• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-25
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• 2010

Motion pictures are so typical experience goods that consumers tend to look for more credible information. Hence, movie audiences consider movie viewers' reviews more important than the information provided by the film distributor. Recently many portal sites allow consumers to post their reviews and opinions so that other people check the number of consumer reviews and scores before going to the theater. There are a few previous researches studying the electronic word of mouth(eWOM) effect in the movie industry. They found that the volume of eWOM influenced the revenue of the movie significantly but the valence of eWOM did not affect it much (Liu 2006). The goal of our research is also to investigate the eWOM effects in general. But our research is different from the previous studies in several aspects. First, we study the eWOM effect in Korean movie industry. In other words, we would like to check whether we can generalize the results of the previous research across countries. The similar econometric models are applied to Korean movie data that include 746,282 consumer reviews on 439 movies. Our results show that both the valence(RATING) and the volume(LNMSG) of the eWOM influence weekly movie revenues. This result is different from the previous research findings that the volume only influences the revenue. We conjectured that the difference of self construal between Asian and American culture may explain this difference (Kitayama 1991). Asians including Koreans have more interdependent self construal than American, so that they are easily affected by other people's thought and suggestion. Hence, the valence of the eWOM affects Koreans' choice of the movie. Second, we find the critical defect of the previous eWOM models and, hence, attempt to correct it. The previous eWOM model assumes that the volume of eWOM (LNMSG) is an independent variable affecting the movie revenue (LNREV). However, the revenue can influence the volume of the eWOM. We think that treating the volume of eWOM as an independent variable a priori is too restrictive. In order to remedy this problem, we employed a simultaneous equation in which the movie revenue and the volume of the eWOM can affect each other. That is, our eWOM model assumes that the revenue (LNREV) and the volume of eWOM (LNMSG) have endogenous relationship where they influence each other. The results from this simultaneous equation model showed that the movie revenue and the eWOM volume interact each other. The movie revenue influences the eWOM volume for the entire 8 weeks. The reverse effect is more complex. Both the volume and the valence of eWOM affect the revenue in the first week, but only the volume affect the revenue for the rest of the weeks. In the first week, consumers may be curious about the movie and look for various kinds of information they can trust, so that they use the both the quantity and quality of consumer reviews. But from the second week, the quality of the eWOM only affects the movie revenue, implying that the review ratings are more important than the number of reviews. Third, our results show that the ratings by professional critics (CRATING) had negative effect to the weekly movie revenue (LNREV). Professional critics often give low ratings to the blockbuster movies that do not have much cinematic quality. Experienced audiences who watch the movie for fun do not trust the professionals' ratings and, hence, tend to go for the low-rated movies by them. In summary, applied to the Korean movie ratings data and employing a simultaneous model, our results are different from the previous eWOM studies: 1) Koreans (or Asians) care about the others' evaluation quality more than quantity, 2) The volume of eWOM is not the cause but the result of the revenue, 3) Professional reviews can give the negative effect to the movie revenue.

