• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.133-144
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• 2017

This study investigates firm-specific financial variables that determine investment or speculative grades from the viewpoint of firms, which are one of the major stakeholders related to the credit rating. We employ an ordered probit model for our analysis with the sample data from 1999 to 2015 for listed firms in the Korean stock markets. For investment grades, operating margin, sales, market-to-book, dividend payment, capital expenditure ratio, and tangible asset ratio have a significantly positive impact on credit ratings. In the subsample for speculative grades, the coefficients of the dividend payment, retained earnings ratio, and capital expenditure ratio are significantly positive while short-term debt ratio and R&D expenditures have a significantly negative impact on credit ratings. For the analysis before and after 2009, when the Credit Information Use and Protection Act was strengthened after the global financial crisis, the coefficients of the capital expenditure ratio, cash ratio, and tangible asset ratio are significantly positive in the subsample for investment grades before 2009, but not significant after 2010. The coefficient of the long-term debt ratio is more significantly negative than that of the short-term debt ratio before 2009, for speculative grades, but short-term debt ratio has a more negative effect on ratings than long-term debt ratio after 2010. Surprisingly, the coefficient of the R&D expenditures is significantly negative in both investment and speculative grades since 2010. Our findings are inconsistent with the conjecture that the increase in R&D expenditures enhances the possibility of creating cash-flow by raising the investment growth opportunity, and thus affects positively the credit rating.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.11-18
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• 1985

A row of bored piles has been used in several excavation works to retain the earth. This excavation bracing system has much effect on low-vibration and low-noise during construction. The system is also effective to provide protection to the adjacent existing ground and structures. For the purpose of establishment of a logical design method for the bored piles, first, a theoretical equation to estimate the resistance of piles is derived. Because arching action of soils between piles is considered in the equation, the characteristics of soils and the installation condition of piles would be considered logically from the beginning. Then a method is investigated to decide the interval ratio of piles. According to the method, the interval between piles can be decided from the information of the Peck's stability number, the coefficient of lateral earth pressure and the internal friction angle of soil. Finally, a design method is presented for the bored piles used for excavation work. In the presented design method, such factors as depth of excavation, pile diameter, interval between piles, pile length below bottom of excavation and pile stiffness, can be selected systematically.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.147-175
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• 2006

This paper attempts to incorporate three important factors-perceptions, behavior and valuation-in analysing consumers' responses to health risks from environmental pollutants. Using a survey sample of 500 consumers in the Chonbuk province area, this paper empirically investigated determinants of risk perceptions from using tap water as drinking water. Most consumers were considerably concerned about health risks from drinking tap water. Moreover, those subjective concerns were not random, but were systematically related to individuals' demographic variables such as age, gender, and family size. Those subjective beliefs also influenced respondents' purchase intentions on safer water bottles, in response to a contingent behavior question of presenting two types of water bottles. The technical risk information provided in the survey had significant effects on purchase intentions only when it was interacted with respondents' actual averting practice. In addition, the sample selection effects were present by eliminating respondents who decided not to purchase either of two types of water bottles. The potential selection bias had impacts on the coefficients of the price difference variable, and subsequently the estimates of the price increments for health risk reductions.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.921-945
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• 2012

Conditional Logit (CL) model is widely used since its model estimation and interpretation of results of the model is relatively easy, on the other hand, it has the limit of preference heterogeneity of respondents being not fully considered. In this study we used the two models, Mixed Logit (ML) Model and Latent Class Model (LCM) to explain preference heterogeneity of respondents for protection for Boryeong Dam wetland. As a result of the examination for heterogeneity in Boryeong city and six metropolitan areas, we found there was significant difference between two regions. While there was explicit preference heterogeneity within respondents in Boryeong city, we found little heterogeneity within respondents in six metropolitan areas. Thus in the case of six metropolitan areas, CL model can be used for parameter estimation while in the case of Boryeong city, WTP estimates are based on parameter estimates from ML model to reflect the heterogeneity within respondents. Additionally, ML model with interaction and 2-class LCM for respondents in Boryeong city were used to explain the sources of the heterogeneity. The ML model with interaction has advantage of explaining individual unobserved heterogeneity. However The comarison between these two models reflects the fact that LCM provided added information that was not conveyed in the ML model with interaction. Thus, Preference heterogeneity within respondents in this study may be better explained by class level through LCM rather than indiviual level through ML model.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2006

