• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2006

This paper aims at investigating the developments and challenges of Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP), a regional cooperation mechanism to protect marine environment in Northeast Asia. As one of 16 UNEP's Regional Seas Program, NOWPAP has evolved since its inception in 1994. Based on the belief that a cooperative institution may work more efficiently to address common regional concerns on marine environment, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea have developed NOWPAP under the UNEP's leadership. NOWPAP now has its own independent secretariat, and 4 regional activity centers while expanding its partnership with other institutions. However, NOWPAP must address several challenges that it now faces for better achievement of its goals. They include consideration of unique geopolitical situation in this region, participation of North Korea, incorporation of sustainable development concept in its activities, reconsideration of equal opportunity principle for more efficient cooperation, and securing sufficient financial resources.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.62
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• pp.9-33
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• 2020

This study presents aspects of the financing of terrorism using virtual-currencies. Fisrt of all, this introduces the conventional threat of the financing of terrorism and the analysis of current legal system regarding virtual-currency in South Korea. Next, the financing of terrorism cases are analyzed. With given analysis, the paper deals with its response and future extensions by technical and institutional aspects. The threats of the financing of terrorism are going higher after the appearance of virtual-currencies such as Bitcoin. There are two typical ways to use virtual-currencies by terrorist groups. One is to conduct public fund-raising in the social network system and the dark web. The other is to hack into virtual-currency exchange network in order to steal virtual currencies for developing the weapon of mass destruction. Specifically South Korea is top three country of trading virtual currencies and has been subject to virtual-currency hacking more than 10 cases. However, many countries including South Korea deal with virtual currencies as only innovative technology and means of investment, not the threats of the financing of terrorism. Under these circumstances, there a the legal contradiction. This article points this limit and absurdity. Also, it shows reasonable alternatives. All in all, given these aspects, the article proposes detailed policy directions.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.149-177
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• 2009

Today, the phase of modem war is very different from past war. That is, the winning of war depends on the ability to obtain information and high technology. The purposes of this research are to propose an effective R&D governance model in national defense sector and to present R&D strategy for obtaining core national defense technology. As a part of collaborative innovation, the strategy to exchange R&D results actively between the defense sector and the private sector will be discussed. The main contribution of this research is dearly defining the concept of R&D governance in national defense sector and applying it to an actual case. The national defense R&D governance model proposed in this paper is based on the characteristics of national defense R&D which are different from other industries. The analysis of business success factors for national defense R&D through the T-50 case study is presented in detail. The T-50 case study reveals the importance of strategic intent, core technology knowledge base, organizational structure, and project management.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.277-295
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• 2016

It is undoubtedly true that national security in Korean peninsula is on the road to destabilization. The main factors are known to be North Korea's development and experiment on nuclear arms, especially the forth nuclear experiment on January 6th, ICBM launch February 7th, and encroachment upon the territory the NLL on the 8th along with the shutdown on Gaeseong Industrial Complex. Also, China's trouble with other nations over sovereignty over islands in the South China Sea and the fact that Japan's government is veering to the right side and having territorial dispute are making the case worse. Nations in Northeast Asia are striving to obtain the interest for the sake of their own country. In order to do so, they're walking the path to achieve national security. Until then, they are not so willing to participate foreign matters or economical race. Even in our perspective, these issues are many of the main problems which our country is currently facing. However, it is important for them to avoid making policies which may take away the citizen's happiness. The number one priority for the nation or any form of a group is to act in the best interest for the national security and the citizen's happiness. They are the main factors why a nation could exist. They are the symbols of a nation's sovereign authority. Countries outside are proving it by increasing their national defense budget even in this unprecedented economical crisis. If we are willing to stay the same as ever, the disparity in the military force will not be the same in the future. In conclusion, the study examines the problem which changes in Northeast Asia's defense environment could bring and the appropriate amount of national defense budget in order to support the nation's integration of its abilities to move toward South and North Korea's unification.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-44
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the types of personality of North Korean female refugees, which were extracted from the T-scores of SPFQ(scales of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire) and psychological adaptation. For this, The data of 158 North Korean female refugees located in Seoul Yangchun-Gu and Gayang-Gu was analyzed. The results were as follows. Firstly, the ratio of over 65T in ego-strength, self-control, social-boldness, anxiety scales and under 34T in abstractedness and openness to change scales was higher than in other scales. Secondly, there were statistically significant differences in personality characteristics based on the demographic variables especially age and the term of residence in South Korea. Thirdly, three distinct groups were extracted from the K-means cluster analysis. The first group was characterized with emotional-unstability and negative emotionality. And the North Korean female refugees in the second group hesitated to enter into and maintain proper relationships with south korean, while they were unlikely to accept norms and rules in South Korea. The third group, characterized by higher emotional stability, ego-strength, and agreeableness, was met normal range in all the scale of SPFQ. Finally, each three groups were showed statistically significant differences in psychological adaptation scales(self-identity and resilience). We expected that these results contributed to explore the psychological and the political plans for North Korean female refugees' settlement in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.49-68
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• 2006

