• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.65-71
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• 2002

Universal design has been disseminated as one of major paradigms in the 21st century throughout the world. Its definition and range of application have appeared somewhat differently from countries and cultures. Japan has been coping with aging phenomena in societies population, and now became aged society. Therefore, universal design has been a big social issue and its design development has tendency of focusing on design for the elderly population. Currently, Japanese housing in its aging society has shown various experiments to provide the elderly with safe and supportive environment to maintain and promote quality of their lives in conventional life settings. Korea already began to undergo this aging process, and now it's in aging society. This means especially designers need to show up their creativity to let design function as a means of social intervention. Therefore this research showed the range of universal design characteristics appeared in current Japanese housing market.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 2021

Due to the change in the demographic structure, the problem of low birth rate and aging population leads to a serious decrease in human resources, and the necessity of introducing foreign workers is increasing. This study believes that the introduction of foreign workforce is the most effective to expand the working-age population in the era of low birthrate and aging, when demographic changes begin in earnest, and to this end, it sought to devise measures to improve the legal system for migrant workers. As a result of this study, first, the legal system for migrant workers should be unified and improved. It is necessary to establish or unify management agencies so that the 「Immigration Control Act」 and the 「Labor Act」 can establish a cooperative relationship. Second, the 「Immigration Control Act」 should be revised to make it easier for migrant workers to find employment. It is necessary to positively review the employment permit system and acquisition of nationality. Third, there should be no equity or discrimination against migrant workers. Under the principle of mutual benefit, employers and migrant workers should not be equally discriminated against. Fourth, the social insurance system must be added to the legal system of migrant workers. Therefore, the legal system should be reorganized so that migrant workers are not discriminated against in various insurance systems including the four major social insurance systems. In conclusion, the problem of low birthrate and aging population has become a serious social problem due to changes in the demographic structure, and the decrease in the possible generation population has reached a level of concern. The importance of migrant workers' employment and work environment is increasing. Nevertheless, related legal and institutional problems still exist, and measures to improve the legal system for migrant workers are needed.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.43-54
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• 2018

This paper analyzes the effects of population aging on regional differentiation from the New Economic Geography perspective. The addition of old-age population variable affects the price index, income, nominal wage, and real wage derived in the short-run equilibrium. Using the new model, we can better explain industrial agglomeration patterns corresponding to the new long-run equilibrium. As the real wage criterion does not properly take the old-age group into account, we employ the indirect utility function as an additional condition for equilibrium. We further consider tax as a policy tool for achieving a better long-run equilibrium. This would enable the government to direct the economy toward a particular equilibrium desired in the face of population aging.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.362-371
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• 2023

Background: PM_2.5 pollution has been a persistent problem in South Korea, with concentrations consistently exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The aging of the population in the country further exacerbates the health impacts of PM_2.5 since older adults are more susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate how the health impact (premature death) due to long-term exposure to PM_2.5 in South Korea could change in the future according to the trend of change in the country's population structure. Methods: The study employs a relative risk function, which accounts for age-specific relative risks, to assess the changes in premature deaths by age and region at the average annual PM_2.5 concentration for 2022 and at PM_2.5 concentration improvement levels. Premature deaths were estimated using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM). Results: The findings indicate that the increase in premature deaths resulting from the projected population structure changes up to 2050 would significantly outweigh the health benefits (reduction in premature deaths) compared to 2012. This is primarily attributed to the rising number of premature deaths among the elderly due to population aging. Furthermore, the study suggests that the effectiveness of the current domestic PM_2.5 standard would be halved by 2050 due to the increasing impact of population aging on PM_2.5-related mortality. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of considering trends in population structure when evaluating the health benefits of air pollution reduction measures. By comparing and evaluating the health benefits in reflection of changes in population structure to the predicted PM_2.5 concentration improvements at the provincial level, a more comprehensive assessment of regional air quality management strategies can be achieved.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.36-52
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• 2009

Demographic change is the best indicator to be able to show the rural change exactly and thus becomes the factor to be considered by all means in the setting-up process of the rural development policy. First of all, this paper is concerned with the two main themes, depopulation and aging process of Goryeong-gun(county), after a brief consideration of the demographic trends in rural areas of Korea. And then it will analyze the population structures of 8 administrative districts of Goryeong-gun(1 Eub, 7 Myeons) to reveal the areal differentiation of rural demographic change. Like other rural areas in Korea, Goryeong-gun experienced a sharp depopulation and aging during last several decades, and it represents typical rural backward areas in Korea. But within the same county, the process of population change differs from district to district. On the basis of several demographic indicators, 8 administrative districts(Eub and Myeons) in Goryeong-gun can be classified into 4 types of population change, namely 'type with stagnant population' like Goryeong-eub, 'type with increasing population' like Dasan-myeon, 'type with decreasing population' like Seongsan-myeon Gaejin-myeon Sangrim-myeon, 'type with rapidly decreasing population' like Deokgok-myeon Unsu-myeon Ugok-myeon. It highlights the need to develop differentiated rural policies according to relevant regional conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.747-760
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• 2014

