• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-31
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• 2009

This paper empirically examines factors that potentially influence the success of a Web-based semantic search engine. A research model has been proposed that shows the impact of quality-related factors upon the effectiveness of a semantic search engine, based on DeLone and McLean's(2003) information systems success model. An empirical study has been conducted to test hypotheses formulated around the research model, and statistical methods were applied to analyze gathered data and draw conclusions. Implications for academics and practitioners are offered based on the findings of the study. The proposed model includes three quality dimensions of a Web-based semantic search engine-namely, information quality, system quality and service quality. These three dimensions each have measures designed to collectively assess the respective dimension. The model is intended to examine the relationship between measures of these quality dimensions and measures of two dependent constructs, including individuals' net benefit and user satisfaction. Individuals' net benefit was measured by the extent to which the user's information needs were adequately met, whereas user satisfaction was measured by a combination of the perceived satisfaction with search results and the perceived satisfaction with the overall system. A total of 23 hypotheses have been formulated around the model, and a questionnaire survey has been conducted using a functional semantic search website created by KT and Hakia, so as to collect data to validate the model. Copies of a questionnaire form were handed out in person to 160 research associates and employees working in the area of designing and developing semantic search engines. Those who received the form, 148 respondents returned valid responses. The survey form asked respondents to use the given website to answer questions concerning the system. The results of the empirical study have indicated that, of the three quality dimensions, information quality was found to have the strongest association with the effectiveness of a Web-based semantic search engine. This finding is consistent with the observation in the literature that the aspects of the information quality should serve as a basis for evaluating the search outcomes from a semantic search engine. Measures under the information quality dimension that have a positive effect on informational gratification and user satisfaction were found to be recall and currency. Under the system quality dimension, response time and interactivity, were positively related to informational gratification. On the other hand, only one measure under the service quality dimension, reliability was found to have a positive relationship with user satisfaction. The results were based on the seven hypotheses that have been accepted. One may wonder why 15 out of the 23 hypotheses have been rejected and question the theoretical soundness of the model. However, the correlations between independent variables and dependent variables came out to be fairly high. This suggests that the structural equation model yielded results inconsistent with those of coefficient analysis, because the structural equation model intends to examine the relationship among independent variables as well as the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables. The findings offer some useful implications for owners of a semantic search engine, as far as the design and maintenance of the website is concerned. First, the system should be designed to respond to the user's query as fast as possible. Also it should be designed to support the search process by recommending, revising, and choosing a search query, so as to maximize users' interactions with the system. Second, the system should present search results with maximum recall and currency to effectively meet the users' expectations. Third, it should be capable of providing online services in a reliable and trustworthy manner. Finally, effective increase in user satisfaction requires the improvement of quality factors associated with a semantic search engine, which would in turn help increase the informational gratification for users. The proposed model can serve as a useful framework for measuring the success of a Web-based semantic search engine. Applying the search engine success framework to the measurement of search engine effectiveness has the potential to provide an outline of what areas of a semantic search engine needs improvement, in order to better meet information needs of users. Further research will be needed to make this idea a reality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.8-9
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• 2017

