• Atmosphere
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.85-97
• /
• 2018

This study evaluates the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in reproducing the present-day (1981~2005) precipitation over Far East Asia and South Korea. The WRF model is configured with 25-km horizontal resolution within the context of the COordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) - East Asia Phase 2. The initial and lateral boundary forcing for the WRF simulation are derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Interim reanalysis. According to our results, WRF model shows a reasonable performance to reproduce the features of precipitation, such as seasonal climatology, annual and inter-annual variabilities, seasonal march of monsoon rainfall and extreme precipitation. In spite of such model's ability to simulate major features of precipitation, systematic biases are found in the downscaled simulation in some sub-regions and seasons. In particular, the WRF model systematically tends to overestimate (underestimate) precipitation over Far East Asia (South Korea), and relatively large biases are evident during the summer season. In terms of inter-annual variability, WRF shows an overall smaller (larger) standard deviation in the Far East Asia (South Korea) compared to observation. In addition, WRF overestimates the frequency and amount of weak precipitation, but underestimates those of heavy precipitation. Also, the number of wet days, the precipitation intensity above the 95 percentile, and consecutive wet days (consecutive dry days) are overestimated (underestimated) over eastern (western) part of South Korea. The results of this study can be used as reference data when providing information about projections of fine-scale climate change over East Asia.

• SUVANNABHUMI
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.17-53
• /
• 2016

Debates continue to multiply on the definition and rationale of Southeast Asia as a region and on the utility of the multidisciplinary field of area studies. However, we have now entered a post-colonialist, post-Orientalist, post-structuralist stage of reflection and re-orientation in the era of globalization, and a strong tendency on the part of insiders to pose these issues in terms of an insider-outsider dichotomy. On the one hand, the study of Southeast Asia for researchers from outside the region has become fragmented. This is for very obvious reasons: the strengthening and re-energizing of academic disciplines, the increasing popularity of other non-regional multidisciplinary studies, and the entry of globalization studies into our field of vision. On the other hand, how has the local Southeast Asian academy addressed these major issues of change in conceptualizing the region from an insider perspective? In filling in and giving substance to an outsider, primarily Euro-American-Australian-centric definition and vision of Southeast Asia, some local academics have recently been inclined to construct Southeast Asia in terms of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): a nation-state-based, institutional definition of what a region comprises. Others continue to operate at a localized level exploring small-scale communities and territories, while a modest number focus on sub-regional issues (the Malay-Indonesian world or the Mekong sub-region are examples). However, further reflections suggest that the Euro-American-Australian hegemony is a thing of the past and the ground has shifted to a much greater emphasis on academic activity within the region. Southeast Asia-based academics are also finding it much more important to network within the region and to capture, understand, and analyze what Chinese, Japanese, and Korean scholars are saying about Southeast Asia, its present circumstances and trajectories, and their increasingly close involvement with the region within a greater Asia-Pacific rim. The paper argues that the insider-outsider dichotomy requires considerable qualification. It is a neat way of dramatizing the aftermath of colonialism and Orientalism and of reasserting local priorities, agendas, and interests. But there might be a way forward in resolving at least some of these apparently opposed positions with recourse to the concepts of culture and identity in order to address Southeast Asian diversities, movements, encounters, hybridization, and hierarchies.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.29-59
• /
• 2001

This paper aims to describe port competition in East Asia and the Korean government's port strategy. In doing so, the paper provides an overview of global changes in international trade, the shipping industry and the port business. It also delineates the status of port competition in the region. Particular examples are taken from the competition among the ports of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as those of Pusan and Kwangyang, Kaohsiung, Kobe, and Shanghai and Yantian. The port competition in East Asia is reviewed and classified in two groups: north-tier competition among traditional major players, such as Kobe and Pusan, and dark horses such as Shanghai, Kwangyang and perhaps Yokohama; and south-tier competition among the three traditionally big players Kaohsiung, Hong Kong and Singapore, and the relative newcomers of Yantian in China, and Tanjung Pelepas In Malaysia. Due to the enlarging of ships and expansion of port activities, the boundary between the two tier frontiers breakdown, or they may even merge, into one grand frontier, in the foreseeable future. Although it appears that Asian ports are not being very aggressive in preparing for the future of mega-carrier in their plans, it is true that China, Korea and Taiwan are moving full steam ahead in comprehensively developing their container ports on a large scale. It therefore seems to be the perfect time for rival ports to explore a port alliance strategy to fight against the trend toward alliances between of many shipping lines.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.3-26
• /
• 2001

Competitive and reliable maritime transport services benefit the economy as a whole, and are key efficiency factors for the production of both goods and services. Although maritime transport sector is very liberalized compared to many other service sectors, certain obstacles must be overcome before full liberalization of the maritime transport can be realized. Particularly, maritime transport services in Northeast Asia are regulated by a complicated and outdated system. To remove these barkers two approaches can be used: a regional trading arrangement approach and a multilateral approach via WTO. However, multilateral efforts are not likely to be successful in achieving any concrete progress towards maritime transport liberalization in the short- to medium-term in Northeast Asia. Consequently, it may be the best to take the following two progressive approaches and to make them work towards liberalization of the maritime transport market: a bilateral approach and a trilateral approach. A gradual process of liberalization would expand the market, help operators achieve economies of scale, promote the international division of labor and specialization, enhance the effective management of shipping services, and promote the long-term interests and welfare of the user by improving service quality and diversifying services. A liberalized and integrated maritime transport market in Northeast Asia should achieve both of these long-run policy objectives by benefiting both the transport service users and the transport service providers. In order to move the maritime transport liberalization programs as quickly as possible, it is desirable to establish a "Regional Maritime Transport Liberalization Committee." We suggest it to be a Tripartite (China, Japan and Korea) Committee initially, which can later expand its membership to include other Northeast Asian countries.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.27-45
• /
• 2002

