• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.97-114
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• 1996

INSTRODUCTION Service quality is, unlike goods quality, an abstract and elusive constuct. Service quality and its requirements are not easily understood by consumers, and also present some critical research problems. However, quality is very important to marketers and consumers in that it has many strategic benefits in contributing to profitability of marketing activities and consumers' problem-solving activities. Moreover, despite the phenomenal growth of medical service sector, few researchers have attempted to define and model medical service quality. Especially, little research has focused on the evaluation of medical service quality and patient satisfaction from the perspectives of both the provider and the patient. As competition intensifies and patients are demanding higher quality of medical service, medical service quality and patient satisfaction has emerged as a critical research topic. The major purpose of this article is to explore the concept of medical service quality and its evaluation from both nurse and patient perspectives. This article attempts to achieve its purpose by (1)classfying critical service attibutes into threecategories(satisfiers, hygiene factors, and performance factors). (2)measuring the relative importance of need criteria, (3)evaluating SERVPERF model and SERVQUAL model in medical service sector, and (4)identifying the relationship between perceived quality and overall patient satisfaction. METHOD Data were gathered from a sample of 217 patients and 179 nurses in Seoul-area general hospitals. From the review of previous literature, 50 survey items representing various facets of the medical service quality were developed to form a questionnaire. A five-point scale ranging from "Strongly Agree"(5) to "Strongly Disagree"(1) accompanied each statement(expectation statements, perception statements, and importance statements). To measure overall satisfaction, a seven-point scale was used, ranging from "Very Satisfied"(7) to "Very Dissatisfied"(1) with no verbal labels for scale points 2 through 6 RESULTS In explaining the relationship between perceived performance and overall satisfaction, only 31 variables out of original 50 survey items were proven to be statistically significant. Hence, a penalty-reward analysis was performed on theses 31 critical attributes to find out 17 satisfiers, 8 hygiene factors, and 4 performance factors in patient perspective. The role(category) of each service quality attribute in relation to patient satisfaction was com pared across two groups, that is, patients and nurses. They were little overlapped, suggesting that two groups had different sets of 'perceived quality' attributes. Principal components factor analyses of the patients' and nurses' responses were performed to identify the underlying dimensions for the set of performance(experience) statements. 28 variables were analyzed by using a varimax rotation after deleting three obscure variables. The number of factors to be extracted was determined by evaluating the eigenvalue scores. Six factors wereextracted, accounting for 57.1% of the total variance. Reliability analysis was performed to refine the factors further. Using coefficient alpha, scores of .84 to .65 were obtained. Individual-item analysis indicated that all statements in each of the factors should remain. On 26 attributes of 31 critical service quality attributes, there were gaps between actual patient's importance of need criteria and nurse perceptions of them. Those critical attributes could be classified into four categories based on the relative importance of need criteria and perceived performance from the perspective of patient. This analysis is useful in developing strategic plans for performance improvement. (1) top priorities(high importance and low performance) (in this study)- more health-related information -accuracy in billing - quality of food - appointments at my convenience - information about tests and treatments - prompt service of business office -adequacy of accommodations(elevators, etc) (2) current strengths(high importance and high performance) (3)unnecessary strengths(low importance and high performance) (4) low priorities(low importance and low performance) While 26 service quality attributes of SERPERF model were significantly related to patient satisfation, only 13 attributes of SERVQUAL model were significantly related. This result suggested that only experience-based norms(SERVPERF model) were more appropriate than expectations to serve as a benchmark against which service experiences were compared(SERVQUAL model). However, it must be noted that the degree of association to overall satisfaction was not consistent. There were some gaps between nurse percetions and patient perception of medical service performance. From the patient's viewpoint, "personal likability", "technical skill/trust", and "cares about me" were most significant positioning factors that contributed patient satisfaction. DISCUSSION This study shows that there are inconsistencies between nurse perceptions and patient perceptions of medical service attributes. Also, for service quality improvement, it is most important for nurses to understand what satisfiers, hygiene factors, and performance factors are through two-way communications. Patient satisfaction should be measured, and problems identified should be resolved for survival in intense competitive market conditions. Hence, patient satisfaction monitoring is now becoming a standard marketing tool for healthcare providers and its role is expected to increase.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 1999

