• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.536-549
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• 2013

This study investigates the damages of and analyzes the social and economic impacts of volcanic ash eruptions in the world in order to estimate the potential volcanic ash impacts in South Korea when Mt. Baekdusan volcano erupts in the future. First, we build a comparison chart called "the impact of volcanic ash" on each economic and social sector by using major volcanic eruptions and we compare the damage with respect to volcanic ash thickness/weights. Secondly, we analyze the social and economic impact from volcanic ash. The economic damage is not likely to occur in South Korea, unless Mt. Baekdusan erupts in winter. However, the potential damage should not be overlooked because the volcanic ash may have a global impact around the world. If Mt. Baekdusan volcano erupts when the wind blows from north or northeast, the volcanic ash may then significantly affect South Korea of which economy is highly dependent on exports. Particularly when the volcanic ash moves to the densely populated metropolitan areas or agricultural areas, the damage can be significant. In preparation for the potential volcanic disasters, the volcanic ash forecast table suitable for South Korea should be prepared. In addition, building a Korean volcanic ash hazard map in advance will have a strategic significance.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.5 no.4 s.16
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• pp.8-20
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• 2001

Neoliberalism became a catch word of a post-cold war era. It began to develop in the middle of welfare state crisis in developed countries. It promoted both a unified world market through mutual penetration of national boundaries in International scene and maximization of efficiency through market competition in domestic scene. Privatization of public corporations is a major policy to pursue market efficiency through deregulation. Two reasons are often adduced to support the cause The socio-economic changes diminished the necessity to establish public corporation on the one hand. On the other hand gross inefficiency has been observed in the management of public corporation. 'Government failure' is an apt expression of the inefficiency. In analysing the experiences of privatization of utility industries of some other countries we found a couple of lessons for a Korean case. First, it is doubtful if privatization, that is a change in the form of ownership, is a necessary condition for achieving market efficiency. Because it is possible to operate a mechanism of market competition while maintaining competition among public corporations and with private actors. Second, the patron-agent dilemma is often cited as a major culprit of an inefficient management of public corporations. But it is without saying that the dilemma is also found in the management of private firms. So, the issue is not the privatization per se but to realize responsible management through discipline and incentives.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.158-166
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• 2018

Contrary to urban development, urban regeneration is a process of land development through conservation, restoration, and management. In particular, ecologically based urban regeneration is an attempt to improve the quality of life in an area, establish a stable settlement space, and revitalize the local economy by considering the ecological environment. In this regard, the objectives of this study were to establish theoretical concepts and analyze the successful foreign cases of ecologically based urban regeneration, and propose a direction of socio-economic regeneration along with the physical-environmental regeneration of urban areas in Korea. The study results suggest the following. First, strategies must be developed to coordinate public transportation, such as buses and subways, by considering the importance of bicycle riders, along with the sustainable-commuting system. Second, both the importance of planning parks and trails around water systems in various scales while maintaining the existing natural environment as well as using natural elements, such as electric vehicles and wind-power generation systems, were emphasized. Third, urban regeneration for increased energy efficiency requires specific architectural planning and facilities. Fourth, education and research for easy access by the public, as well as public-private partnership, will be needed in the regeneration process.

• Korean Business Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.35-59
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• 2009

The drive for sustainable economic growth for the sub Saharan African region continues to occupy a central place in the debate of how to move the region forward. For decades, governments, policy makers, Non Governmental Organizations and world bodies including the World Bank, IMF, ADB, USIAD and the European Union have engaged policies aimed at bringing solutions to the horrendous poverty crisis to nations of this region. Despite these noble actions and intents, poverty and underdevelopment has prevailed in countries of the region such as Cameroon. Cameroon is mainly an agricultural economy with its products facing declining prices and competition from synthetic substitutes resulting to deficits of balance of trades. This has resulted to borrowing and debt. At the same time, it is a country blessed with an abundance of tourist resources. From the literature review, tourism potency to economic growth is overwhelming. This research was motivated by the quest to find answers to questions such as; why development policies during the last two decades not succeeded in achieving Economic growth in countries of this region particularly Cameroon and why the country/ region still beleaguered by poverty and debt despite haven implemented various economic development plans. In recent years, the role of tourism has become increasingly recognized in its role of economic growth and poverty alleviation. This study attempts to unveil tourism's contribution to economic growth and to push for Tourism development as an al ternative economic growth alternative to Cameroon. Previous economic policies have ignored to tie economic growth within the country's socio-economic, geo-political and environmental circumstances. Findings from this work suggest that any sound economic policy can not afford to ignore the country's stock of both human and fiscal capital. Findings presented herewith validate Tourism as a feasible indigenous economic growth alternative that helps bringing employment, capital investment and protect the environmental ruin.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-76
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• 2013

