• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.199-222
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• 2017

Currently, many punitive damages (or statutory damages) and class action laws are discussed in relation to the consumer damage relief system. It is in the background of the argument that the introduction of such a victim relief system will solve many small and large consumer damages. There are many cases in which the punitive damages compensation or the class action system are introduced in relation to the food safety damage naturally. Although the introduction of such a system can clearly help the consumer to relieve large-scale damage, it can not solve all the problems at once because the company can reject the system despite the introduction of such a system. In particular, class action lawsuits should have the same type of damage, but most of the damage caused by food safety is accompanied by physical harm, resulting in various complications such as the physical characteristics of the victim, the health environment. The class action system may not provide a solution in that the content and type of the damage may be different. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the introduction of the food safety damage relief system through the introduction of an administrative dispute settlement system by an administrative agency that occupies an absolute position in the existing consumer protection from this point of view. In reality, the Food and Drug Administration, which is the largest among government agencies related to food, operates a passive attitude consumer protection system such as function like guidance, supervision and surveillance. And it is necessary to make a complementary proposal. In the current law, there is only a small part of the consumer protection work that is positively legal, and even after the damage is scientifically identified, it is not possible to present the solution to the damage suffered by the consumer through legislation. This is a fact that has been raised. In this paper, we propose a reasonable and rapid disaster relief procedure through a separate mechanism within the administrative agency, which is the administration agency, that the dispute settlement procedure due to food safety damage is insufficient by solving the case through the court through counseling, dispute adjustment and civil proceedings. In order to solve the problem of food insecurity and the food industry, various ways of rational solution of the problem were considered. The possibility of (1) Establishment of a food safety dispute resolution committee; (2) Establishment of a food safety disaster relief committee; and (3) Establishment of a food safety disaster relief committee was discussed. In addition, a plan for the creation of a food damage compensation fund was also proposed.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.13
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• pp.35-71
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• 2012

The purpose of this essay is to examine the responses of artists on nuclear experiences through an analysis of the nuclear images represented in contemporary Japanese art. Japan has previously as twice experienced nuclear disaster in 20th century. The first atomic bombs were dropped in 1945 as well as the 5th Fukuryumaru, Japanese pelagic fishing boat, exposed by hydrogen bomb test operated by the US in 1954 nearby Bikini atoll. Due to Tsunami taken place by the great earthquake that caused the meltdown of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in March 2010, Japan is being experienced a nuclear disaster again. Despite practical experiences, comtemporary Japanese art has avoided the subject of nuclear disasters since the end of the Asia-Pacific War for a variety of reasons. Firstly, GHQ prohibited to record or depict the terrible effect of atomic bomb until 1946. Secondly, Japanese government has tried to sweep the affair under the carpet quite a while a fact of nuclear damage to their people. Because Japan has produced numerous war record paintings during the Second World War, in the aftermath of the defeated war, most of Japanese artists thought that dealing with politics, economics, and social subject was irrelevant to art as well as style of amateur in order to erase their melancholic memory on it. In addition, silence that was intended to inhibit victims of nuclear disasters from being provoked psychologically has continued the oblivion on nuclear disasters. For these reasons, to speak on nuclear bombs has been a kind of taboo in Japan. However, shortly after the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, the artist couple Iri and Toshi Maruki visited to ruin site as a volunteer for Victim Relief. They portrayed the horrible scenes of the legacy of nuclear bomb since 1950 based on their observation. Under the condition of rapid economical growth in 1960s and 1970s, Japanese subculture such as comics, TV animations, plastic model, and games produced a variety of post apocalyptic images recalling the war between the USA and Japanese militarism, and battle simulation based on nuclear energy. While having grown up watching subculture emerged as Japan Neo-Pop in 1990s, New generation appreciate atomic images such as mushroom cloud which symbolizes atomic bomb of Hiroshima. Takashi Murakami and other Neo-Pop artists appropriate mushroom cloud image in their work. Murakami curated three exhibitions including and persists in superflat and infantilism as an evidence in order to analyze contemporary Japanese society. However, his concept, which is based on atomic bomb radiation exposure experience only claimed on damage and sacrifice, does not reflect Japan as the harmer. Japan has been constructing nuclear power plants since 1954 in the same year when the 5th Fukuryumaru has exposed until the meltdown of Fukushima Nuclear Plant although took place of nuclear radiation exposures of Three Mile and Chernobyl. Due to the exploding of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan reconsiders the danger of nuclear disaster. In conclusion, the purpose of this paper may be found that the sense of victim which flowed in contemporary art is able to inquire into the response of artist on the subject of nuclear as well as the relationship between society, politics, culture, and modern history of Japan and international political situation.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.470-484
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• 2020