The present study was attempted to compare duality in value structure and judgment system between youth, adults and North Korean defectors. A questionnaire was administered to 150 college students(Men: 89, Women: 61), 155 adults(Men: 80, Women: 75) and 80 North Korean defectors(Men: 39, Women: 41). Participants rated their values, behavior and South Korean behavior (or North Korean behavior for North Korean defectors) as a whole both on the 7 dimensions relevant to characteristics indigenous to Korean society and on their opposite 7 dimensions characteristic of Western culture. Results indicated that defectors marked the highest score on the traditional value dimensions, and yet youth ranked the first for the western value systems. Also, duality in value systems was the most severe for the defectors. In relation to dual judgement system in behavior, both young and old generation judged Korean behavior more negatively than their own. This was also the case for the North Korean defectors. Those findings were discussed in terms of cultural changes in Korean society.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.14 no.1_spc
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• pp.427-468
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• 2008

This article examines the role and influence of educational achievement on Korean society and its future. Four major factors that associated with and influence educational achievement in Korea (i.e., trust, efficacy beliefs, quality of life, and societal transformation) are reviewed. First, the role of educational achievement on establishing a basis for trust in Korean society is examined. By reviewing studies of perception of Korean society, people and institutions, the importance of establishing trust in Korean society is outlined. Second, the role of efficacy belief in promoting educational achievement is examined. The importance of collective efficacy, at the adolescent, adult and political levels is emphasized. In addition, the concept and application of self-efficacy for teachers and parents is reviewed. Third, the role and influence of educational achievement on quality of life is outlined. Studies indicate that educational achievement plays an important role in improving the quality of life. The pressure to achieve, however, can have negative impact on stress and mental health and support systems need to be developed to alleviate their impact. Fourth, the future and prospects for Korean society through educational achievement is discussed. Through education, the importance of bridging the divide with North Korea is an important agenda for the future of Korean society. Finally, the importance of indigenous psychological perspective in understanding Korean society and providing direction for the future is discussed.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.137-170
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• 2008

This study is presenting the logistics strategy in the international logistics markets which makes competition and corporation among north-east Asian countries to establishing the multi-pass Eurasian railroads. The countries located in north-east area of Eurasia like China, Japan, Russia and Korea are paying higher costs and disutility to the transportations and communications due to repeated conflicts and confrontations causes from the politic problems. They are being used surface transportation for most of all logistics between Europe and Asia except special merchandises because of characteristic of cargo to be air, the Silk Road remains vestige only which was main logistic passage to this area since BC. So far the Trans-Siberian Railway is being used by Russia mostly as north of Eurasian transport because of difficulties of service. The Trans-China Railway built in 1992 is not accomplishing as a international logistic passages. It is expected to take a long lead time because of characteristic of resource development and poor logistic infrastructure to the countries like Uzbekistan, double landlocked country, Mongolia and Azerbaijan, the countries do not be adjacent to the sea, even they have great economic jump-up plans through the development of their own resources. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) start to sail officially in 2001 is constructed with China, Russia, Tadzhikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as regular members of 6 countries and Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran as observers 5 countries. It is started as a military alliance to protect terror, but now, it is expended to cooperate with the traffic, transportation, trade and share of energies. The Russia is doing their best to activate TSR as a government target to developnorth area equivalently, and economic develop of far-east Siberia. And also it is agreed provisionally to improve and repair of rail road between Nahjin and Hassan to connect TSR and TKR( Trans-Korea Railroad) by Russia, North Korea and South Korea with Russian's aggressive efforts. The development plan of this area is over lapped with GTI(Greater Tumen Initiative) promoted by UNDP, and is a cooperated project by 5 countries of South Korea, Mongolia, China, Russia and North Korea, subject to review the appropriation of energy, tour, environment, rail road connection between Mongolia and China and establishing a ferry route to north-east Asia. It is Japanese situation to pay attention to Russia and China even they have been supplying large-scope of infrastructure in Mongol area without any charges, target to get East Asia Main Rail Road to connect Mongolia and Zalubino of Russia. In case of the program for the Denuclearization of North Korea is not creeping, it will be accelerated to connect the TKR and TSR, TKR and TCR by somehow attending United States, including developing program promoted by UN ESCAP. As the result, Korean peninsular will continue the central role of competition and cooperation as in the past, now and future of north-east Asia, as of geographical-economics and geographical-politics whether it is requested or not wanted by neighbor countries.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.26
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• pp.29-58
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• 2011

