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Digital music is one of the most important commodities on the market due to music royalty distribution in Korea. As the music market has been transformed into a digital music market by means such as downloading and streaming, the distribution of music royalties via online service providers (OSPs) has become a highly important issue for music rights holders. Currently, one of the most important issues in music royalty distribution in Korea is the unfair distribution of royalties due to the indiscriminate repeat streaming of digital music. To prevent this, music consumption log data from several OSPs were collected via a day-based system; however, there was a limit on the identification of detailed information on the use of music in its current state. This paper analyzes the structural problems and limitations related to the settlement of music royalties and provides a structure in which there can be transparent settlement and distribution between users and rights holders as an institutional measure. We also propose various AI (artificial intelligence)-based applications using music consumption log data. The proposed system will hopefully be used for public purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable new intensive care unit nursing classification tool, including direct and indirect nursing activities, by measuring the nursing intensity provided to patients. Background: Prior tools primarily examine patients' medical records or disease severity/interactions, systematically failing to reflect comorbidity risk factors. Design: The Delphi technique was used to test the content validity of the Korean Patient Classification System on Nursing Intensity for Critical Care Nurses (KPCSNIC). Methods: Data were collected from four hospitals in two provinces from 26 December 2017 to 30 January 2018. To verify construct validity, staff nurses classified 365 patients, comparing differences by medical department and type of stay. To verify interrater reliability, data collectors and the head nurses of three intensive care units classified 87 patients. Results: The KPCSNIC had 8 categories, 44 nursing activities and 105 criteria. Reliability was high (r =.84). Construct validity was verified by revealing differences according to medical department and type of patient. Using total scores, four KPCSNIC groups were identified. Conclusion: The KPCSNIC developed in this study can support staffing for nursing intensity by providing more specific evaluation criteria. Moreover, it reflects nursing intensity, including direct and indirect nursing activities. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? In order to secure the quality of nursing care, it is important to allocate an appropriate number of nurse staffing based on nursing demand and nursing time reflecting to the number and severity of patients, and shift of work.The patient acuity tools used in Korea are limited as they primarily examine patients' physiological characteristics based on medical records or quantify disease severity and interactions, systematically failing to reflect risk factors for comorbidities.The intensive care unit patient classification tool that is currently used underestimates clinical nursing intensity, as it does not realistically evaluate patient‐related disease factors and indirect nursing activities. What this paper adds? This study developed a new patient classification tool that reflects patients' clinical characteristics and classified them according to nursing intensity.In addition to direct nursing activities, indirect nursing activities that were invisible and difficult to measure can be scored using this tool. The implications of this paper: Since this tool enables quantitative measurement of nursing workload, data using this tool can be used as evidence for invoicing for nursing care fees, previously calculated as a percentage of inpatient fees per day.This study was conducted in a first‐grade hospital with a high level of nurse staffing. To secure the validity and reliability of the tool, additional research is needed, using the tool in a greater number and wider range of hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the Korean Peninsula, the Imjin River is a transboundary river that flows from North Korea into South Korea. Therefore, human intervention activities in the upstream region can have a substantial impact on the downstream region of South Korea. In addition to climate impacts, there are increasing concerns regarding upstream man-made activities, particularly the operation of the Hwanggang dam located in the territory of North Korea. This study explored the feasibility of using the publicly available global hydrological model and satellite remote sensing imagery for monitoring reservoir dynamics and assessing their impacts on downstream hydrology. "Naturalized" streamflow simulation was obtained from the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Global Water Sustainability (GEOGloWS) European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Streamflow Services (GESS) model. To correct the biases of the GESS-based streamflow simulations, we employed quantile mapping using the observed streamflow from a nearby location. This method significantly reduced volume and variability biases by up to 5 times on both daily and monthly scales. Nevertheless, its effectiveness in improving temporal correlation on a daily scale in small catchments remained constrained. For the reservoir storage changes in the Hwanggang dam, we combined multiple remote sensing imagery, particularly cloud-free optical images of Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and snow-free Sentinel-1, with the area–elevation–volume (AEV) curves derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM). In assessing its hydrological