• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.359-374
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• 2012

This paper intends to examine spatial patterns and regional variations of aging population in Korea based on census data for 163 areas during 1980~2010. It briefly investigates general characteristics of aging population in Korea from previous studies and clarifies spatial patterns of aging process at regional level with reference of population growth rate at different time periods. Cities in Korea are classified into several stages including aging society, aged society and super-aged society according to the percentages of aging population out of total population every five years. At the regional scale, the stage of aging society was revealed from 1980, while the stage of aged society was shown from 1995 and super-aged society was entered from 2000 in Korea. Eighty cities in the analysis were shown at the stage of super-aged society in 2010. The portions of aging population are highly related to city size and population growth rate. For instance, the cities both in small size and with low population growth rate are revealing high percentage of aging population. As of 2010, most rural areas are staged into super-aged society, while most cities within Seoul metropolitan area and mid-sized cities are kept in the stage of aging society. At regional scale, there are no significant statistical correlations between total fertility rate and aging population.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.603-620
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• 2015

The National Pension of Korea is a public social security system designed to alleviate social risks and poverty that has had a major impact on the quality of life for the aging population. However, a rapidly aging population and low fertility threaten the sustainability of national pension in Korea. The National Pension Research Institute publishes a nancial projection every ve years; consequently, the government has lowered the entitlements for the sustainability of national pension based on the projection results. The current reform of the pension system that arbitrarily reduces the entitlements might detract from the income security role of the national pension for pensioners without accounting for the highest elderly poverty rate in the OECD countries. We first discuss methods for the financial projection of the national pension in terms of population, subscribers, and pensioner projections in order to estimate the pension reserve fund and the financial depletion year. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis for population variables, institutional variables, and economic variables based on pension reserves and the financial depletion year. We evaluate intergenerational fairness between the income hierarchy by conducting a money's worth analysis. Finally, we investigate the possibility of the sustainability of national pension by adjusting pension contributions and entitlements (income replacement rate). A new dependency ratio shows that a simple reform of the national pension does not secure the sustainability of the national pension without adapting a pay-as-you-go system.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.643-661
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• 2015

Korea Teachers Pension (private school pension) is a mandatory pension and a social security system for private school teachers to ensure the stability of subscribers by a supplying pension when they (and their dependents) face future economic risk due to retirement or death. Therefore, the Teachers Pension must provide stability and sustainability in regards to adequacy of income and to function as a pension. However, the Government Employees Pension System (GEPS) of Korea (the most representative special occupation pension) recorded a fiscal deficit in 2001 and with an accumulated deficit that is expected to grow; subsequently, various plans for the reform of GEPS have been actively discussed. The Korea Teachers Pension system is based on the GEPS scheme and is not free from the GEPS discussions on reforms of national pension. The current system for the Teachers Pension needs to be improved because it is expected to be depleted within the next 30 years due to low fertility and an aging population in Korea. This study discusses existing Teachers Pension schemes problems and suggests a projection method and revised plans to improve it. We use long-term financial projections of the Teachers Pension to estimate the fund exhaustion point and the minus balance of the financial scale as well as analyze the supply-demand burden structure that reflects the future population structure to propose Teachers Pension reforms that will improve stability and adequacy.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.663-683
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• 2015

The change of the population pyramid due to low fertility and rapid aging threatens the financial sustainability of National Health Insurance. We construct statistical models for prevalence rates and medical expenses using National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) sample cohort data from 2002-2013. We then project yearly expenditures and income of national health insurance until 2060 that considers various assumptions in regards to future population structure and economic conditions. We adopt a VECM-LC model for prevalence rates and the double exponentially smoothing method for the per capita co-payment of healthcare expense (in which the two models are institution-disease-sex-age specific) to project of national health insurance expenditures. We accommodate various assumptions of economic situations provided by the national assembly and government to produce a financial projection for national health insurance. Two assumptions of dependents ratios are used for the projection of national health insurance income to conduct two future population structures by the two assumptions of aging progresses and various assumptions on economic circumstances as in the expenditure projection. The health care deficit is projected to be 20-30 trillion won by 2030 and 40-70 trillion won by 2060 in 2015 constant price.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.215-223
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• 2001

