• Journal of Korean Institute of Fire Investigation
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.59-75
• /
• 2007

The causes of the fire casualties were the heat burns, contacted by flame, before the period of industrialization. According to the economic has been developed drastically since 1990, residing space has been become bigger and sophistication and interior finishing materials have been diversified. Therefore, the suffocation casualties, caused by inspiration of toxic combustion gases, have been more increased than the flame casualties in recently. Also, the arson casualties have been increasing with the increasing of insurance crime to take the Insurance money. According to National Emergency Management Agency announcement, 31,778 fires was occurred nationwide in 2006 and the total casualties were 2,180 occurred. 446 persons were died among them. Because the exact investigation of fire, occurred the death, is very especially important that civil and criminal cases will be happened. Therefore, we studied about the cause of fire, the place of origin, and the group of casualties age on the axies of fires, which were occurred recently. And the identification method of fire casualties, the human behavior characteristic, the flame casualties and the suffocation casualties at fire scene.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-38
• /
• 1972

1. Objective of the Study The objective of the study was to make fundamental suggestions for drawing a forest insurance system applicable in Korea by investigating forest insurance systems undertaken in foreign countries, analyzing the forest hazards occurred in entire forests of Korea in the past, and hearing the opinions of people engaged in forestry. 2. Methods of the Study First, reference studies on insurance at large as well as on forest insurance were intensively made to draw the characteristics of forest insurance practiced in main forestry countries, Second, the investigations of forest hazards in Korea for the past ten years were made with the help of the Office of Forestry. Third, the questionnaires concerning forest insurance were prepared and delivered at random to 533 personnel who are working at different administrative offices of forestry, forest stations, forest cooperatives, colleges and universities, research institutes, and fire insurance companies. Fourth, fifty three representative forest owners in the area of three forest types (coniferous, hardwood, and mixed forest), a representative region in Kyonggi Province out of fourteen collective forest development programs in Korea, were directly interviewed with the writer. 3. Results of the Study The rate of response to the questionnaire was 74.40% as shown in the table 3, and the results of the questionaire were as follows: (% in the parenthes shows the rates of response; shortages in amount to 100% were due to the facts of excluding the rates of response of minor respondents). 1) Necessity of forest insurance The respondents expressed their opinions that forest insurance must be undertaken to assure forest financing (5.65%); for receiving the reimbursement of replanting costs in case of damages done (35.87%); and to protect silvicultural investments (46.74%). 2) Law of forest insurance Few respondents showed their views in favor of applying the general insurance regulations to forest insurance practice (9.35%), but the majority of respondents were in favor of passing a special forest insurance law in the light of forest characteristics (88.26%). 3) Sorts of institutes to undertake forest insurance A few respondents believed that insurance companies at large could take care of forest insurance (17.42%); forest owner's mutual associations would manage the forest insurance more effectively (23.53%); but the more than half of the respondents were in favor of establishing public or national forest insurance institutes (56.18%). 4) Kinds of risks to be undertaken in forest insurance It would be desirable that the risks to be undertaken in forest insurance be limited: To forest fire hazards only (23.38%); to forest fire hazards plus damages made by weather (14.32%); to forest fire hazards, weather damages, and insect damages (60.68%). 5) Objectives to be insured It was responded that the objectives to be included in forest insurance should be limited: (1) To artificial coniferous forest only (13.47%); (2) to both coniferous and broad-leaved artificial forests (23.74%); (3) but the more than half of the respondents showed their desire that all the forests regardless of species and the methods of establishment should be insured (61.64%). 6) Range of risks in age of trees to be included in forest insurance The opinions of the respondents showed that it might be enough to insure the trees less than ten years of age (15.23%); but it would be more desirous of taking up forest trees under twenty years of age (32.95%); nevertheless, a large number of respondents were in favor of underwriting all the forest trees less than fourty years of age (46.37%). 7) Term of a forest insurance contract Quite a few respondents favored a contract made on one year basis (31.74%), but the more than half of the respondents favored the contract made on five year bases (58.68%). 8) Limitation in a forest insurance contract The respondents indicated that it would be desirable in a forest insurance contract to exclude forests less than five hectars (20.78%), but more than half of the respondents expressed their opinions that forests above a minimum volume or number of trees per unit area should be included in a forest insurance contract regardless of the area of forest lands (63.77%). 9) Methods of contract Some responded that it would be good to let the forest owners choose their forests in making a forest insurance contract (32.13%); others inclined to think that it would be desirable to include all the forests that owners hold whenerver they decide to make a forest insurance contract (33.48%); the rest responded in favor of forcing the owners to buy insurance policy if they own the forests that were established with subsidy or own highly vauable growing stock (31.92%) 10) Rate of premium The responses were divided into three categories: (1) The rate of primium is to be decided according to the regional degree of risks(27.72%); (2) to be decided by taking consideration both regional degree of risks and insurable values(31.59%); (3) and to be decided according to the rate of risks for the entire country and the insurable values (39.55%). 