The COMS(Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite) EPS(Electrical Power Subsystem) is derived from an enhanced Eurostar 3000 version. Eurostar 3000 EpS is fully autonomous operation in nominal conditions or in the event of a failure and provides a high level of reconfigure capability. This paper introduces the COMS EPS preliminary design result. COMS EPS consists of a battery, a solar arrat wing, a PSR(Power Supply Regulator), a PRU(Pyrotechnic Unit), a SDAM(Solar Array Drive Mechanism) and relay and fuse brackets. COMS EPS can offer a bus power capability of 3 kW. The solar array is made of a deployable wing with two panels. One type fo solar cells is selected ad GaAs/Ge triple junction cells. Li-ion battery is base lined with ten series cell module of five cells in parallel. PSR associated to battery and solar array wing generates a power bus fully regulated at 50 V. Power bus os centralized protection and distribution by relay and fuse brackets. PRU provides power for firing actuarors devices. The solar array wing is rotated by the SADM under control of the attitude orbit control subsystem. The control and monitoring of the EPS, especially of the battery, is performed by the PSR in combination with the on-board software.

• 한국무역상무학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.45-72
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• 2006

The Equator Principles are a set of voluntary environmental and social guidelines for ethical project finance. These principles commit banks and other signatories to not finance projects that fail to meet these guidelines. The principles were conceived in 2002 on an initiative of the International Finance Corporation and launched in 2003. Since then, dozens of major banks have adopted the Principles, and with these banks among them accounting for more than three quarters of all project loan market volume the Principles have become the de facto standard for all banks and investors on how to deal with potential social and environmental effects of projects to be financed. While regarding the Principles an important initiative, NGOs have criticised the Principles for not producing real changes in financing activities and for allowing projects to go through that should have been screened out by the Principles, such as the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project in Russia. In early 2006, a process of revision of the principles was begun. The Equator Principles state that endorsing banks will only provide loans directly to projects under the following circumstances: - The risk of the project is categorized in accordance with internal guidelines based upon the environmental and social screening criteria of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). - For all medium or high risk projects (Category A and B projects), sponsors complete an Environmental Assessment, the preparation of which must meet certain requirements and satisfactorily address key environmental and social issues. - The Environmental Assessment report addresses baseline environmental and social conditions, requirements under host country laws and regulations, applicable international treaties and agreements, sustainable development and use of renewable natural resources, protection of human health, cultural properties, and biodiversity, including endangered species and sensitive ecosystems, use of dangerous substances, major hazards, occupational health and safety, fire prevention and life safety, socio-economic impacts, land acquisition and land use, involuntary resettlement, impacts on indigenous peoples and communities, cumulative impacts of existing projects, the proposed project, and anticipated future projects, participation of affected parties in the design, review and implementation of the project, consideration of feasible environmentally and socially preferable alternatives, efficient production, delivery and use of energy, pollution prevention and waste minimization, pollution controls (liquid effluents and air emissions) and solid and chemical waste management. - Based on the Environmental Assessment, Equator banks then make agreements with their clients on how they mitigate, monitor and manage those risks through an 'Environmental Management Plan'. Compliance with the plan is required in the covenant. If the borrower doesn't comply with the agreed terms, the bank will take corrective action, which if unsuccessful, could ultimately result in the bank canceling the loan and demanding immediate repayment. - For risky projects, the borrower consults with stakeholders (NGO's and project affected groups) and provides them with information on the risks of the project. - If necessary, an expert is consulted. The Principles only apply to projects over 50 million US dollars, which, according to the Equator Principles website, represent 97% of the total market. In early 2006, the financial institutions behind the Principles launched stakeholder consultations and negotiations aimed at revising the principles. The draft revised principles were met with criticism from NGO stakeholders, who in a joint position paper argued that the draft fails by ignoring the most serious critiques of the principles: a lack of consistent and rigorous implementation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.10 no.2 s.21
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• pp.81-88
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• 2004

We review the adaptation strategies of the 21st climate change in an application to sea level rise. For the development of appropriate adaptation strategies on the coast vulnerable to the sea level rise, we have to consider the issues such as where to adapt, how to adapt, and when to adapt. The coastal target needed adaptation can be found by the evaluation of adaptive capacity of the coastal zone which requires the understanding of impacts and adaptive potential of the natural and socioeconomic systems in the coastal zone. Planned adaptation options to sea level rise can be classified into three generic approaches as managed retreat, accommodation, and protection In practice, the implementation of the options requires the analysis of land use, degree of vulnerability, cost and benefit, etc, and may be combination of the options rather than one approach. In terms of the response timing, the adaptation can be grouped as anticipatory and reactive ones. Generally it is more effective to consider both anticipatory and reactive adaptations at the same time for the impacts of future sea level rise. Due to the scientific uncertainty of climate change issues including sea level rise, the adaptation processes have to be designed to deal with a series of processes such as information md awareness establishment, planning and design implementation, and monitoring and evaluation in continuity and long-term period.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2010

