• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.495-507
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• 2017

The regional environmental conflicts of 'Mungjangdae Hot Spring Development Project' have still now continued from 1985. As a case study, the limitation of environmental litigation and the feasibility of EIA as Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) for solving the conflict of 'Mungjangdae Hot Spring Development Project' was analysed. In order to mitigate environmental and social conflicts, the scope and time of public participation in EIA process which is democratic procedure based on scientific prediction of environmental impact need to be diversified to the extent 'Aarhus Convention', and the burden of environmental litigation need to be alleviated by the 'EIA consultation' from environmental authorities. In decision-making process related with large scale development plan and project which have enormous impact, the effectiveness of the EIA as ADR can be enhanced by applying citizen involvement in environmental governance and the various aspects of sustainability. The effective utilization of EIA public participation such as public hearing to pursue social equity can be a ESSD scheme for the implementation of SDG at regional dimension in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.85-108
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• 2012

One of the ways to achieve the principle of equal access for equal needs, availability and geographical accessibility of health care resources regardless of resident sites is important. The purpose of this paper is to measure socioeconomic inequities in distribution of health care resources among regions in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). Data were extracted from regional statistics of National Health Insurance, Community Health Survey, Korea Social Science Data Archive, and Korean Statistical Information Services at the same period of 2009. The dependent variables were the number of health workforce and health care facilities in each region. The proxy indicator of regional socioeconomic status was local tax per person. To identify whether inequalities among regions, we examined the concentration index(CI) and indirectly standardized CI by controlling each region's demographics and need factors. Total observations were 232 districts in nationwide, and we analyzed separately Seoul(25 districts) and non-Seoul areas(207 districts). The standardized CI values of health care resources were positive(favoring the rich region) across the nation in almost all kinds of resources. Especially the number of specialist, dentist, dental clinics, clinics, oriental medical clinics, pharmacists, and pharmacies were statistically significantly favoring the rich region. But the CI for the number of long-term care hospitals, public health centers were negative(favoring the poor region). The tendency of CI presenting positive values were increased in Seoul area. But in the case of non-Seoul, the CI indexes were nearly zero. The results suggest that except the Seoul area, little regional socioeconomic-related inequalities were observed in the distribution of health care resources in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.90-109
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• 2008

Government has extended the benefit coverage and reduced out-of-pocket (OOP) payment for cancer patients in 2005. This paper intends to examine the impact of the above policy on the equity in health care utilization. This paper analyzed the national health insurance data and compared the health care utilization of cancer patients before and after the policy change for people with 10 different income levels. For the equity in health care utilization, we examined the change in concentration index (CI) for visit days, inpatient days, and health expenditure. In the case of outpatient care, CI of visit days and health expenditure were positive(favoring the rich) in both regional and employee health insurance members and both 'before' and 'after' the policy change. CI values rarely changed after the policy change, and the policy change seems to have little impact on the equity of outpatient care utilization except expenditure of regional subscriber. In the case of inpatient care, CI of inpatient days was negative and CI of health expenditure was positive in both regional and work subscriber and both 'before' and 'after' the policy change. After the policy change, CI of inpatient expenditure in both groups of members decreased. CI of inpatient days changed in the direction favoring the poor in regional insurance members, but it rarely changed in employee insurance members. These results suggest that the policy of reducing OOP payment has a positive impact and reduced the inequity particularly in the utilization of inpatient care of cancer patients.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.228-241
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of health insurance coverage expansion for cancer patients on equity in health care utilization and catastrophic expenditure. Methods: To analyze the causal relationship between the policy to expand benefit coverage and the change in health care utilization and out-of-pocket payments of cancer patients, this study employed a difference-in-differences (DID) method. In the DID model, the change in health care utilization, such as health care expenditure, visit days and length of stay, of cancer patients was compared with that of liver disease patients, using Korea Health Panel Data in 2009 and 2010. Results: The policy of reducing cost sharing from 10% to 5% for cancer patients did not have significant effects on equity in health care utilization. The results of this study were different from those of the previous study that showed that the reduction of cost sharing from 20% to 10% significantly improved the equity in health care utilization of cancer patients. In addition, the result of catastrophic expenditures analysis showed the policy did not change the probability of catastrophic expenditures. Conclusion: The results of this study imply that payment for non-covered services account for high out-of-pocket payments, and the reduction in cost sharing for covered services alone may have a limited effect on total financial burden on patients.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.256-264
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• 2016