• Journal of the Korean Association of African Studies
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• v.29
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• pp.27-53
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• 2009

At the start of the new century, South Africa probably had the largest number of HIV-infected people of any country in the world. The only nation that comes close is India with a population of one billion people compared to South Africa's figure of 57 million. The tragedy is that this did not have to happen. South Africa was aware of the dangers posed by AIDS as early as 1985. In 1991, the national survey of women attending antenatal clinics found that only 0.8percent were infected. In 1994, when the new government took power, the figure was still comparatively low at 7.6 %. The 2004 figure which has been published is 26.5%. This article tracks the epidemic globally, in the region and in South Africa. I explain some of the basic concepts around the disease and look at what may happen with respect to numbers. The situation is bad, and the number of people falling ill, dying and leaving families will rise over next few years. This will impact on South Africa in a number of important ways. This article assesses the demographic, economic and social consequences of the epidemic. It disposes of a number of myths and present the real facts. The AIDS in South Africa is not related to individuals only. It warns that AIDS in Africa is becoming a community and systemic problem. The acuteness of the problem does not stem merely from the fact that communities are affected, or could even be wipe out by the end of this decade, but from the fact that AIDS will place incredible burdens and obligations upon medical services, health care and religious communities such as churches. The facts confront churches' mission with the important question: who is going to take care of all the patients and where? The reality is that people dying of AIDS will have to be cared for at home by relatives and friends. A further question that arises is whether our people are prepared for this. AIDS was considered to be a homo-plague and the hunt was on for a scapegoat in the light of the fatal implication of the disease. At present we are in the strategic phase where we all realize that it will be of no avail to scare people with the ominous threat of AIDS AIDS destroys the optimism of our achievement ethics. This exposure of the culture of optimism is also an exposure of the so-called 'human basic fear which accuses Christianity that their concept of sin is a damper on man's search for liberation and basic need to be freed from all Imitation. AIDS is also a test for our ecclesiastical genuineness and the sincerity of our mission sensibility. It poses the question: How unconditional is Christian love? Is there room for the AIDS sufferer in the community of believers, despite the fact he is an acknowledged homosexual? The question to put to the church is whether the community of believers is an exclusive to put to the koinonia which excludes homosexuals. They may be welcome on principle, but in actual fact are not acceptable to the church community. As South Africa enters the new century, it is clear that the epidemic is not having a measurable impact. However, the impact of AIDS is gradual, subtle and incremental. The author's proposal of what is currently most needed in South Africa is that the little things will make a difference. It's about doing lots of little things better at grassroots level, with the emphasis on doing. There are so many community, churches and NGOs initiatives worth building on and intensifying. One must not underestimate the therapeutic value of working together in small groups to overcome a problem

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.61-101
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• 2014

This study investigates when and how disagreements in online customer ratings prompt more favorable product evaluations. Among the three metrics of volume, valence, and variance that feature in the research on online customer ratings, volume and valence have exhibited consistently positive patterns in their effects on product sales or evaluations (e.g., Dellarocas, Zhang, and Awad 2007; Liu 2006). Ratings variance, or the degree of disagreement among reviewers, however, has shown rather mixed results, with some studies reporting positive effects on product sales (e.g., Clement, Proppe, and Rott 2007) while others finding negative effects on product evaluations (e.g., Zhu and Zhang 2010). This study aims to resolve these contradictory findings by introducing preference heterogeneity as a possible moderator and causal attribution as a mediator to account for the moderating effect. The main proposition of this study is that when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high, a disagreement in ratings is attributed more to reviewers' different preferences than to unreliable product quality, which in turn prompts better quality evaluations of a product. Because disagreements mostly result from differences in reviewers' tastes or the low reliability of a product's quality (Mizerski 1982; Sen and Lerman 2007), a greater level of attribution to reviewer tastes can mitigate the negative effect of