Based on an analysis of the Japanese animation director Kamiyama Kenji's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, this paper discusses two important subjects in modern technoscience-cyborg and old age. In fact, age has been an important social and political category in the modern world, along with gender, race, and class. However, age has not been a significant research topic for STS scholars. Even though many of these investigators have extensively explored the complex relationship between gender and technoscience, especially after the publication of Donna Haraway's "Cyborg Manifesto" (1991), few of them have been interested in how age is reconfigured by modern science and technology. If women, as Haraway has claimed, can have a different political and cultural outlook by becoming cyborgs, then, can we expect a similar socio-cultural transformation with regard to the interaction between cyborg and old age? Do the elderly experience lesser age discrimination through the growth of biomedicine and technoscience? Indeed, it is believed that seniors are increasingly becoming cyborgs with advancing age, since their declining bodily functions are consistently replaced and assisted by various biomedical technologies. Does this enable them to overcome ageism and age discrimination as well as their alleged physiological and mental limitations? As an answer to this question, Mike Featherstone has asserted that becoming a cyborg in old age could make the wrinkled skin a mere mask and create diverse new possibilities that were hitherto unavailable to an aging person. Based on my reading of Ghost in the Shell, however, I analyze a more complex set of problems when the senile cyborg is created through the encounter between the elderly and technoscience. I argue that while the senile cyborg could challenge traditional family ideology and nationalism it would leave ageism intact and define a new individualistic life form through a body controlled within the globalized internet and capitalist economy.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2011

The purpose of this research aims to evaluate the emergence of new business mode in the Chinese water market since the mid-2000s - Transfer-Operate-Transfer(TOT) Projects. The study pays special attention to the case of the Hefei Wangxiaoying Wastewater Treatment TOT Project, which was awarded to the consortium of Berlin Water International and its Chinese partner in late 2004. The consortium secured an exclusive operating right for 23 years on the basis of a TOT scheme and would take responsibility of all the profits and losses in the operation of the plant. The total investment for the transfer amounted to RMB 491 million(US$70 million). The price was more than 288% of the original value, RMB 170 million (US$24 million). The project can be regarded as a successful case because of the following three causes. First, the Hefei government followed a series of standardized procedures in the international bidding, which ignited best-performed international players' competition for the project. Second, the project will bring in cutting-edge operation skills and management know-how. Third, the government succeeded in raising public asset values, and thanks to this, the government is able to consider other similar projects not only in the water sector but also other sectors in public utility services. Nevertheless, Berlin Water's point of view, there are several challenges. First, the company took a risk to pay such a large amount of cash to the Hefei government. Although such premium can be recouped in the operation period of 23 years, whether or not the company would be able to recover the initial investment and realize profits is in question due to an uncertainty of socio-political circumstances in China. Second, Berlin Water should expect a steep rise of water tariffs over the contract period in order to get the investment back. Water pricing is still a sensible matter to Chinese authorities, and therefore, it is uncertain if such rise of water tariffs would be possible. Third, the TOT mode leads to creation of a large amount of cash to government officials, which might have caused corruption between those who are involved in TOT deals. Then, the final contract fee would soar, which often results in the burden of normal customers. As discussed, the TOT mode has drawn much attention of foreign investors as a new alternative to enter into the Chinese water market. But it is important to note that foreign investors should be aware of possible risks in water TOT projects, which reflects some features of the Chinese political economy landscape and social norms. The Hefei case indicates that benefits can overshadow risks in TOT projects, which will continue to attract foreign investors that are dedicated to establishing their strongholds in the Chinese water market.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.87-114
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• 1996

