• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.149-165
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to conduct an in-depth interview on 5 middle aged women who have attempted suicide in the past and to explore their suicide attempts and the vivid empirical value of life after the attempt. The collected data were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological approach. The data analysis resulted in 21 sub categories and 7 essential categories. Study participants experienced an-'selected death at the end of a cliff', 'standing on the border of life and death', 'life became clear after escaping delusion', 'working toward life once again', 're-evaluating their past life and discovering new possibilities', 'experiencing the vividness of life here', 'spiritual growth and deeper insight'. Such results offer a discussion on existence toward self-completion, and hold significance in that it increased our in depth understanding and recognition beyond the narrow perceptions of individuals who attempt suicide.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.5-29
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• 2012

This study aimed to express the experiences of the parents who lost their children by suicides in their own words from their own perspectives by van Manen(2000)'s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The analysis of the words expressed by the research participants led to the following five fundamental themes. These are 'broken heart, sinner's grief, land of exile and time stood still, pains to be comforted, and days ahead with half-stitched wounds'. Several distinctions are found due to cultural differences from Korean parents. First, whereas the Western parents see the cause of their child's suicide as his/her independent issue, the Korean parents blame themselves entirely. This may have stemmed from the overly inter-dependency between the parents and the child. Second, whereas the Western perspective views the suicide as a type of illness from the individual's depression. The Korean perspective views the suicide as a shame that disgraces the parents or the family. This negative social perspective intensifies the self-blame and social isolation. Third, the Westerners recognize the prevention and responsibility of suicide resting with the society and government, but the Korean society recognize suicide as personal or family matter. Based on the finding above, I proposed a number of practical measures to aid the surviving parents who belong to a group with extremely high suicidal rates.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.329-341
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• 2018

This study was a qualitative study performed to understand the nature and structure of the suicide attempt process experienced by maladjustment soldiers. The survey participants targeted 10 soldiers who entered 'Camp Green' due to lack of duty by the 00 Corps of ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ Prefecture. Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews from October 2016 to September 2017 and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The suicide attempt process by maladjusted soldiers was delineated into four categories such as 'A prison without bars', 'Walk on eggshells', 'A pretentious series of life', and 'A life of desperation'; 9 theme clusters; and 25 themes. As a result, maladjusted soldiers had a generally negative experience related to military culture. Soldiers who fail to adapt to military culture will show extreme behavior unless they are able to overcome their depression. Unless specific understanding of the suicide attempt process is attained, the suicide prevention policies of mission-maladjusted soldiers will be ineffective. The results of this study hope to serve as the basis for a suicide prevention and nursing intervention program.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.489-511
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• 2009

While late-life suicide has been increasing and become an important issue for public health in Korea, little is known about the phenomenon and its contributing risk factors based on which effective preventive measures can be made. Since suicidal ideation is a major precursor to attempted and completed suicide, the objective of the present study was to reveal primary contributors to suicidal ideation. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 247 community-dwelling Korean older adults (age≥60) in the mid-size city in Korea. The statistical methodology employed a robust hierarchical regression procedure that iteratively downweights outliers. Based on the stress-diathesis model, the study examined major diathesis and stressors directly explaining suicidal ideation. The study also explored the significant interaction among these factors. The findings revealed that living alone and depression were significant main antecedents of suicidal ideation. In addition, neuroticism X life events and neuroticism X depression were significant interaction terms with the strongest explanatory power, which provides an empirical evidence to support the stress-diathesis model in explaining suicidal phenomenon of the Korean elderly. The result demonstrates the theoretical implication as well as the practical implication for developing and implementing late-life suicide prevention strategies. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.51-61
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• 2018

This study was conducted to propose regional policy for reducing suicide rate by confirming the change of local suicide rate for 10 years from 2005 to 2015 and the effect of change of local environmental factors influencing the change. The main results are as follows. First, the change of city, county, and province suicide rate in 10 years showed that the suicide rate decreased in order of military district, city area, and district. Second, in the case of economic factors, local suicide rate decreased as the local tax burden per capita increased, and as the financial self - reliance increased. Third, in the case of the social integration factors, the local suicide rate decreased as the ratio of the basic livelihood recipient decreased. In addition, local suicide rate decreased as the number of elderly leisure welfare facilities increased. Fourth, in the case of the social demolition factor, the region where the divorce rate is increased, the depression experience rate is increased, and the region where the rate of one person is increasing, the local suicide rate is increased. Therefore, it is expected that the local suicide rate can be reduced through efforts to improve the economic capacity of the whole region, social integration and reduction of the social disintegration phenomenon in the region.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-187
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• 2000