disagreement on product evaluations. Specifically, if consumers infer that reviewers' heterogeneous preferences result in subjectively different experiences and thereby highly diverse ratings, they would not disregard the overall quality of a product. However, if consumers infer that reviewers' preferences are quite homogeneous and thus the low reliability of the product quality contributes to such disagreements, they would discount the overall product quality. Therefore, consumers would respond more favorably to disagreements in ratings when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high rather than low. This study furthermore extends this prediction to the various levels of average ratings. The heuristicsystematic processing model so far indicates that the engagement in effortful systematic processing occurs only when sufficient motivation is present (Hann et al. 2007; Maheswaran and Chaiken 1991; Martin and Davies 1998). One of the key factors affecting this motivation is the aspiration level of the decision maker. Only under conditions that meet or exceed his aspiration level does he tend to engage in systematic processing (Patzelt and Shepherd 2008; Stephanous and Sage 1987). Therefore, systematic causal attribution processing regarding ratings variance is likely more activated when the average rating is high enough to meet the aspiration level than when it is too low to meet it. Considering that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity occurs through the mediation of causal attribution, this greater activation of causal attribution in high versus low average ratings would lead to more pronounced interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity in high versus low average ratings. Overall, this study proposes that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high as compared to when it is low. Two laboratory studies lend support to these predictions. Study 1 reveals that participants exposed to a high-preference heterogeneity book title (i.e., a novel) attributed disagreement in ratings more to reviewers' tastes, and thereby more favorably evaluated books with such ratings, compared to those exposed to a low-preference heterogeneity title (i.e., an English listening practice book). Study 2 then extended these findings to the various levels of average ratings and found that this greater preference for disagreement options under high preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high compared to when it is low. This study makes an important theoretical contribution to the online customer ratings literature by showing that preference heterogeneity serves as a key moderator of the effect of ratings variance on product evaluations and that causal attribution acts as a mediator of this moderation effect. A more comprehensive picture of the interplay among ratings variance, preference heterogeneity, and average ratings is also provided by revealing that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity varies as a function of the average rating. In addition, this work provides some significant managerial implications for marketers in terms of how they manage word of mouth. Because a lack of consensus creates some uncertainty and anxiety over the given information, consumers experience a psychological burden regarding their choice of a product when ratings show disagreement. The results of this study offer a way to address this problem. By explicitly clarifying that there are many more differences in tastes among reviewers than expected, marketers can allow consumers to speculate that differing tastes of reviewers rather than an uncertain or poor product quality contribute to such conflicts in ratings. Thus, when fierce disagreements are observed in the WOM arena, marketers are advised to communicate to consumers that diverse, rather than uniform, tastes govern reviews and evaluations of products.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.230-242
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• 1991

This research was conducted on the 10 take-out boxed-lunches commercially prepared in the department stores. chain stores. and the public railroad trains in Korea. Sampling was conducted from February 1990 to March 1990. Nutritive values and sodium contents of the 10 boxed-lunch samples are summarized as follows : 1) The average weight(percentage) of the cooked rice and the side dishes were 304.6g(49.4) and 312.4(506%), respectively. The weight of these samples were significantly heavier than that of Japanese style boxed-lunches. 2) The average number of the side dishes was 12. The average numbers of food items classified by the five food groups were 6.1 in protein food group, 0.3 in calcium food group. 6.0 in vitamin and mineral food group. 1.5 in carbohydrate food group, and 1.5 in oil and fat food group. 3) They contained on the average 840.7kcal of energy, 38.9g of protein, 22.7g of fat, 120.4g of carbohydrate. 300.8mg of calcium. 410.8mg of phosphours, 6.61 mg of iron. 219.8 R.E. of vitamin A, 0.46mg of thiamin, 0.67mg of riboflavin, 10.5mg of niacin, 27.5mg of ascorbic acid. Thus. except vitamin t the content of all the nutrients were higher than the value of 1/3 of the RDA for adults. 