• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.279-303
• /
• 2018

Since the introduction of the Riester Pension Scheme, the controversy has continued in the policy studies and the political debates. This study evaluates the achievements and limitations of the German Riester pension scheme and tries to derive policy implications for South Korea. As a result of the analysis, the most worthwhile achievement of the Riester Pension is to strengthen the role of the private pension schemes. Unlike other private pension schemes, it included a large part of lower income households. It also opened a new perspective of utilizing private pension schemes to accomplish the goals of the family policy. Despite these attainments, it does not reach the promised coverage rate. It also was revealed that the higher income households have concluded more Riester Pension Contracts than the targeted lower-income households. Due to high administration fee and incomplete information problems, benefit levels are supposed to be much lower than expected. It concludes, above all, despite some achievements, the Riester Pension Scheme will not fill completely the gap of old age income security caused by the reduction of the public pension system. The German case provides fruitful lessons for Korea. The introduction of a subsidized personal pension scheme in South Korea can be realized only when some prerequisites would be satisfied such as the consolidation and maturing of public pension schemes and the strengthening of the transparency in the private pension market.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.451-463
• /
• 2016

We explore the impact of Chinese future air pollutant emissions on ozone air quality in Northeast Asia (NEA) and health in South-Korea using an assessment framework including ICAMS (The Integrated Climate and Air Quality Modeling System) and BenMAP (The Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program). The emissions data sets from the climate change scenarios, the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (emission scenarios, EMSO), are used to simulate ozone air quality in NEA in the current (1996~2005, 2000s), the near future (2016~2025, 2020s) and the distant future (2046~2055, 2050s). Furthermore, the simulated ozone changes in the 2050s are used to analyze ozone-related premature mortality and economic cost in South-Korea. While different EMSOs are applied to the China region, fixed EMSO are used for other country regions to isolate the impacts of the Chinese emissions. Predicted ozone changes in NEA are distinctively affected by large changes in NOx emission over most of China region. Comparing the 2020s with the 2000s situation, the largest increase in mean ozone concentrations in NEA is simulated under RCP 8.5 and similarly small increases are under other RCPs. In the 2050s in NEA, the largest increase in mean ozone concentrations is simulated under RCP 6.0 and leads to the occurrence of the highest premature mortalities and economic costs in South-Korea. Whereas, the largest decrease is simulated under RCP 4.5 leads to the highest avoided premature mortality numbers and economic costs. Our results suggest that continuous reduction of NOx emissions across the China region under an assertive climate change mitigation scenario like RCP 4.5 leads to improved future ozone air quality and health benefits in the NEA countries including South-Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.23-34
• /
• 2019

Global warming becomes a serious issue that poses subsidiary issues like a sea level rise or a capricious climate over the world. Because of severe heat-wave of the summer in Korea in 2016, a big attention has been focused on urban heat island since then. Not just about heat-wave itself, many researches have been concentrated on how to adapt in this trendy warming climate and weather in a small scope. A big part of existing studies is mitigating "Urban Heat Island effect" and that is because of huge impervious surface in urban area where highly populated areas do diverse activities. It is a serious problem that this thermal context has a high possibility causing mortality by heat vulnerability. However, there have been many articles of a green infrastructures' cooling impact in summer. This research pays attention to measure cooling effect of a street planting considering urban canyon and type of green infrastructures in neighborhood scale. This quantitative approach was proceeded by ENVI-met simulation with a spatial scope of a commercial block in Seoul, Korea. We found the dense double-row planting is more sensitive to change in temperature than that of the single-row. Among the double-row planting scenarios, shrubs which have narrow space between the plant and the land surface were found to store heat inside during the daytime and prevent emitting heat so as to have a higher temperature at night. The quantifying an amount of vegetated spaces' cooling effect research is expected to contribute to a study of the cost and benefit for the planting scenarios' assessment in the future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.272-281
• /
• 2019

