• Title/Summary/Keyword: The Republic of Korea

Search Result 3,203, Processing Time 0.032 seconds

Occupational Characteristics and Health Status of Vietnamese Male Migrant Workers in the Republic of Korea

  • Ohwi Kwon;Ji-Hun Song;Jeong-Ok Kong;Seong-Won Ma;Young Shin Lee;Joonho Ahn
    • Safety and Health at Work
    • /
    • v.14 no.3
    • /
    • pp.267-271
    • /
    • 2023
  • Background: The objective of this study is to identify the working conditions and health status of Vietnamese male migrant workers in Republic of Korea, in comparison to the Korean general population. Methods: We conducted our survey through the Migrant People Center, and we received completed questionnaires from 87 male Vietnamese migrant workers. The questionnaire employed was identical to those used in the Korean Working Conditions Survey and the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The collected data from the Vietnamese migrant workers was then compared with the Korean reference population using indirect age-standardization. Results: Vietnamese male workers demonstrated a higher prevalence of health problems including hearing problems (age-standardized prevalence ratio (aSPR) 13.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.07-20.4), skin problems (aSPR 13.49, 95% CI: 8.07-20.4), and low back pain (aSPR 8.40, 95% CI: 6.50-10.69). Elevated exposure to workplace hazards such as chemicals (aSPR 2.36, 95% CI: 1.51-3.51), organic solvents (aSPR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.44-3.28), handling of heavy objects (aSPR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.24-2.21), and high temperatures (aSPR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.46-2.57) was observed among them. Additionally, they faced a higher risk of no personal protective equipment (aSPR 2.53, 95% CI: 1.26-4.52) and a greater prevalence of unmet medical needs (aSPR 7.14, 95% CI: 4.74-10.32). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the elevated workplace hazards, health problems, and unmet medical needs among Vietnamese male workers compared to the Korean reference population. These findings underscores the urgency for enhanced scrutiny over working conditions and protective equipment provision, coupled with efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and worker education.

Towards a Development Strategy for the Recruitment and Retention of Women Seafarers in Cargo Ships with Particular Reference to the Republic of Korea

  • Jo, So-Hyun
    • Journal of Navigation and Port Research
    • /
    • v.35 no.2
    • /
    • pp.137-147
    • /
    • 2011
  • The prime objective set for paper is to identify what are the women seafarers' problems and concerns regarding employment on cargo ships. From the cargo ship point of view, the question then is how to provide sufficient solutions for women seafarers in the male-dominated workplace of the ship through Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) activities. The methodologies of study combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. The progress of research is to conduct a survey by asking a consistent set of key opinion leaders from the Republic of Korea. Moreover, to evaluate the elements of the result, the research explores the way in which we should consider giving priority to aspects of the problem. Finally, based on the terms of CSR, the author recommends measures to support the needs of women when they are employed onboard the world's merchant vessels.

Trick or Treat? Equity Concerns in the Preliminary Feasibility Study of the Republic of Korea

  • LEE, JONGYEARN
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
    • /
    • v.42 no.4
    • /
    • pp.91-116
    • /
    • 2020
  • As a project appraisal tool, the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) has contributed to enhancing the efficiency of public investment decision-making in the Republic of Korea over the last two decades. To overcome the limitations of the efficiency-oriented cost-benefit analysis, the PFS accommodates equity concerns among regions, namely balanced regional development (BRD) analysis. This study attempts to gauge the contributions of BRD analysis to PFS results. Specifically, it addresses how effectively policy efforts to promote decision-making have been implemented in the PFS stage while also considering the balance between equity and efficiency in terms of the trade-off between them, the degree to which they influence the results, and whether the consideration of equity is in fact actually reflected in seriously underdeveloped regions as intended. The study finds that the PFS results over the last two decades have been largely in line with the background and policy objectives. Based on the findings of the study, needs for institutional improvement are suggested, including enhancements in the analysis of regional economic ripple effects and taking into account the psychological factors pertaining to the evaluators in the overall judgment.

Investigation of Working Conditions and Health Status in Platform Workers in the Republic of Korea