4) The high priced group(group 2) had more protein, calcuim. iron and niacin contents than the cheaper group(group 1). Probably, it's because the group 2 had more animal foods than the group 1. 5) The average energy content per unit price(100 won) was 37.3kcal and the average protein content per unit price(100 won) was 1.64g. Korena style boxed-lunches had higher energy and protein contents per unit price than Japanese style, and the group 1 higher than the group 2. 6) The average energy Proportions of Protein, carbohydrate. and fat were 18.3%, 57.4%, and 24.3%, respectively. These proportions are good enough. 7) Frequency of cooking methods for the side dishes were found in the decreasing order : pan-frying, frying, braising, seasoning, kimchi, grilling, pickling, stir-frying, steaming and fermenting. Generally simple cooking methods were used, thus the menus were lack or varieties. 8) Frequency of colors for the side dishes were found in the decreasing order : red, brown. yellow, green, black, white. Too much red pepper was used. 9) The average capacity of the containers for the staples and the side dishes were 468.1ml and 590.6ml, respectively. And the containers could not keep the food items well seperated. 10) The average contensts of sodium and salt were 2.287mg and 5.76g, in the range of 1, 398mg to 3, 489mg and 3.53g to 8.80g, respectively. These are much higher values than the recommended amount of salt.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.9-43
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• 2005

The Korean government established her first "National Space Program" in 1996, and revised it in 2000 and 2005. As embedded in the National Space Program, Korea aims to become one of the world's top countries in space technology by 2010. All of 13 satellites are planned to be put into orbit as schematized, which include 7 multi-purpose satellites, 4 science satellites and 2 geostationary orbit satellites. The Space Center in Korea is to be built at Woinara-Do, Bongrae-Myon, Koheung-Goon, Junlanam Province on the southern coast of the Korean peninsular. The first phase of the construction of the space center will be finished by 2007 for launch of KSLV-l. This will make Korea be the 13th advanced country in space development having a launching site in the world. The "Space Center" will serve as the infrastructure for the development of space technology and related technology, and plan to launch a low earth orbit satellite in 2007. A second science satellite made in Korea will be launched from the space center by 2007. From 2010, the center will be operated on a commercial basis operating launch facilities for low-to mid-altitude orbit satellites. Since the 'Aircraft Industry Promotion Act' was replaced by the 'Aerospace Industry Development Promotion Acf of 1987, this Act had been amended seven times from 1991 year to 2004. Most of developed countries has been enacted the space law including the public or private items such as an (1)DSA, (2)Russia, (3)the United Kingdom, (4)Germany, (5)France, (6)Canada, (7)Japan, (8)Sweden, (9)Australia, (10)Brazil, (11)Norway, (12)South Africa, (13)Argentina, (14)Chile, (15)Ukrainian etc. As the new Space Exploration Promotion Act was passed by the resolution of the Korean Congress on May 3, 2005, so the Korean government has made the public proclamation the abovementioned Act on May 31, this year. This Act takes effect on December 1, 2005 after elapsing six months from the date of promulgation. The main contents of Space Exploration Promotion Act of 2005 is as the following (1)establishing a basic plan for promoting space exploration, (2)establishment and function of national space committee, (3)procedure and management of domestic and international registration of space objects, (4)licensing of launch by space launch vehicles, (5)lability for damages caused by space accidents and liability insurance, (6) organizing and composition of the space accident investigation committee, (7)Support of non-governmental space exploration project, (8)Requesting Support and Cooperation of Space Exploration, (9)Rescue of Astronauts and Restitution of Space Objects, etc.. In oder to carry out successfully the medium and long basic plan for promoting space exploration and to develope space industry in Korea, I think that it is necessary for us to enlarge and to reorganize the function and manpower of the Space Technology Development Division of the Ministry of Science & Technology and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Korea has been carrying out its space program step by step according to the National Space Program. Korea also will continually strengthen the exchange and cooperation with all the countries in the world under the principle of equality, friendship relations and mutual benefits. Together with all other peoples around the globe, Korea will make due contribution towards the peaceful utilization of space resources and promotion of human progress and prosperity.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.54-66
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• 1991