Since 11 September 2001, warnings of risk in the nexus of terrorism and nuclear weapons and materials which poses one of the gravest threats to the international community have continued. The purpose of this study is to analyze the aim, principles, characteristics, activities, impediments to progress and developmental recommendation of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism(GICNT). In addition, it suggests implications of the GICNT for the ROK policy. International community will need a comprehensive strategy with four key elements to accomplish the GICNT: (1) securing and reducing nuclear stockpiles around the world, (2) countering terrorist nuclear plots, (3) preventing and deterring state transfers of nuclear weapons or materials to terrorists, (4) interdicting nuclear smuggling. Moreover, other steps should be taken to build the needed sense of urgency, including: (1) analysis and assessment through joint threat briefing for real nuclear threat possibility, (2) nuclear terrorism exercises, (3) fast-paced nuclear security reviews, (4) realistic testing of nuclear security performance to defeat insider or outsider threats, (5) preparing shared database of threats and incidents. As for the ROK, main concerns are transfer of North Korea's nuclear weapons, materials and technology to international terror groups and attacks on nuclear facilities and uses of nuclear devices. As the 5th nuclear country, the ROK has strengthened systems of physical protection and nuclear counterterrorism based on the international conventions. In order to comprehensive and effective prevention of nuclear terrorism, the ROK has to strengthen nuclear detection instruments and mobile radiation monitoring system in airports, ports, road networks, and national critical infrastructures. Furthermore, it has to draw up effective crisis management manual and prepare nuclear counterterrorism exercises and operational postures. The fundamental key to the prevention, detection and response to nuclear terrorism which leads to catastrophic impacts is to establish not only domestic law, institution and systems, but also strengthen international cooperation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.5_3
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• pp.1373-1387
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• 2021

Forest fire poses a significant threat to the environment and society, affecting carbon cycle and surface energy balance, and resulting in socioeconomic losses. Widely used multi-spectral satellite image-based approaches for burned area detection have a problem in that they do not work under cloudy conditions. Therefore, in this study, Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from Europe Space Agency, which can be collected in all weather conditions, were used to identify forest fire damaged area based on a series of processes including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering. Four forest fire cases, which occurred in Gangneung·Donghae and Goseong·Sokcho in Gangwon-do of South Korea and two areas in North Korea on April 4, 2019, were examined. The estimated burned areas were evaluated using fire reference data provided by the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFOS) for two forest fire cases in South Korea, and differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) for all four cases. The average accuracy using the NIFOS reference data was 86% for the Gangneung·Donghae and Goseong·Sokcho fires. Evaluation using dNBR showed an average accuracy of 84% for all four forest fire cases. It was also confirmed that the stronger the burned intensity, the higher detection the accuracy, and vice versa. Given the advantage of SAR remote sensing, the proposed statistical processing and K-means clustering-based approach can be used to quickly identify forest fire damaged area across the Korean Peninsula, where a cloud cover rate is high and small-scale forest fires frequently occur.