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This paper examines recent reversals and divergences in Japan's and Korea's free-trade agreement (FTA) patterns and strategies through the cases of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, the Japan-Australia FTA, and the Korea-China FTA. Throughout the 2000s, South Korea was much more proactive in pursuing FTAs with major trade partners and agricultural exporters compared to Japan. Departing from its past FTA practices, however, Japan recently concluded the Japan-Australia FTA and the TPP negotiations, which include substantial liberalization of Japan's politically sensitive and heavily protected agricultural sector. In contrast, Korea has increasingly been taking a more protective stance in its recent FTAs and has been hesitant to join the TPP negotiations. This paper argues that changes in Japan's and Korea's domestic trade governance - in other words the institutions of trade policy-making that encompass the authority structure, decision-making processes, and coordinating mechanisms among various societal and political actors - explain Japan's and Korea's shifting FTA patterns and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the implications of Together towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes ( TTL) in the Korean context. TTL presents a renewed understanding of mission and challenges the mission activity of the Korean church and mission community. The paper explores some missiological implications of TTL for the once marginalized Korean church, which has become the centre of global Christianity. The world church has begun to recognize the rise of the non-Western churches and the emerging roles of the Korean church. TTL, with a study guide, and Ecumenical Missiology should serve as helpful resources for teaching and training theology students and field missionaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a growing number of customers tend to view corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a key purchase decision criterion, demands for CSR including environmental sustainability have accelerated in today's business world. To meet such demands, many firms consider embracing environment-friendly business practices. However, many firms are still hesitant to implement those practices due to sceptical views about their real managerial benefits. Although the previous literature confirms the positive link between a firm's commitment to environmental sustainability and its performance, the varying degree of impact of different kinds of environment-friendly supply chain practices on the firm's operational performance is still unknown. To fill the void left by prior research, this paper aims to classify various types of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and then assess the impact of each of these distinct types on the firm's operational performances (especially manufacturing and marketing performance). Also, this paper examines how the firm's organisational profiles such as firm size affect the particular firm's choice of GSCM practices. Our experimental results reveal that the chosen type of GSCM practices influences the firm's performance differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of gender on the effectiveness of transformational leadership. Drawing on role congruity theory, it elucidates the moderating effects of leader gender, subordinate gender, and leader-subordinate gender dyad on the relationship between transformational leadership and psychological empowerment.Design/methodology/approach Employees of companies in Korea responded to a paper-pencil survey, rating their psychological empowerment and leadership behaviors of their direct leader on a five-point Likert-type scale. The analysis includes 339 responses.Findings The results indicate that a leader’s gender has no significant moderating effect on psychological empowerment, but the gender of the subordinate has a significant moderating effect, with male subordinates more strongly influenced by transformational leadership than female subordinates. Notably, the findings show that the effectiveness of transformational leadership is contingent on the leader-subordinate gender dyad. Specifically, transformational leadership has as significant an effect on female leader-male subordinate dyads as on male leader-male subordinate dyads.Research limitations/implications This study contributes to leadership and gender studies in the management field by investigating the effect of gender roles on the effectiveness of transformational leadership. Future research should extend this study and explore whether these findings are generalizable.Practical implications The remarkable finding of the effect of female leadership on employee empowerment suggests organizations should use more female leaders.Originality/value This is the first empirical study to shed light on gender issues in relation to transformational leadership in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the long-run determinants of house prices, and analyzes the house price dynamics using Korean data taking into account the close relationship between house prices and household debt. The results of cointegrating regression indicate that the major portion of the rise in house prices in Korea over the last 15 years can be explained by changes in macro variables such as household income, the demographic structure, the user cost of home ownership and the housing stock supply. The results also confirm that house prices are, indeed, closely linked to the steep increase in household debt seen over this period. Estimation of an error correction model shows that the extent of convergence of actual house prices to their long-run equilibrium path has weakened somewhat since the global financial crisis while the speed of convergence has slowed, indicating structural changes in the Korean housing market. Finally, a forecast for house prices over the next several years suggests that they are unlikely to rise as sharply as they did in the 2000s, given the likely changes in the macro-financial environment, and that their future path will be closely associated with that of the household debt-to-income ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to identify the endodontic microbiome in primary teeth with dental caries using high-throughput pyrosequencing and to establish data on the oral microbiome of primary teeth with endodontic infection. Methods Ten primary teeth with dental caries and endodontic infection were included. Samples were collected from root canals using sterilized paper points and analyzed by pyrosequencing, based on the V1-V3 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. The data were analyzed using the CLcommunity software. Results Analysis of the 10 samples yielded a total of 64,291 16S rRNA gene sequences. In total, 1586 OTUs (range, 91-235), six bacterial phyla, including unclassified, and 187 genera were assigned. At the genus level, Neisseria (group A), Acinetobacter (group B), and Fusobacterium (group C) were prominent. These predominant microorganisms were associated with the clinical condition and reflected the progression of endodontic infection in primary teeth. Conclusions This study revealed a relationship between the oral microbiome and endodontic infection in primary teeth. Additionally, anaerobic bacteria such as Fusobacterium species were dominant in the teeth with apical abscesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Charting the earnings numbers reported by Korean firms produces a bell curve, but for a sharp discontinuity in the area surrounding zero. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if and how a large segment of Korean managers might manage accounting numbers to produce the observed result.Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an empirical research method using Korean listed firms as a sample. The primary focus of investigation is on major income statement variables that might produce the observed results in earnings from operations and net income.Findings Managers of Korean firms opportunistically use almost all income statement variables to influence earnings numbers. They manage revenues and selling, general & administrative expenses to report small positive earnings from operations, but manage non-operating gains (losses) to report small positive net income.Research limitations/implications This paper does not answer several questions related to loss avoidance. First, the paper did not examine which actions, such as discretionary accruals, opportunistic business decisions, or bogus transactions, were employed to affect line items on the income statement. Second, the paper did not investigate what specific incentives trigger Korean managers to report small positive earnings. Korean firms have traditionally raised capital by borrowing funds from creditors and governmental agencies. Thus, they may be concerned that reporting losses would reduce their borrowing capacity. Finally, corporate governance, such as CEO tenure and option grants may influence the extent of earnings management to avoid losses, but most corporate governance data for Korean companies must be manually collected. Accordingly, these subjects are left for future studies as well.Originality/value This study contributes to accounting literature by reporting how managers of Korean firms artificially coordinate major income statement variables and report small positive earnings figures, noting the differences between earnings management investigating methodology and ones used in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the importance of service offering is increasing in not only service areas but also manufacturing areas, manufacturers and service providers strive to integrate products and services simultaneously. The integration in service delivery has helped in the provision of better products or services with increasing convenience and usefulness. In previous research, strategic management and case studies of integrated products and services (IPSs) have been conducted in various fields. However, research on finding significant service characteristics which affect customer satisfaction and service quality has been rarely investigated and interested although service integration into products offers more functions and advantages. With regard to this limitation, this paper proposes a research model that is subject to finding the significant factors for customer satisfaction in terms of service characteristics and quality. In the case of the mobile industry in Korea, the findings show positive and different relationships between customer satisfaction and service characteristics as well as service quality with respect to three types of IPSs: advice, maintenance, and content services. These significant results imply that IPS is one of the critical factors to improve customer satisfaction in the mobile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Understanding the nature of science (NOS) has emerged as a core curricular goal since at least the 1960s. While science education reforms around the world have shed light on various epistemic and social underpinnings of science, how science curriculum documents portray the nature of other related disciplines such as mathematics and engineering has drawn little attention. Such lack of attention is surprising, given the growing interest among educators in the integrated approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and the frequent emphasis on STEM in recent curriculum policy. The study reported in this paper aimed to understand how recent science education reform documents from the USA, Korea and Taiwan compare with regard to their representation of the nature of STEM disciplines. Using the framework of the family resemblance approach (FRA), we present a comparative analysis of three recent science education standards documents to examine their coverage of the epistemic underpinnings of STEM disciplines, particularly with regard to the disciplinary aims, values and practices. The results indicate that the features specific to science and shared by science and engineering were most frequently addressed in the standards documents, whereas mathematics-related features were rarely mentioned. Furthermore, there was variation in the coverage in terms of the nature of STEM disciplines. Based on the findings, we discuss the contributions of the FRA framework in analysing STEM curricula in an interdisciplinary manner and make suggestions for integrating the nature of STEM disciplines in science curriculum documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that while there was no singular cohesive "national identity" in the modern sense in Chosŏn Korea, the elitist Neo-Confucian framework served as a basis for establishing an overarching identity on the Korean Peninsula. Every other entity defined itself through its relationship to the prominent Neo-Confucian framework. Two marginalized groups - Buddhist institutions and the Catholic Church--defined themselves and developed identities based around the Neo-Confucian framework; this paper analyzes this. By demonstrating that these two marginalized groups had no choice but to define themselves in terms of the Neo-Confucian framework, it is clear this framework also created an elitist identity built around its intellectual culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore key elements of President Moon Jae-in's policy on the Korean Peninsula and provide a conceptual framework and diplomatic roadmap for denuclearization and peace. Next, we perform a keyword extraction analysis of China's People's Daily and People's Daily Overseas Edition to identify the objectives, pathway, role identity, and position of the Chinese government in the nuclear negotiations since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Our research finds the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, protection of peace and stability, and establishment of a peace regime as constituting China's main objectives. Dialogue and negotiation, political resolution, a double suspension and dual track approach, and international cooperation are suggested as pathways. China affirms its commitment to playing a constructive, active, unique, and responsible great power role on the peninsula, and suggests U.S.-DPRK dialogue and engagement as the primary vehicle to achieve peace, supplemented by inter-Korean reconciliation. Based on our findings, we address some key differences in perception and position between South Korea and China toward denuclearization and a peace regime. Finally, we offer prospects for bilateral crisis management and mechanisms for South Korea-China cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In international law, an armistice agreement provides for a cessation of hostilities in order for the combatants to pursue a permanent peace, usually via a peace treaty. This process remains incomplete for the two Koreas. This article focuses on bridging the divide between the current armistice agreement and a future peace treaty by utilizing just war theory. Specifically, a prong of just war theory that has more recently emerged, jus post bellum (justice after war), provides a beneficial lens by which to achieve a better peace by focusing on both addressing past issues as well as accounting for prospective opportunities for future engagement. This paper argues that a peace treaty influenced by elements of jus post bellum informs the framework necessary for meaningful rapprochement on the Korean Peninsula and a much needed denouement to the Korean War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors investigate the idiosyncratic features of auto- and cross-correlation structures of PM2.5 (particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 μ m ) mass concentrations