11) Payment of Premium Although a few respondents wished to make a payment of premium at once for a short term forest insurance contract, and an annual payment for a long term contract (13.80%); the majority of the respondents wished to pay the premium annually regardless of the term of contract, by employing a high rate of premium on a short term contract, but a low rate on a long term contract (83.71%). 12) Institutes in charge of forest insurance business A few respondents showed their desire that forest insurance be taken care of at the government forest administrative offices (18.75%); others at insurance companies (35.76%); but the rest, the largest number of the respondents, favored forest associations in the county. They also wanted to pay a certain rate of premium to the forest associations that issue the insurance (44.22%). 13) Limitation on indemnity for damages done In limitation on indemnity for damages done, the respondents showed a quite different views. Some desired compesation to cover replanting costs when young stands suffered damages and to be paid at the rate of eighty percent to the losses received when matured timber stands suffered damages(29.70%); others desired to receive compensation of the actual total loss valued at present market prices (31.07%); but the rest responded in favor of compensation at the present value figured out by applying a certain rate of prolongation factors to the establishment costs(36.99%). 14) Raising of funds for forest insurance A few respondents hoped to raise the fund for forest insurance by setting aside certain amount of money from the indemnity paid (15.65%); others wished to raise the fund by levying new forest land taxes(33.79%); but the rest expressed their hope to raise the fund by reserving certain amount of money from the surplus money that was saved due to the non-risks (44.81%). 15) Causes of fires The main causes of forest fires 6gured out by the respondents experience turned out to be (1) an accidental fire, (2) cigarettes, (3) shifting cultivation. The reponses were coincided with the forest fire analysis made by the Office of Forestry. 16) Fire prevention The respondents suggested that the most important and practical three kinds of forest fire prevention measures would be (1) providing a fire-break, (2) keeping passers-by out during the drought seasons, (3) enlightenment through mass communication systems. 4. Suggestions The writer wishes to present some suggestions that seemed helpful in drawing up a forest insurance system by reviewing the findings in the questionaire analysis and the results of investigations on forest insurance undertaken in foreign countries. 1) A forest insurance system designed to compensate the loss figured out on the basis of replanting cost when young forest stands suffered damages, and to strengthen credit rating by relieving of risks of damages, must be put in practice as soon as possible with the enactment of a specifically drawn forest insurance law. And the committee of forest insurance should be organized to make a full study of forest insurance system. 2) Two kinds of forest insurance organizations furnishing forest insurance, publicly-owned insurance organizations and privately-owned, are desirable in order to handle forest risks properly. The privately-owned forest insurance organizations should take up forest fire insurance only, and the publicly-owned ought to write insurance for forest fires and insect damages. 3) The privately-owned organizations furnishing forest insurance are desired to take up all the forest stands older than twenty years; whereas, the publicly-owned should sell forest insurance on artificially planted stands younger than twenty years with emphasis on compensating replanting costs of forest stands when they suffer damages. 4) Small forest stands, less than one hectare holding volume or stocked at smaller than standard per unit area are not to be included in a forest insurance writing, and the minimum term of insuring should not be longer than one year in the privately-owned forest insurance organizations although insuring period could be extended more than one year; whereas, consecutive five year term of insurance periods should be set as a mimimum period of insuring forest in the publicly-owned forest insurance organizations. 5) The forest owners should be free in selecting their forests in insuring; whereas, forest owners of the stands that were established with subsidy should be required to insure their forests at publicly-owned forest insurance organizations. 6) Annual insurance premiums for both publicly-owned and privately-owned forest insurance organizations ought to be figured out in proportion to the amount of insurance in accordance with the degree of risks which are grouped into three categories on the basis of the rate of risks throughout the country. 7) Annual premium should be paid at the beginning of forest insurance contract, but reduction must be made if the insuring periods extend longer than a minimum period of forest insurance set by the law. 8) The compensation for damages, the reimbursement, should be figured out on the basis of the ratio between the amount of insurance and insurable value. In the publicly-owned forest insurance system, the standard amount of insurance should be set on the basis of establishment costs in order to prevent over-compensation. 9) Forest insurance business is to be taken care of at the window of insurance com pnies when forest owners buy the privately-owned forest insurance, but the business of writing the publicly-owned forest insurance should be done through the forest cooperatives and certain portions of the premium be reimbursed to the forest cooperatives. 10) Forest insurance funds ought to be reserved by levying a property tax on forest lands. 11) In order to prevent forest damages, the forest owners should be required to report forest hazards immediately to the forest insurance organizations and the latter should bear the responsibility of taking preventive measures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2017.05a
• /
• pp.148-149
• /
• 2017