This study attempts to encourage the development of a rehabilitation delivery system as a substitute service for hospitalization such as a community based intermediate facility or home health care. We need substitute services for hospitalization to curtail the length of stay for inpatients due to car accidents. It focused on developing an estimation for early discharge based on a detailed statement of treatment from medical records of 109 inpatients who were hospitalized at General Hospital in 1997. This study has three specific purposes: First, to find the mean length of stay and mean medical expenditure. Second, to estimate the mean of early discharge from the mean length of stay. Third, to analyize the income effect per bed from early discharge. In order to analyze the length of stay and medical expenditure of inpatients the author conducted a micro and macro-analysis with medical expenditure records. To estimate the early discharge we examined with a group of 4 experts decreases in the amount of treatment after surgery, in treatments, in tests, in drug methods. We also looked their vital signs, the start of ROM exercise, the time removel, a patient's visitations, and possible stable conditions. In addition to identifing the income effect due to an early discharge, the data was analyzed by an SPSS-PC for windows and Excell program with a regression analysis model. The research findings are as follows: First, the mean length of stay was 47.56 days, but the mean length of stay due to early discharge was 32.26 days. The estimation of early discharge days was shown to depend on the length of stay. The longer the length of stay, the longer the length before discharge. For example, if the patient stayed under 14 days the mean length of stay was 7.09 while an early discharge was 6.39, whereas if the mean length of stay was 155.73, the early discharge time was 107.43. The mean medical expenditure per day of car accident patients was found to be 169,085 Won, whereas the mean medical expenditure per day was shown to be in a negative linear form according to the length of stay. That is the mean expenditure for under 14 days of stay was 303,015 Won and the period of the hospitalization of 15 days to 29 days was 170,338 Won and those of 30 days to 59 days was 113,333 Won. The estimation of the income effect due to being discharged 16 days was around 2,350,000 Won with a regression analysis model. However, this does not show the real benefits from an early discharge, but only the income increasing amount without considering prime medical cost at a general hospital. Therefore, we need further analysis on cost containments and benefits incending turn over rates and medical prime costs. From these research findings, the following suggestions have been drawn, we need to develop strategies on a rehabilitation delivery system focused on consumers for the 21st century. Varions intermediate facilities and home health care should be developed in the community as a substitute for shortening the length of stay in hospitals. In home health care cases, patients who want rehabilitation services as a substitute for hospitalization in cooperation with private health insurance companies might be available immediately.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.40 no.1 s.106
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• pp.126-152
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• 2005

In recent years, there are some confusions related to the definition and existence of mountain ranges, which have been described in current geography text books. We contend that these confusions came from the lack of understanding on the geomorphological processes that form the mountain system in Korea. This research attempts to clarify the definition of mountain ranges and offer geological and geomorphological explanations about the formation of them. Based on the analyses of the social and cultural causes underlying the recent debates on the existence of mountain ranges, we tried to identify the relationships among the definition of mountain ranges, geological structure of Korea, and the forming processes of mountain ranges. The current and past mountain range maps were compared with geological structures, geological maps, surface curvature, and hill shade maps. The latter two maps were derived from a Digital Elevation Model of the Korean Peninsular. The results show that we are able to prove the existence of most mountain ranges, which provides a useful framework to understand the geological evolution of Korean peninsular and formation of mountainous landscape of Korea. In terms of their morphological continuity and genesis, however, we identified five different categories of mountain ranges: 1) Uplift mountain ranges(Hamkyeong Sanmaek, Nangrim Sanmaek, Taebaek Sanmaek), which were formed by the uplift processes of the Korean Peninsular during the Tertiary; 2) Falut mountain ranges(Macheonryeong Sanmaek, Sobaek Sanmaek, Buksubaek Sanmaek), whirh were directly related to the uplift processes of the Korean Peninsular during the Tertiary; 3) Trust mountain ranges(Jekyouryeong Sanmaek, Kwangju Sanmaek, Charyeong Sanmaek, Noryeong Sanmaek), which were formed by the intrusion of granite and consequent orogenic processes during the Mesozoic era; 4) Drainage divide type mountain ranges, which were formed by the erosion processes after the uplift of Korean Peninsular; 5) Cross-drainage basin type mountain ranges (Kangnam Sanmaek, Eunjin Sanmaek, Myelak sanmaek), which were also formed by the erosion processes, but the mountain ranges cross several drainage basins as connecting mountains laterally We believe that the current social confusions related to the existence of mountain ranges has partly been caused by the vague definition of mountain ranges and the diversity of the forming processes. In order to overcome theses confusions, it is necessary to characterize the types of them according the genesis, the purpose of usages and also the scale of maps which will explains the mountain systems. It is also necessary to provide appropriate educational materials to increase the general public's awareness and understanding of geomorphological processes.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.296-310
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• 1995