This paper is the second part of a research which aims to look into the regional development process and the quality of life of Youngnam area. and to suggest a prospect and tasks for the future development of the region. All cities and regions including Youngnam area seem to be involved in a rapidly changing process of conditions for development, because of a recent economic and political transformation in the national and global scale. It can be thus said that, taking such a process into consideration seriously, each city or region needs to establish a long-term prospect and goal, and to set up and practicize its development plan. From this point of view, this paper reconsiders the changing process of conditions for development of Youngnam region, and suggests an alternative development plan. At the first, the changing conditions of regional development are investigated in economic, political, social, cultural and environmental aspects. Secondly, some actual planning practices in this regions are examined and their problems are pointed out. Thirdly, an alternative model for regional development is suggested and development tasks in each aspects are discussed in relation to each other. Finally some regional development strategies are provided in the spatial as well as the sectoral dimision. As a results of this research, it is argued that the development of Youngnam region should pursue both an improvement of socio-cultural and ecological institutions for ensuring humane life of dwellers within the region, and a enforcement of economic and political self-sufficiency in an organic relation between regions and to the whole society. This kind of argument can be applied to every city or region. But it would more significant for Youngnam region, because this region, which once experienced a rapid economic growth but now is fallen into a serious economic stagnation, tends to contrive material plans to redevelop regional economy, while ignoring social plans to improve quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.421-431
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• 2011

This study examined visitors' perceptions and attitudes about establishing cable car in Mudeungsan Provincial Park (MPP). Data were collected from 401 respondents by a field questionnaire survey in MPP during the September of 2010. 61.7% of respondents opposed to establishing cable car in MPP while 20.6 percent supported it. Respondents showed high level of belief to possible consequences that establishing cable car will result in 'deterioration of ecosystem and natural landscape', 'crowding problem by increased number of visitors', 'disappearance of naturalness or previous nature experiences in MPP'. Respondents, however, presented low belief to 'positive effects on increasing economic income and local economic growth by attracting tourists'. 32.4 percent of the survey respondents evaluated the present MPP as a place of 'Nature Preservation Area (NPA)' and 10.5% as 'Developed Park Area (DPA)'. 48.8% of respondents answered that MPP should be managed as 'NPA' with only 2.5% as DPA. Respondents' socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, education level, length of residence in Gwang-ju city), use patterns (number of visits to MPP or to Jungbong and surrounding areas), and normative place condition of MPP showed relationship with the overall support rates about establishing cable car. The results and their implications were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.307-330
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• 2016

This article aims to explain how Gangnam, as a model and standard of compressed urbanization in South Korea, was created. Gangnam and Gangnam-style urbanization need attention not only because they contrast with Korea's urbanization in the past as well as urbanization in the West but also they provide an important model in contemporary Korea's politics, economy and culture. However, there are little studies of how Gangnam's peculiar urbanism was created. To fill this gap, this article will first capture Gangnam's peculiar urbanism as a material landscape and sociocultural lifestyle. Gangnam-style urbanism is (a) materially characterized by high-rise apartment complexes owned by the middle and upper class for dwelling and asset growth and (b) socio-culturally characterized by political conservatism, public indifference, competition over academic performance, appearance, and fashion, and nightlife. Then it will show Gangnam's archetype was created in a spatially and temporally compressed way in and through the spatial selectivity of Korean anti-communist authoritarian developmental state strategies: (1) anti-communism led to the diffusion and accommodation of the population through apartments in Gangnam in the context of its confrontation with North Korea and the fast-growing population of Seoul; (2) military authoritarianism excluded the low-income class and the urban poor from urban development; and (3) the developmental state adopted selective housing policy which treated construction companies and the middle class preferentially through exceptional zoning and price distortions, promoting the construction of apartment in Gangnam and its resultant uneven development.

• Review of Culture and Economy
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.3-28
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• 2014

The characteristics of performing arts differ from those of utilitarian goods in terms of economics. Factors other than price need to be considered to understand the demand for performing arts. Audience surveys as well as econometric demand studies have confirmed that socio-economic factors such as age, income, employment, and education are major determinants of the demand for performing arts. This study focused on the attributes of concerts rather than consumer characteristics to determine the concerts audiences select in terms of transaction cost. Genre, price, internet search trends, and the purpose of performance as well as price are tested as determinants of demand by using the data set for a major concert hall in Seoul. Genre and the specific purpose of concerts influence the demand for concerts. Internet search trends of the performer are used as indicators of popularity and information exposure, which are positively correlated with demand. This result supports the hypothesis that larger audiences would attend concerts that require lower information search costs. To note, price has a positive effect on demand in the higher price range, which means that concerts at higher prices attract larger audiences, whereas normal goods have a negative slope in the demand curve. This result can be explained by the hypothesis that consumers use price as an indicator of the quality expected of a concert. Transaction cost for selecting classical concerts thus forms an inverse-U shape curve against ticket price. These results provide some explanation of why audiences of classical music choose to attend concerts at high ticket prices while offering evidence in favor of the hypothesis that performing arts are selected in a social context.