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The role of senior citizen centers is becoming more important, with a greater emphasis placed on ensuring that these establishments facilitate leisure and communication for older adults. These developments are taking place as population aging has now become an irreversible global trend. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on predicting the distribution density of senior citizen centers based on physical factors in urban planning. Therefore, this study set each administrative district in Busan as a unit and investigated physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers around small apartment complexes to validate their effectiveness. First, the spatial hierarchy of each administrative district in Busan was examined. The city was divided into administrative districts while focusing on the distribution density of senior citizen centers (the dependent variable) around small apartment complexes where older adults live (within a 500 m radius). The spatial accessibility of senior citizen centers and the number of apartments in each administrative district were set as independent variables. This selection was made to verify the effectiveness of the physical factors by conducting an independent sample t-test, normality test, Friedman test, and two-way ANOVA. The chief findings of this study are as follows. (1) The spatial awareness of each administrative district was low, and there were large disparities in the land development density relative to the spatial scale of the administrative districts. (2) Regarding the physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers, the spatial accessibility of senior residences was more significant than the number of small apartment complexes nearby. (3) Personal and social factors may have indirectly influenced the distribution density of senior citizen centers more than physical factors, depending on the type of house in which the older adults live. The findings will provide a theoretical basis for determining the location and distribution density of senior citizen centers in urban planning considering physical factors, as well as serve as a reference for public policy decisions related to the allocation of such centers in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the image transformation of Busan, South Korea, from an industrial hub to a globally recognized City of Film. By employing a paradiplomacy framework, the research examined how Busan utilized BIFF as both a cultural event and a strategic tool for international diplomacy, economic development, and city branding. This qualitative research focused on gathering data largely through a comprehensive evaluation of scientific literature, including books and papers relevant to the case study. The analyses delved into the evolution of the BIFF event and its significant role in rebranding Busan from a declining industrial city to the first "City of Film" in Asia, a title bestowed by UNESCO. The study highlighted how the festival had successfully stimulated local economic growth, bolstered creative industries, and facilitated cultural exchange. The result demonstrated that BIFF had been pivotal in repositioning Busan as a significant player in the international film industry and a vibrant cultural destination. In conclusion, Busan's status as Asia's "City of Film" should be sustained, and the ongoing significance of integrating cultural initiatives with wider urban development strategies should also be emphasized.

Although there are various preferences for color, the city color planning in South Korea is dominated by the government, and the city color preferences of residents are considered to a less extent. Therefore, it results in a question of how to accommodate the diversity of individual preferences. This study took Busan City as an example, using the data collected by the questionnaire survey, first through the chi-square test and nonlinear canonical correlation analysis model to analyze individual attribute factors that distinguish the diversity of city color preferences. It was found that age significantly impacted city color preference, followed by occupation, residential type, educational background, residential location, sex, and monthly income. Regarding the three elements of color, the most significant differences in city color preference were chroma and hue, with slight differences in value preference. Finally, the results were compared with city color guideline to identify the potential conflicts. The findings can provide some recommendations for bottom-up city color planning, and be applied in architectural design and urban regeneration.

