• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2015

During global recessions, such as the 2008 financial crisis, Korean shipping companies have been undergoing a liquidity crisis that is comparably worse than other shipping companies worldwide. One of the reasons behind this repetitive vicious cycle can be the lack of ability to foresee the future by analyzing and understanding the volatile shipping market. Traditionally, in order to assimilate the shipping market, larger Korean shipping companies have been purchasing market reports published by Europe-based research companies and shipping brokers, leading to a digital divide by company size. To resolve this issue, the Maritime Exchange Information Center (MEIC) has been publishing shipping market reports that include essential shipping information such as freight rates by different routes; commodity trends for iron ore, grain, and coal; ship-building trends for new-building, second-hand, and demolition markets; as well as bunker price and port congestion. This research was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of four variables-information usefulness, market reflection, information composition, and latest information-on information satisfaction. If the information satisfaction was found to be adequate, the analysis of actual proof was used to determine if the customers would be willing to purchase MEIC's report when it is chargeable. All the four variables were found to have positive effects on information satisfaction. In particular, latest information was found to directly affect the intention to purchase. Furthermore, high information satisfaction was related to the intention to purchase.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2014

In this study, the method to measure effectively the ground surface displacement of slope was proposed using the Laser Distance Measurer (LDM). Applying the proposed technique is more simple and easier than the complicated and high-priced instrument to measure the ground surface displacement. LDM is an instrument that the red laser aimed at the target and then the reflected laser used for calculating the distance. The advantages of LDM are easy operating method, high measurement precision and lower in price. To check the feasibility, the proposed method applied to the real site that the ground surface displacement of slope was occurred continuously. The ground surface displacements were occurred in various points of the natural and cut slopes located at the lower part of coal mine waste heap due to the load of waste heap. To measure directly the ground surface displacement in this site, 6 measurement sections and 26 measurement points were selected. As the result of the displacement measured by the proposed technique within a certain period time, the accumulative ground surface displacement could be measured as well as the velocity of displacement could be estimated. Also, the progress direction of ground surface displacement can be confirmed and predicted through the analysis of all measured result.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.131-138
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• 2019

The world's electricity production ratio is 40% for coal, 20% for natural gas, 16% for hydroelectric power, 15% for nuclear power and 6% for petroleum. Fossil fuels also cause serious problems in terms of price and supply because of the high concentration of resources on the earth. Solar energy is attracting attention as a next-generation eco-friendly energy that will replace fossil fuels with these problems. In this study, we test the charge-operation plan and the discharge operation plan for peak-cut operation by applying the maximum power demand reduction simulation. To do this, we selected the electricity usage from November to February, which has the largest amount of power usage, and applied charge / discharge logic. Simulation results show that the contract power decreases as the peak demand power after the ESS Peak-cut service is reduced to 50% of the peak-target power. As a result, the contract power reduction can reduce the basic power value of the customer and not only the economic superiority can be expected, but also contribute to the improvement of the electric quality and stabilization of the power supply system.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.10-21
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• 2022

In the South Korea, 47% of abandoned mines are suffering from the mining hazards such as the mine drainage (MD), the mine tailings and the waste rocks. Among them the mine drainage which has a low pH and the high concentration of heavy metals can directly contaminate rivers or soil and cause serious damages to human health. The natural/artificial treatment facilities by using neutralizers and coagulants for the mine drainage have been operated in domestic and most of heavy metals in mind drainage are precipitated and removed in the form of metal hydroxide, alumino-silicate or carbonate, generating a large amount of mine drainage treated sludge ('MDS' hereafter) by-product. The MDS has a large surface area and many functional groups, showing high efficiency on the fixation of heavy metals. The purpose of this study is to develop a ingenious heavy metal stabilizer that can effectively stabilize arsenic (As) and heavy metals in soil by recycling the MDS (two types of MDS: the acid mine drainage treated sludge (MMDS) and the coal mine drainage treated sludge (CMDS)). Various analyses, toxicity evaluations, and leaching reduction batch experiments were performed to identify the characteristics of MDS as the stabilizer for soils contaminated with As and heavy metals. As a result of batch experiments, the Pb stabilization efficiency of both of MDSs for soil A was higher than 90% and their Zn stabilization efficiencies were higher than 70%. In the case of soil B and C, which were contaminated with As, their As stabilization efficiencies were higher than 80%. Experimental results suggested that both of MDSs could be successfully applied for the As and heavy metal contaminated soil as the soil stabilizer, because of their low unit price and high stabilization efficiency for As and hevry metals.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-148
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• 2014

This paper performs a historical analysis on the various factors contributing to the current carbon lock-in of Korean electricity industry by using techo-institutional complex. The possibilities of the industry's carbon lock-out toward more sustainable development are also investigated. It turns out that market, firm, consumer, and government factors are all responsible for the development of the carbon lock-in of Korean power industry; the Korean government consistently favoring large power plants based on the economy of scale; below-cost electricity tariff; inflation policy to suppress increases in power price; rapid demand growth in summer and winter seasons; rigidities of electricity tariff; and expansion of gas-fired and imported coal-fired large power plants. On the other hand, except for nuclear power generation and smart grid, environment laws and new and renewable energy laws are the other remaining factors contributing to the carbon lock-out. Considering three key points that Korea is an export-oriented economy, the generation mix is the most critical factor to decide the amounts of carbon emission in the power industry, and the share of industry and commercial power consumption is over 85%, it is unlikely that Korea will achieve the carbon lock-out of power industry in the near future. Therefore, there are needs for more integrated approaches from market, firm, consumer, and government all together in order to achieve the carbon lock-out in the electricity industry. Firstly, from the market perspective, it is necessary to persue more active new and renewable energy penetration and to guarantee consumer choices by mitigating the incumbent's monopoly power as in the OECD countries. Secondly, from the firm perspective, the promotion of distributed energy system is urgent, which includes new and renewable resources and demand resources. Thirdly, from the consumer perspective, more green choices in the power tariff and customer awareness on the carbon lock-out are needed. Lastly, the government shall urgently improve power planning frameworks to include the various externalities that were not properly reflected in the past such as environmental and social conflict costs.