using DFA (detrended fluctuation analysis) methodologies. Since air pollutant mass concentrations are greatly affected by geographical, topographical, and meteorological conditions, their correlation structures can have non-universal properties. To this end, the authors firstly examine the spatio-temporal statistics of PM2.5 daily average concentrations collected from 18 monitoring stations in Korea, and then select five sites from those stations with overall lower and higher concentration levels in order to make up two groups, namely, G1 and G2, respectively. Firstly, to compare characteristic behaviors of the auto-correlation structures of the two groups, we performed DFA and MFDFA (multifractal DFA) analyses on both and then confirmed that the G2 group shows a clear crossover behavior in DFA and MFDFA analyses, while G1 shows no crossover. This finding implies that there are possibly two different scale-dependent underlying dynamics in G2. Furthermore, in order to confirm that different underlying dynamics govern G1 and G2, the authors conducted DCCA (detrended cross-correlation analysis) analysis on the same and different groups. As a result, in the same group, coupling behavior became more prominent between two series as the scale increased, while, in the different group, decoupling behavior was observed. This result also implies that different dynamics govern G1 and G2. Lastly, we presented a stochastic model, namely, ARFIMA (auto-regressive fractionally integrated moving average) with periodic trends, to reproduce behaviors of correlation structures from real PM2.5 concentration time series. Although those models succeeded in reproducing crossover behaviors in the auto-correlation structure, they yielded no valid results in decoupling behavior among heterogeneous groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstarct: Jeju Island, which lies on the continental shelf in the southern Korean Peninsula, is the emergent portion of a basaltic volcanic field that has erupted since the Early Pleistocene (ca. 1.8 Ma). Volcanic activity that continued into historic times (ca. 1 ka) formed an elongated shield with a central edifice (Mt. Halla) and more than 300 monogenetic cones and rings. The establishment of a temporal framework for Jeju volcanism, particularly during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene activities, requires geochronological tools other than radiometric dating techniques, which are based on parent-daughter isotope pairs with geologically long half-lives, such as 40Ar/39Ar dating. In this study, we conducted quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of palaeosols intercalated with basaltic lava flows and scoria deposits, presumably ejected from three monogenetic volcanoes (Cheoreum, Darangsh and Dunjibong volcanoes) in the northeastern part of the island. Quartz extracts from the palaeosols had moderate to dim sensitivity to optical stimulation, but several prerequisite tests of the measurement protocols for equivalent dose estimation were successful. The coarse (63–250 μm) and fine (4–11 μm) quartz fractions yielded continuous wave (CW)-OSL ages of 19.9–7.0 and 18.6–6.7 ka, respectively, both of which were broadly consistent with the radiocarbon dates (10245–7440 Cal yr BP). These ages indicate that lava flows and scoria deposits covering the palaeosols are younger than ~7 ka. The pulsed OSL signals in coarse quartz extracts from the palaeosols suffered from poor counting statistics, thus it is recommended that they not be applied solely (i.e., without any other absolute ages to compare) to dating dim samples. From one of the sites investigated here, the averaged sedimentation rate of the palaeosol is estimated to be ~0.05 mm/yr, based on stratigraphically consistent CW-OSL ages. The OSL ages presented in this paper, together with previous OSL and radiocarbon ages, confirm that Jeju volcanic island was regionally active during the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depending on how we define a peace regime, we can determine whether we have reached a peace regime on the Korean peninsula, or what and how we have to pursue to reach a peace regime. A new definition of a regime should not be too broad to admit the current balance of powers based on hegemonies and states' patterns of behaviors, or too restrictive and formal to codify as a multi-national treaty; a simple peace treaty cannot cover everything a peace regime needs to have and reflect the complicated process of peace building, cooperation and tension-reduction. In this paper, I will attempt to find the most-realistic definition for a peace regime to provide an ultimate peace on the Korean peninsula. Further, I will think about how to reach the newly defined peace regime on the Korean peninsula and the obstacles to overcome to reach this peace regime, including: (1) Denuclearization; and (2) How a peace regime can be transnationally supported and peacefully digested and incorporated into the domestic level processes and norms, especially considering that reaching a regime reflecting national interests is a daunting task. Lastly, I will conclude with recommendations for states surrounding the Korean peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choi, H.-J.; Cho, S.-J.; Kim, T.H., and Nam, J., 2023. Assessment of Marine Use Zones (MUZs) in the spatial planning of Jeonbuk sea waters (southwestern Korean peninsula). In: Lee, J.L.; Lee, H.; Min, B.I.; Chang, J.-I.; Cho, G.T.; Yoon, J.-S., and Lee, J. (eds.), Multidisciplinary Approaches to Coastal and Marine Management. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 116, pp. 338-342. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The Korean government has adopted marine spatial planning as a new policy tool for integrated marine space management and has designated nine Marine Use Zones (MUZs) on all sea water areas. To designate MUZs, it is necessary to conduct a Marine Spatial Assessment (MSA) to identify the scope and level of core activities and spatial conflict potential between MUZs. This paper covers the MSA method for Jeonbuk waters and discusses the limitations and implications of the current MSA for the effective designation of the MUZs. Marine spatial planning (MSP) for Jeonbuk considers various demands for use and development, such as leisure, marine energy development, and the Saemangeum construction project, as well as the protection of excellent ecology and scenery, such as tidal flats and islands. Thus, MSA was conducted to designate MUZs that reflect these regional characteristics well according to relevant guidelines. The MSA procedure consists of preparation, data collection and processing, characteristic evaluation, and conflict analysis. Specifically, data on marine use and those pertaining to resources of the target sea were collected and transformed into grid-based (3'x3') GIS data. Based on these results, the MUZs in the target area were designated and managed. This study had several limitations and implications. First, there were difficulties in defining core activities according to the accessibility and availability of input data for MSA. Hence, methods and techniques such as data fusion and their spatial interpolation are required to overcome these limitations. Second, a future study (e.g., ecosystem services) should be conducted to quantitatively evaluate and visualize the value of benefits provided by marine ecosystems. Third, location-based AIS and fishing boat data are likely to prove useful for identifying the characteristics of dynamic activities such as fishing and shipping. Finally, it is necessary to apply simulation model to reflect not only the recent behavior pertaining to the use of marine space and resources, but also potential future behavior relating to MUZs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illuminates the cultural performance of Chosŏn (1392–1910) interpreters in the nineteenth century, with