• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.785-796
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• 2023

The adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance(ESG) practices in domestic construction firms is predominantly driven by major corporations. These companies not only publish reports on their ESG management but also engage in a meticulous process of identifying key issues and setting priorities. This process entails an in-depth evaluation of the severity of various issues and the gathering of insights from experts in the field. Interestingly, a comparative analysis of ESG assessments for construction companies, both domestically and internationally, reveals significant discrepancies in outcomes. These differences stem from the varied evaluation methodologies and criteria employed by different assessing bodies. Addressing this gap, our study proposes a suite of strategies aimed at bolstering ESG management within the construction sector. We advocate for enhanced policy support and financial backing, especially targeting small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) to facilitate their engagement in ESG practices. A critical step forward involves the standardization and transparent disclosure of ESG evaluation criteria, tailored to reflect the unique aspects of the construction industry. Moreover, the standardization and publication of ESG assessments for subcontractors are essential, equipping them with the necessary tools for effective ESG management and evaluation. Given the global nature of construction projects, particularly those commissioned by the European Union in regions like Africa and East Asia, adherence to ESG standards is imperative. Our long-term vision includes the development of a comprehensive database detailing ESG regulations and their impacts, segmented by region and country. This repository will serve as a valuable resource for companies venturing into international construction projects.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.100-107
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• 2001

A Interior material, a main cause of fire-growth and generating toxic gas when it burns, should be dealt with great care in life safety design. Nonetheless, it has been used recklessly with undue attention to its contribution to fire in particular in entertainment occupancy and causes many victims in fire. Therefore, this study attempts to examine the current use of interior material in Korea and find out what to be improved and enhanced in terms of related regulations. Based on the comparison and analysis of the Korea regulation with those of advanced nations, suggestions are made for an effective and efficient improvement and complement to the current system. What can be suggested from this study are as follows. The use of interior material should be controlled under the unified regulation of fire-safety codes. Code should be set up so that the current construction enforcement should be applied in retroactive to those entertainment buildings that obtained a license prior to the implementation of the system certifying that the building is fire-resistant and fire-protective. The legislation should be made to control the fire-protection facilities of small-sized, underground entertainments. It should be obliged to present the blueprint displaying the use of interior material at the time of changing occupancy. Or, it should be compelled to report changes that go way without permit to the administrative office. A compulsory provision should be set up to have a fire-resistant performance to movable furniture. The classification index designating the fire hazard of interior material by flame spread rate and smoke toxicity and its test method should be established.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2021

The construction guarantee market is a rear market affected by changes in the construction industry and market. As the restructuring of the construction industry's production system is being carried out, such as the abolition of regulations on business field between general and specialty contractors, major changes are expected not only in the construction market but also in the construction guarantee market. In construction guarantee market, there are currently three Contractor Financial Cooperatives, which are divided based on business field and business type(General, Specialty and Plant & Mechanical). The abolition of business field regulation will have various effects on construction guarantee market, such as forming a competitive structure among the three Contractor Financial Cooperatives. Therefore the role of the construction guarantee institutions are also required to change. This study predicted the changes in the construction guarantee market after the restructuring of construction industry and analyzed the ripple effect on the market. This study reviewed the details of the reorganization plan on the construction industry, policies and statistical data related to construction guarantee, and lastly conducted the survey on each member of the three Contractor Financial Cooperatives to analyze the usage behavior in the future guarantee market. Based on the result of this study, the members of both the General Contractor Financial Cooperative and Specialty Contractor Financial Cooperative are not willing to change the existing institutions, but a lot of them are expected to use other institutions in duplicate. The members of the Plant & Mechanical Contractor Financial Cooperative are most willing to use other guarantee institutions.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.184-193
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• 2013

Procurement System for Korean construction industry has mainly been controlled by the complicated regulatory system which has been recognized as unflexible and remotely separated from the global standard. This has been identified by many Korean construction experts as one of the main reasons that hamper the Korean construction industry becoming the global leader. One commonly discussed regulatory system is the compulsory multiple contracting system that has been enforced for a long time. According to the Korean governmental contracting law 68-3, all construction projects cannot be divided into separate contracting packages with a few exceptions. Exceptions stated in the law include construction activities related electrical, Information communication, fire-fighting, and cultural assets which all are governed by the separate laws/acts controlled by the different governmental bodies. This research is to closely investigate multiple prime contracting system that has been compulsory in Korean construction industry and to provide policy recommendations to these restrictions. Although, there has been a long history of this compulsory contracting system, this study attempted to provide objective analysis on current status of the system as well as global standard on the issue. This study suggests main considerations when considering different contracting system such as rights of owners, flexibilities of regulatory systems, and efficiencies of conducting a construction project. It is envisioned that recommendations from this study, if accepted by the regulatory bodies, would improve the Korean construction contraction system by making it more compatible with global standard. Moreover, these would help making the Korean industry more effective in terms of regulatory restrictions.