Objective: The purpose of this study was to make a guideline of uterine artery embolization for the treatment of uterine leiomyomas accompanying with adenomyosis in Korea. Materials and Methods : We performed the retrospective study for 37 women who had uterine leiomyomas accompanying with adenomyosis. Bilateral uterine artery embolization was performed in 37 patients (age range 25-65) during 17 months with pain, hypermenorrhea, urinary frequency etc due to leiomyomas. Ultrasound imaging was performed before the procedure and at mean 6.9 months after the procedure. Results: All procedures were technically successful. Mean clinical follow-up was 12.8 months. Minor complication occurred in 82% patients after the procedure. After imaging follow-up (mean, 6.9 months postprocedure), median uterine volume decreased 34.4%, and dominant myoma volume decreased 86%. There was no statistical difference in uterine volume reduction and dominant myoma size reduction whether occluding agents was polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol plus gelfoam, and gelfoam, and whether ultrasound measured Resistance Index value before the procedure was low or high. Conclusion: Primary candidates for uterine artery embolization include those with symptomatic uterine leiomyomas who no longer des ire fertility but wish to avoid surgery or are poor surgical risks. To our study, uterine volume reduction and dominant myoma size reduction in patients who had adenomyosis were similar to previous other studies in patients who had not adenomyosis. Therefore adenomyosis should not be considered as a contraindication for uterine artery embolization. Because there is little data about subsequent reproductive potential after this procedure, it should not be routinely advocated for infertile women. Further investigation is warranted for occluding agents and Resistance Index.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 2010

In this study, the production of transgenic goats using sperm to integrate exogenous DNA and artificial insemination (AI) was carried out and the technical protocols for sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) in the goat were optimized. The standard sperm parameters and the ability to bind foreign genes were assessed to select suitable sperm donor bucks. A total of 134 oestrous does were divided into 4 groups and inseminated using different methods and sperm numbers. The does of Groups I to III were inseminated with fresh semen ($1-2\times10^{7}$ and $10^{6}$ sperm) or frozen-thawed semen ($10^{6}$ sperm), respectively, through conventional intra-cervical AI, and the does of Group IV with frozen-thawed semen ($10^{6}$ sperm) through intrauterine AI. Total genomic DNAs were extracted from ear biopsies of the offspring. The presence of $pEGFP-N_{1}$ DNA was screened by PCR and then by Southern blotting analysis. A total of 76 live kids were produced and 8 kids were tested transgene positive on the basis of agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR-amplified fragment. Southern blotting analysis of the samples showed 5 positive kids. A transgenic ratio of 10.53% was detected using PCR and 6.58% using Southern blotting. The positive kid rate assayed by PCR and Southern blotting of frozen-thawed goat semen was 3.61% and 9.27% higher than that of untreated semen. The results show that transgenic goats can be produced efficiently by the method of artificial insemination using sperm cells to integrate the exogenous DNA and intrauterine insemination allowed low numbers of DNA-transfected spermatozoa to be used, with satisfactory fertility.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.364-369
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• 2000

In order to obtain the reference data to be used as an vegetation index for degree of desalinization, vegetation successions were surveyed and soil chemical characteristics were analyzed at the naturally maintained plot in Dae-Ho reclaimed land. Seven Groups $(A\;{\sim}\;G\;group)$ were classified as major vegetation; A group (Suaeda asparagoides MAKINO etc.), B group ( Aster tripolium L. etc.), C group (Stearia viridis L. BEAUV), D group ( Phragmites longivalvis STEUD), E group (Limonium tettagonum THUMB A. A. BULLOCK), F group (Trifolium repens L.), G group (Zoysia sinca HANCE etc.). As desalinization process proceeded, the wild vegetation changed in order of $A\;{\to}\;B\;group$, $D\;{\to}\;C\;group$, $E\;{\to}\;F$, G group. Soil texture of the naturally maintained plot was silt loam and soil fertility was very low compared with agricultural cultivated soil. Soil pH ranged from 7.0 to 8.0. Electrical conductivity (ECe) was below 10 and $20\;dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ at top and subsoil, respectively, except the plot where A group were growing. Resulting from SAR and ECe, The plot where A group was growing was saline-sodic soil and the others were saline soil. The relation between vegetation sucession and soil desalinization showed that vegation appeared under $10\;dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ of ECe and 15 of SAR except A group.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.149-155
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• 2020