Recently, South Korea is reaching aged society through ageing society. Accordingly, facility related to aged is increased consistently because of effort to improve the welfare of the elderly through elderly long term care insurance in 2008. however, the number of fires in the elderly facilities is increasing rapidly too. It is becoming bigger and higher and the characteristics of person who is unable to afford are mostly having difficult evacuation. so fire safety guildelines are urgently needed but korea research is insufficient. In this study, we propose a fire scenario through investigation of fire causes for fire safety guideline development of elderly facility, and describe to the fire safety countermeasure.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
• /
• v.27
• /
• pp.129-161
• /
• 2005

Todays, computers in business world are potent facilitators that most companies could not without them, while they are only tools. They offer extremely efficient means of communication, particularly when connected to Internet. What I stress in this article is the risks accompanied by e-commerce rather than the advantages of Internet or e-commerce. The management of e-commerce companies, therefore, should keep in mind that the benefit of e-commerce through the Internet are accompanied by enhanced and new risks, cyber risks or e-commerce risks. For example, companies are exposed to computer system breakdown and business interruption risks owing to traditional and physical risks such as theft and fire etc, computer programming errors and defect softwares and outsider's attack such as hacking and virus. E-commerce companies are also exposed to tort liabilities owing to defamation, the infringement of intellectual property such as copyright, trademark and patent right, negligent misrepresent and breach of confidential information or privacy infringement. In this article, I would like to suggest e-commerce insurance or cyber liability insurance as a means of risk management rather than some technical devices, because there is not technically perfect defence against cyber risks. But e-commerce insurance has some gaps between risks confronted by companies and coverage needed by them, because it is at most 6 or 7 years since it has been introduced to market. Nevertheless, in my opinion, e-commerce insurance has offered the most perfect defence against cyber risks to e-commerce companies up to now.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.27-51
• /
• 2005

Todays, computers in business world are potent facilitators that most companies could not without them, while they are only tools. They offer extremely efficient means of communication, particularly when connected to Internet. What I stress in this article is the risks accompanied by e-commerce rather than the advantages of Internet or e-commerce. The management of e-commerce companies, therefore, should keep in mind that the benefit of e-commerce through the Internet are accompanied by enhanced and new risks, cyber risks or e-commerce risks. For example, companies are exposed to computer system breakdown and business interruption risks owing to traditional and physical risks such as theft and fire etc, computer programming errors and defect softwares and outsider's attack such as hacking and virus. E-commerce companies are also exposed to tort liabilities owing to defamation, the infringement of intellectual property such as copyright, trademark and patent right, negligent misrepresent and breach of confidential information or privacy infringement. In this article, I would like to suggest e-commerce insurance or cyber liability insurance as a means of risk management rather than some technical devices, because there is not technically perfect defence against cyber risks. But e-commerce insurance has some gaps between risks confronted by companies and coverage needed by them, because it is at most 6 or 7 years since it has been introduced to market. Nevertheless, in my opinion, e-commerce insurance has offered the most perfect defence against cyber risks to e-commerce companies up to now.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
• /
• v.17
• /
• pp.93-125
• /
• 2002