Soybean yield has been low and unstable in Japan and other areas in East Asia, despite long history of cultivation. This is contrasting with consistent increase of yield in North and South America. This presentation tries to describe perspective of breaking stagnation of soybean yield in East Asia, considering the factors of the different yields between regions. Large amount of rainfall with occasional dry-spell in the summer is a nature of monsoon climate and as frequently stated excess water is the factor of low and unstable soybean yield. For example, there exists a great deal of field-to-field variation in yield of 'Tanbaguro' soybean, which is reputed for high market value and thus cultivated intensively and this results in low average yield. According to our field survey, a major portion of yield variation occurs in early growth period. Soybean production on drained paddy fields is also vulnerable to drought stress after flowering. An analysis at the above study site demonstrated a substantial field-to-field variation of canopy transpiration activity in the mid-summer, but the variation of pod-set was not as large as that of early growth. As frequently mentioned by the contest winners of good practice farming, avoidance of excess water problem in the early growth period is of greatest importance. A series of technological development took place in Japan in crop management for stable crop establishment and growth, that includes seed-bed preparation with ridge and/or chisel ploughing, adjustment of seed moisture content, seed treatment with mancozeb+metalaxyl and the water table control system, FOEAS. A unique success is seen in the tidal swamp area in South Sumatra with the Saturated Soil Culture (SSC), which is for managing acidity problem of pyrite soils. In 2016, an average yield of $2.4tha^{-1}$ was recorded for a 450 ha area with SSC (Ghulamahdi 2017, personal communication). This is a sort of raised bed culture and thus the moisture condition is kept markedly stable during growth period. For genetic control, too, many attempts are on-going for better emergence and plant growth after emergence under excess water. There seems to exist two aspects of excess water resistance, one related to phytophthora resistance and the other with better growth under excess water. The improvement for the latter is particularly challenging and genomic approach is expected to be effectively utilized. The crop model simulation would estimate/evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors. But comprehensive crop models for soybean are mainly for cultivations on upland fields and crop response to excess water is not fully accounted for. A soybean model for production on drained paddy fields under monsoon climate is demanded to coordinate technological development under changing climate. We recently recognized that the yield potential of recent US cultivars is greater than that of Japanese cultivars and this also may be responsible for different yield trends. Cultivar comparisons proved that higher yields are associated with greater biomass production specifically during early seed filling, in which high and well sustained activity of leaf gas exchange is related. In fact, the leaf stomatal conductance is considered to have been improved during last a couple of decades in the USA through selections for high yield in several crop species. It is suspected that priority to product quality of soybean as food crop, especially large seed size in Japan, did not allow efficient improvement of productivity. We also recently found a substantial variation of yielding performance under an environment of Indonesia among divergent cultivars from tropical and temperate regions through in a part biomass productivity. Gas exchange activity again seems to be involved. Unlike in North America where transpiration adjustment is considered necessary to avoid terminal drought, under the monsoon climate with wet summer plants with higher activity of gas exchange than current level might be advantageous. In order to explore higher or better-adjusted canopy function, the methodological development is demanded for canopy-level evaluation of transpiration activity. The stagnation of soybean yield would be broken through controlling variable water environment and breeding efforts to improve the quality-oriented cultivars for stable and high yield.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1-16
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• 2018

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries prepared the sixth industrialization certification system to increase the added value in the agricultural sector, but it is a bit hard to judge that the system has been in the stage of creating sufficient added value. In particular, because of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is a significant change in all industry sectors, including innovation in technology, and the change of perception among the society members is being rapidly changed toward the corporate sector's social role. Thus, we surveyed companies that received the sixth industrialization enterprise certificate to address this phenomenon and find clues on how to be competitive. We selected 800 companies certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as sixth industrialization enterprises as our study samples. Among them, we subjected 275 respondents to a final analysis upon eliminating incomplete responses. The result of the study revealed that entrepreneurship, including autonomy that reflects the characteristics of the certified companies, had a significant positive impact on economic value. Moreover, with the size of the companies certified as the sixth industrialization enterprise and the industry trend toward the innovative Fourth Industrial Revolution considered, the strategic orientation including the customer orientation to intensively focus on customer needs and the technology orientation to accept technology as a competitive sector even in the agricultural industry was found to have a significant positive effect on economic value. Strategic orientation demonstrated a significant positive effect on social value. Entrepreneurship demonstrated a significant positive effect on economic values but did not significantly affect the social value. Lastly, while strategic orientation has demonstrated that no mediation effect resulted due to a high direct effect between entrepreneurship and economic value, a complete mediation effect occurred between entrepreneurship and social value. Based on this study, if the companies that received the sixth industrialization enterprise certificate are equipped with not only entrepreneurship but also strategic orientation for customer-oriented thinking and response to technological changes, they can become an influential element in creating not only economic value but also social value, which is emphasized as an element of sustainability.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.225-231
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• 2020

Fresh water that can be used by a person of the total amount of water on the planet is increased because it is less than 0.01 % except underground water, ice and snow, etc. water management response need. In order to protect and efficiently utilize water resources, major countries are conducting water footprint studies that can quantitatively estimate the amount of water put into the operating phase of the resource harvesting phase, mainly agriculture. Korea has also recently developed a number of policies in order to cope with water shortages, and in the construction industry, as well as the need for basic research to support it has been emphasized. This study was constructed DB up to the raw material harvesting step, the transport step, the production stage in order to estimate the water consumption of resources to be put into the work process to target the drainage of the road. Water usage estimation method was utilized the method presented in the Water Footprint Manual and the environmental score card certification guide, unit water usage each drainage main method was calculated after estimating the water footprint considering the water character factor, indirect water and the direct water, the water consumption factor of material input to each process. Brown asphalt, rebar, remicon of the drainage material as a result of the water footprint calculation accounted for 97 % of the total. Drainage method is a culvert, a side channel, a culvert wing wall, reinforced concrete open channel accounted for 92.2 % of the total. Drainage total step-by-step calculated water consumption and water footprint was found in order of raw material harvesting step, transport stage, production stage. Water footprint each drainage method or total drainage material calculated in this study can be used as a base data in the agricultural and construction sectors. In order to increase the reliability of the analysis, it is believed that further overseas databases will be needed for continuous review and research.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-128
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• 2008