a particular focus on interpreters' participation in poetry societies (sisa 詩社). The study aims to explore the cultural status of interpreters by examining the networks they built within poetry societies and to investigate whether engagement in cultural activities contributed to their social mobility in the late nineteenth century. Existing scholarship on the social mobility of the chungin (中人, "middle people") heavily relies on the influence of demographic expansion and position monopoly, at the expense of other indicators reflecting the chungin's social position such as economic, cultural, and political standing. To bridge this research gap, this research uses the cultural life of Chosŏn interpreters as a lens to examine how the chungin interacted with other groups. I use Kang Wi's (姜瑋 1820–1884) Kohwandang such'o (古歡堂收艸, "Collected Works of Kang Wi") as the primary source to extract social connections between the Poetry Society of the Sixth Bridge (Yukkyo sisa 六橋詩社), of which most members were official interpreters and medical doctors living in Hanyang, and the South Poetry Society, which was a poetry community organized by the yangban. Through analyzing clusters and patterns based on the concurrence of the participants, this study concludes that the cultural status of the chungin did not fully align with their categorization in the social hierarchy, and the social gap between the yangban and the chungin did not cease because of cultural exchanges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Korea was ranked 11th globally, in 2018, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, of which the transportation sector contribution was estimated to be 14 % in 2017. Many policies have been drawn to enhance transport sustainability and reduce its emissions. According to the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), the policies and actions of South Korea to achieve the goal set in the Paris Agreement, are highly insufficient. Also, the environmental community in Korea has claimed the weakness of the 2017 emissions strategy. To increase policies' efficiency an investigation of the drivers behind greenhouse gases needs to be considered. This paper is decomposing both overall greenhouse gases and transport sector greenhouse gases, to analyse the effect of economic growth, energy intensity, energy mix, technology, urbanization, R&D expenditure, and population. The LMDI results showed that GDP, R&D expenditure, and energy consumption have a strong effect on increasing carbon emissions. While population and urbanization factors have a weak effect for the analysis period 2003-2016, due to the stable urbanization and population rate within the period. The significant contribution of R&D expenditure in increasing GHG emissions showed an urgent need to revise the R&D investment to boost non-carbon transportation research. Additionally, the energy structure effect was not significant, as the reliance on fossil fuel is high despite the efforts to reduce it. This revealed that the adopted fuel policies need strengthening measures and continuous improvement. The study deduced the vital need to raise the use of renewable and non-carbon energy, to strengthen sustainable transportation policies and investments, with a focus on public transportation modes, and finally to establish a good environment for a vigorous system for the implementation and enhancement of active modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article regarding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Korea and China. Topics include the benefits of the countries from the bilateral FTA according to the prediction measured through computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the implication of the low commodity access in the market on the countries' economic relationship, and the establishment of product scope for tariff elimination and list of exclusion to maximize the economic interests of the countries.

This paper aims to examine the introduction of various forms of traditional and popular Western music to Korea. Western traditional and popular music had a significant impact on the development of Korean popular music beginning as early as the Japanese occupation. This paper has examined the origin, formation, specific forms, and meaning of jazz song, a representative genre of early popular music through considering the formation of Korean popular music and the ways in which Western music played a role in its development. This subject is discussed in detail referencing examples of adapted and original songs. Just as in the present, Korea was influenced by popular culture from all over the world, wherein the influence of foreign music is attested by the emergence of jazz song. To demonstrate this point, this paper reviews the specific characteristics of both adapted and original jazz song. Jazz song almost completely disappeared from the surface from the 1940s on, as Japan entered into a state of war and banned Western music from the U.S. and England considering it as music of the enemies. Consequently, much Western-influenced music, including jazz and jazz song, disappeared from the popular music scene. After Korea was liberated from Japan, Korean popular music was newly reorganized under the absolute influence of Western popular music. The music resulted from this reorganization has been settled as the mainstream popular music today and is being re-exported into the world boosted by the Korean-wave. In this light, jazz song from the first half of the twentieth century is meaningful in that it were the matrix of such music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The main aims of this study were to identify candidates for cognitive-enhancing herbal formulae from the Korean medicine literature and to obtain preliminary data that experimental and clinical researchers could use to develop new cognitive-enhancing drugs. Methods: The authors systematically searched for terms related to cognitive enhancement in Dongui Bogam (or Dongyi Baojian), a seminal Korean medicine book. They also reviewed the existing literature on the effects of candidates for cognitive-enhancing herbal formulae and their main constituents. Results and Conclusions: Twenty-three candidates were selected for cognitive-enhancing herbal formulae and their main constituents. For 14 herbal formulae among the 23 candidates, on average 5.6 published research papers per herbal formula describing cognitive-enhancing effects were found. In addition, some published papers were identified for 5 main constituents most frequently used to make up the 23 candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questioning the syntactic assumptions of Island effects on movement operations, this paper investigates, through an acceptability judgment experiment with native Korean speakers, whether wh-in-situ questions in Korean show Complex Noun Phrase (CNP) Islands effects, and if so, what causes them? The results of the experiment indicate that the acceptability of wh-insitu questions with a CNPC violation in Korean shows a wide range of variation and that factors such as distance and referential specificity affect their acceptability. Given that these results cannot be adequately explained by a purely syntactic approach to Islands and that similar facts have been taken as evidence for the processing nature of Island effects in overt wh-movement languages, we interpret them as showing the processing nature of CNP Island effects of wh-in-situ questions in Korean. As for the claim that wh-in-situ questions in Korean do not show CNP Island effects unlike overt wh-movement questions, commonly made and accepted in the syntactic literature, we suggest that the difference in Island effects can arise from the differences in the processing costs of overt wh-movement questions and wh-in-situ questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the features of reverse mortgages in