose a new tool to help address these challenges. Even though the science of artificial intelligence (AI) is in its infancy, it has already yielded new approaches to many commercial, scientific and humanistic questions. At this point, AI has been used to produce news, generate better smart phones, deliver more entertainment choices, analyze earthquakes and write fiction. The time has come to explore the possibility that AI can be put at the service of the study of SEA. The paper intends to lay out what would be required to develop SEABOT. This instrument might exist as a robot on the web which might be called upon to make the study of SEA both broader and more comprehensive. The discussion will explore the financial resources, ownership and timeline needed to make SEABOT go from an idea to a reality. SEABOT would draw upon artificial neural networks (ANNs) to mine the region's "Big Data", while synthesizing the information to form new and useful perspectives on SEA. Overcoming significant language issues, applying multidisciplinary methods and drawing upon new yields of information should produce new questions and ways to conceptualize SEA. SEABOT could lead to findings which might not otherwise be achieved. SEABOT's work might well produce outcomes which could open up solutions to immediate regional problems, provide ASEAN planners with new resources and make it possible to eventually define and capitalize on SEA's "soft power". That is, new findings should provide the basis for ASEAN diplomats and policy-makers to develop new modalities of cultural diplomacy and improved governance. Last, SEABOT might also open up avenues to tell the SEA story in new distinctive ways. SEABOT is seen as a heuristic device to explore the results which this instrument might yield. More important the discussion will also raise the possibility that an AI-driven perspective on SEA may prove to be even more problematic than it is beneficial.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of absolute / relative poverty on the life satisfaction focusing on mediation effect of subjective social status by type of elderly residents. In order to analyze the distinct characteristics of the elderly, analysis was conducted with 3,327 the elderly living together and 668 the elderly living alone using 'Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA)' from 3rd to 5th wave data provided by the Korea Employment Information Service. The main analysis results are as follows. First, each poverty rate for the elderly living together accounted for 43.5 percent and 51.4 percent, while 63.8 percent and 77.2 percent for the elderly living alone respectively. Second, life satisfaction was higher among the elderly living together than living alone, However, life satisfaction was not related to condition of poverty among the elderly living alone. Third, absolute / relative poverty were associated with life satisfaction of the elderly living together, and subjective social status had a mediating effect. However, relative poverty was not related to life satisfaction among the elderly living alone, which indicated that it needs to support not only the financial approach to overcome absolute poverty but also the multi-dimensional poverty perspective in the intervention of the elderly living alone Based on the results, the study suggested to make a tool to measure of poverty using multi-dimensional poverty indicators.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.331-355
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• 2023

As competition between companies intensifies in the global management environment, ESG management is emerging as a tool for companies to have competitive advantages, and it is becoming increasingly important for companies to form strategic partnerships using SCM. Through the investigation of the previous research, the main factors such as ESG management, SCM partnership, corporate image, performance and so on were analyzed. As a result, the stronger ESG management factors such as the environment and society are, the higher the corporate image. Second, ESG management, such as the environment and society, has a significant impact on corporate performance. Third, ESG management activities such as environment and society have enhanced SCM partnerships. Fourth, it was confirmed that the stronger the SCM partnership, the better the corporate image. Fifth, the improvement of the corporate image of non-financial performance will have a more significant impact on corporate performance. In terms of academic and practical implications, it leads to important factors to be considered in the introduction of ESG management by companies, and empirically explores the relationship between each factor. The ESG management of Korean start-ups needs to be promoted according to environmental and social factors, and the ESG management needs to be implemented from a long-term perspective.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.69-76
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• 2023

To improve the financial stability of the National Pension, an appropriate target rate of return should be established based on pension liabilities, and asset allocation policies should be formulated accordingly. The purpose of this study is to calculate the target rate of return considering the contributions of subscribers and the pension benefits, and based on this, derive an asset allocation. To do this, we utilized the internal rate of return methodology to calculate the target rate of return for each cohort. And then, we employed a Monte Carlo simulation-based re-sampling mean-variance model to derive asset allocation for each cohort that satisfy the target rate of return while minimizing risks. Our result shows that the target rate of return for each cohort ranged from 6.4% to 6.85%, and it decreased as the generations advanced due to a decrease in the income replacement rate of the National Pension. Consequently, the allocation of risky assets, such as stocks, was relatively reduced in the portfolios of future generations. This study holds significance in that it departs from the macroeconomic-based asset allocation methodology and proposes investments from an asset-liability management perspective, which considers the characteristics of subscribers' liabilities.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.289-309
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• 2023

While South Korea's universal healthcare system has garnered attention in public health, the issue of inequality in healthcare service provision among different age groups has incessantly become a significant concern. The focus of this concern is primarily on essential healthcare services, encompassing fundamental aspects of healthcare such as internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatric and adolescent care. This inequality is not limited to differences among age groups (both junior and senior demographics) but also extends to potential disparities in healthcare services based on geographic location, particularly in urban and rural contexts. This paper aims to investigate disparities in primary healthcare service resources in South Korea's evolving economic landscape between 1995 and 2021. We utilize a set of inequality indices with a spatial perspective through geographic cluster analysis. The findings reveal that concerns about inequality have been amplified during various economic events, including the IMF crisis in 1999, the global financial crisis in 2008, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. These years are identified as significant phases that have contributed to manifesting spatial disparities in primary healthcare provisions, with a particular emphasis on the senior-aged population rather than junior or all population groups. Our findings underscore the pressing need to address the unequal distribution of essential healthcare resources as part of preparedness for potential economic impacts, requiring a comprehensive consideration of the interconnected nature of demographic and spatial dimensions in healthcare services.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.153-172
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• 1990

The present paper investigates the potential value of strategic antitrust policy in an oligopolistic international market. The market is characterized by a non-cooperative Cournot-Nash equilibrium and by asymmetry in costs among firms in the world market. The model is useful for two reasons. First, it is important in the context of policy-making to examine the conditions under which it may be beneficial to relax antitrust law to enhance competitiveness. Second, the explicit derivation of the level of cost-saving required for a gain in total domestic surplus provides an empirical rule for excluding industries that do not satisfy the requirements for a socially beneficial antitrust exemption. Results of the analysis include a criterion that tells how the cost-saving and concentration effects of a merger offset each other. The criterion is derived from fairly general assumptions on demand functions and is simple enough to be applied as a part of the merger guidelines. Another interesting policy implication of our analysis is that promoting mergers would not be a beneficial strategy in a net importing industry where cost-saving opportunities are thin. Cost-saving domestic mergers are more likely to increase national welfare in exporting industries. The best candidate industries for application of strategic antitrust policy are those with the following characteristics: (i) a large potential for efficiency enhancement; (ii) high market concentration at the world but not the domestic level; (iii) a high ratio of exports to imports. Recently, many policymakers and economists in Korea have also come to believe that the appropriate antitrust policy in an era of increased foreign competition may actually be to encourage rather than to prohibit domestic mergers. The Industry Development Act of 1986 and the proposed bill for Mergers and Conversions in the Financial Industry of 1990 reflect this changing perspective on antitrust policy. Antitrust laws may burden domestic firms in the sense that they have a more constrained strategy set. Expenditures to avoid antitrust attacks could also increase costs for domestic firms. But there is no clear evidence that the impact of antitrust policy is significant enough to harm the competitiveness of domestic firms. As a matter of fact, it is necessary for domestic financial institutions to become large in scale in this era of globalization. However, the absence of empirical evidence for efficiency enhancement from mergers suggests caution in the relaxation of antitrust standards.