• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Since forest is an important part of ecological system, the deforestation is one of global substantive issues. It is generally accepted that the climate change is related to the deforestation. The issue is worse in developing countries because the forest is one of important natural resources. In the case of North Korea, the deforestation is on the rise from forest reclamation for firewood collection and food production. Moreover, a secondary effect from flood intensifies the damage. Also, the political situation in North Korea presents difficulty to have in-situ measurements. It means that the accurate information of North Korea is nearly impossible to obtain. Thus, assessing the current situation of the forest in North Korea by indirect method is required. The objective of this study is to monitor the forest status of North Korea using multitemporal Landsat images, from 1980s to 2010s. Since the deforestation in North Korea is caused by local residents, we selected two study areas of high population density: Pyeongyang and Hyesan. In North Korea, most of clean Landsat images are acquired in fall season. The fall images have an advantage that we can easily distinguish agriculture areas from forest areas, also have an disadvantage that the forests cannot be easily identified because some of trees have turned red. To identify the forests exactly, we proposed a modified Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (mNDVI) value. The deforestation in Pyeongyang and Hyesan was analyzed by using mNDVI. The dimension of forest has decreased approximately 36% in Pyeongyang for 27 years and approximately 25% in Hyesan for 16 years. The results show that the forest areas in Pyeongyang and Hyesan have been steadily reduced.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.364-371
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• 2018

In the 1960s, both South and North Korea needed to stabilize their regimes, and propaganda films were at the core of establishing this purpose. South Korea claimed legitimacy of a military government and called for service to fulfill the government's mission of the era, while North Korea emphasized the impeccability of their leader and the superiority of their socialist system. This study investigates image reproduction strategies used in South and North Korean propaganda films at the time under the context of domestic and foreign environments in the 1960s. First, South and North Korea portrayed their rulers as a strong leader and friendly leader, respectively, to establish legitimacy. Second, South and North Korea tried to image the same incident from different views in order to instill the spirit of age defined from their own perspectives. Third, propaganda films at the time portrayed desirable images of citizens (people) and visualized a flawless government. Authoritarian governments in South and North Korea in the 1960s facilitated the establishment of the so-called official society through propaganda films.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.307-314
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• 2024

For us, as 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice Agreement, it provided an opportunity to reflect once again on the potential for transitioning the armistice into a peace treaty, officially ending the Korean War, and establishing a peace regime that could promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Since the Geneva Conference of 1954, North Korea has made various statements regarding a peace treaty. It can be seen that North Korea aimed to strengthen its own power and achieve a balance of power by entering into a peace treaty with South Korea or the U.S. This paper aims to examine the reasons why North Korea, a signatory of the Armistice Agreement of 1953, became interested in forging a peace treaty and to establish the foundation of how North Korea's discourse on a peace treaty has changed over time. By examining cases of North Korea's proposals for an inter-Korean or a North Korea-U.S. peace treaty since the 1954 Political Conference to the period from the 1950s to the 1990s, this paper seeks to explain the background behind North Korea's peace treaty discourse and to consider the implications of these changes for South Korea and the U.S., which would be parties to such a peace treaty. Additionally, the paper aims to explore the implications for South Korea and the United States, not only in relation to North Korea but also considering the United Nations Command and the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, when entering into a peace treaty with North Korea.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.67-88
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• 2018

The important PH (paleontological heritages) with scientific, educational and esthetic values designated as natural monuments and protected by legislations of South and North Koreas are herein compared for the first time. On the basis of data (Jan. 2017) provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration of (South) Korea, a total of 457 natural monuments was designated. Of these, geological heritages are 80 in number, which includes 24 (30%) PH. Data (Dec. 2005) of North Korea show that a total of 474 natural monuments was designated. Among these, geological and geographical ones are 154 in number, which includes 22 (14%) PH. Differences between PH of South and North Koreas are regarded to be directly related with geological difference in distribution of the fossil-bearing strata between South and North Koreas. PH of Silurian corals, Devonian plants, Jurassic fishes, Cretaceous dinosaur tracks, birds (so called Korean Archaeopteryx) and pterosaurs, and Pleistocene paleoanthropological fossils appear to be scientifically significant. Together with these North Korean PH, scientific, esthetic, conservational, educational, and economical values of important PH including KCDC (Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast), Jigunsan Shale, and Geumgwangdong Shale of South Korea should be evaluated as potential future candidates for international heritages.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.75-84
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• 2022

While protecting its lives and property from natural disasters such as floods and droughts, North Korea needs to develop into an informationized industrial society by securing renewable energy power in the era of energy transition. In addition, existing research has considered that a policy of continuous and consistent expansion of renewable energy based on the safety of the lives of ordinary people could be the solution. South Korea needs to recognize that the supply of energy for a minimum of living is more important to the North Korean people than the economic benefits of securing North Korea's renewable energy market. Therefore, in this paper, from that point of view, we have calculated the amount of electricity that North Korea lacks necessary for the lives of its inhabitants that can be replaced by renewable energy, and considered ways to estimate the market value.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.323-337
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• 2006