Nearly all Koreans are insured through National Health Insurance(NHI). While NHI coverage is nearly universal, it is not complete. Coverage is largely limited to minimal level of hospital and physician expenses, and copayments are required in each case. As a result, Korea's public insurance system covers roughly 50% of overall individual health expenditures, and the remaining 50% consists of copayments for basic services, spending on services that are either not covered or poorly covered by the public system. In response to these gaps in the public system, 64% of the Korean population has supplemental private health insurance. Expansion of private health insurance raises negative externality issue. Like public financing schemes in other countries, the Korean system imposes cost-sharing on patients as a strategy for controlling utilization. Because most insurance policies reimburse patients for their out-of-pocket payments, supplemental insurance is likely to negate the impact of the policy, raising both total and public sector health spending. So far, most empirical analysis of supplemental health insurance to date has focused on the US Medigap programme. It is found that those with supplements apparently consume more health care. Two reasons for higher health care consumption by those with supplements suggest themselves. One is the moral hazard effect: by eliminating copayments and deductibles, supplements reduce the marginal price of care and induce additional consumption. The other explanation is that supplements are purchased by those who anticipate high health expenditures - adverse effect. The main issue addressed has been the separation of the moral hazard effect from the adverse selection one. The general conclusion is that the evidence on adverse selection based on observable variables is mixed. This article investigates the extent to which private supplementary insurance affect use of health care services by public health insurance enrollees, using Korean administrative data and private supplements related data collected through all relevant private insurance companies. I applied a multivariate two-part model to analyze the effects of various types of supplements on the likelihood and level of public health insurance spending and estimated marginal effects of supplements. Separate models were estimated for inpatients and outpatients in public insurance spending. The first part of the model estimated the likelihood of positive spending using probit regression, and the second part estimated the log of spending for those with positive spending. Use of a detailed information of individuals' public health insurance from administration data and of private insurance status from insurance companies made it possible to control for health status, the types of supplemental insurance owned by theses individuals, and other factors that explain spending variations across supplemental insurance categories in isolating the effects of supplemental insurance. Data from 2004 to 2006 were used, and this study found that private insurance increased the probability of a physician visit by less than 1 percent and a hospital admission by about 1 percent. However, supplemental insurance was not found to be associated with a bigger health care service utilization. Two-part models of health care utilization and expenditures showed that those without supplemental insurance had higher inpatient and outpatient expenditures than those with supplements, even after controlling for observable differences.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2013

In order to seize quantitative materials as part of studies on measures for oil pollution prevention and control, the statistics of oil pollution incidents in Korean coastal waters for 10 years from 2003 to 2012 were analyzed with relation to the number of oil spills and the volume of oil spilt according to causes, sources and sea areas of spills. Total number and total volume of oil spills for 10 years were found to be 2,833 cases and 17,877 kL, respectively. 50.4 %(1,429 cases) of total number of oil spills were caused by negligence, although oil spillage due to negligence was 294 kL(1.7 %). While oil spillage caused by marine accidents was 17,400 kL(97.3 %), marine accidents accounted for 27.9 %(790 cases) of total number of oil spills. While negligence had a great influence on the number of oil spills, marine accidents had a huge impact on the amount of oil spilt. Fishing boats accounted for 42.7 %(1,210 cases) of the number of oil spills, and although oil tankers accounted for 9.2 %(261 cases) of the number of oil spills, oil spillage from oil tankers was 15,488kL(86.7 %). It means that oil tankers such as VLCC or ULCC may be the main sources of major oil spills and a few very large spills are responsible for a high percentage of the amount of oil spilt. While the number of oil spill incidents was closely related to the accidents of fishing boats, the volume of oil spilt was greatly affected by the major oil spill incidents of oil tankers such as M/T Hebei Spirit. The number and volume of oil spills were shown to be 1,613 cases(56.9 %) and 3,804 kL(21.3 %) in South Sea, 700 cases(24.7 %) and 13,501 kL(75.5 %) in West Sea, and 520 cases(18.2 %) and 572 kL(3.2 %) in East Sea of Korea, respectively. The highest number of oil spills was found in South Sea and the most volume of oil spilt was shown in West Sea of Korea for 10 years.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2979-2982
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• 2016

