• Ocean policy research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-28
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to analyze the substitution among production factors of Korean distant water longline fisheries in IATTC waters. In the analysis, the translog function which have one output variable of total cost and input variables of labor, fuel, fishing gear, and capital was established and it was transformed into simultaneous equations by each cost. Then, variables of equations were estimated by SUR (seemingly unrelated regression) model. Since distant water longline fisheries is a fishing type with high fuel usage, substitution of fuel with other factors was mainly analyzed. Results showed a substitute relation between fuel and labor as well as fuel and fishing gear, while a complementary relation between fuel and capital. In addition, it was analyzed that magnitude of fuel elasticity with other factors would be inelastic.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1559-1569
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to estimate the degree of cost inefficiency for the urban railway lines of a metropolitan city operated by public institutions in Korea and identify the causes of this inefficiency. To this end, we assume that the urban railway lines produce the output of train-km by putting three production factors of labor, electric power and maintenance and set the variable cost function model with the translog function to make a stochastic cost frontier analysis. Based on estimated result, we conclude that the cost savings for 6 years of all lines are about 6,672 hundred million won and top five lines with high inefficiency are Busan Line1, Daegu Line1, Daejeon Line1, Gwangju Line1, and Daegu Line2. The causes of inefficiency are attributable to labor and maintenance factors. The results of this study can be useful in case of finding the priorities of measures and specific plans for reducing labor and maintenance costs in the urban railway operation.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.3-27
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• 2010

In this paper, we have analyzed the cost structure of the Korean manufacturing industry in relation to the central government's environmental investment(CGEI below) by applying translog variable cost function. Important findings are as follows. First, sufficiency degree of CGEI of 0.7230, less than optimal level of 1, causes production inefficiency. Therefore, central government should forward a strategy to raise CGEI to meet appropriate standards. In addition, inspite of the deficiency of CGEI, shadow priceis lower than market price due to q-value of 0.9572, yielding unfavorable conditions for CGEI. However, CGEI brings about increase in output, variable cost saving, and economies of scale of firms. Second, by comparing this study with an existing study(2010), we have discovered the following facts. In both studies, we find that there are deficiency of investment, unfavorable conditions in investment, economies of scale, and output increase due to investment. However, the current study has found that, CGEI, which shows efficiency by positive(+) shadow price, saves variable cost. Therefore, firms suffer from production inefficiency due to variable cost caused by a shortage of efficient CGEI. Moreover, the previous study conducted in 2010 found that investment in prevention of environmental pollution(IPEP below), which indicates inefficiency by negative(-) shadow price, cannot reduce variable cost. In such circumstances, firms yield abnormal production efficiency based on variable cost savings caused by inefficient IPEP. For this reason, firms should raise IPEP to optimal level to reduce IPEP inefficiency to achieve production efficiency by reducing variable cost.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.141-157
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• 2007

This paper evaluates the effects of privatization and deregulation on the firm-specific efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the Korean and Japanese railways. Using a stochastic frontier approach and a generalized translog functional form, the paper specifies the equation system consisting of a multiproduct variable cost function and input share equations which is estimated with Zellner's iterative seemingly unrelated regression and the corrected least squares method. The Korean and Japanese railway firms are assumed to produce three outputs (Shinkansen passenger-kilometers, incumbent railway passenger-kilometers, ton-kilometers of freight) using three input factors (labor, fuel, maintenance and rolling stock). A monetary value of the ways and fixed installations held by the railroad firm is also included as a quasi-fixed input. The empirical results indicate that the average estimate of cost inefficiency is 2.57% for the total sample and on the average, JNR and JR Kyushu are found to be worst efficient while the most efficient railway firm in the sample is JR West. Also the cost efficiency levels of seven JRs have been improved after the reform and privatization of JNR. The findings also indicate that TFP growth of the privately-owned JRs are higher than those of the government-owned KNR and JNR. Three-island JRs and JR Freight have slightly higher TFP growth than Honshu JRs as well. Thus, the results suggest that managerial autonomy and increased competition via deregulation have improved efficiency and TFP growth.