• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.23-44
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• 2015

The policy aimed at introducing a Bonus-Malus system to reduce GHG and raise the market share of small cars is scheduled to go into effect in South Korea in 2020. Although the policy was originally planned to be enforced from 2015, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy argued that the system brings low reduction effect and relative disadvantage to domestic small cars and brought arguments in 2014. As a result, the enforcement was pushed back. Related studies are mainly focused on offering statistical estimation of the policy's effect to support the arguments, and few theoretical studies were published given that there was not enough time until 2015 back then. The author approached the issue with mathematical modeling in order to give theoretical basis for sophisticated empirical studies. If car suppliers have market power and strategically set their prices, the impact of Bouns-Malus on car prices would be lower than what was originally intended. In case only a part of the car market loses its market power, the effect of the policy would be improved. Assume that the Bonus-Malus is currently at an optimal level and the car market structure is undergoing changes, then the direction of the new optimal level would depend on the elasticity of demand of each market and substitute elasticity. For example, if the car market becomes more monopolistic while the demand for big cars is elastic, demand for small cars is inelastic and substitution elasticity is low, then the new optimal level of Bonus-Malus should be higher.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.128-148
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• 2019

Massive environmental monitoring has been conducted continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power accident in March of 2011 by different monitoring methods that have different features together with migration studies of radiocesium in diverse environments. These results have clarified the characteristics of radiological environments and their temporal change around the Fukushima site. At three months after the accident, multiple radionuclides including radiostrontium and plutonium were detected in many locations; and it was confirmed that radiocesium was most important from the viewpoint of long-term exposure. Radiation levels around the Fukushima site have decreased greatly over time. The decreasing trend was found to change variously according to local conditions. The air dose rates in environments related to human living have decreased faster than expected from radioactive decay by a factor of 2-3 on average; those in pure forest have decreased more closely to physical decay. The main causes of air dose rate reduction were judged to be radioactive decay, movement of radiocesium in vertical and horizontal directions, and decontamination. Land-use categories and human activities have significantly affected the reduction tendency. Difference in the air dose rate reduction trends can be explained qualitatively according to the knowledge obtained in radiocesium migration studies; whereas, the quantitative explanation for individual sites is an important future challenge. The ecological half-lives of air dose rates have been evaluated by several researchers, and a short-term half-life within 1 year was commonly observed in the studies. An empirical model for predicting air dose rate distribution was developed based on statistical analysis of an extensive car-borne survey dataset, which enabled the prediction with confidence intervals. Different types of contamination maps were integrated to better quantify the spatial data. The obtained data were used for extended studies such as for identifying the main reactor that caused the contamination of arbitrary regions and developing standard procedures for environmental measurement and sampling. Annual external exposure doses for residents who intended to return to their homes were estimated as within a few millisieverts. Different forms of environmental data and knowledge have been provided for wide spectrum of people. Diverse aspects of lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, including practical ones, must be passed on to future generations.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.104-116
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to conduct an empirical survey on consumer perception and consumption behavior in relation to local food and eco-friendly food. The survey was conducted using 266 consumers who have heard about or purchased local foods and eco-friendly foods centering on Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (Version 23.0) to generate descriptive statistical values such as frequency and percentage and implement a Chi-square test. The results showed that consumers purchased local food in large shopping malls, supermarkets, and local food stores, whereas eco-friendly food were usually bought in large shopping malls, supermarkets, and eco-friendly food specialty stores. For local food, consumers bought fruits the most, followed by vegetables, whereas for eco-friendly food, consumers purchased vegetables the most, followed by fruits. The top reason for purchasing local food was its "fresh and high quality," whereas the top reason for buying eco-friendly food was "safety from pesticides and additives." According to results of the Chi-square test, women, unmarried people and younger people turned out to have more experiences in purchasing local foods and eco-friendly foods compared to men, married people and older people, respectively. Although local and eco-friendly food were completely different concepts, results of the study show that consumers were not able to make a clear distinction between the two. Consumer education, therefore, should involve defining the two types of food and spreading awareness on local and organic food to help them made the right choices when buying food.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.5-11
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• 2020

Recently, due to the liquefaction caused by earthquakes in Pohang and surrounding areas, the importance of researches on the liquefaction assessment has increased. The possibility of liquefaction can be assessed using the geotechnical information. The cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) value used in the assessment of liquefaction can be determined by using the SPT-N values or shear wave velocity, V_s value. A study was conducted to compare the accuracy of the liquefaction assessment using these two types of geotechnical information, and concluded that the results using SPT-N values are more accurate than those using V_s values. The previous study speculated that the used V_s value was measured at a depth of 12 m uniformly without considering the critical depth of liquefaction. Therefore, 10 empirical equations that convert SPT-N values measured at critical depth of liquefaction into V_s values to confirm the validity of geotechnical information measured at 12 m points uniformly are used to assess the liquefaction possibility and the results were compared with the actual liquefaction results to confirm the accuracy. As a result, 7 out of 10 cases considering critical depth for liquefaction show higher accuracy than those not considered.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.396-409
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• 2006