Korea, comparing beneficiary and non-beneficiary groups in relation to income security for elderly homeowners without sufficient income. In addition, this study estimates how much poverty rates would decrease if all elderly single and couple households joined the program. A reverse mortgage was implemented in 2007 in Korea as a government guaranteed scheme for elderly homeowners. Notwithstanding the contribution of the reverse mortgage program, many elderly homeowners do not utilize the system as a useful means to earn additional income. Given the high elderly poverty rate and incomplete social safety net in Korea, the program should be extended to supplement the insufficient income of elderly 'house-rich but cash-poor' households. The paper first reviews reverse mortgage policy details. We then investigate key characteristics of the beneficiaries and compare beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries based on nationwide survey data. Finally, we estimate the potential income-raising effects of the program and draw implications of the income security policy in Korea and reconfiguration of the welfare state in a broader context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While fully utilizing the principles of international emergency management, the objective of this article was to evaluate the present local emergency management of the Gangwon province in relation to its future requirements, and ultimately, to arrive at the most effective emergency-management plan. In doing so, both reality-oriented and risk-oriented approaches were compared via four key players or stakeholders, namely the local governments, military forces, local industries, and semi-volunteers and households. Literature review and interviews with national experts were utilized as the methodology for this study. The contribution of this paper is valuable, because the case of the Gangwon province was examined, for the first time, using international criteria. The key finding is that for best practices, the Gangwon province has to change its reality-oriented approach to a risk-oriented approach. Furthermore, the evaluation of the Gangwon province's policies following international emergency-management examples may result to improvements on the non-linear dynamics of local emergency management and facilitate transformation toward a risk-oriented approach in neighboring countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author comments on the paper "Cross-Border Vertical Integration and Intra-Firm Trade: New Evidence From Korean and Japanese Firm-Level Data" by Hyunbae Chun et al. The paper discusses the presence and magnitude of intra-firm trade between the parent firm and its affiliates. It also addresses the motivation of cross-border vertical integration between Korean and Japanese manufacturing industries.

With its dexterous interweaving of synchronic and diachronic perspectives, with the rich detail it provides of Choson communicative practices, and with its thorough consideration of material culture, I The Power of the Brush i is an important and very welcome addition to scholarship on Choson cultural history. The Power of the Brush: Epistolary Practices in Choson Korea, by Hwisang Cho. The main argument brought forward by this book is the centrality of letter writing to the cultural and political process of Choson Korea. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate diversity management in an under-researched country by merging theoretical insights developed in the Western literature with cultural aspects of a traditionally homogeneous country, South Korea. Design/methodology/approach: This study integrates theory and research on why diversity can have either a positive (i.e. the information/decision-making paradigm) or a negative (i.e. the social categorization paradigm) effect on performance with different diversity perspectives (i.e. integration-and-learning, access-and-legitimacy, and discrimination-and-fairness). This study develops a model of when and how gender diversity affects organization performance and test the model with a sample of 177 South Korean organizations. Findings: This study finds that gender diversity is negatively related to organization performance in South Korea. This study also finds that the effect of gender diversity is contingent on organizational diversity perspectives. Organizations with high gender diversity perform better to the extent that they have a discrimination-fairness perspective, but not a business-oriented perspective. On the other hand, a discrimination-fairness perspective is unrelated to performance for organizations that are low in gender diversity. Originality/value: Although gender diversity in the South Korean workplace continues to increase, the relationship between gender diversity and organization performance has rarely been studied in the aspect of Korea's traditionally homogeneous culture. This study highlights the importance of cultural-contingencies in understanding the consequences of diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the evolution of the policy agenda of the EU-South Korea strategic partnership, based on key pillars of cooperation: politics, security, and economics. In the political arena, the Framework Agreement has provided a major platform for promoting EU-Korea political dialogue and developing a common stance toward a shared global agenda. When it comes to security, the main agenda involves North Korea's missiles, nuclear program, and the challenge of nonproliferation; the two parties have coordinated sanctions against North Korea. South Korea has enacted a Crisis Management Participation Agreement (FPA) with the EU and begun to participate in the EU common security and defence policy. The changing security environment on the Korean Peninsula, as a consequence of recent inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogues, may offer the EU new opportunities for constructive engagement. In the economic arena, the EU-Korea FTA has established solid trade and investment relations. While these pillars of the strategic partnership have led to stable and mature bilateral relations, both the EU and South Korea need to find new momentum for an enhanced partnership to deal with the ongoing challenge of global security instability and the backlash against the liberal international order. The EU-South Korea strategic partnership also needs a global agenda that covers climate change, technology, education, and culture. This study assesses the development of each pillar of the strategic partnership, addressing key challenges, tasks, and future diplomatic developments between the EU and South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that motivate Korean baseball fans to support Korean Major League Baseball (MLB) players and to identify the effects of the motivations on identification and behavioral loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire at three Korean universities. A model was designed to see which three motivations (commitment to Korean baseball, interests in MLB and ethnic identity) affect loyalty behaviors to support Korean MLB players. In the model, the mediating effect of player identification is set to the relation between the three motivations and behavioral loyalty. The moderating effect of team identification is also set to the relation between player identification and behavioral loyalty. Collected data (n=294) were first analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis to ascertain the factor structure of the study model. Then, the study performed a structural equation modeling which finds the magnitude and significance of each causal path among designed factors. Findings: All the effects were found to be significantly positive except team identification whose moderating effect was not significant. Interests in MLB had the greatest impact on the fan's player identification followed by commitment to the