This paper aims to find a reasonable solvency margin system in non-life insurance industry and also to evaluate the appropriateness of the current solvency margin regulation system in Korea. The current solvency margin system in Korea, based on EU's solvency margin model, was introduced during the 1997 financial crisis. The solvency requirement is not based on non-life insurer's risk, but simply on written premiums. The current solvency margin for general insurance, such as fire, marine, and automobile insurance, is determined by the greater between a premium-based amount and a claim-based amount, where the premium-based solvency margin is calculated by multiplying the net written premium for the preceding year by the premium based solvency margin ratio. Also, the amount of solvency margin for long term insurance is set at 4% of the policy reserve of the long term insurance. Still, there exist many differences between the current solvency margin regulation system in Korea and EU's model. This paper focuses on the rationality of the solvency margin regulation system, and compares the current system in Korea with EU's model and the RBC(Risk Based Capital) system in U.S. and Japan. Finally, this paper suggests a more specific and reasonable solvency margin system to be developed in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.363-376
• /
• 2017

The insurance market is saturated and its growth engine is exhausted; consequently, the insurance industry is now in a low growth period with insurance companies that face a fierce competitive environment. In such a situation, it will be an important issue to find the probability distributions that can explain the flow of insurance claims, which are the basis of the actuarial calculation of the insurance product. Insurance claims are generally known to be well fitted by lognormal distributions or Pareto distributions biased to the left with a thick tail. In recent years, skew normal distributions or skew t distributions have been considered reasonable distributions for describing insurance claims. Cooray and Ananda (2005) proposed a composite lognormal-Pareto distribution that has the advantages of both lognormal and Pareto distributions and they also showed the composite distribution has a higher fitness than single distributions. In this paper, we introduce new composite distributions based on skew normal distributions or skew t distributions and apply them to Danish fire insurance claim data and US indemnity loss data to compare their performance with the other composite distributions and single distributions.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.119-128
• /
• 2015

A fire broke out in a working wood-burning stove and destroyed an idyllic house about two years after it was built. This study analyzed data provided through the court by the fire station, police station, fire insurance investigation agency, house construction company, and wood-burning stove maker Based on the fire pattern of low-temperature long-term ignition that remained in the studs, the fire was found to be caused by the conduction of heat in the fire box to the studs of the wall next to the wood-burning stove. A fire simulation showed that the low-temperature long-term ignition of the studs next to the wood-burning stove occurred because a hole was not made for ventilation in the chimney.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.112-119
• /
• 2011

In this study, a fire cause of setting fire to one's own car to collect the insurance is analyzed. Through a close examination of causes of this car fire, it is suggested to improve current practices and institutions: (1) A collection system of fallen vehicle parts or fire debris in the fire site should be established; (2) A system of providing fire site information in detail should be established when a police station requests National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) to examine causes of vehicle fires; (3) When a burned car is suspected of arson, a fire station and a police station should maintain a mutual cooperation system; (4) Procedures of examining the causes of vehicle arson in National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) should be improved; and (5) Recognition of the examination of fire causes and correlation with analysis equipment should be changed.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.265-285
• /
• 2018

This paper presents a state-of-the-art review on the design, research and education aspects of fire safety engineering (FSE) with a particular concern on high-rise buildings. FSE finds its root after Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, followed by Great London Fire in 1666. The development of modern FSE is continuously driven by industry revolution, insurance community and government regulations. Now FSE has become a unique engineering discipline and is moving towards performance-based design since 1990s. The performance-based fire safety design (PBFSD) involves identification of fire safety goals, design objectives, establishment of performance criteria, and selection of proper solutions for fire safety. The determination of fire scenarios and design fires have now become major contents for PBFSD. To experience a rapid and positive evolution in design and research consistent with other engineering disciplines, it is important for fire safety engineering as a profession to set up a special educational system to deliver the next-generation fire safety engineers. High-rise buildings have their unique fire safety issues such as rapid fire and smoke spread, extended evacuation time, longer fire duration, mixed occupancies, etc., bringing more difficulties in ensuring life safety and protection of property and environment. A list of recommendations is proposed to improve the fire safety of high-rise buildings. In addition, some source information for specific knowledge and information on FSE is provided in Appendix.