This study presents the extent of disparity of human capital across regions, its trend, and the impact of aging on it, using Korean census data of years 1985, 1995, and 2005. Main results are as follows. First, the absolute level of human capital in cities and districts have increased, but the relative positions of those regions have not changed over time. Second, the proportion of college graduated tends to increase as the size of cities increases. Third, following Berry and Glaeser(2005), the increase in the proportion of college graduated is regressed on the initial proportion and the estimates indicate that the disparity of human capital across regions has increased over time. Fourth, the proportion of aging population is shown to have a negative relationship with the proportion of college graduated. Finally, using a counter-factual scenario that there were no differences in proportions of aging population across regions, it is shown that the disparity of human capital across regions could be reduced substantially.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2015

Our country is a nation accomplished the economic growth and democracy at the same time on the bases of human capitals. However, the laborers as human capitals are aging as well due to the population aging. These aging phenomena are impacting on our country's economy, society, and through the culture. It seems to increase the proportion of the elderly in the labor market of private security caused by continuously increasing the number of elderly employees in long-term trend and their preferences for the security services. These changes of labor market trend may result various problems including relevant laws and systems, the changes of laborers' ability, increase of crimes and so on. To prevent such potential problems, firstly the limits of maximum working hours of elderly private guards have to be set up, and the rest times for them must be secured. Furthermore, the declines of elderly laborers' abilities have to be reduced through the systematic educations relevant to their jobs to cover the rapidly declining elderly laborers' physical abilities. Lastly, the increase of crimes should be reduced through the education contents to be able to arouse their attentions by extending the time of job training and informing of criminal cases.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.195-210
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to understand characteristics of groups vulnerable to extreme heat and to reduce mortality caused by high temperature. For this purpose, relationship between socioeconomic factors and mortality-threshold temperatures were studied. The study area was limited to Seoul (South Korea) and climate data from 2000 to 2010 was used. Our results indicate that mortality-threshold temperatures for regions with a high proportion of aging population and a low proportion of aging population are $27.6^{\circ}C$ and $27.9^{\circ}C$, respectively. It was also found that a relative size of welfare dependant population did not affect mortality-threshold temperatures. However, regions with a high proportion of aging and welfare dependant population experienced $0.7^{\circ}C$ lower mortality-threshold temperature than other regions. This implies that low income and older people in Seoul are more easily affected by high temperature. Thus, this study suggests that it needs a policy targeted to low income and aging population to decrease mortality rate caused by extreme heat.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.160-166
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• 2004

The aging of population in Korea is proceeding in such a fast speed that other developed countries kaven't experienced. Korea already emerged in the aging society in 2000, and expected to become an aged society in 2019.There(ore, making effort to improve the quality of life of the aged people tv prolonging their social, economic activity, resulting in retrenchment of expenditure on health is very important. Developing nutrition and exercise programs to improve the quality of life of the elderly people, resulting in prolonged independent life is as important as medical care after onset of diseases. As a national preventive measure to save elderly people from becoming in need of assist, comprehensive program including teaching computer to prevent senile dementia, nutritional and exercise programs, along with programs of everyday life activity for the risk-group people should be carried out,

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.132-135
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• 2009

The population over 65 years of age in Korea will be 10.3% of the entire population in 2008 indicating that Korea is already in an aging society. In addition, it is expected that Korea will be in an aged society in 2018 (population over 65 years of age : 14.3%) and that it will be in a post-aged society in 2026 (20.8%). Consequently, aged workers may also increase. It is well-known that the possibility to work longer and to live better is highly related to the work ability of individual. The objective of this study was to evaluate the work ability of each age group using the Work Ability Index(WAI) in the shipbuilding industry, and to assess the effects of social psychological stress, drinking characteristics, smoking characteristics, etc. on the WAI score. The results showed no significant difference on the effects of aging, drinking, and smoking characteristics. Interestingly, a statistical analysis on the effects of social psychological stress revealed a significant difference by stress levels. The difference of the average WAI score between the healthy group and the high risk group was about 10 points. Based on this result, it can be concluded that the stress level is an influential factor on WAI.