Classification of spatial units into meaningful sets is an important procedure in spatial analysis. It is crucial in characterizing and identifying spatial structures. But traditional classification methods such as cluster analysis require an exact database and impose a clear-cut boundary between classes. Scrutiny of realistic classification problems, however, reveals that available infermation may be vague and that the boundary may be ambiguous. The weakness of conventional methods is that they fail to capture the fuzzy data and the transition between classes. Fuzzy subsets theory is useful for solving these problems. This paper aims to come to the understanding of theoretical foundations of fuzzy spatial analysis, and to find the characteristics of fuzzy classification methods. It attempts to do so through the literature review and the case study of urban classification of the Cities and Eups of Kyung-Nam Province. The main findings are summarized as follows: 1. Following Dubois and Prade, fuzzy information has an imprecise and/or uncertain evaluation. In geography, fuzzy informations about spatial organization, geographical space perception and human behavior are frequent. But the researcher limits his work to numerical data processing and he does not consider spatial fringe. Fuzzy spatial analysis makes it possible to include the interface of groups in classification. 2. Fuzzy numerical taxonomic method is settled by Deloche, Tranquis, Ponsard and Leung. Depending on the data and the method employed, groups derived may be mutually exclusive or they may overlap to a certain degree. Classification pattern can be derived for each degree of similarity/distance $\alpha$. By takina the values of $\alpha$ in ascending or descending order, the hierarchical classification is obtained. 3. Kyung-Nam Cities and Eups were classified by fuzzy discrete classification, fuzzy conjoint classification and cluster analysis according to the ratio of number of persons employed in industries. As a result, they were divided into several groups which had homogeneous characteristies. Fuzzy discrete classification and cluste-analysis give clear-cut boundary, but fuzzy conjoint classification delimit the edges and cores of urban classification. 4. The results of different methods are varied. But each method contributes to the revealing the transparence of spatial structure. Through the result of three kinds of classification, Chung-mu city which has special characteristics and the group of Industrial cities composed by Changwon, Ulsan, Masan, Chinhai, Kimhai, Yangsan, Ungsang, Changsungpo and Shinhyun are evident in common. Even though the appraisal of the fuzzy classification methods, this framework appears to be more realistic and flexible in preserving information pertinent to urban classification.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.426-443
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• 2003

Electronic Commerce (EC) has been at the center of discussion as a symbol of the integration of unprecedentedly developed Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and traditional commerce. In spite of much attention to EC, the research from a spatial perspective has not proliferated yet. EC was regarded to have aspatial characteristics based on the expectation for a global expansion of business activities in a digital economy. This paper attempts to figure out the spatial characteristics of public Business-to-Business electronic marketplaces (public B2B e-MPs), as one of the most evolving forms of B2B EC, regardless of the low proportion in B2B EC at present. Many of the firms operating public B2B e-MPs in Korea were located in Seoul, especially in Gangnam-gu. The analysis of three spatial indices showed their extreme spatial concentration. The analysis on the location factors of Public B2B e-MP firms in Korea demonstrated that location factors of public B2B e-MP firms were differentiated by regional groups: Gangnam-gu, Seoul except Gangnam-gu, and the provinces. It was againt an initial extreme expectation that the firms relevant to B2B EC will not care about physical locations because they mainly do businesses in electronic space. The differences between those in Gangnam-gu and in the provinces were strikingly prominent. Such differentiated location factors by region were closely related to the different attributes of the public B2B e-MPs by region. In conclusion, public B2B e-MPs are not irrelevant to physical space and physical proximity, at least at a current stage. Customized spatial strategies are required for successful online businesses.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.52-76
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• 2000