With the increasing protracted displacements and overall worldwide migration in recent decades, local integration has been considered a durable solution. Accordingly, global agendas have recommended the inclusion of migrant populations, especially within urban frameworks, as cities have always been deemed as migrant hubs. This study examines the influence of migrant spatial integration in city development and municipal policy against the historic backdrop of Busan. From liberation (1945) to post-war industrialization (1960s–1980s), Busan experienced population surges with the inflow of refugees and migrants that historically changed government policies and urban development plans. Based on archival research, secondary data, and GIS mapping, this study explores the influence of migrant populations on the city demographics, physical development, and housing initiatives during different periods. The findings of this study highlight the "local turn" in migrant spatial integration and the production of new urban geographies that portray "humanitarian" and "migrant" urbanism, thereby offering insights into sustainable urban futures for migrant and displaced populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the history of one of the most infamous internment facilities in Korea's recent past—Hyungje Bokjiwon (형제복지원), or Brothers Home. The article outlines the history of Brothers Home, its biopolitical production of 'vanished lives', and what enabled it to come into existence—arguing that this is an essential context for understanding the history of international adoption from Korea. Located in Busan, South Korea, Brothers Home began as an orphanage in the early 1960s but developed into a 'social welfare institution' in the early 1970s. The events that transpired from the early 1970s until the facility shut down in the late 1980s—a period which aligns with the height of international adoption from Korea—have led to some referring to this place as Korea's 'concentration camp'. Inmates died in the hundreds, predominantly due to malnutrition and illness, while many suffered brutal deaths through physical abuse and torture. Some of the children from Brothers Home were relocated to Western nations for adoption. The history of Brothers Home embodies the biopolitical process of bodies and lives simultaneously enveloped in and, at the same time, kept outside socio-legal frameworks to invalidate those lives or render them insignificant or invisible; to erase them from any meaningful, socio-legal context and thereby reducing those lives to bare life. The article will focus on three main areas: the history of Brothers Home, the biopolitical production of vanished lives, and how the latter resonates with specific instances depicted in testimonies written by people returning to Korea to uncover details about their adoption circumstances, that is, moments encapsulating this 'production of vanished lives'. The central concern here is less to draw a direct line between international adoption and the events at Brothers Home, but rather to outline a crucial biopolitical context—epitomized in the history of Brothers Home—that precedes the adoption process and thus constitutes its condition of possibility. By juxtaposing this biopolitical context with autobiographical testimonies of people searching for information about the circumstances of their adoption, the article seeks to understand what it means to bear witness to the existence of a life whose desubjectivization—or disappearance—at the same time constitutes the witnessing subject's condition of possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Busan City has good endowment conditions in promoting the construction of the global leading maritime city or the ocean capital. The construction of Busan’s ocean capital has three goals: ROK’s ocean capital, Northeast Asia’s ocean capital and global ocean capital. The construction of the ocean capital of Busan has formed a “policy-practice complex” with multiple elements coexisting and mutually constructing. According the goals, the construction modes of the ocean capital of local government leading, coordinated promotion between central and local governments and central government leading run in parallel. The marine political power, marine development strength and marine soft power are all pursued. The practices of central-local game, internal and external strategic connectivity and marine home diplomacy coexist. As a result, the construction of Busan’s ocean capital presents the characteristics of dual power base (hard power of marine development and soft power of marine governance), dual role identity (domestic marine identity and international marine identity), and dual behavior mode (central-local coordination mode and central-local conflict mode). The construction of Busan’s ocean capital will be a process of long-term adherence by the government, gradual diversification of subjects, continuous expansion of fields, and continuous enrichment of connotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to plan an alternative for community street lighting in an older community by simulating illuminance improvements. We applied the natural surveillance principle of crime prevention through environmental design to an older community in Busan Metropolitan City in South Korea. We conducted four field investigations to identify lighting sources and measure their illuminance and heights. Using the Relux Pro program, the gaps in lighting were identified and alternative plans for improvement for night lighting were simulated. Narrow alleys and houses were sources of light disruption and lighting blind spots. We determined the location and type of lighting within the community and considered the continuity necessary to meet natural surveillance standards in alternative settings. We considered visibility, facial recognition, the risk of traffic accidents, and other variables (i.e., lamp type). Our results confirmed that the community’s average horizontal illuminance met the requirement of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and the minimal illuminance criterion of the International Commission on Illumination in all community lighting spaces—which was improved by about 2.2% to 85.7% compared to the previous situation. The results of this study are meaningful in that they present an effective planning support tool using simulation methods to establish community street lighting alternatives and determine their suitability.

The role of senior citizen centers is becoming more important, with a greater emphasis placed on ensuring that these establishments facilitate leisure and communication for older adults. These developments are taking place as population aging has now become an irreversible global trend. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on predicting the distribution density of senior citizen centers based on physical factors in urban planning. Therefore, this study set each administrative district in Busan as a unit and investigated physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers around small apartment complexes to validate their effectiveness. First, the spatial hierarchy of each administrative district in Busan was examined. The city was divided into administrative districts while focusing on the distribution density of senior citizen centers (the dependent variable) around small apartment complexes where older adults live (within a 500 m radius). The spatial accessibility of senior citizen centers and the number of apartments in each administrative district were set as independent variables. This selection was made to verify the effectiveness of the physical factors by conducting an independent sample t-test, normality test, Friedman test, and two-way ANOVA. The chief findings of this study are as follows. (1) The spatial awareness of each administrative district was low, and there were large disparities in the land development density relative to the spatial scale of the administrative districts. (2) Regarding the physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers, the spatial accessibility of senior residences was more significant than the number of small apartment complexes nearby. (3) Personal and social factors may have indirectly influenced the distribution density of senior citizen centers more than physical factors, depending on the type of house in which the older adults live. The findings will provide a theoretical basis for determining the location and distribution density of senior citizen centers in urban planning considering physical factors, as well as serve as a reference for public policy decisions related to the allocation of such centers in the future.

