The objectives of this study were to examine subject matter topics researched in agricultural extension over a ten year period, to analyze the research methods in detail, and to get some implications for the academic progress of agricultural extension. The data were collected from 197 journal articles published in the Korean Journal of Agricultural Extension from 1994 through 2003. Among them, research topics and methods were analyzed specifically on 123 articles categorized as agricultural extension. Data were summarized using frequencies and percentages. The conclusions acquired from this study were as follows. First of all, the research on agricultural extension had been increased since the 1970s, and it still has not decreased till now. Secondly, the research also has indicated the direction of development from a broad point of view by analyzing the reality at a general level. Therefore, much remains to be done for investigating the reality more scientifically and establishing the theories on the agricultural extension by explaining the reality with many theories from other studies. Thirdly, the study on the agricultural extension mostly has been led by the professors and the agricultural extension workers. Fourth, the study has been focused on macro sides such as extension philosophy, extension systems, extension structure, extension organization and so on. Fifth, the research also has been carried out on the agricultural extension workers and farmers. Finally, most of the research methods were library survey and survey research.

The objective of this study is to explore the situations and extension roles for rural elderly welfare program in North Dakota, USA. With a growing older population, aging has become an important issue for extension. Services for rural elderly available in North Dakota were adult day care, home health care, senior insurance counseling, nutrition and medication assistance programs, support groups, legal assistance, meals on wheels, nursing homes and more. With a growing older population, aging has become an important issue for extension. Extension provides programs and services for rural elderly. This study was conducted by literature review. First, many rural elderly Americans are actively engaged in volunteer work and have made substantial contributions to their communities. Second, extension educators from interdisciplinary areas should work together to develop programs. Extension programs can include intergenerational programs to help younger generations learn about the issue. Third, extension can collaborate with other agencies and groups to offer support groups. Offering educational programs is a key to empowering older people. Fourth, elderly residents may be the only increasing natural resource for volunteering in general, and for participation in community improvement in particular. Fifth, extension educators should be proactive in working with agencies to provide social access and in helping older people be actively engaged in their lives, especially in rural areas.

The objective of this research is to acquire basic data to develop a program for professional consultants who can consult and provide advice for rural women's small business entrepreneur. In this research, startup business educational programs and 10 major related textbooks in Korea were analyzed, and a survey was conducted in which 71 owners of government funded rural small business responded. The major findings are as follows; First, most programs were targeting city females and were providing basic information mostly using lecture method over a few days. And no programs for rural women's small business could be found. Second, no textbooks dealing with rural women's small business could be found and the contents of each textbook differed significantly even though there were a few common points. Third, the result of the survey indicated that rural women's small business entrepreneurs had difficulty especially in acquiring necessary initial funds and raw materials, selling products, and judging the possibility of business success. And, there was significant difference in importance and perceived knowledge over 36 business know-hows in business startup area among the respondents. Based on the results, the followings could be recommended; First, educational programs for rural women's small business entrepreneurs should use a unique and different approach than other industries. Also, it is necessary to foster startup consultants especially for the rural women's small business entrepreneurs and to develop a delivery system for the startup educational programs. Second, contents of educational programs need to be selectively included depending on the level of uses. Finally, a workbook should be developed so that entrepreneur candidates can actually practice rather than just acquiring basic information and superficial knowledge during the participation.

With emphasis on environmentally safe and sustainable and economically sound and oriented to consumer, this study intends to assess the consumer's cognition and attitudes for safe food distribution, to investigate the supplying system of the organic farm products, to survey the consumer and life cooperatives dealing with organic farm products, and to draw some implications toward environment- and consumer-oriented agriculture. Related literatures and available documents were reviewed to conceptualize the environmental-and consumer-oriented agriculture and consumer and life cooperatives, to grasp the nationwide status of such alternative agriculture and consumer cooperatives, and investigate the consumers' cognition and attitude. In order to investigate the consumers' needs for organic farm products and to grasp the active consumer and life cooperatives dealing with organic farm products, questionnaire method and non-structured interview were applied. The environment-and consumer-oriented agriculture refers hero to the farming system in which any farm food and other living products giving no harm to human and livestock health and catering the consumers' need. The consumer and life cooperatives is consumer's group buying and selling organic farm products organized in the cooperative system with which any consumer can be affiliated to buy organic farm products safely and reasonably.

Rural areas and rural environment is our valuable heritage. And it is necessary for us to conserve of the rural environment. But we have to pay due regard to development and urbanization. The harmony between conservation and development is a question which demands our serious consideration. Measuring economical values of rural environment is an essential prerequisite of harmony between conservation and development of rural environment. We examined valuation methods of environment for measuring economical values of rural environment. It is useful to understand economical values of rural environment and acquire well balanced viewpoint between conserve and development. It is also useful acquire persuasive power an legitimacy to conserve the rural environment.