Following the previous study focused on the period until the middle of the 20th century, this study tried to show how STS-related ideas have been developed historically in British science education, particularly focused on the period of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Like the USA, the UK witnessed the development of numerous academically-oriented programs, such as Nuffield projects, during the 1950-60s. However, during the 1970s, there had been growing criticism against the discipline-centered science education and some new noticeable approaches had been made to compensate the contemporary trend. For example, although its main focus was on the integrated approach in school science, the SCISP was quite successful to illustrate the importance of the relationship between science and society. Following this example, Science in Society and SISCON-in-Schools were more ambitious in developing genuine STS programs. These two projects were developed simultaneously and took the form of modules, rather than of textbooks. Nevertheless, Science in Society was more concerned with the applied and industrial aspects of science while SISCON-in-Schools was more inclined to the historical, philosophical and social aspects of science. During the 1980s, far more ambitious attempts had been made to develop full-scale STS programs, i.e. Salters' Chemistry/Science and SATIS. These two programs have been developed with the active corporation from the ASE and soon became the typical examples of the STS approach across the world. Besides the similarities between them, Salters' approach is more application-oriented, subject-oriented, and textbook-like while SATIS is more socially-oriented, issue-oriented and module-style. In summary, the history of STS approach in school science shows that the STS programs were developed under the different social backgrounds and initiated by different groups of the people who have different views towards the purposes of school science and that the STS approach is certainly not the exclusive characteristic of the last period of the 20th century. Finally, the features of the major STS programs developed in Britain during the 20th century are summarized and compared in relation to the Ziman's criteria of the possible approaches in STS education. And some general conclusion are drown based on the study of the history of the STS approaches in Britain.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.419-436
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• 2011

Korean farm villages are locked in vicious circle, as lots of their problems related to low income and hollow matters are geared and multiply. To get over those problems, various plans to develop Korean farm villages are being pushed ahead. In addition, since the early of 1990s, Korea has been projects to develop settlement zones and culture villages. It has been also preceeding with a comprehensive development project of farm villages and a new vitalizations project, etc. All of these projects aim to reorganize and expand life environments, industrial bases, and convenience and welfare facilities. The existing studies on a comprehensive project to develop farm villages have been focusing on evaluation indexes, problems, investment priorities, etc. But in fact, studies on a comprehensive development project of farm villages are not thoroughgoing enough in aspects of residents' attitude and their recognition on the influence on tourist development. Thus, this study aims to present strategic schemes to allow residents to actively participate in a stage of promoting a comprehensive development project of farm villages, a stage of making the plan, and a stage of the implementation. For this, this study analyzes a comprehensive development project of farm villages and attempts to figure out which influence the tourist development in farm villages has on residents' attitude and recognition resulting from changes in economic, social cultural, and environmental aspects. Especially, this study previously examines what influential factors there exists are and what influences the development of farm villages has on residents. Based on the results from the above analysis, schemes to enable residents to actively a comprehensive development project of farm villages are presented as follows. First, it is necessary to raise our recognition on tourism and tourism development of farm villages. If the main theme of a comprehensive development project of farm villages intends farm village development, it is required to educate residents and let them clearly raise their recognition on tourism, and the effect of the project is guaranteed. Second, it is highly required to make a plan so that we can feel economic effects of revenues through project promotion and positive effects including the expansion of infrastructures and welfare facilities, etc. Third, it is necessary to bring into relief the positive recognition and attitude of a comprehensive development project of farm villages. As for the negative recognition and attitude, it is very important to change negative residents' recognition to the positive direction and to allow them to participate in and to take an interest in the project, so that the project can be effectively promoted.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.167-197
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• 1991