As a result of measuring illumination and making up a question at home visit directly by investigator who trained over twenty days period from October 4 to 24, 1990, in order to render help which illumination problem against house, society against eyes or framing of health instruction potgram by seizing natural lighting actual conditions of house and actual conditions of wearing spectacles and by investigating interrelationship, I can summarize as follows. 1) In property of investigation subject, woman 66.9%, In an age, the twenties was largest of 27.4%, the forties was 20.2%, the fifties was 18.6%, the thirties was 17.4%. In academic career, those of upper secondary school grauates was largest of 28.6%, those who possess university career was 25.9%, those who middle school career was 20.9%, decoding of Korean alphabet was 2%. 2) By a residence area, a big city was 43.3%, farming and fishing villages were 20.3%, the rest was a small town and the administrative office of town, township. In positon of house, the middle area was 43.6%, resident of suburb area was 38.0%. In form of house, a Korean-style house was 40.8%, a western-style house was 34.8%, an apartment house was 11.0%. In the a standard of living, the middle classes 77.2%, the lower classes were 15.3%. In residential house unit of area, from 21 to 30 unit of area was largest of 31.5%, from 10 to 20 unit of area was 19.9%, from 31 to 40 was 18.7%. 3) The wearing spectacles rate of study user was 44.1%. By the area, those who wearing spectacles was more than a half of 50.8% in the resident of big city area. As passing from the farm area to the city, that is being resident of big city was high wearing spectacles rate. In position of house, as being residence in central street showed high wearing spectacles rate. (central street was 51.5%, the middle area was 44.5% and the suburb area was 40.1%.) It seemed similarity difference a variable by position of house from wearing spectacles in standard of 1%. By form of house, wearing spectacles rate those who resident in apartment house was 49.5%, that rate those who resident in a western-style house was high of 49.0%, that rate those who resident in a Korean-style house was the lowest 39.0%. By social position of resident in room, in students case who study showed very high, as university students were very high of 62.3% idn wearing spectacles rate, middle and high school students 'were 50.0%, members of society were 47.6%, workers 20.3%. It seemed similarity difference from academic career in standard of 1%. By an age, the thirties was high of 54.1% in wearing spectacles rate, the twenties was 43.2%, the teenage was the lowest of 11.8%. 4) In illumination of study, over 200Lux was high of 40.1%. but below 99Lux which inappropriate illumination to see the books was 32.4%. Average by area, below 99Lux was 22.7% and over 400Lux was 50.0% in case of wooden floor. As examine by area, below 99Lux was high of 27.0% a case of wooden floor in the big city area, it was not good in illumination passing from the farm area(15.0%) to the city(19.0%). Average illlumination by area of the main living room below 99Lux was high of 37.5%, less than 200Lux was 58.5% of whole. In general, illumination of the main livingroom was inappropriate. By area, the big city was 32.5% below 99Lux, the middle and small city area were 33.8%, town and township area were 45.0%, farming and fishing area were 42.8%. By area, in the big city, illumination of study was 52.5% over 200Lux and 28.9% below 99Lux. In case of the middle and small city, study user of below 99Lux was 38.8% and over 200Lux was 46.9%. In case of the seat of town township, below 99Lux was 34.1% and over 200Lux was 39.7%. In case of farming and fishing area, illumination of study was 33.4% below 99Lux and 48.4% over 200Lux. It tends to high rate of inappropriate illumination. 5) By position of house, in case of wooden floor, less than 100Lux was 24.5% in central street. It was bad illumination than others position of house. In case of the main livingroom, less than 100Lux was 40.4% in the suburb area. It was bad iliumnation than others position of house. In case of study, less than 100Lux was 35.4% in the middle area, it was worse in illumination. In case of the main living room, is seemed similarity difference in standard of 1%. 6) By form of house, in case of wooden floor, illumination of less than 100Lux was 23.8% in a western-style house, it was bad illumination than others form of house. In case of the main livingroom, illumination of less than 100Lux was 47.4% in a Korean-style house, it was remarkably bad illumination than others form of house. In case of study, a Korean-style house was 38.8%, it was very bad illumination than others form of house. In case of the main livingroom and study, it seemed similatrity difference each as P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 in standard of 1%. 7) The wearing spectacles rate of those who use room of illumination over 400Lux was 40.7%, and that of those who use room of illumination less than 100Lux was 28.1%. It seemed similarity differecce in standard of 1%. 8) In period of wearing spectacles, 21.3% of total investigator-highest-was from before five years, 8.6% was from before three years. Among those who use of illumintion less than 99Lux, 34.0% began to wear spectacles from before two years 31.7% was from before five years, 30.3% was from before four years. It seemed similarity difference from period of wearing spectacles by illumination in standard of 1 %. 