impacts, the study found that overall impacts within the downstream catchment in Pilseung bridge of South Korea were generally less significant compared to the upstream Hwanggang catchment. However, there was a higher probability of experiencing water shortages during wet months due to the upstream dam's operations. The study highlights the potential benefits of utilizing the publicly available hydrological model and satellite remote sensing imagery to supplement decision makers with important information for the effective management of the transboundary river basin in ungauged regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To develop a new general wards patient classification tool based on the nursing intensity level that reflects patients' clinical characteristics and indirect nursing activities. Design: A cross‐sectional design was adopted. This methodological study developed a patient classification system to sort general ward patients based on the intensity of their nursing needs and verified the validity and reliability of this classification system. Methods: Thirteen experts verified the tools' content validity. Data collectors and head nurses classified 150 patients from two hospitals with four general wards and various nurse staffing levels. Inter‐rater reliability was analysed. Staff nurses classified 846 patients following the Korean patient classification system on nursing intensity scores that reflected patients' clinical status. Content validity was verified based on the classification results. Using K‐group cluster analysis, score ranges for four groups were identified. Results: The developed tool includes 8 domains, (symptom management, infection control, nutrition and medication, personal hygiene and secretion, activity, sleep and rest, guidance in nursing/emotional support, nursing activity planning and coordination, indirect activity), 24 subdomains, 66 nursing activities and 124 criteria. Inter‐rater reliability showed high agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate mixed risk factors associated with suicide rates in South Korea. Methods: Data on suicide in South Korea from 1995 to 2015 were investigated to understand risk factors for suicide using time series analysis. Results: We found that increasing GDP per capita growth rates and fertility rates were associated with decreasing suicide rates. Using the moving average method (monthly data), we found a negative correlation between suicide rates and the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI). Moreover, a seasonal pattern of suicide rates was found in South Korea. The suicide rate was highest in May and lowest in January. The months of outliers occurred against the seasonal pattern observed in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008. These might be associated with the economic crisis or other miscellaneous risk factors. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that there is a significant relationship between suicide rates and the socioeconomic factors mentioned above in South Korea. The results obtained in this study may help to create public policies for lowering suicide rates in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents methods of monitoring river basin development and water variability for the transboundary river in North and South Korea. River basin development, such as dams and water infrastructure in transboundary rivers, can be a potential factor of tensions between upstream and downstream countries since dams constructed upstream can adversely affect downstream riparians. However, because most of the information related to North Korea has been limited to the public, the information about dams constructed and their locations were inaccurate in many previous studies. In addition, water resources in transboundary rivers can be exploited as a political tool. Specifically, due to the unexpected water release from the Hwanggang Dam, upstream of the transboundary Imjin River in North and South Korea, six South Koreans died on 6 September 2009. The Imjin River can be used as a political tool by North Korea, and seven events were reported as water conflicts in the Imjin River from 2001 to 2016. In this paper, firstly, we have updated the information about the dams constructed over the Imjin River in North Korea using multi-temporal images with a high spatial resolution (15–30 cm) obtained from Google Earth. Secondly, we analyzed inter- and intra-water variability over the Hwanggang Reservoir using open-source images obtained from the Global Surface Water Explorer. We found a considerable change in water surface variability before and after 2008, which might result from the construction of the Hwanggang Dam. Thirdly, in order to further investigate intra-annual water variability, we present a method monitoring water storage changes of the Hwanggang Reservoir using the area-elevation curve (AEC), which was derived from multi-sensor Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images (Sentinel-1A and -1B) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Since many previous studies for estimating water storage change have depended on satellite altimetry dataset and optical images for deriving AEC, the method adopted in this study is the only application for such inaccessible areas since no altimetry ground track exists for the Hwanggang Reservoir and because clouds can block the study area for wet seasons. Moreover, this study has newly proven that unexpected water release can occur in dry seasons because the water storage in the Hwanggang Reservoir can be high enough to conduct a release that can be used as a geopolitical tool. Using our method, potential risks can be mitigated, not in response to a water release, but based on pre-event water storage changes in the Hwanggang Reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]