The rates and numbers of elderly suicide in Korea have been increased during 1985-1998. This indicates the seriousness of the problems which the elderly are faced with. So many late-life problems may push older people across the edges. Those in unbearable situations may call out fur helps, they may try to cope with various ways, or they may commit suicides. Because it is widely believed that suicide among the elderly can be understood as a personal solution or alternative to late-life problems in old age, the elderly\`s suicides seem to be an appropriate indicator in estimating seriousness of late-life problems. A comparison of the history of suicide research with other populations shows that the several late-life problems have been found with placing an individual elder at risks for increasing suicidal behaviors Research has identified such problems as financial insecurity, retirement, loss of social roles, physical illness, lack of social supports, and loneliness as the problems that increase the incidence of suicidal behavior. Though it is difficult far us to explain and understand the phenomenon of the elderly\`s suicide because of its complexity, we need to ascertain problems and social conditions behind suicides and also to prepare for some appropriate policy-tasks in light of social welfare for the aged, through examining the phenomenon. For explaining the elderly\`s suicide, the theoretical orientations are based on sociological perspectives in the paper. From the standpoints of social integration theory and exchange theory, this study is to examine the relationship between late-life problems and suicide. These two may have been fruitfully employed in conjunction with each other. Finally, this study would identify urgent late-life problems related with the elderly\`s suicide and suggest the relevant policies for Korean elders. Sometime in the near future, the government should be required to provide social welfare programs for the elderly, particularly for those at risk for increasing suicidal behaviors.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.507-521
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between attitude toward death among Korean hostess (room salon/bar) in Busan and their suicide-related factors. Methods: The questionnaires were administrated to 120 Korean hostess. The questionnaires consist of 7 major concepts: death as liberation, death as natural phenomenon, fear of death, avoidance of thought about death, fear for the impact of death on family, frequency of thought of death, their capacities to resist suicidal impulses. Results: Interestingly, satisfaction for hostess working in room salons with their monthly incomes was negatively correlated with frequency of thought of death and was positively related to their capacities to resist suicidal impulse. Moreover, in terms of the factors influencing 'their capacities to resist suicidal impulse', for hostess working in room salons, 'fear for the impact of death on family,' and 'satisfaction with their monthly income' were found to significantly influence 'their capacities to resist suicidal impulses'. However, for hostess working at bars, 'death as liberation' was found to be the only one factor showing significant effect on 'their capacities to resist suicidal impulses'. Conclusion: For hostess working in room salons, their perceived monetary reward seems to affect their attitudes toward death and suicide-related thoughts. Understanding a person's attitudes toward death can be another way to help people in a difficult situation to prevent them from carrying out the worst.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.15 no.6_2
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• pp.107-119
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• 2015

The key objective of terrorism is to create favorable conditions for certain political, ideological, or religious interests through deliberate social chaos and the spread of fear. Accordingly, terrorist groups rally the means and methods capable of spreading fear among the public through shocking violence. Consequently, as terrorism manifests the progress in modern civilization and the structure of international community, its concepts, means, and methods evolve organically with the progress. The characteristics of the modern terrorism include that it has evolved as a means of war against countries by non-state militant groups, and suicide terrorism is spreading like epidemic as it fits the strategies of Islamic extremist and terrorist organizations as a part of international politics based on terrorism. The humanity's efforts to eliminate the threat of terrorism led to decades of implementing premature policies of military force, but they were found ineffective and resulted in the spread of extreme threat of suicide terrorism. For prevention of suicide terrorism, the efforts must be made to dismantle the basis of suicide attacks through addressing religious alienation and antipathy against a civilization using the notions similar to treatment of pathology considering psychological motives of suicide terrorists.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.118-127
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• 2003

$\rho$-Fluorophenylalanine (FPA), a phenylalanine analog, is able to induce apoptotic cell death of human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. To better understand the mechanism by which FPA induces apoptotic cell death, the effect of ectopic expression of antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, on FPA-induced apoptosis was investigated by employing lurkat T cells transfected with Bcl-2 gene (JT/Bcl-2) or Bcl-xL gene (1/Bcl-xL) and Jurkat T cells transfected with vector (JT/Neo or J/Neo). When Jurkat T cells, JT/Neo or J/Neo, were exposed to FPA at concentrations ranging from 0.63 to 5.0 mM, the cell viability determined by MTT assay declined in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, apoptotic DNA fragmentation along with several apoptotic events such as caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage, mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase-9 activation, caspase-3 activation, and degradation of PARP was induced. However, the FPA-induced cytotoxic effect, activation of caspase-8, and cleavage of Bid were significantly abrogated by ectopic expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. At the same time, there was marked reduction in the level of cytochrome c release from mitorhondria, caspase-9 activation, caspase-3 activation, and degradation of PARP. These results indicate that caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage, and mitochondrial cytochrome c release with subsequent activation of the caspase cascade are negatively regulated by Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL, and are thus required for FPA-induced apoptosis in Jurkat T cells

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.304-314
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• 2020

This study examined the experiences of the suicide crisis and recovery process by elderly women living alone to identify the essential meaning and components of life as a life to live again. In addition, the recovery of the research participants, as well as the phenomenon of such changes in thought and life, were examined. The results of this study were as follows. Data analysis yielded four components, eight sub-components, and 16 semantic unit reductions. There were four components of suicide attempts and recovery experiences of elderly women. They were "disconnection and disqualification," "repeated hardships," "road of prosperity in trouble," and "generous tolerance." The essential topics of these components have emerged not as individual but as holistic and contextually connectable topics. Finally, to summarize the results, the essential semantic structure of the suicide attempt and recovery experience of elderly women living alone is a result of a dysfunctional social structure and environment, which has placed pressure on the life of research participants. As an alternative method to overcome, they tried to solve the problem through the extreme practice of suicide attempts, but positive energy to live again due to emotional recovery factors recognized through suicide failures have made it possible to cope with the difficult reality.