This paper is intended as an introductory essay to explain endogenous changes in the scope of firm activities in the competitive structure of a deregulated, multi-product financial industry. Recently, the global financial industry has been experiencing a widespread reshuffling in its activities, reflecting both consolidation and specialization. The spread of the universal banking system, which involves the integration of various kinds of financial activities, has resulted in the so-called financial supermarket. At the same time, the traditional set of banking activities has been unbundled into so-called financial boutiques. A relevant question is where the current reshuffling process of integration and disintegration in financial activities might lead the financial industry. However, presently popular theories of the financial industry are not really appropriate for the analysis of this issue. This paper attempts to integrate the theory of specialization [George J. Stigler, "The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market," Journal of Political Economy, Vol. LIX, No.3, June 1951] and the theory of the multi-product firm [William J. Baumol, John C. Panzar, and Robert D. Willig, Contestable Markets and the Theory of Industry Structure, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New York, 1982] and to apply the resulting hybrid theory, a theory on the scope of financial activity, to the financial industry. The implications of this theory for the issues raised above are formalized under five hypotheses on the reshuffling of financial activities as listed below: Hypothesis I: The differences in the organization of financial industries among countries are determined by differences in the size of the financial markets, other things being equal. Hypothesis II: A financial firm will separate those financial activities simultaneously having relatively strong economies of scale and relatively weak economies of scope (alternatively, diseconomies of scope) from other activities. Conversely, the firm will integrate those activities simultaneously having relatively weak economies of scale (alternatively, diseconomies of scale) and relatively strong economies of scope with incumbent activities. Hypothesis III: A competitive equilibrium in the deregulated financial industry will consist of both specialized and multi-product financial firms, resulting in a mixed form of specialized and universal banking systems. Hypothesis IV: As world financial markets fully integrate and all countries consequently face this single, common world market, the financial structures of individual countries will become increasingly similar. Hypothesis V: A more universal banking system will dominate the deregulated financial industry in countries with relatively small financial markets, while a more specialized banking system will dominate in countries with relatively large financial markets. However, equilibrium will ultimately be mixed, with specialized and universal banks coexisting, as stated in Hypothesis III. Based on these hypotheses, this paper interprets the historical development of specialized vs. universal banking systems in major industrial countries as a process driven by the evolution of the financial market in each country - i.e. the change in the size of the financial market over time. In addition, this paper anticipates that the final equilibrium of the world financial industry, which is currently under the pressure of financial innovations and deregulation, will be a mixed equilibrium with both specialized boutiques and universal supermarket-type financial firms, instead of an exclusively specialized or universal banking system. Future research should seek continued theoretical elaboration and empirical verification of this paper's hypotheses.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.61-74
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• 2015

This study attempts to empirically examine the influence of entrepreneurial education in university on entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate and graduate students as potential entrepreneur and new moderating factors on the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions. We suggested EO(innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, proactiveness and locus of control) and environmental factors(entrepreneurial family background and resource accessibility) as new moderating factors in the relationship. For this study, the following research questions are raised : First, is there a significant difference in entrepreneurial intentions of enrolled and unenrolled students in entrepreneurial education? Second, does entrepreneurial education affect entrepreneurial intentions positively? Finally, do EO and environmental factors have moderating effects in the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions? In order to test our research model, the current study collected data from 265 undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring in natural sciences or engineering in Seoul National Univ., Hanyang Univ., and KAIST. To investigate our research questions and hypotheses, independent-sample T-test and hierarchical regression analysis were employed. The results of empirical analysis revealed that entrepreneurial education positively related to entrepreneurial intentions and that the relationship between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions moderated by EO and environmental factors. First, the result showed the significant difference in entrepreneurial intentions between enrolled and unenrolled students in entrepreneurial education. Entrepreneurial intentions of students who enrolled entrepreneurial education was higher than others. Second, entrepreneurial education affected the entrepreneurial intentions positively. Finally, the moderating effects of innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, proactiveness and entrepreneurial family background among investigated six moderators were significant. entrepreneurial education-entrepreneurial intentions relationship was even stronger under high innovativeness and high proactiveness. But risk-taking propensity and entrepreneurial family background decreased the effect of entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurial intentions.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2018

The Korean government attempts to reduce $CO_2$ emissions by 37% to 314.7 Mt $CO_2$, down from the estimated 850.6 Mt $CO_2$ until 2030 in order to confront green house effect. In this context, in 2014, Korean government launched $CO_2$ Storage Environmental Management Research (K-COSEM) Center for carrying out pilot-scale research on $CO_2$ leakage from underground $CO_2$ storage facilities. For the detection of $CO_2$ leakage, it is necessary to identify hydrologeological and geophysical characteristics of the subject area. In the study site of Naesan-ri, Daeso-myeon, Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk Province, two times injection tests (June 28-July 24, 2017 and August 07-September 11, 2017) of $CO_2$ and $SF_6$ dissolved waters, respectively, was conducted to understand the leakage behavior of $CO_2$ from underground. The injection well was drilled to a depth of 24 m with a 21-m casing and screen interval of 21~24 m depth. Two times resistivity surveys on August 18, 2017 and September 1, 2017, were conducted for revealing the flow of the injected water as well as the electrical properties of the study site. The study results have shown that the high-resistivity zone and the low-resistivity zone are clearly contrasted with each other and the flow direction of the injected water is similar to natural groundwater flow. Besides, the low resistivity zone is widely formed from the depth of injection to the shallow topsoil, indicating that the weathered zone of high permeability has high $CO_2$ leakage potential.