9) Among cause which sight grow worse, the first was that it was each 33.2% and 27.4% in response rate because watch TV nearly to wearing spectacles person and non-wearing person. The second was that a lot of seeing books was 25.3% in wearing spectacles person and response rate for dark illumination was 7.4% in nonwearing spectacles person. It seemed similarity difference in standard of 1%. (P < 0.01). 10) In experience which take medicine good for eyes, it was 50.1% in wearing spectacles person and 8.5% in non-wearing spectacles person. It seemed similarity difference in standard of 1%(P < 0.01). As we have seen above, inappropriate illumination can be a cause of wearing spectacles. Nevertheless, actually, is realities to indifferent against illumination of house. So it must learn knowledge about health obstacle of illumination through society instruction and school eduction against students as well as general residents. In case that natural lighting is inappropriate structural of house, we must be able to maintain appropriate illumination through artificial illumination. And so eyes which is core of human life have to be protected, related the authorities, related group, and all health medical personnel will organically cooperate with and make efforts.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-33
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• 1991

Since the early 1980's, the Korean government has gradually been widening the Korean market to foreign consumer goods. This, combined with the increased purchasing power of the Korean consumers resulting from the continued economic growth of the country, has sparked a spectacular influx of foreign consumer goods into Korea, ranging from BMW's to chopsticks. Import of foreign consumer goods amounted to more than 6 billion dollars in 1989 and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. The increased import of foreign consumer goods doubtlessly improved the overall welfare of the Korean consumers by providing them with a wider range of options to choose from, by lowering the prices of some of the consumer goods domestically produced, and also by forcing the producers of some Korean goods to face competition with better foreign goods, thus giving them an incentive to raise the quality of their products. However, it is agreed by most economists that this increase in general welfare has been much smaller than what they had expected at the outset. Consumer prices of most imported consumer goods are easily double the import price, and in some cases, more than treble the import prices. Further, there has not been a noticeable drop in the prices of domestically produced consumer goods. Much of the blame has been attributed to the distribution sector of Korea. The objective of this paper is to analyze the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea, focusing on the possible sources of the poor performance of that sector, and to make policy suggestions that could potentially increase the welfare. This paper differs from all the previous research by others on this subject in that it analyzes the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea as a vertical structure. The distribution sector of an imported consumer good is a vertical structure since it consists of an international market, an import stage, and domestic wholesale and retail markets, in that order vertically. Our study naturally includes the analysis of the vertical restraints as well as the analysis of the industrial organization of each horizontal stage in the vertical structure. Each horizontal component of the imported consumer goods distribution sector is basically a monopolistically competitive market differentiated by characteristics of goods and by the locations and the services of firms. Further, restrictive dealership and resale price maintenance are found to be widely in use. Our main findings are the follwing; First, most consumer goods are imported monopolistically or oligopolistically through restrictive dealership contracts between foreign producers and domestic importers. Such restrictive dealership gives importers market power in the domestic market and explains many of the large discrepancies betwen the consumer prices and the import prices of many goods. Korean anti - trust law does not cover the issues arising from the market power of an importer resulting from a restrictive dealership contract. Second, some major producers of Korean goods are also importers of foreign goods that are substitutes of their products. The import of substitutes by major domestic producers is anti - competitive because it tends to raise the prices of both domestic goods and foreign goods, and also because it reduces the incentive of the domestic producers to raise the quality of their products. Third, wholesalers and retailers widely use resale price maintenance as a price fixing mechanism, and while this is against the anti- trust law, it seldom gets noticed. Fourth, the high level of rents of real estate for commercial use works as an entry barrier to the distribution sector and results in reduced competition by the firms in that sector. Finally, there are information problems. Consumers have inferior information to firms about the quality of a foreign consumer good that they have not tried before. Such information asymmetry often enables firms to raise prices. In