Korean baseball league and their ethnic identity. It was also found that the influence of player identification was positive on behavioral loyalty. Originality/value: This work can help MLB expand their fan base internationally, especially in Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern Korea witnessed a historical transition from the Daehan Empire (1897-1910) to the colonial reign (1910-1945). During this time, over seventy Australian men and women voluntarily came to the Korean peninsula in order to enlighten the Kyŏngnam province. While the colonial policy was harsh, the social workers under the spirit of the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) introduced a liberal ideology. The focus of these people included improvements in education, health, and culture for the less privileged, such as women and children. How did they then involve the public health of Korea? What was their strategy to improve the local health in Kyŏngnam province? What was their influence on the modernisation of Korean medical science? This paper not only explores the testimonial sources of official correspondence, personal diaries, local and international newspapers, original publications, and diplomatic documents, but also argues the insight that the introduction of modern medical and health technology positively challenged the traditional concepts of sickness and treatment, especially for child welfare, leprosy, and mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Changbaishan volcano is an active and considerably hazardous volcano located on the border of China and North Korea. This paper summarizes a series of geophysical surveys as well as seismological and volcano-observational networks around the Changbaishan volcanic area. We characterize deep structures related to the Changbaishan volcanic area. The prominent low-velocity anomalies and low-resistance bodies associated with the magma system under the Changbaishan volcano were detected in the crust and upper mantle, and high-velocity anomalies were imaged within the mantle transition zone, suggesting that the origin of the Changbaishan volcano is related to the subducted Pacific slab. However, there exist a few major obstacles for comprehensively elucidating the deep structure of the Changbaishan volcano as well as for the preparedness for and response toward future volcanic unrest and activity. It is essential to collect data from both China and Korean Peninsula to image the deep structure beneath the Changbaishan volcanic area. A multi-disciplinary approach comprising seismological investigations, deformation information from GNSS and InSar, and gravity and magnetotelluric surveying is a reliable manner for imaging high-resolution structures and fluid movement for the spatial distribution and variation of the volcanic magma chamber. An effective volcano-monitoring network system is considerably important to improve hazard assessments and characterize the potential future eruption of the Changbaishan volcano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are relatively large areas of ocean space, adjacent to the continents in coastal waters where primary productivity is generally high. Their natural characteristics allow for the application of governance practices based on the ecosystem approach. The Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem is a shallow semi-enclosed sea, located between the Chinese continent and Korean Peninsula. Three nations, the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), are located along the coast of Yellow Sea. Anthropogenic activity and global environmental changes are causing stress on the resources of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME). To address the transboundary challenges these impose, the Ecosystem-based Governance approach is being applied as the best method to sustain the goods and services of YSLME, which needs strong collaboration by all the YSLME nations. This paper summarizes the current status and threats of YSLME, as well as the present cooperative management systems being developed in the PRC and the ROK. Progress in implementing a collaboration mechanism, activities, and projects are also reviewed in the paper. The Yellow Sea Commission, a new intergovernmental collaborative organization, is expected to be established by YSLME nations (including the DPRK) to support Ecosystem-based Governance. The paper emphasizes the objectives and activities of a collaborative YSLME project for provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting services of the YSLME under a new intergovernmental collaboration mechanism (YSLME Commission), which will push forward Ecosystem-based Governance and sustainable development of the YSLME as described in SDG 14, the United Nations 2015 Sustainable Development Goal and targets for the oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in the relationships between job demands, job control and distress with the moderation effects of family status (i.e. marriage and parenthood) in the patriarchal cultural context of Korea. Design/methodology/approach: The authors formulated hypotheses on the grounds of stress and role theories and tested them using a hierarchical regression analysis. A sample of 403 Korean employees (230 males; 173 females) was used for the analysis. Findings: Family status moderated the relationship between job demands and distress for both males and females, whereas family status significantly moderated the effect of job control on distress for only males. Regardless of gender, marriage and parenthood were associated with distress affected by job demands, while only males exhibited significant distress in interactions between family status and job control. Originality/value: This exploratory study is one of few that explicitly addresses the concepts of the job demands-control model dealing with the unique characteristics of demographic groups. By incorporating data from the single, the married and parents, this study identified applications of the conservation of resources and role theory for various family statuses in a non-Western culture. Particularly, this study is meaningful in that it highlighted the impacts of family roles on distress that can be observed in any culture, but is salient in a highly hierarchal, patriarchal and work-centered culture, like Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of three-dimensional (3D) exploration data is important for targeting deep-seated mineral deposits. This paper presents a methodology for 3D mineral prospectivity modeling at the regional scale based on a knowledge-driven method. A mineral prospectivity map of skarn-type mineralization was developed for the southern region of the Taebaek basin in Korea. Criteria generated using the skarn mineral system concept and 3D exploration maps were extracted from the 3D geological model, and then were assigned weights and scores using expert knowledge. The prospectivity map was prepared using a multiclass index overlay method, in which 3D exploration criteria were integrated for the study area. The prospectivity model was quantitatively validated by comparisons with 46 ore body voxels from drill holes in six known historical skarn-type deposits. The success rate for the prospectivity model was 89.04%. This high value appears to reflect the importance of the weighting and scoring process used for the exploration criteria. It is believed that the proposed approach provides a valuable guide to the identification of new deposit-scale, deep-seated exploration target zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research shows that foreign (domestic) banks rely more on 'hard' ('soft') information in their lending decisions and such approaches may give a motivation for the local firms to improve their credit scores by, for example, overstating earnings. The paper develops a theoretical model and empirically tests the model using actual data