In this paper, first I try to sketch the changing Japanese labor market after 1990s, and then examine the so-called "Job $Caf{\acute{e}}$ program" in detail, which was initiated in 2004 by central and local governments to help young people fine suitable jobs, and finally investigate the possible direction for future labor policy as an important tool for revitalize the local economy. Latter half of 1990s witnessed the high unemployment rate among the population aged twenties in Japan, and the number of 'shinsotsu-mugyo', i.e. population not at work after completing high school or university, NEET (not in employment, education or training) and 'freeters' have grown rapidly. "Job $Caf{\acute{e}}$ program" was initiated as a public response to the increased youth unemployment, aiming at assisting young people's transition from education to career. In the Job $Caf{\acute{e}}$ program, job information service by MHLW, information service for high school students and university students by MEXT, placement service of career internship by METI are integrated into one service, and are provided by local government initiative, therefore named as "one stop service of employment". Although it is highly appreciated for one stop service, the Job cafe program has criticized for paying too much attention to the performance of projects, such as the number of users, and the number of successful job matching. At the final section of the paper, more practical spatial unit for executing effective regional plan on local employment and more empirical research on job search behavior are discussed.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.115-137
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• 2012

This study examines the performance impacts of entry mode choice based on the perceptions of managers of a large sample of South Korean foreign MNEs in Mongolia. The purpose of this study is to build on existing research by examining the extent to which the South Korean companies investment in Mongolia. It is necessary to establish and execute optimal entry strategy according to environmental features in order to survive as a competitive international enterprise in the extensive Mongolia markets. This study finally seek a plan to enhance the performance of the cross-cultural companies. The results of this study are as stated as follows. the relationships between the environmental factors and entry strategies are, statistically, significantly positive. The relationships between the entry strategies and performance in Korean companies are, statistically, significantly positive. the relationships between companies' environmental factors and performance, the environmental features of cross-cultural companies are positive. We find that Korean affiliate performance is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, which may be properly explained by multiple factors, including the industrial, environmental, and cultural factor, that go beyond initial entry mode choices in Mongolia market. These results make theoretically optimal entry mode decisions and whether or not this entry mode choice is related to enhanced performance of Korean companies to Mongolia market.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.87-114
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• 2012

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the economic effects of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) and human capital using VECM in Korea from 1970 to 2009. Empirical results through VECM show that the coefficients of GDP, GFO(gross fixed capital), LAB(total labor), EXO(export), PCDB(public and commercial loan) and FDI have had a positive impact on Korean economic growth. In contrast, the effects of PCDB and FDI were not as significant as the other variables. In particular, the interaction effect, $FDI^*EDU$(the college graduation variable), was more important than that of the FDI alone. However, the coefficient of $FDI^*EDU$ was not so big. Korean government needs to attract more FDI to enhance Korean economic growth rate by the improvement of investment environment. There are a big amount gap between notification FDI and arrival FDI in Korea. So Korean government and companies should actively persuade foreign investors to invest after their investment notification. Also the Korean college authorities should emphasize more on curriculum which adapts to company skill in the field work.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.121-148
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• 2011

Korean small and medium sized firms are dramatically expanding during the past two decades. Since small and medium sized firms begun to invest overseas to cope with the external and internal business environment. the influencing factors should defined for the successful foreign investment. This paper presents the research model explaining successful knowledge transfer between Korean small and medium sized firms and partners for foreign investment. This model examines investing companies' organizational characteristics, partners' learning capability and relational characteristics between two partners. Detail variables include the learning culture and codifiability of investing companies, and absorptive capability of partners, and communication and trust as a relational factors between investing companies and partners. The result of empirical analysis of sample companies shows that knowledge culture and codifiability of investing companies, and communication from the relational factors are important for knowledge transfer. These results provide some implications for the successful foreign investment of small and medium sized firms. Firstly the investing company should develop its own learning culture and internal procedure for the successful foreign investment. And frequent communication channel is necessary for knowledge transfer and the trustful relationship between investors and partner.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.117-149
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to apply the concepts discussed in the previous studies on the China's country image and its impact to the Korean market, to provide basic information about the characteristics of the Korean market for Chinese companies to enter the Korean market, and to provide suggestions related to the country image for Korean companies when they want to enter foreign markets. For this purpose, a survey of 265 college students and workers in Seoul was analyzed using SPSS 2.0 and AMOS 21. The results are as follows. First, the dimensions of China's country image were found to be composed of five factors: fundamental image, socioeconomic image, prestige image, relationships image, and affective image. Second, among the dimensions of China's country image, fundamental image, socioeconomic image, and affective image had a positive effect on product image, and prestige image had a negative effect. Third, affective image was found to have influence on the attitude towards the product. Fourth, China's overall product images appeared to influence consumer attitudes. Fifth, the consumer attitudes to Chinese products appeared to affect the purchase intention. Sixth, for the consumer group whose own consumer ethnocentrism is low, compared to high, images of Chinese products showed a more positive impact on consumer attitudes. In the conclusion, we discussed the implications derived from the empirical results and suggested for future research.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.357-380
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• 2014

Buyers' Trust in suppliers is critical in all commerce, but particularly in the relationship between foreign provider and local consumer due to the liability of foreignness. This study examines (1)how local consumers trust in the product of MNCs is affected by their perceptions of the product attributes, (2)does the product trust affects customers loyalty, and (3)whether Global Corporate Citizenship moderates the relationship between the product attributes and trust. Based on previous researches, hypotheses are formulated and the statistical method used to test them was a moderated regression analysis using SPSS 20. 330 respondents from the university student group in Korea were used for this analysis. The results of this study are follows: Service communication and product perceptions such as quality, technological newness, design, and brand value have a significant effect on the product trust. The Effectiveness of product-related service communication had greater than that of the physical characteristics of product. But, price fairness is not significantly. The trust then has a positive relation to customers loyalty. When global corporate citizenship as the moderating role is introduced into the model, the interaction terms with 'price fairness' are verified to be significant. Therefore, global corporate citizenship moderates the relationship between price fairness and product trust. The results of the empirical study provide important implications for Korean firms operating in foreign markets. But, the findings are limited to the University students and to manufacturing sectors. Thus, the generalization of the results of this research remains limited.