addition, information asymmetry between importers frequently delays the import of cheaper substitutes. In order to alleviate the problems indentified above, we suggest the following policy changes. The government should strengthen the anti - trust law and its enforcement to regulate restrictive import contracts, import of competing goods by major domestic producers, and RPM by wholesalers and retailers that is aimed at price fixing. In addition, the government should loosen its tight real estate policy to encourage investment in the distribution sector. Finally, we suggest that the import price revelation policy that has been in use for some items since 1990 be expanded to most imported consumer goods that are introduced for the first time to give consumer better information and be used only for the period of time needed to inform sufficient number of consumers.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.151-166
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• 1991

In this paper, a simple game-theoretic entry deterrence model is developed that integrates both limit pricing and predatory pricing. While there have been extensive studies which have dealt with predation and limit pricing separately, no study so far has analyzed these closely related practices in a unified framework. Treating each practice as if it were an independent phenomenon is, of course, an analytical necessity to abstract from complex realities. However, welfare analysis based on such a model may give misleading policy implications. By analyzing limit and predatory pricing within a single framework, this paper attempts to shed some light on the effects of interactions between these two frequently cited tactics of entry deterrence. Another distinctive feature of the paper is that limit and predatory pricing emerge, in equilibrium, as rational, profit maximizing strategies in the model. Until recently, the only conclusion from formal analyses of predatory pricing was that predation is unlikely to take place if every economic agent is assumed to be rational. This conclusion rests upon the argument that predation is costly; that is, it inflicts more losses upon the predator than upon the rival producer, and, therefore, is unlikely to succeed in driving out the rival, who understands that the price cutting, if it ever takes place, must be temporary. Recently several attempts have been made to overcome this modelling difficulty by Kreps and Wilson, Milgram and Roberts, Benoit, Fudenberg and Tirole, and Roberts. With the exception of Roberts, however, these studies, though successful in preserving the rationality of players, still share one serious weakness in that they resort to ad hoc, external constraints in order to generate profit maximizing predation. The present paper uses a highly stylized model of Cournot duopoly and derives the equilibrium predatory strategy without invoking external constraints except the assumption of asymmetrically distributed information. The underlying intuition behind the model can be summarized as follows. Imagine a firm that is considering entry into a monopolist's market but is uncertain about the incumbent firm's cost structure. If the monopolist has low cost, the rival would rather not enter because it would be difficult to compete with an efficient, low-cost firm. If the monopolist has high costs, however, the rival will definitely enter the market because it can make positive profits. In this situation, if the incumbent firm unwittingly produces its monopoly output, the entrant can infer the nature of the monopolist's cost by observing the monopolist's price. Knowing this, the high cost monopolist increases its output level up to what would have been produced by a low cost firm in an effort to conceal its cost condition. This constitutes limit pricing. The same logic applies when there is a rival competitor in the market. Producing a high cost duopoly output is self-revealing and thus to be avoided. Therefore, the firm chooses to produce the low cost duopoly output, consequently inflicting losses to the entrant or rival producer, thus acting in a predatory manner. The policy implications of the analysis are rather mixed. Contrary to the widely accepted hypothesis that predation is, at best, a negative sum game, and thus, a strategy that is unlikely to be played from the outset, this paper concludes that predation can be real occurence by showing that it can arise as an effective profit maximizing strategy. This conclusion alone may imply that the government can play a role in increasing the consumer welfare, say, by banning predation or limit pricing. However, the problem is that it is rather difficult to ascribe any welfare losses to these kinds of entry deterring practices. This difficulty arises from the fact that if the same practices have been adopted by a low cost firm, they could not be called entry-deterring. Moreover, the high cost incumbent in the model is doing exactly what the low cost firm would have done to keep the market to itself. All in all, this paper suggests that a government injunction of limit and predatory pricing should be applied with great care, evaluating each case on its own basis. Hasty generalization may work to the detriment, rather than the enhancement of consumer welfare.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.197-208