  • Hyoungseob Yoo;Munyoung Yang;Ji-Hun Song;Jin-Ha Yoon;Wanhyung Lee;Jinhee Jang;Minjoo Yoon;Mo-Yeol Kang
    • Safety and Health at Work
    • /
    • v.15 no.1
    • /
    • pp.17-23
    • /
    • 2024
  • Background: The present study aimed to analyze several aspects of the working conditions and health status of platform workers in the Republic of Korea, such as ergonomic and emotional hazards. We also compared the health status of the platform workers with that of the general population. Methods: A total of 1,000 platform workers participated in this survey from August 7 to August 17, 2022. The participants included 400 designated drivers, 400 food-delivery drivers, and 200 housekeeping managers. A face-to-face survey with a structured questionnaire was conducted by researchers who had received specific instructions. The focus of the survey extended to the work environment, encompassing factors such as workplace violence, as well as physical, chemical, and ergonomic hazards. Health-related data for the previous year were also collected, covering a range of issues such as hearing problems, skin problems, musculoskeletal symptoms, headaches, injuries, mental health issues, and digestive problems. Subsequently, we compared the health symptom data of the responders with those of the general population in the Republic of Korea. Results: Platform workers, including designated drivers, food-delivery drivers, and housekeeping managers, existed in the blind spot of social insurance, facing frequent exposure to physical and chemical hazards, ergonomic risk factors, and direct or indirect violence. The prevalence of health problems, including musculoskeletal symptoms, general fatigue, and depressive symptoms, in each occupational group was statistically higher than that in the general population after standardization for age and gender. Conclusion: The results revealed unfavorable working environment and inferior occupational health of platform workers compared with those of the general population.

Contribution to the mite (Acari) fauna of the Korean Peninsula

  • Kontschan, Jeno;Park, Sun Jae;Lim, Jae Won;Hwang, Jeong Mi;Seo, Hong Yul
    • Journal of Species Research
    • /
    • v.3 no.1
    • /
    • pp.63-78
    • /
    • 2014
  • 32 mite species are listed from the Korean Peninsula. One species belongs to the order Prostigmata, family Cryptognathidae, the order Mesostigmata has 20 species and the order Oribatida contains 11 species. Four species from the listed 32 are new for the fauna of the Korean Peninsula, one species belongs to the order Prostigmata (Favognathus maritimus (Shiba, 1969)) and three new species are Oribatida [Camisia biurus (Koch, 1839), Camisia biverrucata (Koch, 1839), Camisia horrida (Hermann, 1804)]. The 28 of the found species are collected in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; the others were collected in the area of Republic of Korea. Illustrations and short descriptions about the newly found and rarely collected species are given.

Ectopic Migration of an Adult Heartworm in a Dog with Dirofilariasis

  • Oh, Hyun-Wook;Jun, Hyung-Kyou;You, Myung-Jo;Hayasaki, Mineo;Song, Kun-Ho
    • Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
    • /
    • v.46 no.3
    • /
    • pp.171-173
    • /
    • 2008
  • A 3-yr-old female mongrel dog was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Chungnam National University in the Republic of Korea. An adult heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, was found in the abdominal cavity of the dog during spaying. Dirofilariasis in this dog was also diagnosed by modified Knott's test, ELISA test, and PCR analysis. The present case is the first report on the migration of an adult dog heartworm to the abdominal cavity of a dog in the Republic of Korea.

Isolation and characterization of two unrecorded yeast species in the order Filobasidiales

  • Inyoung Choi;Sathiyaraj Srinivasan
    • Journal of Species Research
    • /
    • v.13 no.1
    • /
    • pp.100-104
    • /
    • 2024
  • The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify wild yeasts from soil samples collected in Daegu and Cheongju city, Republic of Korea. To identify the wild yeast strains, pairwise sequence comparisons of D1/D2 region of the 26S rRNA gene sequence were done using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). The cell morphologies were observed by phase contrast microscope and assimilation test are done using API 20C AUX kit. All strains were assigned to the phylum Basidiomycota. Among 13 strains, 11 strains were previously reported, but two strains were unreported from the Republic of Korea. The two unrecorded yeast strains, GW1-3 and PG1-1-10C, belong to the genus Solicoccozyma (family Piskurozymaceae, order Filobasidiales, class Tremellomycetes). The two strains had oval-shaped and polar budding cells. This research showed the morphological and biochemical properties of the two unreported yeast species that had not officially reported in Korea.

Isolation and characterization of two unrecorded yeast species in the phylum Basidiomycota

  • Jieun Seok;Jaewoo Bai;Sathiyaraj Srinivasan
    • Journal of Species Research
    • /
    • v.13 no.1
    • /
    • pp.105-110
    • /
    • 2024
  • The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify wild yeasts from soil samples collected in Seoul and Daejeon, Republic of Korea. To identify wild yeast strains, pairwise sequence comparisons of D1/D2 region of the 26S rRNA gene sequence were done using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). The cell morphologies were observed by phase contrast microscope and carbon source assimilation test were done using API 20C AUX kit. Among the 13 isolated strains, 11 strains were previously reported, but two strains have never been reported from Republic of Korea. The 13 strains were assigned to the phylum Basidiomycota. The two unrecorded yeast strains B2UV-201 and DJ1-5-B-10C belong to the genera Rhodotorula and Rhodosporidiobolus, respectively. The two unrecorded yeast strains are oval shaped and polar budding cells. This research focuses on the morphological and biochemical properties of the two unreported yeast species that have not officially been reported in Korea.