from Korea. The model predicts that local firms tend to overstate earnings when they increase the loan relations with foreign banks and the proportion of local firms with earnings management increases as the recoverability of foreign banks decreases (increases) in the higher (lower) level of recoverability. The results of the empirical test are consistent with the predictions by the model. We also discuss the implications of the study and an extension for the future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conceptualizes the emerging detente within inter-Korean relations as evidence of tangible transformations within North Korea's domestic and foreign policy, establishing how this phenomenon represents a unique and conclusive opportunity for peace and engagement. It contextualizes the inter-Korean and Singapore summits as foundations for the detente, before expanding upon the nature of the detente through the contrasting objectives of North and South Korea, and the transitional nature of domestic affairs in North Korea. The article establishes the bona fide nature of North Korea's detente, as revealed by a direct connection between North Korea's international diplomatic gestures vis-av-vis transitional domestic circumstances; involving incremental economic modernization and political liberalization under a shift in focus within Kim Jong-un's Byungjin Line policy. This analysis departs from and orthodox Western interpretation of inter-Korean relations, providing a holistic analysis of inter-Korean affairs and North Korean domestic politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with its multicultural transformation, Korea is experiencing structural challenges of multicultural education that has been often criticized as assimilation driven and immigrant education oriented. In fact, multicultural education targeted at the Korean public should be as equally important as the newly arrived migrants, if not less. The paper seeks to identify existing complications of multicultural education in Korea by reviewing its practices in the sociopolitical context, while providing alternatives from the perspectives of geography. The importance of localization and place-based pedagogy is exemplified by the strength of geography education, emphasizing its compatibility and contributory potential to multicultural education. In addition, geography field trip lessons of Daegu that may be of interest to multicultural educators are presented as reference lessons in further developing multicultural education in Korea. By teaching multicultural education more 'multiculturally,' geography education not only outright reflects the richness of Korea's growing cultural diversity, but also lends its flexibility nature and all-encompassing approaches to enhance social cohesion and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper contributes to existing literature by empirically investigate the trade structure and trade performance between Korea and ASEAN. Overall, trade activities between Korea and almost major ASEAN economies have significantly focused on capital goods, medium and high technology goods, while the remaining ASEAN countries' exports over Korea have been mainly primary and low technology goods. There has been a higher complementarity in between Korea's exports and ASEAN's imports compared with between ASEAN's exports and Korea's imports. Estimation results show that ASEAN's GDP and income have larger impacts than those of Korea on aggregate trade flows as well as sectoral level between two sides. Additionally, geographical conditions are critical factors impeding Korea-ASEAN trade. Meanwhile, other factors in the estimation model have mixed impacts on components of Korea-ASEAN trade structure. Finally, there is a significant room for Korea's trade expansion with ASEAN, particularly new and less developed members in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensions flared for a time after North Korea's fifth and sixth nuclear tests as well as THAAD's entry into South Korea. This paper extends the view that the root cause of these issues is the lack of regional public goods (RPGs) on the Korean Peninsula, and its insufficiency results from three major conflicts in the politico-economic situation of the Peninsula. In order to resolve the issues and maintain lasting peace, three specific aspects, i.e., in diplomacy, security and economy, are to be addressed in carrying out the long-term mission of supplying RPGs to the Peninsula. For effective operation and comprehensive management of the RPGs provision, an integration platform with powerful commitments is called for, i.e., "Association of Trans-Korean Peninsula Nations" (ATKPN) co-established by China, the United States, and the two Koreas. Apart from the dilemma commonly identified in the delivery of RPGs, the ATKPN also faces dilemmas specifically from the Northeast Asian order. To overcome the ATKPN's obstacles, concerted efforts are needed to promote the institutionalization of Sino-U.S. "new type of great power relations," to transform the function of the alliance system, and to cultivate the awareness of "common external threats." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence‐based policymaking relies on the use and robustness of the available data. Many conceptual and operational difficulties restrict this process, not least in making use of evidence to identify policy priorities. The Active Ageing Index (AAI), developed originally for the 28 European Union countries, offers a strong motivation in this respect. This paper reports on the development of the AAI for Korea, a country where speed and level of population aging is among the highest in the world. Drawing on the comparative analysis of the AAI results for Korea, China, and European countries, we find that Korea's AAI (35.3) is higher than the average of the AAI for all EU countries (33.9) but lower than China (37.3). Fitting Korea into the overall ranking with the EU countries and China (ranked 7), Korea is ranked 11, just behind Germany (10). The AAI results in Korea show that the employment domain performs extremely well compared with the EU countries, but other domains, especially "Social participation" and "Independent, healthy and secure living," are achieving less favorable outcomes. High employment among the current cohorts of older workers in Korea can be attributed largely to the constraints of low pension income status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the feature and mechanism of a new type of documentary credit fraud that victimizes banks’ issuing letters of credit (L/C), harming neither the importer nor the exporter and seeks to suggest possible measures to tackle it. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed 30 cases of documentary credit fraud against banks that were detected by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) and interviewed three key customs investigators to interpret the case reports more accurately and gain a deeper understanding into the mechanisms governing the fraud. This study draws on routine activity theory and crime pattern theory to analyze the opportunity structures of this fraud. Findings – This study found that the importer that engaged in the fraud cases had established a solid business relationship with the exporter and had established trust with the victimized banks; the banks, despite the fact that they had their own risk management systems to screen out unqualified L/C applicants, were defrauded by the offending importers and exporters. Unlike ordinary documentary credit fraud, fraud against banks can be tackled by customs because the offender and the victim typically operate in the same jurisdiction, and this type of fraud often results in trade-based capital flight and money laundering, which is the target of customs enforcement. Research limitations/implications – As this paper is based on case reports of the KCS, it