• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.65-92
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• 1985

A total of 12 mineral commodities significant in domestic output, economy and/or strategy of the Republic of Korea are chosen to examine the structural changes in production and demand-supply of these minerals during the last two decades of her industrialization. These include iron and manganese ores as the raw materials for iron and steel making, copper, zinc and tungsten ores among other non-ferrous metallic minerals, limestone (cement), kaolin, talc, pyrophyllite and graphite among other non-metallic minerals, and anthracite coal as the only domestic source of fossil energy. These are reviewed historically in time-series based on the statistical data which are tabulated and graphed in terms of domestic output, export, import, apparent demand-supply, its increasing rate, and self-sufficiency rate of each commodity. The increasing rates of demand-supply (IRDS) of some more important commodities are compared with those of Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and Economic Growth Rate (EGR) to evaluate how the IRDS contributed to the GDP and EGR. The major results revealed are as follows: Among the 12 commodities, the domestic output of 8 commodities appeared to have grown with steady upward trends: they are ores of lead, zinc and tungsten, limestone (cement), kaolin, talc, pyrophyllite and anthracite coal. Two commodities, ores of iron and copper, continued with unchanging or slightly declining trends and varied fluctuations, in spite of their cardinal importance to the heavy industry and strategy of Korea. The remaining two, graphite and manganese ore, have gradualy declined in domestic output in which the former has still enough resource potential but the latter has not and virtually ceased its domestic output. Trade patterns for mineral commodities in the Republic of Korea during the last two decades have changed greatly, being marked by a shift from mineral-exporting to mineral importing, mainly because of increasing consumption of mineral raw materials for industrialization rather than beceuse of decreasing output of domestic mineral commodities in quantity. In terms of trade patterns, the 12 commodities concerned in this study can be classified into the following four groups. The 1st group - ores of lead and tungsten have only been exported without imports. The 2nd group - amorphous graphite, and pyrophyllite have mainly been exported but partly been imported. The 3rd group - kaolin, talc and crystalline graphite have equally been exported and imported, but quantity of imports have rapidly been increased with time. The 4th group - ores of iron, manganese and zinc have shifted from exports to imports during the industrialization, particularly owing to the initiation of iron and steel making by the Pohang Iron and Steel Company in the middle 1970' s and the new establishment of the Onsan Zinc Refinery in the late 1970' s. All of the 12 commodities under considerations were far above 100% in self-sufficiency rate before or in the early 1960' s. Recently, however, most of them have been declined to below 100% except for those of limestone (cement) and pyrophyllite. It is particularly serious to identify that the self-sufficiency rates of the three important metallic minerals, iron, copper and manganese ores in 1982 appeared to be 5.1%, 0.5%, and 0.01%, respectively. The average self-sufficiency rate of the total domestic minerals produced in 1982 was 14.4% (in value) for that year. Mining industry appeared to be extremely high in its intermediate demand rate whereas its intermediate input rate to be quite low indicating that mineral raw materials have been exerted strong forward linkage effects upon the other industries rather than backward linkage effects. In comparing the curves of increasing rates of demand-supply of several major minerals - iron ore, manganese ore, copper ore, limestone (cement), kaolin, and anthracite coal - with those of Gross Domestic Production and Economic Growth Rate drawn on every graph, it is clearly shown that the curves of increasing rates of demand-supply comprise around 6 to 7 periods of cycles which roughly harmonious with those of the curves of GDP and EGR, except for the curve of anthracite coal of which the configuration seems to have resulted from the (artificial) government's mineral policy rather than from economic free market mechanism. The harmonic feature of these curves well suggests that the increasing rates of demand-supply of major minerals have been significantly contributed to the GDP and EGR. In addition, the wider amplitudes of the iron, manganese and copper curves than those of the limestone (cement) and kaolin curves indicate that the contribution of the former, metallic commodities, has been greater than that of the latter, non-metallic commodities.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.205-217
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to identify land resources because food production and supply in North Korea have been at risk due to variations in its seasonal climate. More than three-fifths of the soils are locally derived from the weathering of granitic rocks or various kinds of schists developed from crystalline rocks. Well-developed reddish brown soils derived from limestone are found in the North Hwanghae province and in the southern part of the South Pyeongan province. Additionally, a narrow strip of similarly fertile land runs through the eastern seaboard of the Hamgyong and Kangwon Provinces. The loss of clay particles and organic matter are major causes of degradation in the soil physical and chemical properties in North Korea. 75% of the areas converted from forests became croplands, and 69% of the land converted to croplands came from forests. The net forest loss was quite small from the 1990s to the 2000s. However, deforestation in areas with a slightly lower elevation and gentler slope between 1997 and 2014 led to severe soil erosion resulting in a drastic change in the physical and chemical properties of the soil which influenced cropland stability and productivity. Therefore, the drastic changes in land cover as well as in the physical and chemical properties of the soil caused by various geographical features have seriously influenced the productivity of crops in North Korea.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.21-36
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• 2005

