• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.4
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• pp.496-504
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• 2016

As people's interest in forest trail increases, it has reached a critical time to extend forest trail program. This study clarifies correlation between two variables, organizational commitment and job motivation and identifies the variations in organizational commitment level for job motivation so that the forest trail programs attain its object and meet users' satisfaction. As a result, first, job motivation can be divided into 'personal satisfaction', 'work value', and 'external reward and recognition'; the biggest motivation is 'personal satisfaction', followed by 'work value' and 'external reward and recognition'. Second, job motivation has a positive correlation with organizational commitment. Especially 'personal satisfaction' and 'external reward and recognition' have a positive impact on the organizational commitment. To sum up, the personal satisfaction has a greater impact on organizational commitment than other factors. Therefore, it is needed to draw up measures to increase their personal satisfaction like making them have self esteem from forest trail guide.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2020

This study identified the types and features of forest leisure activities based on data from the Nationwide Survey on Forest Leisure Activities (N= 6,191). Further, the study analyzed the demographic impact factors of the categorized forest leisure activities according to four types of objectives reported by visitors: health promotion, education, relaxation, and leisure sports. The investigation revealed that people visit forests for relaxation regardless of the season; however, leisure-sports visitors engage in activities that occur in summer, are most expensive, and involve the shortest trip time. The study also found that age, gender, household incomes, and the presence of children were the most important factors influencing the selection of activities. Age was found the predominant consideration: the older the age was, the more likely people were to prefer the relaxation and health promotion type. Men were more likely to choose health promotion activities over relaxation and tended to prefer educational trips over relaxation when accompanied by children. Higher household incomes corresponded to an increased likelihood of visitor preferences for relaxation over education and for health promotion over relaxation. This study contributes to the extant literature by statistically determining the nationwide predominance of age as the principal factor driving visitor preferences for forest leisure activities. Future studies should establish policy directions for forest welfare from the perspective of users grouped into day visitors and overnight guests.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2022

This study investigated the effects of participation in a forest therapy program on ego-resiliency and interpersonal relationships to strengthen the independent capabilities of children requiring protection. The participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group (n=87; age, 16.40±1.90 years) and control group (n=90; age, 16.97±1.39 years). The study was conducted from July to August 2020. The experimental group participated in a forest therapy program operated by the National Center for Forest Therapy, Yeongju, for 2 nights and 3 days, whereas the control group lived routine life. The participants' ego-resiliency and interpersonal relationships were tested at the beginning and end of the forest therapy program. In the experimental group, ego-resiliency was improved and interpersonal relationships were significantly altered. Therefore, forest therapy programs may serve as effective interventions that can positively affect the social adaptation and growth of protected children into healthy adults.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.117-127
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• 2015

This study evaluated properties and items for selecting on a forest healing village. In order to assign a weight value-between factors, this study was conducted the primary survey first and then the secondary survey for measuring the importance of items. Experts'surveys were conducted on 3 items on level 1, 9 items on level 2, 35 items on level 3 with use of AHP technique. In level 1, the main analysis result was that physical resource properties(0.387) indicated the highest importance. in level 2, healing resources of physical properties(0.402), community participation of human resource properties(0.425), and business competency in part of vision(-.438) showed the highest importance. The analysis result of 35 items on level 3 was that in physical resources properties, securing public land in the village(0.220), possessing recreation space(0.440) and resources available for link with healing(0.413) showed the highest importance. In part of human resources properties, the average age of residents(0.465), commitment to the promotion of the villagers(0.367) and support of local leaders(0.318) showed the highest importance. Adequacy of development plan(0.274), forest work experience-related(0.293), and building profit sharing system(0.282) were also evaluated to have a relatively high importance.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.108 no.4
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• pp.655-662
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• 2019

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of school forests on the cognition and mental health of elementary school students. Data were obtained through the surveys of sixth graders in an elementary school in Seoul that took part in the School Forest Project run by Korea Post, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Students were surveyed before and after the creation of green spaces in their schools, and changes in their environmental sensitivity, attitude toward forests, depression, anxiety, and aggression were analyzed. The findings indicated that the creation of green spaces showed significant effects on the students in terms of encouraging them to strengthen their environmental sensitivity, helping them develop more positive attitudes toward forests, and reducing anxiety and physical aggression, which are the subfactors of aggressive behavior. In other words, creating school forests had positive effects on cognition and mental health, reduced bad behavior, and improved attitudes toward nature in children. The findings of this study are significant in that they reinforce the requirement of school forests by indicating the positive effects of school forests on children's cognition and mental health.