This study assessed the effects of the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), an invasive species, on the indigenous ant fauna in Busan, South Korea. Ant communities were sampled using pitfall traps placed along two transects in areas where L. humile was recently discovered (2019) in South Korea. Overall, we identified 14 ant species belonging to 12 genera and four subfamilies. We found that the species richness of the native ant community was significantly lower in areas invaded by L. humile, and most epigeic ants from the study area were not found co-existing with the Argentine ant. Five native epigeic species, namely Nylanderia flavipes, Pristomyrmex punctatus, Tetramorium tsushimae, Formica japonica, and Lasius japonicus, were strongly impacted by the invasion. In contrast, no effects were observed on two epigeic species (Camponotus vitiosus and Monomorium chinense) and one hypogeic species (Brachyponera chinensis). These results indicate that the successful settlement of Argentine ant has had a significant negative impact on native ant diversity in South Korea, confirming that L. humile is a very effective and competitive colonizer, despite its restricted dispersal capability. Management programs need to urgently implement control measures to ensure that L. humile does not spread further in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the history of one of the most infamous internment facilities in Korea’s recent past—Hyungje Bokjiwon (형제복지원), or Brothers Home. The article outlines the history of Brothers Home, its biopolitical production of ‘vanished lives’, and what enabled it to come into existence—arguing that this is an essential context for understanding the history of international adoption from Korea. Located in Busan, South Korea, Brothers Home began as an orphanage in the early 1960s but developed into a ‘social welfare institution’ in the early 1970s. The events that transpired from the early 1970s until the facility shut down in the late 1980s—a period which aligns with the height of international adoption from Korea—have led to some referring to this place as Korea’s ‘concentration camp’. Inmates died in the hundreds, predominantly due to malnutrition and illness, while many suffered brutal deaths through physical abuse and torture. Some of the children from Brothers Home were relocated to Western nations for adoption. The history of Brothers Home embodies the biopolitical process of bodies and lives simultaneously enveloped in and, at the same time, kept outside socio-legal frameworks to invalidate those lives or render them insignificant or invisible; to erase them from any meaningful, socio-legal context and thereby reducing those lives to bare life. The article will focus on three main areas: the history of Brothers Home, the biopolitical production of vanished lives, and how the latter resonates with specific instances depicted in testimonies written by people returning to Korea to uncover details about their adoption circumstances, that is, moments encapsulating this ‘production of vanished lives’. The central concern here is less to draw a direct line between international adoption and the events at Brothers Home, but rather to outline a crucial biopolitical context—epitomized in the history of Brothers Home—that precedes the adoption process and thus constitutes its condition of possibility. By juxtaposing this biopolitical context with autobiographical testimonies of people searching for information about the circumstances of their adoption, the article seeks to understand what it means to bear witness to the existence of a life whose desubjectivization—or disappearance—at the same time constitutes the witnessing subject’s condition of possibility.

Pursuing a sustainable energy transition at the city level represents a significant strategic aspect in the worldwide movement toward climate change mitigation and carbon neutrality achievement, as global cities account for large proportions of global energy consumption and emission. The current study explores the direction of future energy production and energy systems projecting to 2050. Data were collected from experts in the energy industry and the policy of Busan Metropolitan City, and these data were analyzed via explanatory factor analysis. The results pointed to four factors of future energy production: renewable energies, fossil fuel, bioenergy, and ocean energy. Four factors of future energy systems were also identified: prioritization on mobility and building, the role of actors, interactions between energy producers and consumers, and small-scale production. In general, for future energy production and systems, the experts strongly supported low carbon-intensive energy and distributed generation, respectively. It is also important for the various actors, such as policymakers, producers, and consumers, to be integrated to achieve sustainability and carbon neutrality. An interesting result is that the political orientation of experts led to different preferences, particularly regarding nuclear energy. • A case study of Busan is examined to learn the direction of city's energy transition. • Utilization of ocean energy was emphasized along with solar, wind and bioenergy. • Energy system on mobility and building/factory should be prioritized. • Role of actors (i.e., authority, business, producer, and consumer) is important. • Perception on nuclear is varied based on the political orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its 10th Assembly of Busan, 2013, the World Council of Churches (WCC) started a movement that invites us to walk with them: a Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace (PJP), a project looking to foster a debate within its members, envisaging to mark the steps to walk towards the world we want. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity.

Objectives Tree pollen causes allergic rhinitis and asthma. We investigated children who diagnosed as rhinitis or asthma, living in Busan, for tree allergen sensitization, component allergen, oral allergy syndrome, and the relationship between pollen counts and allergen sensitization. Methods Pollen were collected in Busan, from January 1 to December 31, 2017, using a Rotorod sampler and enumerated using a microscope. We conducted a study of children with rhinitis or asthma at Busan St. Mary's Hospital in 2017, administered an ISAAC questionnaire, and an oral allergy syndrome survey. Serum specific Ig E tests were performed. Results Among the 57 patients, the mean age was 9.3 years. The pollen counts in decreasing order were as follows: pine, alder, oak, juniper, beech, ginkgo, and birch. For sensitization, birch and alder 35.1%, Japanese cedar 19.3%, juniper 17.5%, pine 10.5%, and Japanese cypress 8.2%. The component Ig E was tested in 27 patients. Bet v 1 had a high correlation with birch, alder, and peach. Bet v 2 showed a statistically significant correlation with all tree pollen except cypress. Bet v 4 did not have any apparent correlation. Bet v 6 had the same pattern as Bet v 2, but correlation coefficient was higher than that of Bet v 2. Oral allergy syndrome was noted in 7 patients, including peach, peanut, apple, tomato, kiwi, and sesame. Conclusions Alder and juniper are clinically important tree pollens in Busan. These pollens cause sensitization to birch and Japanese cedar by cross-reaction.