According to the TRQ system created by WTO agreement on agriculture, Korea notified the WTO of the application of tariff rate quotas for 67 agricultural commodities(now, 63 commodities). Among these government administrate state-operated trade for 17 commodities. However, WTO/DDA negotiation will bring about lowering tariffs and increasing quantities of tariff quota. This study suggest the development programs corresponding WTO/DDA agriculture negotiation. First, from the viewpoint of the protection of domestic agriculture & improving transparency of agricultural import administration, the administration system of the state-operated trade will be necessary to be transformed for market oriented methods. Second, the administration system of the state-operated trade will be necessary to be rendered unified organization also. The current system of the state-operated trade shows the phenomena og many divergency. And third, The quantities of market access of FTA between Korea and Chile will be desirable to be administrate by state-operated trade. Because, according to diffusion of FTA treaties, the amount of market access quantities of FTA increase rapidly henceforth.

Since the 1960s in Korea, major broadcasting channels broadcasted farm television programs, however, airing of these programs were reduced in the 1990s. This was due to the declining number of farmers, and the low popularity rating of farm television programs. To cope with the situation, agriculture businessmen, farmers, and the officials concerned tried to acquire the independent farming television channel in cable television and satellite television, In 1998, one cable television channel started broadcasting, while another channel in satellite television began its broadcasting in 2001. One of the major concerns of the people in the broadcasting was actualization of the public interests in the new media multi-channel age. Recognizing this point, the study explored a few areas of concern such as conceptualizations of the public interest of the people in the digital age, examination of the surroundings of program production and marketing, and survey the media use behavior of target audience - rural residents; In the concept of the public interest, there are two points of view; market focused and democratic principle oriented. As the digitalization of broadcast advances and the logic of economics prevails, it is difficult to offer the public broadcasting service to farmers, however, democratic principles should be more emphasized. The rural resident prefer major terrestrial television channel to cable television and satellite television channel, and in media use behavior, the medium of major terrestrial television would be more useful for farm broadcasting.

Waste policy instruments such as garbage bag-fee system and recycling policy initiated in 1995 have contributed to the reduction of solid waste generation. Rural areas now produce less amount of solid wastes in terms of per capital than urban areas and as compare to a decade ago. However, most policy efforts since the early 1990s related to waste issue have been concentrated in urban areas. Waste problems in rural areas are not the amount itself, but the specific characteristics which are unique in rural regions. Large portion of solid wastes and farming wastes are being illegally treated and/or burned out. Surveys show that the main reasons for the illegal treatment of rural wastes are th lack of systematic policy tools targeting on them, insufficient financial capacity and man power of local governments, rural people's cognition problem about wastes, among others. This study reviews current features of the treatment of rural solid wastes and provides policy suggestions for the resolution of the problem.

Diffusion of non-professional flower growing in Korea still lags behind. The objectives of the study are to establish a theoretical modes to explain the diffusion of social floriculture, to identify some characteristics and problems of growing flower crops to cultivate amenities and emotions, and to suggest remedial measures for fostering it. Theoretical model adopted in this study consists of such variables as education, social movement, policies, diffusion of social flower growing, amenities, and emotional cultivation. For identifying the diffusion characteristics of flower growing, projects implemented by a non-governmental organization, schools, local and central government organizations were analyzed. In order to stimulate the diffusion of social flower growing and to increase its effects, there needs to strengthen education of stakeholders, establishment of partnership among schools, non-governmental and governmental organizations, and institutional supports including manpower and finances. Linking flower growing projects to community festival and tourism development programs can foster institutionalization of community flower growing. Furthermore, the introduction of wild, symbolic and traditional flowers and trees will help to specialize and improve community landscapes.

The purposes of the study were to; 1) examine the diffusion and adoption of new agricultural technology in rice farming, 2) survey the status of agricultural education institutions on technology transfer, and 3) explore the linkages between agricultural education and extension for more effective reinforcement strategies to further the diffusion and adoption of new agricultural technology in Korea. Literature review, field survey and panel discussions were employed to strengthen the linkages among agricultural education, research and extension in Korea. As the results of analysis of the diffusion and adoption of new agricultural technology in rice farming following recommendations were offered; 1. Extension services have helped Korean farmers in achieving self-sufficiency in rice and year-round supply of green vegetables as well as upbringing rural youth, however, government changed the status of extension educators from central government staff to county/city government staff since 1997. This brought about various problems such as: decreased morale and number of extension educators, thus weakening the extension education function, weakened linkages between national and local extension offices, less opportunity for in-service education of extension educators, and weakened linkages between agricultural research and extension, etc. 2. In order to insure that extension educators are high caliber professional individuals, it is crucial to establish a system that nationally recognizes these individuals as such, and that provides a professional development path. It is important to restore the morale of extension educators to continually achieve the national goals of food production, balanced national development and preservation of environment, at the same time to meet increasing needs of farmers. 3. Because of the critical importance of diffusing innovations to agricultural producers in order to ensure quality and steady food supply, it is crucial that these issues be addressed before the extension service further deteriorates. Further research activities on agricultural extension should be conducted for more effective agricultural extension system in Korea to achieve a greater rural, national and regional development. 4. Research and implementation activities should be emphasized and encouraged to improve the cooperation and collaboration among agricultural education research and extension to better serve farmers' educational and information needs. National level research activities should be encouraged to improve the effectiveness of agricultural technology transfer including internet education programs for farmers in Korea.