Background: High dose ionizing radiation can induce ovarian cancer, but the effect of low dose radiation on the development of ovarian cancer has not been extensively studied. We evaluated the effect of low dose radiation and total background radiation, and the radiation delivered to the ovaries during the treatment of rectosigmoid cancer and breast cancer on ovarian cancer incidence. Materials and Methods: Background radiation measurements are from Assessment of Variations in Radiation Exposure in the United States, 2011. Ovarian cancer incidence data are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of ovarian cancer following breast cancer and rectosigmoid cancer are from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Obesity data by US state are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mean ages of US state populations are from the United States Census Bureau. Results: We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, which reveal that in 194,042 cases of breast cancer treated with beam radiation, there were 796 cases of ovarian cancer by 120+ months of treatment (0.41%); in 283, 875 cases of breast cancer not treated with radiation, there were 1,531 cases of ovarian cancer by 120+ months (0.54%). The difference in ovarian cancer incidence in the two groups was significant (p < 0.001, two tailed Fisher exact test). The small dose of scattered ovarian radiation (about 3.09 cGy) from beam radiation to the breast appears to have reduced the risk of ovarian cancer by 24%. In 13,099 cases of rectal or rectosigmoid junction cancer treated with beam radiation in the SEER data, there were 20 cases of ovarian cancer by 120+ months of treatment (0.15%). In 33,305 cases of rectal or rectosigmoid junction cancer not treated with radiation, there were 91 cases of ovarian cancer by 120+ months (0.27%). The difference in ovarian cancer incidence in the two groups was significant (p = 0.017, two tailed Fisher exact test). In other words, the beam radiation to rectum and rectosigmoid that also reached the ovaries reduced the risk of ovarian cancer by 44%. In addition, there was a significant inverse relationship between ovarian cancer in white women and radon background radiation (r = - 0.465. p = 0.002) and total background radiation (r = -0.456, p = 0.002). Because increasing age and obesity are risk factors for ovarian cancer, multivariate linear regression was performed. The inverse relationship between ovarian cancer incidence and radon background was significant (${\beta}=-0.463$, p = 0.002) but unrelated to age (${\beta}=-0.080$, p = 0.570) or obesity (${\beta}=-0.180$, p = 0.208). Conclusions: The reduction of ovarian cancer risk following low dose radiation may be the result of radiation hormesis. Hormesis is a favorable biological response to low toxin exposure. A pollutant or toxin demonstrating hormesis has the opposite effect in small doses as in large doses. In the case of radiation, large doses are carcinogenic. However, lower overall cancer rates are found in U.S. states with high impact radiation. Moreover, there is reduced lung cancer incidence in high radiation background US states where nuclear weapons testing was done. Women at increased risk of ovarian cancer have two choices. They may be closely followed (surveillance) or undergo immediate prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. However, the efficacy of surveillance is questionable. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is considered preferable, although it carries the risk of surgical complications. The data analysis above suggests that low-dose pelvic irradiation might be a good third choice to reduce ovarian cancer risk. Further studies would be worthwhile to establish the lowest optimum radiation dose.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2007

To determine the influence of food waste compost (FWC) application on paddy soil, FWC was applied to the paddy soil and then compared with farmer's practice as to the effects on rice and soil environment. Initially, pig manure compost (PMC) had high content of phosphorus ($15g\;kg^{-1}$) and potassium ($23g\;kg^{-1}$), while FWC had high content of total nitrogen ($13g\;kg^{-1}$) and salinity ($18.5g\;kg^{-1}$). Comparison was also made between chemical fertilizer and FWC use as a trial in the paddy field under the clay loam and sandy loam soil. In the panicle formation stage, chemical fertilizer application was proper in clay loam while PMC application was proper in sandy loam. However, chemical fertilizer produced higher yield compared to compost treatment, both on clay loam and sandy loam with 20~25% and 17~19%, respectively. The lower yield in sandy loam maybe due to slow mineralization of compost such that the crop did not effectively use it. Organic matter content in paddy soil after experiment was higher in FWC and PMC plots compared to that in chemical fertilizer plots. But the other soil properties were comparable. Therefore, the FWC compost had little effect on soil when it use as a trial in paddy field. Likewise, after the application of FWC as a trial, analysis of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in the surface water and 60 cm depth of paddy soil water nine days after planting was done. Results revealed that concentration of ammonium nitrogen was similar to irrigation water while nitrate nitrogen concentration was not detected, and hence did not contribute to water pollution. It is concluded that the application of FWC in the paddy field had not affected on environmental pollution in the paddy field. But its use as compost during rice culture reduced yield quantity. Such study should include selection of compost material, amount and method of compost application.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2023