Although the main geology of Korea consists of granite and gneiss, it Is not uncommon to encounter anisotropy Phenomena in crosshole radar tomography even when the basement is crystalline rock. To solve the anisotropy Problem, we have developed and continuously upgraded an anisotropic inversion algorithm assuming a heterogeneous elliptic anisotropy to reconstruct three kinds of tomograms: tomograms of maximum and minimum velocities, and of the direction of the symmetry axis. In this paper, we discuss the developed algorithm and introduce some case histories on the application of anisotropic radar tomography in Korea. The first two case histories were conducted for the construction of infrastructure, and their main objective was to locate cavities in limestone. The last two were performed In a granite and gneiss area. The anisotropy in the granite area was caused by fine fissures aligned in the same direction, while that in the gneiss and limestone area by the alignment of the constituent minerals. Through these case histories we showed that the anisotropic characteristic itself gives us additional important information for understanding the internal status of basement rock. In particular, the anisotropy ratio defined by the normalized difference between maximum and minimum velocities as well as the direction of maximum velocity are helpful to interpret the borehole radar tomogram.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.485-497
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• 2019

The Jade Investiture Books in Joseon Dynasty shows diverse facies with various petrographic characteristics to green and white based on color. In lithologically, the green rocks are jade composed of calcite and serpentine, and the white ones are marbles consisting mainly in crystalline calcite. As a result of X-ray diffraction of jade rocks, the more green in color, the more increased intensity of serpentine appears. Therefore, the grade of jade is correlated with contents of serpentine. The Jade Investiture Books owned by the National Palace Museum of Korea are subdivided with 104 (41.3%) books made by only jade rocks, 98 (38.9%) books made by only marbles, and 50 (19.8%) books mixed with jade rocks and marbles. Among the mixed ones, 47 (18.6%) books consisted mainly of the marbles. This result shows the superior marble books occupy more than half of the total books. The Jade Investiture Books made in early Joseon Dynasty are composed of high grade jade. However, the grade of jade had decreased as the kings changed in process of time, and the composition of marble had increased in reverse proportion of jade. The quality of letter pigments, metal accessories and fabrics also had decreased with jade. These trends are reflected in the aspect of society such as weakening royal authority, national power and finance with the course of time. The jade of the books has different mineralogical characteristics from some modern jade produced in Chuncheon nephrite and Buyeo precious serpentine in Korea. Meanwhile, there is ancient literature that described quarries from Namyang in Hwaseong of Gyeonggi province. This area has a wide distribution of gneiss, limestone and limesilicate rocks are interbedded between muscovite schist. The limesilicate rocks contain diopside, which produced serpentine through alteration. It has possibility to make the Jade Investiture Books using these small amounts of jade through mining activity.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.437-448
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• 2000

The Middle Carboniferous Gabsan Formation is distributed in the Cheongrim area of southern Yeongwol and the Mt. Gachang area of Chungbuk Province. This study was carried out to investigate the lithological characters and geochemical composition of the limestones and to find out controlling structures of the limestones of the formation. The limestones of the Gabsan Formation are characterized by the light gray to light brown in color and fine and dense textures. The limestone grains are composed of crinoid fragments, small foraminfers, fusulinids, gastropods, ostracods, etc. Due to the recrystallization, some limestones consist of fine crystalline calcites. The chemical analysis of limestones of the formation was conducted to find out the contents of CaO, MgO, Al$_2$O$_3$, Fe$_2$O$_3$ and SiO$_2$. The content of CaO ranges from 49.78-60.63% and the content of MgO ranges from 0.74 to 4.63% The contents of Al$_2$O$_3$ and Fe$_2$O$_3$ are 0.02-0.55% and 0.02${\sim}$0.84% , respectively. The content of SiO$_2$ varies from 1.55 to 4.80%, but some samples contain more than 6.0%. The limestones of the formation can be grouped into two according to the CaO content: One is a group of which CaO content ranges from 49.78 to 56.26% and the other is a group of which CaO content varies from 59.36 to 60.38%. In the first group, the contents of Al$_2$O$_3$, Fe$_2$O$_3$ and SiO$_2$ range very irregularly according to the CaO content. In the second group, the values of MgO, Al$_2$O$_3$, Fe$_2$O$_3$ and SiO$_2$ are nearly same. Detailed structural analysis of mesoscopic structures and microstructures indicates the five phase of deformation in the study area. The first phase of deformation(D$_1$) is characterized by regional scale isoclinal folds, and bedding parallel S$_1$ axial plane foliation which is locally developed in the mudstone and sandstone. Based on the observations of microstructures, S$_1$ foliations appear to be developed by grain preferred orientation accompanying pressure-solution. During second phase of deformation, outcrop scale E-W trending folds with associated foliations and lineations are developed. Microstructural observations indicate that crenulation foliations were formed by pressure-solution, grain boundary sliding and grain rotation. NNW and SSE trending outcrop scale folds, axial plane foliations, crenulation foliations, crenulation lineations, intersection lineations are developed during the third phase of deformation. On the microscale F$_3$ fold, axial plane foliations which are formed by pressure solution are well developed. Fourth phase of deformation is characterized by map scale NNW trending folds. The pre-existing planar and linear structures are reoriented by F$_4$ folds. Fifth phase of deformation developed joints and faults. The distribution pattern of the limestones is mostly controlled by F$_1$ and F$_4$ folds.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.505-517
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• 1997