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• 1991

This study was conducted to estimated the genetic and phenotypic correlations between economic traits and certain other traits in Korean Native Ogol fowl The data analysis were the record of 450 pullets bred from 150 dams and 20 sires of Korean Native Ogol fowl at Chungnam National University from June 18, 1987 to April 6, 1989. The results obtained are summarized as follows ： 1 The genetic correlation coefficients of the economic traits and body shape components were as follows ： between body weight and shank length, breast width. breast girth, tibia length were 0.210~0.788, 0.231~0.826, 0.610~0.995 and 0.096~0.503 between age at first egg and shank length, breast width, breast girth, tibia length were 0.555~0.626, 0.149~0.270, 0.370~0.445 and 0.014-0.124. between number of egg production and shank length, breast girth, tibia length were -0.446~-0.167, -0.162~-0.320, 0.076~0.336 and 0.203~0.312 ： between egg weight and shank length, breast width, breast girth, tibia length were 0.132~0.498, 0.236~0.410, 0.148~0.775 and -0.019~0.593, respectively. 2. The genetic correlation coefficients of the economic traits and egg components were as follows ： between body weight and albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight were 0.083~0.591, 0 110~0.541 and 0.336~0.782 between age at the first egg and albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight were 0.476-0.692, 0.265~0.631 and 0.420~0.519 between number of egg Production and albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight were -0.578~-0.240, -0.255~-0.060, -0.477~-0.313. between egg weight and albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight were 0.825~0.939, 0.382~0.564, 0.374~0.337, respectively. 3. The genetic correlation coefficients of the economic traits and egg qualifies were as follows ： between body weight and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height, Haugh units were 0.215~0.367, 0.248~0.650, 0.161~0.624, 0.157~0.449. between number of egg production and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height, Haugh units were -0.384~-0.207, -0.557~-0.306, -0.555~-0.198, -0.582~-0.074 between egg weight and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height, Haugh units were 0.276~0.697, 0.290~0.627, 0.238~0.538, -0.207-0.020, respectively. 4. The genetic correlation coefficients of egg compositions and egg qualities were as follows ： between albumen weight and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height and Haugh units were 0.110~0.584, -0.380~-0.002, 0.239~0.887 and -0.195~0.279 ： between yolk weight and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height and Haugh units were -0.204~0.160, 0.294~0.133, -0.049~0.133 and -0.196~-0 136 ： between shell weight and egg shape index, shell thickness, albumen height and Haugh units were 0.127~0.503, 0.127~0.476, 0.140~0.273 and -0.172~0.233, respectively.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 1994

Since Jan. 1992, authors have conducted a pilot study to treat malignant glioma with multiple daily fractionated(MDF) radiation therapy and this paper presents the outcome compared MDF to conventional factionated(CF) radiation therapy Between Sep. 1989 and Jan. 1993, forty three patients with high grade glioma of brain except brain stem glioma were treated: nineteen patients were treated with CF radiation therapy and 24 patients were treated with MDF radiation therapy. In CF radiation therapy, total dose was 6300cGy/35fx in 7 weeks, which 5040cGy was delivered to the initial target volume and 1260cGy to reduced target volume. And in MDF radiation therapy, total dose was 6400cGy/40fx in 4 weeks, which 3200cGy was delivered to the initial target volume as 160cGy 2 times daily 6hr apart. All patients had histologically confirmed anaplastic astrocytoma(AA) of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with stereotactic biopsy or craniotomy for subtotal or gross tumor resection. The range of follow-up was 7 months to 4 years with a median follow-up of 9 months. The Median survival from surgery was 9 months for all patients. The median survival was 9 months and 10 months for MDF group and CF group and 10 months and 9.5 months for glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma, respectively. In 36 patients with follow-up CT scan or MRI scan, disease status was evaluated according to treatment groups, Four patients(GBM:3, AA:1) of 21 patients in MDF group, were alive with no evidence of disease, while none of patient was alive with no evidence of disease in CF group. The progression of disease had occurred in 20 patients, 11 patients and 9 patients in MDF group and CF group, respectively All of these patients showed in-field progression of disease, Four of 11 patients($27\%$) in MDF group showed the new leasion outside of the treatment field, while 5 of 9 patients($56\%$) in CF group. In our study the prognosis was not influenced by age, KPS, grade, extent of surgery and different fractional scheduled radiation therapy. Authors concluded that MDF regimen was well tolerated and shortened the treatment period from 7 weeks to 4 weeks without compromising results. We believe that further follow-up is needed to assess the role of MDF.