Equity-focused public health policy has solid theoretical and practical basis, in addition to ethical one. In the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea), however, equity in health has not had a high priority in policy goals, regardless of policy areas and particular actors or approaches. Equitable health has been only a minor concern in most public health issues and their decision-making. Generic public health policies are needed to reduce inequity in health, but the importance of a firm basis for sound policy-making cannot be overemphasized. Health equity should be 'mainstreamed' in all public health policies. Potential approaches include intersectoral collaboration, health impact assessment, and 'Health in All Policies.' Public policy agendas for equitable health cannot be formulated without measurement and recognition of the problem. Korea is still suffering from the lack of reliable information on the current status of health inequity, resulting in a relatively weak awareness of the problem among both the general public and policy-makers. More information is needed to increase recognition and awareness that will increase intervention and actions. The absence of decision-making and actions should not be justified even by the lack of information on determinants and pathways of health inequities. Generic plausible solutions can often work in the real world according to political and social commitment. I have discussed several aspects of public health policy from the perspective of health equity, focusing on current status and plausible explanation. Policy process, agenda setting in particular, is highlighted and theories and concepts are presented along with analysis and description of current situation.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.42 no.1 s.118
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• pp.82-95
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• 2007

This study aims to describe the status quo of the social studies curriculum of universities of education in Korea, to extract the questions at issue, and to suggest new directions for improvement. To approach these purposes, the author grasps the viewpoints that the intensifying course of the department of social studies is investigated with relation not only to the national curriculum on elementary social studies but also to both specialization course and liberal arts course. Intensifying course have been organized to strengthen the teaching-teaming abilities on the subject matter contents since the beginning. But the present day, intensifying course meets several problems waiting solution: problems in reference to overlap with specialization course, to disconnection with liberal arts course, and to the internal disequilibrium. So, the author proposes six solutions for the problems.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.786-801
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• 2013

This study aims to elucidate features of the geography assessment of France in which geography has a high status in school curriculum. The main data for analysing are the geography examinations(1999-2013) of the Baccalaur$\acute{e}$at. In terms of objectives of the assessment, the exams put emphasis on promoting cultural knowledges of students and developing their competences in graphic languages. In terms of formal aspect, the exams take a simple layouts to raise a readability, use variable test tools, especially an essay and a 'croquis'. They also emphasize students self-directedly constructing and representing geography knowledges and their inquiry abilities with geography materials. In terms of contents aspect, the exams mainly cover subjects of political-economic geography, particularly a spatial organization, a development inequality and the world powers in global contexts or macro spatial scales. One of a distinguishing characteristics of Baccalaur$\acute{e}$at's History-Geography examinations is that it designs to keep balance between two parties; history and geography.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.23-34
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to analyze comprehensively Jeju Self-Governing School Policy (JSSP) by using the four dimensional views of policy theory frame and to suggest its improvements. The results are as follows: First, JSSP should improve differentiation of curriculum and locality centered on local basis, wide application of the special laws, and professional accountability. Second, JSSP should improve the policy structure of educational governance and differentiated standard of students achievement assessment, resolve equity issue, and secure the self-finance of the schools. Third, JSSP should improve localization of educational administration, administrative and financial support for teachers, parent's empowerment, and students understanding of the policy, and expand principal invitation system, Fourth, JSSP should improve public relations, the roles of the Council and professionalism of assessors, and adopt efficiency approach into the assessment system.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.329-338
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• 2017

This study aims to identify factors to affect cancer screening utilization and differences in cancer screening by household income. This research selected 3,393 adults aged ${\geq}40years$ among surveyees from the 6th(2014) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We analyzed state of cancer screening utilization according to general characteristics, life style, health status, income level using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with cancer screening utilization. In result, cancer screening rate was significantly different according to household income. And the significant factors associated with cancer screening utilization were sex, age, marital status, education level, economic activity, private insurance, smoking, presence or absence of high physical activity, number of chronic diseases, and household income. This indicates that the effective cancer screening program on the low household income, chronic disease patients is needed, suitable for digital age. We believe that these results will be used positively for the equity of cancer screening utilization, providing the basic materials for the further research on the establishment of the health-related policy.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2012

This paper has investigated the unreasonable pricing system for container cargo with special reference to inland transport since it is determined by administrative boundary without considering travelling distance. This research is primarily intended to improve the current pricing system by introducing a pricing support system about the container cargo in the country which applies GIS service area analysis to transportation data. Price simulation maps were generated to find out reasonable pricing strategy. Pricing alternative integrating travelling distance into administrative zoning brings about more desirable results than individual driving cost alone. The research can contribute to more reasonable pricing for the fuel consumption expense and serve as useful instruments for planning pricing system for container cargo. It is anticipated that this research output could be used as a valuable reference to increase the scientific and objective pricing for container cargo by overcoming serious constraints suffered from the past non-GIS-based approach.