Lead and zinc mineralization of the Kwangsin mine was formed in quartz and carbonate veins that filled fault-related fractures in the limestone-rich Samtaesan Formation of the Chosun Supergroup and the phyllite-rich Suchangni Formation of unknown age. A K-Ar date of alteration sericite indicates that the Pb-Zn mineralization took place during Late Cretaceous (83.5 Ma), genetically in relation to the cooling of the nearby Muamsa Granite (83~87 Ma). Mineral paragenesis can be divided into three stages (I, II, III): (I) the deposition of barren massive white quartz, (II) the main Pb-Zn mineralization with deposition of white crystalline quartz and/or carbonates (rhodochrosite and dolomite), and (III) the deposition of post-ore barren calcite. Mineralogic and fluid inclusion data indicate that lead-zinc minerals in middle stage II (IIb) were deposited at temperatures between $182^{\circ}$ and $276^{\circ}C$ from fluids with salinities of 2.7 to 5.4 wt. % equiv. NaCl and with log $fs_2$ values of -15.5 to -11.8 atm. The relationship between homogenization temperature and salinity data indicates that lead-zinc deposition was a result of fluid boiling and later meteoric water mixing. Ore mineralization occurred at depths of about 600 to 700 m. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals (${\delta}^{34}S_{CDT}=9.0{\sim}14.5$ ‰) indicate a relatively high ${\delta}^{34}S_{{\Sigma}S}$ value of ore fluids (up to 14 ‰), likely indicating an igneous source of sulfur largely mixed with an isotopically heavier sulfur source (possibly sulfates in surrounding sedimentary rocks). There is a remarkable decrease of calculated ${\delta}^{18}O$ value of water in hydrothermal fluids with increasing paragenetic time: stage I, 14.6~10.1 ‰; stage IIa, 5.8~2.2 ‰; stage IIb, 0.8~2.0 ‰; stage IIc, -6.1~-6.8 ‰, This indicates a progressive increase of meteoric water influx in the hydrothermal system at Kwangsin. Measured and calculated hydrogen and oxygen isotope values indicate that the Kwangsin hydrothermal fluids was formed from a circulating (due to intrusion of the Muamsa Granite) meteoric waters which evolved through interaction mainly with the Samtaesan Formation (${\delta}^{18}O=20.1$ to 24.9 ‰) under low water/rock ratios.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.13-28
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• 2000

Chojeong area is mainly composed of the Ogcheon Group which consists of regionally metamorphosed, age-unknown sedimentary rocks. In the northwestern parts, the Group is intruded by the Jurassic Daebo granite and Cretaceous felsic and mafic dykes. The lowermost, Midongsan Formation which consists of milky white impure quartzite, crops out along the anticline axes with N40E trend. Ungyori quartzite Formation is intercalated with quartzite and slate. Miwon Formation is most widely exposed in the area and consists mainly of phyllitic sandy rocks with a thin crystalline limestone bed. Hwajeonri Formation is divided into two parts, pelitic lower and calcareous upper parts, composed with phyllite and slate. Changri and Hwanggangri Formations are typical members of Ogcheon Group, the former bearing coally graphite seams consists mainly of black slate and phyllite with intercalated greenish grey phyllite, the latter is pebble bearing phyllite formation of which matrix and pebbles are variable in compositions and size. Biotite granite, porphyritic granite and two mica granite belong to Jurassic so-called Dabo granite. They intruded the Ogcheon Group forming vast contact metarnophic zone. Quartz porphyry, mafic dyke and felsite intruded along the marginal zone of porphyritic granite batholith and fracture of NS trend. Main structural lineaments in Ogcheon Group shows N25-45E, NS and N30-45W trends. The N25-45E trends are mainly from general ductile deformation during regional metamorphism, showing isoclinal folding, Fl foliations and lithological erosional characters. Some of these trends are due to normal faults. The NS and N30-45W trends represent brittle deformation including faults and joints. In the area of granitic batholith, NS to N30- 45 trends are from the direction of dykes. In the soils of the area, average contents of heavy metal elements such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn are 0.2, 50.6, 35.5, 27.9, and 93.4 ppm respectively, which are not higher than the average values of natural soils, under the tolerable level. Enrichment Index does not show any heavy metal pollution in the area. Average depths of weathering(5m vs. 2m), porosities(43.94 vs. 51.80), densities(l.29 vs. 1.15), and permeabilities(2.52 vs. 8.07) are comparable in granite areas and in the phyllite areas of Ogcheon Group.