This study aims to determine the necessity, role, utilization, and operation and management plan in relation to the underwater space platform where humans can newly reside. It provides a comprehensive opinion on the need for creating undersea space and operation plans based on opinions of industry-university-affiliated organizations involved in the R&D project of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for the utilization of undersea space and external experts participating in marine technology development. In this study, a survey was conducted on researchers participating in the construction of a Korean submarine space platform. FGI was conducted on marine technology development experts. Results were then derived. As a result of the analysis, the need for subsea space construction was found to be high. As for the role of subsea space, the most common opinion was to develop technology for utilizing subsea space and to secure marine science research functions. It was found that the creation of subsea space would have a positive impact on the domestic industry, especially the deep-sea development industry and the shipbuilding/offshore structure industry. In terms of utilization, after the end of the seabed space test bed, the response to utilization as a marine observation base and marine ecosystem research had the highest proportion. As for expected inconvenience, discomfort in the psychological environment was the highest. Experts suggest that securing a continuous budget is most important for stable operation in the future and that securing a manpower budget is essential for itemized budgets. In addition, it was judged that it would be appropriate to establish a prior agreement from the time of the prior agreement and prepare a countermeasure before proceeding with the project in order to ensure ownership issues, consignment management issues, and cost issues when using the project after the end of the project.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.193-211
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• 2021

Recently, interest in Korean Wave craze and K-beauty, led by K-pop, is increasing. In addition, the popularity and influence of the domestic beauty service industry has increased, and the economic and cultural ripple effects have been continuously expanding. The need to professional manpower training in response to the demand for manpower due to the growing development of domestic beauty services is emphasized, and the number of trainees who are actual consumers of beauty academy is increasing. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to examine the importance of quality factors of educational services to achieve educational purposes in the educational services provided by the Beauty Academy and the relationship between relationship commitment and educational service performance. Furthermore, it is to draw the importance of administrative support services, educational programs as well as educational service provision activities. However, the research for professional manpower training according to the provision of beauty services is insufficient compared to the development speed of the beauty industry. Therefore, at the present time when beauty service education is emphasized, our study will examine the relationship between relationship commitment and educational service performance based on the quality of education service by the students of domestic beauty academy. The measurement variables set for our study are program, instructor quality, tuition, external service, service fairness, relationship commitment, trust level, and educational service performance. The variables were analyzed and derived through the survey, and the following contents were derived from the empirical analysis. First, the quality of education service provided by the beauty academy, such as program, external service, service fairness, relationship commitment and trust level, had a significant effect on relationship commitment. Educational services provided by the institute, such as the systematicity and diversity of educational programs, enabled students to have a uniform relationship commitment. The quality of education service itself is to learn the expertise necessary for providing beauty service from the standpoint of the students and play an organic role in the relationship with the institute. Second, the moderating effect of trust level between academies and students was significant in the quality of education service and the relationship commitment. This means that students will feel higher level of service quality through the practical trust relationship of the students about the educational services provided by the institute. Based on the results of the empirical analysis, the implications of our study are to find ways to improve the students' ability and satisfaction represented by the results of educational services. This is because the quality of education services provided by the institute called Beauty Academy will have a great impact on the career choice of educational facilities and students. The characteristics of consistency, convenience, and knowledge orientation of education itself should be considered comprehensively, and a strong market position should be established through image formation through external service factors, which are external environments of academies.Furthermore, in terms of presenting differentiated strategies with competitors, the educational service quality factors play a significant role in the commitment to the relationship with the students, so the role of relationship marketing will be important for the psychological stability experienced by the students by grasping the demand accompanying the behavior of the students in advance.