This work discussed the species composition, phylogeny, spatio-temporal distribution, ecology and natural history of North Korean Pinaceae or pine tree family, which seems to be important to maintain nature and ecosystem in the Korean Peninsula. Out of five genera and sixteen species of Pinaceae of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea contains four genera and eleven species of Pinaceae, including Pinus densilflora, P. koraiensis, P. pumila, Picea jezoensis, P. koraiensis, P. koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, Larix gmelini, L. gmelinii var. olgensis, Abies holophylla and A. nephrolepis. In terms of phylogeny Pinus is closely related to Picea, and followed by Larix. Abies is close to Tsuga which only occur at Ullung Island. Distributional pattern of North Korean Pinaceae can be classified into four types; three species of nation-wide montane type i.e., Pinus densilflora, P. koraiensis and Abies holophylla, four species of central and northern subalpine type, i.e., Pinus pumila, Picea koraiensis, Larix gmelini and Abies nephrolepis, one nation-wide subalpine type, Picea jezoensis, and three species disjunctive to north type, i.e., Picea koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, and Larix gmelinii var. olgensis. Pinaceae species occurring on the alpine and subalpine belts of North Korea, such as Pinus koraiensis, P. pumila, Picea jezoensis, P. koraiensis, P. koraiensis var. koraiensis, P. pungsanensis, Larix gmelini, L. gmelinii var. olgensis and A. nephrolepis are considered as the glacial descendant from the boreal region. Those species might have migrated from the north during the Pleistocene glacial epochs in search of favourable condition, and since the Holocene period they survived on the hostile alpine and subalpine environments, in which they are more competitive than warmth-tolerant temperate vegetation. Certain species, such as Picea pungsanensis, is segregated on the isolated mountains since the Pleistocene period, and forced to adapt to local environment, and eventually became an endemic species of North Korea. Recent rapid global warming trend especially in northern high mountains of North Korea could cause an unfavourable environment for the survival of cold-tolerant Pinaceae of the alpine and subalpine belts. Pinus densiflora, which is occurring on the montane belt might faced with difficulties due to both the deforestation and the outbreak of insect-borne disease, such as Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.3-35
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• 2001

$\ulcorner$The South-North Joint Declaration$\lrcorner$ of June 15, 2000 made by President Kim Dae Jung and National Defense Committee Chairman Kim Jong Il will contribute to the activation of economic exchange between south and north Korea. To realize the fundamental spirit of the South-North Joint Declaration, the authorities concerned of south and north Korea have reached an agreement titled $\ulcorner$Agreement on Settlement Procedure of Commercial Disputes$\lrcorner$ last December. In this connection, a speedy and reasonable settlement of commercial disputes arising therefrom is becoming a problem of vital importance between south and north Korea. Also, south and north arbitral institutions have to consider a possible arbitration agreement carefully to solve the disputes systematically under the Agreement, which will serve as an example for similar arrangements and possible harmonization in East-West commercial relations. A variety of dispute settlements including friendly consultations, conciliation and arbitration will be used more frequently within the framework of the bilateral agreements of governmental or non-governmental level which have been concluded in the past between socialist and capitalistic economy countries. There is a growing tendency that East-West trade parties recognize and accept the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules in their contracts. So it is advisable to use the UNCITRAL Rules in arbitrations of south and north Korea in case that the interested parties fail to agree on applicable rules. Finally it should be noted that pre-arbitral settlement called ‘joint conciliation’ should be reflected in the settlement mechanism of commercial disputes between south and north Korean parties as proved to be successful between the U.S. and China trade in the past.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.109-131
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• 1995

This research explores a framework of selecting suitable industry cooperation ares between South Korea and North Korea using analysis of science and technology(S&T) competitiveness. First, a generic framework to set up S&T cooperation with North Korea, which involves both a continuity as an evolving process and a peculiarity of S&T, is presented. Second, a selection procedure of specific S&T areas for South and North cooperation is suggested. It is also demonstrated how to select suitable S&T cooperation areas under two types of scenarios. Finally, promotion strategies for each scenario are described.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 2024

Relations between North Korea and Russia have recently reached an inflection point in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, and are expected to have a significant military and geopolitical impact on the Korean Peninsula and the security environment in East Asia in the future. The 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between North Korea and Russia' was signed on the occasion of Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia in September 2023 and Russian President Putin's visit to North Korea in June 2024. The security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia is anticipated to be significantly impacted by developmental changes in North Korea-Russia relations. As North Korea and Russia formed a paramilitary alliance, stipulating provisions that can be interpreted as automatic military intervention, North Korea's military support for the ongoing war in Ukraine was secured, and the basis for Russia's military intervention in future Korean Peninsula issues was laid. Additionally, the possibility of transferring Russian military technology to North Korea increased as an institutional mechanism was established to implement joint measures to strengthen the defense capabilities between the two countries. If Russia uses its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to neutralize international sanctions against North Korea and provide large-scale economic support, North Korea will break away from international isolation and strengthen its strategic autonomy. Therefore, this study examines the historical process of change in North Korea-Russia relations and examines the main contents and implications of the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement' concluded after the North Korea-Russia summit in June 2024.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2015

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses and treatments and analyze the factors affecting this knowledge. Methods: Subjects were selected via a snowball sampling method, and the survey outcomes of 152 North Korean refugee participants were analyzed. The factors affecting knowledge of mental illnesses were analyzed via a regression analysis by constructing a multivariate model with mental illness knowledge score as the dependent variable. Results: The North Korean refugees' mental illness scores ranged from 3 to 24 points, with an average score of 13.0. Regarding the factors that influence mental illness knowledge, the subjects with South Korean spouses and those who had spent more time in South Korea had higher knowledge scores. Furthermore, the subjects who considered the mental health of North Korean refugees to be a serious issue revealed lower knowledge scores than those who did not believe it was a serious issue. The subjects who visit psychiatric clinics showed higher knowledge scores than those who do not. The South Korean subjects who had at least a college education exhibited higher scores than did those without advanced education. The subjects who are satisfied with life in South Korea manifested a higher mental illness knowledge score than those who are not. Conclusions: This study is significant as being the first study to ever measure and evaluate the level of North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses. In addition, the evaluations of North Korean refugees' mental illness knowledge and influencing factors while residing in South Korea created basic data that formed the foundation of an effort to enhance mental health literacy and provide proper mental health services. The results of this study can be utilized to solve mental health problems that might frequently occur during the unification process of North and South Korea in the future.