Background: Diabetic sensorineural damage is a complication of the sensory neural system, resulting from long-term hyperglycemia. Red ginseng (RG) has shown efficacy for treatment of various diseases, including diabetes mellitus; however, there is little research about its benefit for treating sensorineural damage. Therefore, we aim to evaluate RG efficacy in alloxan-induced diabetic neuromast (AIDN) zebrafish. Methods: In this study, we developed and validated an AIDN zebrafish model. To assess RG effectiveness, we observed morphological changes in live neuromast zebrafish. Also, zebrafish has been observed to have an ultrastructure of hair-cell cilia under scanning electron microscopy. Thus, we recorded these physiological traits to assess hair cell function. Finally, we confirmed that RG promoted neuromast recovery via nerve growth factor signaling pathway markers. Results: First, we established an AIDN zebrafish model. Using this model, we showed via live neuromast imaging that RG fostered recovery of sensorineural damage. Damaged hair cell cilia were recovered in AIDN zebrafish. Furthermore, RG rescued damaged hair cell function through cell membrane ion balance. Conclusion: Our data suggest that RG potentially facilitates recovery in AIDN zebrafish, and its mechanism seems to be promotion of the nerve growth factor pathway through increased expression of topomyosin receptor kinase A, transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily type 1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.438-443
• /
• 2020

The digital treatment technology industry is one of the core fostering industries of the Moon Jae-in government along with the global trend. The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the investment and economic ripple effect on the related industries. To this end, we used the industry-related table, which is the actual measurement data for 2015 that the Bank of Korea actually measured and released every 5 years in 2019. The digital treatment technology industry was not clearly classified within Korea's industrial classification system, so the contents of the industry-related survey were analyzed, and the digital treatment technology industry was reclassified and then analyzed. As a result of the analysis, it was analyzed that the production induction effect of the digital treatment technology-related industry in 2015 was 1.770, the value-added induction effect was 0.875, and the employment induction effect was 19.128, which was higher than that of other industries in Korea. As a result of the analysis of the economic ripple effect (scenario 1), the production inducing effect was about 370 billion won, the added value inducing effect was about 185 billion won, and the employment inducing effect was 4,044 people. The results of this study are expected to play a large role in economic revitalization as the effect of inducing production, increasing employment, and creating added value through fostering the digital treatment technology industry is expected to play a large role in activating the economy. It is expected to play a large role in providing central medical services. Therefore, it is expected that policy support for revitalizing the digital treatment technology industry through active investment support and tax benefits from the government to foster the digital treatment technology industry is necessary.

• Food Science and Industry
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.174-184
• /
• 2018

The impact of regulations on industrial activities is significant. Because the food industry has to observe given obligations and bear costs and expenses resulted from complying with applicable food safety regulations. Meanwhile, A government drafts the regulatory impact analysis report prior to enactment, amendment or reinforcement of any regulations. The analysis powered by objective and scientific methodologies enable a government to judge whether a particular regulation will be good or bad for the society. An effective policy implementation in practice and cost-bearing is entirely up to industries. Moreover, opportunity cost and actual cost relating to or arising from regulatory compliance will be estimated only by the respective industries. Therefore, the food Industry needs to collect and accumulate the said information and also to disseminate their hardships and financial burdens. Objective and practical information will encourage a government to set out regulatory frameworks that rational policy making.

• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.113-150
• /
• 2017

This study analyzes how workers become impoverished and have their jobs less stabilized after they suffer from non-job-related sickness. Given that South Korea lacks sickness benefits, which most of OECD member states legislate and implement except US and Switzerland, this study examines its impact on laborers' job stability and povertization in Korea. The researchers have conducted in-depth interviews with nine former or present laborers who have the experiences and four experts on the issue in July-September, 2017 for the qualitative analysis. It is found that laborers, after becoming aware of their sickness, at first endure their pain without informing their employers not to lose their jobs. The attititude is observed especially among non-standard laborers, because sickness more often leads to job loss for them than for standard laborers. After workers have to leave their jobs due to their sickness in the end, they have no choice but to keep working in less stable jobs to compensate for income losses. They become gradually impoverished with their social capital like family bond declining. We observe laborers who are eligible for industrial accident insurance compensation could not benefit from the system because some employers refrain from the legal reporting duty. Due to this illegal practices, some industrial accident victims unduly lose their jobs due to "non-job-related sickness". Second, some employers report to the authority that their sick laborers have left their jobs 'voluntarily' even when they have quitted it without their volition, in which case the newly unemployed are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Large holes in Korea's safety nets for those suffering from multiple risks of sickness and unemployment.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2021