• The Journal of the Korean Institute of Forest Recreation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2018

This study aimed to improve the quality of forest healing program through analyses of the program activities given at National Healing Forest and surveys conducted by Korea Forest Service. 99 DB data of the healing forest that were surveyed by KFS (August 2015~April 2016) were collected in order to affirm the activities. We analysed DB based on the format of the survey by target, 6 healing factors, location, season, time periods, operation hours and multifaceted evaluation. The results showed that the activities in the forest healing program targeted general public and the factor that was considered the most was psychotherapy factor. Healing forest trails were used as a location, spring, summer and fall as season, morning and afternoon as time period for the majority of the activities. The running time was 60 minutes. The multifaceted evaluation revealed that dynamic activities were preferred the most in development of programs. According to the results of the forest healing programs, it seems to be critical to enhance forest healing instructors' diversified professionalism. However, this will only be achievable once further investigations regarding forest healing effects by types of illnesses are conducted and provide solid foundation for such professionalism.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.4
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• pp.685-696
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• 2015

This study intends to evaluate visual preference and image for 10 types of forest sceneries which have own distinct characteristics without overlapping each other among 22 types of beautiful forest sceneries based on Korea National Parks. Z scale and paired comparison methods were used to analyze visual preference for forest scenery, and SD scale method was also adopted to assess visual image for forest scenery. Experiments were conducted with 3 different university students groups. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, the evaluation results of Z scale (N=70) and paired comparison (N=64) methods show similar visual preference for different types of forest scenery. 'Scenery inside forests' and 'valley and rock' sceneries have the highest level of preference, and 'panorama of ridges', 'ridge of curious rock peaks', and 'waterfall and cliff' also have relatively higher preference level than others. However, 'community of dead trees' has the lowest preference in forest sceneries. Second, the factor analysis outputs of the image scores for beautiful forest scenery types by SD scale (N=66) show 3 factors of 'mysterious charm', 'colorful sense', and 'vividness/variety'. Examined the variables of forest scenery types for each factor, the image of 'mysterious charm' is based on the sceneries of mountain ridges, the image of 'colorful sense' is focused on the sceneries of color-expressed sense of the season, and the image of 'vividness/variety' is based on the sceneries of waterscape and curious rock peaks.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.339-349
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• 2020

This study aims to identify participating resident awareness of the improvements to forest carbon cycle villages created by the Korea Forest Service by introducing a system for district heating basedon forest biomass in mountainous areas. Hwacheon Forest Carbon Circulation village was established in Paroho-neureup village in Yuchon-ri, Hwacheon-gun between 2011 and 2013. However, its operation has not been smooth due to the increasing number of households rapidly leaving the district heating system. This study surveyed 76 households that participated in the district heating system using forest biomass in the early stages of the project. This includes households participating in the district heating system(participating households) and households not currently participating in the district heating system(withdrawal households) from September 2019. Surveys focused on the process of participating in forest carbon cycle village projects, and satisfaction in local heating and policy requirements. Of the 67 households, excepting those not allowed to participate in the survey due to death or having moved elsewhere, 36 households participated and 31 households the were in the process of leaving the village were also included. As a result, there was a significant difference between participating and exiting households in the motivation and satisfaction level of district heating. The results of this study are expects to reflect the importance of awareness of residents in the operation of the forest carbon cycle village. This will be utilized as an important dataset for improvement as a means to promote the re-entry if outgoing households. It will also help set the direction of the forest town revitalization project, utilizing forest biomass in the future.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2024

Background and purpose: The anti-aging standard forest healing program (ASFHP), which uses forest therapy, was reported to be effective in improving psychological, physical, and cognitive functions. However, there are several challenges to directly visiting the forest. This study aimed to investigate the impact of multi-session ASFHP with forest visit on the mental and physical health of the older people with visits to forest facilities and compared them with those of the same program conducted indoors. Methods: Individuals aged over 70 years with concerns about cognitive decline were recruited at dementia relief centers and divided into control and experimental groups. A total of 33 people were administered ASFHP under the supervision of a forest therapy instructor. The control group stayed indoors, while the experimental group visited a forest healing center and repeated the program 20 weeks. Results: The multiple-session ASFHP positively affected cognitive impairment screening test (CIST) total scores (p=0.002), memory (p=0.014), Korean version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status total scores (p<0.001), immediate recall (p=0.001), visuospatial/construction (p<0.001), language (p<0.001), forest healing standard questionnaire total scores (p=0.002), and cognitive function (p=0.019), regardless of location. The forest visits during the ASFHP showed positive effects on orientation (p=0.035), delayed recall (p=0.042), emotional stability (p=0.032), physical activity (p=0.005), and health (p=0.022). The CIST scores of the memory domain were the strongest indicator of the multiple-session ASFHP effects. Conclusions: The 20-week multi-session ASFHP with forest visit showed effects on cognitive improvement and physical and emotional stability compared to indoor education.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.104 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of a forest healing program on the level of job stress and the profile of mood states (POMS). 38 public servants who were in charge of social welfare in A city as well as 24 metal health care workers in C province participated in the forest healing programs. The data were collected by a pretest-posttest design. The data analysis showed that both job stress and POMS levels were significantly improved by the forest healing program. The therapeutic effects of forests are highly expected to be utilized for healing programs for job stress reduction and burnout prevention.