An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 occurred on November 15, 2017 in Pohang, which caused the damage to buildings and facilities. The earthquake displaced more than 1,700 people. After the Pohang Earthquake, immediate emergency, such as the damage survey and running of shelters have been executed appropriately. However there have been issues with subsequent restoration measures, such as the provision of temporary housing and delivery of natural disaster allowance. As there was inadequate government advertisement about the natural disaster allowance, victims of the earthquake could not receive tangible help. In Japan on the other hand where earthquakes are frequent, post-earthquake restoration protocols are planned well in advance. For example, Japanese earthquake victims are provided with a guidebook outlining different types of government aids available for them so that they can rapidly access government aid. In this study, we refer to the case of Pohang earthquake to analyse the problems in the national earthquake restoration plans and propose how they can be improved by comparing it to Japanese post-earthquake case and a Korean equivalent should be developed, to aid Korean earthquake victims to return to their every life as soon as possible.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2017

Since the late 19th century, the annual average temperature of the Earth has risen due to excessive emission of greenhouse gases, and abnormal weather phenomena such as heavy rain and heavy snowfall have been increasing frequently all over the world. In a city with high population growth due to high economic growth, fire and terrorist accidents can cause serious property damage and human casualties. The purpose of this study is to propose the need for evacuated facilities to protect victims, and suggest adequate shelters' size which can be protectable them. In spite of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security designated 3.3 square meters of per capita capacity, they does not specify the basis about setting this criterion.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.346-355
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• 2015

The study is to understand the needs of flood victims of Korea through the analysis of relief goods, and to assess extent of support-service efficiencies. According to the analysis, both emergency relief kit and cooking relief kit are possibly labelled 'the primary' and 'the secondary necessaries' respectively. Here the former includes those items directly related with basic living condition for the victims while the latter does some of items for more convenience lifestyle. The results of the study would be substantial in the sense that they could provide some useful clues upon which improvement policies or programs associated with relief goods for flood victims are derived.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.51-64
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• 2018

Recently, the magnitude and frequency of the natural disaster have been increased, the damage has become severer. The importance of disaster response system to relieve the damage has arised continuously. This study has tried to develop the algorithm to solve the facility location and size problem in emergency logistics. A facility in the emergency logistics has various roles in victim care, casualty treatment, relief resource management and relief vehicle assistance. Moreover, the location of facility in emergency logistics has to consider the safety and reliability. To gather these information, information management system with IoT sensors are suggested. The location problem in this study also covers various features to response various demands in disaster. To solve this problem, this study suggested MIP based algorithm. Scenario based simulation experiments are conducted to verify the performance suggested algorithm.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.119-128
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• 2014

This study analyzes how to support social economic organizations financially -with online donation system. Two methods of online donation system is compared that vouchers contribute to the creation of sound market in damaged area by giving options of selecting service of social economic organization to service beneficiaries while civil fund for these organizations create employment and improve cooperative relationship between givers and receivers through online donation system. It is important for Korean government to improve donation system not only for victim directly but also for social economic organization through voucher and civil fund method of online donation system.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.153-167
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• 2019

This study aims to identify the media agenda and to compare each media agenda by media and by time period, analyzing the news about 2019 Gangwon-do's wild fire reported by 37 Korean news media. Using the topic modeling algorithm and semantic network analysis, this study inspected the configuration of the network media agenda and examined the intermedia agenda setting effect by using QAP correlation analysis. Results showed that the sensational media agenda with the attributes such as victim aid and political conflict and the similarity of each media agenda for this disaster reporting.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.609-616
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• 2019

This paper proposes a design plan of short-term temporary housing for the victims by disaster. Also construction workability and residential environment evaluated by mock-up. In particular, in the event of a disaster, victims have lived the auditorium or gymnasium of the nearby school which is an emergency shelter. However, there was a problem of livability. Therefore, it is the purpose of study to provide temporary housing that resides within 30 days. For this purpose, a composite panel with light weight and insulation select to produce mock-up. The mock-up complete in about an hour. This is because it is made only of the composite panels. The composite panels confirm to be easy to load and construct. And mock-up evaluates insulation and waterproofing performance in the laboratory. As a result, Mock-up has insulation and waterproofing performance. This suggests an alternative to short -term temporary housing.