Even though there have been so much practical interests in industry, the relevant empirical researches are not sufficient. In this study, we try to identify the problems of matrix organization structure in the semiconductor industry and make suggestions for improvements. Also, we try to find out whether there are differences in the perceptions of the problems among ranks and teams. This study was conducted to the researchers in the matrix organization structure of the H-corp. research institute. The problems we found are as follows. The researchers agreed that the matrix organization structure is appropriate when highly professional members for the development of next-generation semiconductors are participated in the projects. They showed strong wills to participate and succeed in projects. However, the researchers felt that the equipments and manpowers were not enough and too much tasks and workloads were assigned to both the managers and members Also, in an open ended question, the researchers pointed out the problems of the matrix organization structure such as 'weak project manager's authority', 'communication and teamwork issues', 'non-obvious work priorities', 'compensation and benefit system', 'lack of research manpower and equipment'. From the strengths and weaknesses of the matrix organization structure of the semiconductor industry, we provide some suggestions for improvements.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.10-19
• /
• 2022

Background: According to the eighth TNM (tumor-node-metastasis) staging system, the presence of separate tumor nodules in the same lobe is designated as a T3 descriptor. However, it remains unclear whether adjuvant chemotherapy confers survival advantages in this setting. Methods: We retrospectively identified 142 pathologic T3N0M0 patients with additional pulmonary nodules in the same lobe from a single-institutional database from 2004 to 2019. The main outcomes were overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Multivariable Cox regression was used to identify the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy while adjusting for other variables. Results: Sixty-one patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (adjuvant group) and 81 patients did not receive adjuvant therapy after surgery (surgery-only group). There were no demonstrable differences between the 2 groups regarding hospital mortality and postoperative complications, indicating that treatment selection had not significantly occurred. However, the use of adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved 5-year overall survival (70% vs. 59%, p=0.006) and disease-free survival (60% vs. 46%, p=0.040). A multivariable Cox model demonstrated that adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with a survival advantage (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.54; p<0.001). In exploratory analyses of subgroups, the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy seemed to be insufficient in those with small main tumors (<4 cm). Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with better survival in T3 cancers with an additional tumor nodule in the same lobe. However, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patient subgroups with small tumors or those without risk factors should be determined via large studies.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.121-136
• /
• 2022

Purpose : Marine therapy is an activity that promotes public health such as constitution improvement, immunity improvement, and anti-aging by utilizing marine therapeutic resources such as seawater, mud, seaweed, salt and sea climate. In Europe developed countries, the marine therapy industry has been developing for centuries, with France, Germany, and Israel leading the way. Currently, it has achieved great industrial achievements and is of great help in improving the human health. The purpose of this study is to investigate how marine therapeutic resources benefit to human health, as well as how to study and utilize their efficacy. We analyzed previous research articles related to the effects of marine therapeutic resources. Methods : The study included a total of 830 published literatures in the last 20 years from the Republic of Korea and other contries. PubMed and Google Scholar were utilized to collect the foreign source while the local scientific publications were accessed through the Korean Education and research Information Service (KERIS) and Korean studies Information Service System (KISS). The keywords used to search foreign literature were "marine therapy", "Thalassotherapy", "seawater", "deep seawater", "saline groundwater", "sand therapy", "mud therapy", "hydrotherapy", "seaweed", "Sun light", "sea salt", "marine animal", and "marine microorganisms" were combined, and for the domestic literature, the keywords were "marine therapy", "marine therapeutic resources", "seawater", and "sand". Results : A total of 830 research papers were found as a result of searching for domestic and international papers related to marine therapeutic resources. The collected documents were classified into 175 seawater resources, 259 marine mineral resources, 41 marine environment, and 355 marine organisms. The efficacy of each marine therapeutic resources was analyzed. By resources type, there were about 213 papers on the efficacy of seaweed, followed by about 175 papers on seawater, 142 on microorganisms, 124 on mud/peat, and sand, salt, minerals and others are appeared in order (Table 1). Conclusion : Korea has the highest marine biodiversity index, excellent tidal flats, four distinct seasons, and various sea environments of the East sea, Yellow sea, South sea and Jeju sea. For this reason, Korea has a much more diverse marine therapeutic resources than other advanced countries in the marine therapy industry. prebiously, we thought that the sea was only valuable as a shipping port and fishery industry. But now, it been shown that the ocean can become a new industrial field which can contribute to human health and well-being by providing healing and therapy to people through the gift of marine resources.