Cattle feeding in South Korea has been heavily dependent on domestically produced rice straw and imported grain. Around 42% of domestically produced rice straw is utilized for forage, and the remainder is recycled to restore soil fertility. Approximately 35% of round baleages were made with rice straw. However, higher quality hay is desired over rice straw. Due to increasing stockpiles of rice, there has been an economic burden on the government to store the surplus; therefore production of annual forage crops in rice fields has been further promoted in recent years. Hay import from the USA currently constitutes more than 80% of total imported hays. The main imported hays are alfalfa (Medicago sativa), timothy (Phleum pretense), and tall fescue (Festica arundinacea). The estimated forage required for cattle feeding was approximately 5.4 million MT in 2016. Domestically produced forage sates only 43% of that value, while low quality rice straw and imported hay covered the rest of demand by 33% and 20%, respectively. As utilization of domestically produced forage is more desirable for forage-based cattle production, long-term strategies have been necessary to promote domestic production of high quality baleage. One such strategy has been utilizing the fertile soil and abundance of fallow rice fields of western region of S. Korea to produce forage crops. Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is the most successfully produced winter annual in the region and is approximately 56% of the total winter annual forage production. Forage sorghums (Sorghum bicolor), sorghum × sudangrass hybrids, and hybrid corn (Zea mays) produce a substantial amount of warm-season forage during summer. Produced forage has been largely stored through baleage due to heavy dew and frequent rains and has been evaluated according to S. Korea's newly implemented baleage commodity evaluation system. The system weighs 50% of its total grading points on moisture content because of its importance in deliverable DM content and desirable baleage fermentation; this has proved to be an effective method. Although further improvement is required for the future of forage production in South Korea, the current government-led forage production in rice fields has been able to alleviate some of the country's shortage for quality hay.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.650-658
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• 2010

We used green manure crops such as hairy vetch, crimson clover, rye, sorghum, and sudan grass by mixing with soils to assess the effects of green manure crops on nutrient supply and soil quality improvement. Temporal changes in soil inorganic nitrogen, carbohydrate, microbial biomass, and humus content were determined as soil quality indicators. Inorganic nitrogen content of the control maintained similar level during the whole period, but it had continually increased until 4 weeks after incorporation (WAI) of green manure crops. Especially, inorganic nitrogen content sharply increased in sudan grass. After incorporation of green manure crops, temporal change of soluble sugar in soils was as follows: it had gradually increased in legume green manure crops-incorporated soils until 7 WAI, which was the highest, and then showed the tendency to be reduced. Meanwhile, it in non-legume green manure crops-incorporated soils rapidly increased after the incorporation, and reached the maximum around 4 WAI. Humic acid by the decomposition of crop residues in green manure crops-incorporated soils was greatly enhanced with the elapsed time of 4 WAI, although it was low at the same level as the control until 2 weeks. In addition, there was a difference in fulvic acid by incorporated crops, fulvic acid in hairy vetch, sorghum and sudan grass showed a similar tendency with the change in humic acid. Our results suggest that soluble sugar, microbial activity and humic acid could be available indicators to evaluate the fertility of green manure crops-incorporated soils.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 한국근적외분광분석학회 2001년도 NIR-2001
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• pp.1262-1262
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• 2001

The rice plant is one of the important staple crops in Korea. The high yield with low cost in rice is required the soil fertility and the development of new precise method of fertilizer application by nutritional diagnosis. Now, in Korea, the nitrogen application system for the rice plant is composed of the basal fertilization, fertilization at tillering stage and fertilization at panicle stage, which the nitrogen fertilization at panicle stage amount to about 30 percent in the total amount. Thus, this experiment carried out to the development of the system that can measure the nitrogen content in the rice plant at panicle stage rapidly with the near infrared spectroscopy, and to predict the appropriate quantity of the nitrogen fertilization at panicle stage based on calibration model for test of nitrogen content in rice plant. The samples were collected from 48 varieties in 4 regions which are mainly cultivated in the southern part of Korea. And then, it collected by classifying into the leaf, the whole plant and the stem since 7 days before the nitrogen fertilization at panicle stage. The ranges of the nitrogen contents were 1.6∼4.0%, 1.7∼3.0% and 1.4∼2.7% in the leaf, the whole plant and the stem, respectively. In the calibration models created by each part of the plant under the Multiple Linear Regression(MLR) method, the calibration model for the leaf recorded the relatively high accuracy. The mutual crossing test on unknown samples were carried out using Partial Least Square(PLS) calibration model. That is, the nitrogen content in the stem was tested by calibration model made by the leaf model and that of stem was tested by calibration model made by whole plant sample. When unknown leaf sample was tested by calibration model made by all sample that collected from each part in rice plant such as leaf, stem and whole plant, it recorded the highest accuracy. As a result, to test the nitrogen content in the rice plant at panicle stage, the nitrogen content in the leaf shall be tested by the calibration model composed of the leaf, the stem and the whole plant. In future, to estimated the amount of nitrogen fertilization at panicle stage for rice plant , it will be calculated based on regression model between rice yield and nitrogen content of leaf measured by calibration model made by mixed sample including leaf, stem and whole plant.