The continuing pace of technological change and the trend toward larger and faster ships is evident as shipping lines compete in seeking economies of scale in the global market and ports. become increasingly reliant on sophisticated equipment. Across the Asia and Pacific region some of the worlds most modern container ships are calling at an extensive network of mainline and feeder ports. This paper shows that during the period from 1999 to 2011, Asian container trade is expected to continue to increase more rapidly than the world average, i.e., 7.2 per cent per annum compared with the world average of 6.3 per cent. It is forecast that the total volumes of international containers handled at the ports in Asia and the Pacific will increase at an average growth rate of 7,2 per cent per annum. In order to handle the anticipated port container traffic in 2011, new container berths are required in nearly every country in the Asia and the Pacific region. This will entail very significant capital investment requirements. If countries in the UNESCAP region are to position their ports to meet the challenges of the next decade, there is an urgent need to implement more robust strategies to address important issues including prioritisation of port development projects, promotion of private sector participation in ports, emphasis on productivity and preparation for intermodal integration and logistics growth.

• SUVANNABHUMI
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.141-155
• /
• 2020

How might historians secure for the river a larger berth in the recent macro-historical turn? This question cannot find a greater niche than in the emerging critique of the existing spatial configuration of regionalism in mainland Southeastern Asia. The Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong and Yangtze rivers spread out like a necklace around Yunnan and cut across parts of the territories that are known as South, Southeast and East Asia. Each of these rivers has a different topography and fluvial itinerary, giving rise to different political, economic and cultural trajectories. Yet these rivers together form a connected "water-world". These rivers engendered conversations between multi-agentive mobility and large-scale place-making and were at the heart of inter-Asian engagements and integration until the formal end of the European empires. Being both a subject and a sponsor of transregional crossings, the paper argues, these rivers point to the need for a new historical approach that registers the connections between parts of the Southeast Asian massif through to the expansive plain land and the vast coastal rim of the Bay of Bengal and the China Seas. A connection that could be framed through the concept of Holon.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.366-372
• /
• 2021

Background The result of illicit polymer injection is chronic inflammation with foreign-body granuloma (FBG) formation. Treatment can be divided into medical and surgical. Some patients develop severe complications with need surgical treatment. This study aims to describe patients who underwent surgical removal of the FBGs and autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA); additionally, we evaluated the quality of life after surgery. Methods In this retrospective single-center study, the authors examined data of patients who underwent surgical removal of FBG caused by illicit polymer injection for cosmetic purposes and confirmed ASIA from 2015 to 2020 by three different surgical approaches. Descriptive summary statistics were reported on patient demographics, presenting symptoms and clinical examination features, treatment strategies, histopathology reports and quality of life. Results The cohort included 11 female patients with FBGs and ASIA. The most affected anatomical zones were the combination of gluteal region, thighs and legs (40%); and thighs with legs (20%). Main presentation was: skin hyperpigmentation (90.9%), skin induration (63.6%), chronic fatigue (63.6%), and ulcers (36.4%). Surgical modalities consisted of: ultrasonic-assisted liposuction in four patients (36.4%); open en bloc excision and primary closure in four patients (36.4%); and open en bloc excision and microsurgical reconstruction in three patients (27.2%). The postoperative quality of life visual analog scale score was 83.9. Conclusions ASIA treatment represents a challenge for the plastic surgeon. Adequate surgical treatment emphasizing, when possible, the total or near-total resection of the FBG must be performed to improve ASIA evolution.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.545-561
• /
• 2018

Over the North East Asia, extreme anomalous precipitation were observed in 2013 and 2014. During 2013 summer the precipitation was found to be higher (two standard deviation) than the climatological mean of the region; whereas during 2014, which was a borderline El Ni?o year, precipitation was found to be lower (one standard deviation). To understand the differences of these two anomalous years the Global/Regional Integrated Model system (GRIMs) has been used. The study found that low landsurface temperature and high sea-surface temperature over ocean caused a smaller land-sea contrast of surface temperature between East Asia and North West Pacific Ocean in 2014, which could have caused an eastward shift of mean monsoon circulation in that year compared to the circulation in 2013. Due to a change in the lower level circulation and wind field over East Asia the evaporation and moisture transport patterns became very different in those two years. In 2013, this study found high latent heat flux over Eastern China, which implies an increased surface evaporation over that region, and the moisture transported to the north by the mean monsoon circulation; whereas, there was no correlated transport of moisture to the North East Asia during 2014. The precipitable water over North East Asia has a stronger correlation with the latent heat flux over southern land region than that from Ocean region in the eastern side in both the years. A new approach is proposed to estimate the sub-grid scale hydrometeors from GRIMs, overestimated in the existing model.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
• /
• 2008.04a
• /
• pp.559-561
• /
• 2008

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.19 no.E2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2003

The present study details air pollution measurements in the Yellow Sea of East Asia. Large-scale air pollution was observed through satellite images and ground monitors in Chongju-Chongwon of central Korea. Evidence of a duststorm transport and resulting dustfall from the Gobi Desert in north China and Mongolia is shown. Also, transport of anthropogenic air pollutants from China to the Yellow Sea, Korea, and Japan was detected and discussed. It was found that the level of air pollution concentrations at a regional back-ground site increased 2 ∼ 4 times than the values observed with the relatively clean air, when massive air pollution from China moved to the Korean Peninsula. Satellite measurements will be useful for monitoring regional- and global-scale air pollution in the future.