is inappropriate to generalize the findings or to apply the findings to other contexts. Nevertheless, the opportunity structure elaborated upon in the course of this paper may prove useful in devising measures to tackle this type of fraud elsewhere. Originality/value – Documentary credit fraud against banks is relatively unexplored, in particular from criminological perspective. This study can contribute to a refinement of the application of opportunity perspective to white-collar crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the aspect of physical expression in the Korean Bongsan Mask Dance, a composite art form that combines theatre, music, and dance. Compared to other Korean mask plays, movement is highly important in the Bongsan Mask Dance as it contains a variety of technically developed and stylized physical expressions. Considering that dance is so prominent and influential in the development of the story, this drama is referred to as the Bongsan Mask Dance rather than the Bongsan Mask Play. This paper focuses on both direct and indirect physical expression--often neglected despite their importance--and this is in contrast to other studies of this work, which have primarily the actors' dialogue. This paper classifies physical expression into three types based on style and form, and into four categories according to function and role. Also, it argues that physical expression in the Bongsan Mask Dance functions not only as a supportive but also an independent medium that develops the story, contributes to the overall coherence of the artistic work, and communicates critical ideologies and themes differently from speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the Yeonam group, led by Bak Ji-won (1737-1805), collected and compiled Korean literature written in classical Chinese during the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. The Yeonam group attempted to prove how well Korean intellectuals had adopted and developed Chinese culture. Korean history, culture, and literature rapidly garnered the attention of Silhak (Practical Learning) intellectuals during this era. Previous studies, which tend to reflect the perspective of modern nationalism, have understood this academic trend as an early form of Korean nationalism. However, the Yeonam group held the opinion that Korean literature written in classical Chinese served as an indicator of the writer's degree of embodying Chinese culture, which was understood by the Yeonam group as the epitome of cultural advancement. For this reason, the Yeonam group explored and compiled a series of Korean literary works written in classical Chinese, the ideal language according to the group. This paper demonstrates that the Yeonam group's interest in Korean literature written in classical Chinese stemmed from the idea that Joseon was a sophisticated dynasty endowed with Chinese civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charismatic Christian exorcism is a culturally constituted Christian hegemonic power practice in the belief of the actions of spirits while driving the ritual recipient to more subservience alongside irrevocable damages rather than actual healing. This paper discusses a form of Korean charismatic Christian exorcism, anchal-gido, focusing particularly on recent incidents in the Korean diasporic community across the U.S. excessively adhered to exorcism which is a culturally similar aspect with the shamanic tradition in the belief of the actions of spirits, the ritual recipients in this form of exorcism are predominantly women who admit themselves to be demon-possessed and, therein, willing to yield themselves to the ritual so as to satisfy the masculine divine, husband, and stereotypical gender role. Involving physical touching from mildly laying hands on the body to extreme assaults frequently causes fatal injuries. As far as the belief in the spirits fits in the hegemonic power, the life of Korean diasporic women remains as the willing prey to demons of both human and divine worlds. In this regard, this paper also discusses the analogous characteristics in Korean shamanism along with the cultural location of Korean women, therein, compelling them to be willing victims in religious sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of performing arts in Korea as well as worldwide. Advances in performing arts technologies have allowed for a shift from one-way performances to interactive ones. The audience's arousal is one of the most important features in interactive performances. An audience consists of a group of people responding collectively to a stimulus. Here arousal is a critical factor influencing audience satisfaction and can be measured based on the audience's behavior. The total group arousal of an audience is formed by exchanging emotional effects with surroundings. In this regard, empirical approaches are not sufficient in comparison to various theoretical approaches to group arousal. Previous studies have generally evaluated group arousal by the sum of group members' emotions recognized from their faces, gestures, or voice. However, it is not easy to apply real-time data from individuals to performing arts. In addition, it is difficult to set sensors for audiences to retrieve human data. In this regard, this paper proposes a method for empirically measuring group arousal based on the rapid movement synchronization of a given group. In the proposed method, the extent to which each member's movement response is synchronized with differential images and histograms is measured first, and then group arousal is calculated by the degree of this synchronization. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated through an experiment by setting a threshold for deciding whether there is a response to a stimulus. The experimental results for 15 groups indicate the accuracy of the proposed method to be 82 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the connection between sovereignty and central banking through a case study of the Bank of Chosŏn in colonial Korea during the 1910s and 1920s. Using historical and statistical analysis, this study shows the particular characteristics and limitations of the Bank of Chosŏn and its operations, both within the specific colonial context and under the political and economic conditions imposed by Japanese imperialism, such as a fixed exchange rate and the subordination of the Korean economy to Japan. While the Bank of Chosŏn was unable to ultimately exercise independent policy-making, this particular case offers avenues for exploring the historical and policy-making effects upon the relationship between sovereignty and central banking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Unification, a historic and societal event, may cause many conflicts and crises rather than bringing blessings and benefits to both Koreas if not sophisticatedly planned and properly managed. Mass migration is likely to trigger social disorder, and widening wealth gap between the two Koreas may intensify class conflict in a unified Korea. Ideological and cultural heterogeneity will even more act as a serious hindrance in integration and identity formation in a newly unified Korea. Enormous hostility and distrust will be a great burden for social integration in unified Korea. This paper argues that four possible solutions are needed to be addressed for successful integration and new identity formation. First of all, social chaos and conflict should be minimized through the remedies of economic and institutional measures; secondly, social cohesion and new identity should be strengthened by new visions, principles and values; thirdly, practical programs of conflict transformation healing and counseling should be addressed; and lastly, proper management of internet and cyber information are needed to reduce social conflict and identity crisis after unification in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]