Seagrass beds are a type of coastal wetland with many ecosystem services and precious economic values. Seagrass meadows used to be widespread along the coasts in northern Chinese seas, yet they have long been overlooked and lack devoted study on their history and status. This paper firstly reveals, by synthesis of information on composition of seagrass species and their distribution, that the seagrasses in this region have experienced considerable declines, both in terms of distribution and biomass, from the earliest record to present days. Then, a case study at the seagrass bed of Chudao is described to show the status of representative seagrass meadows. The results indicate that the environmental condition is good, seagrasses are in recovery, the planktoners are healthy and rich fishery resources and the mammal finless porpoise are associated with the seagrass bed. The cause(s) of historical seagrass decline and current conditions are also discussed, and future recommendations on seagrass protection and mapping are suggested.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.51-57
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• 2016

Purpose - In the year of 2015 and 2016, one of the items that got attention in CES was a drone. It has been 100 years since a drone emerged, but most were used for military purposes. As its use became diverse as of 2010, it got attention of the general public. In Korea, it was in 2011 that a drone was known to the public through an aerial video shooting for television program. This study tried to come up with suggestions by comparing domestic with overseas cases, and tried to consider the related technologies and systems with applying the role of drones in logistics service. Research design, data, and methodology - The overseas cases were regarded as drone's logistical purpose. The Prime Air service by US Amazon is still not commercialized and under pre-testing due to Federal Aviation Regulations, although it started in 2013. In Germany, DHL succeeded in delivering service testing which is called Parcelcopter, but it is not commercialized yet. Other than these, there are more attempts to prepare logistics service in China with Taobao, in France with Geopost's test, and in Africa. In Korea, CJ Korea Express tested delivery with a self-developed drone Results - In order to study for utilizing drones for logistics as the prerequisites, some overseas and domestic cases, which are currently considered, were reviewed. Also, the technologies and institutional requirements to commercialize drones for logistical purpose were reviewed. The reasons for using drones in logistics is to ensure the price competitiveness by reducing cost. The empirical test also will be needed because drone pilot areas are designated by ministry of land, infrastructure and transport. Conclusions - In order to utilize drones in logistics and foster the industry, this study would like to suggest the followings. First of all, size of drones for logistics needs to be fixed and their operating system should be standardized. Centralized investment resources are needed through standardization to ensure the market occupancy. Secondly, it is necessary to get the converged businesses that do research, develop and commercialize drones with the investment of private sector. Example can be found in Korea aerospace Industries. We can respond to the rapid growth of the market with intensive investing by integrating the private sector investment. Thirdly, institutional arrangements are needed to be established quickly. In the case of high-technologies like drones, institutional support often does not follow the rapid development of the technology. The problems can be found in securing drones-only airspace, creating drone-specialized pilot's license, matters related to remote controller and complementary regulations for drones in Aviation Act. If these regulations are not prepared or complemented at the right timing, technologies cannot be commercialized even though the development is completed. Fourthly, there is a need to secure the transparency regarding possible privacy and personal information protection problem while operating drones. Finally, in order to foster this new industry, government should focus on supporting R&D more in the long term than short term outcomes.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.615-629
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• 2020

Conducting Focus Group Interview (FGI), this study examined the roles and discourses of cryptocurrency's online communities and media (legacy media and YouTube), and based on this, the study proposed the direction of cryptocurrency policy. By reviewing previous literature, this study analyzed the characteristics of investors, the online community, and YouTube, which is an investment environment factor. The study figured out the purpose of use and role of the community via interviews with cryptocurrency professional investors and online community members and analyzed main discussion themes of the five top-ranked YouTube channels related to cryptocurrency with the highest number of subscribers. The results suggested that cryptocurrency's investment was led by those who are in their 20s and 30s, the investors preferred and trusted information on new media than legacy media. The online community played the role of emotional homogeneity and empathy, and YouTube mainly performed the informational role. As a result of discourse analysis and interviews, this study argued that the legal stability of cryptocurrency's policy and protection of individual investors are needed. This study's significance indicates that it used various research methods such as literature research, interviews, content analysis of community/YouTube to analyze the informational role and emotional aspects of new media and suggested policy direction of the digital new deal blockchain technology and the fairness of financial industry.