Comparison of illegal drug use pattern in Taiwan and Korea from 2006 to 2014.

PubMed

Feng, Ling-Yi; Yu, Wen-Jing; Chang, Wei-Ting; Han, Eunyoung; Chung, Heesun; Li, Jih-Heng

2016-09-23

Illegal drug use has long been a global concern. Taiwan and Korea are geographically adjacent and both countries have experienced the illegal use problems of methamphetamine, a predominant prototype of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). NPS, a term coined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in recent years, have not been scrutinized for their safety and may become a new threat to public health and security worldwide. To conduct evidence-based drug policy, it is imperative to estimate the trend and pattern of illegal drug use. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and compare the current status of drug-related seizures, arrests and illegal drug use, with a focus on methamphetamine and NPS, between Taiwan and Korea. Data of illegal drug (including NPS)-related seizures and arrests were collected via anti-drug related agencies of both countries from 2006 through 2014.Since listing of NPS as controlled substances was a result of NPS abuse liability through official evaluation, the items of controlled NPS were used as an indicator of emerging use. These data obtained from Taiwan and Korea was then compared. The results showed that while methamphetamine remained as a predominant drug in both Taiwan and Korea for decades, different illegal drug use patterns have been observed in these two countries. In Taiwan, the major illegal drugs were methamphetamine, heroin, and ketamine, whereas in Korea those were methamphetamine and cannabis. By comparison of per capita illicit drug seizures, the illegal drug use situation in Taiwan was at a higher stake than that in Korea. In terms of NPS use, ketamine has been a major drug in Taiwan, but it was seldom found in Korea. Besides ketamine, the major type of NPS was synthetic cathinones in Taiwan whereas it was synthetic cannabinoids and phenethylamines in Korea. The difference in the numbers of controlled NPS items between Taiwan (23) and Korea (93) may be due to the implementation of temporary control on NPS in

75 FR 81308 - Stainless Steel Sheet And Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, And Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-27

...)] Stainless Steel Sheet And Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, And Taiwan AGENCY: United States... and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives... strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or...

75 FR 59744 - Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

...)] Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan AGENCY: United States... duty orders on stainless steel sheet and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan... stainless steel sheet and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan would be likely to...

Terrorism in South Korea.

PubMed

Wang, Soon Joo; Choi, Jin Tae; Arnold, Jeffrey

2003-01-01

South Korea has experienced > 30 suspected terrorism-related events since 1958, including attacks against South Korean citizens in foreign countries. The most common types of terrorism used have included bombings, shootings, hijackings, and kidnappings. Prior to 1990, North Korea was responsible for almost all terrorism-related events inside of South Korea, including multiple assassination attempts on its presidents, regular kidnappings of South Korean fisherman, and several high-profile bombings. Since 1990, most of the terrorist attacks against South Korean citizens have occurred abroad and have been related to the emerging worldwide pattern of terrorism by international terrorist organizations or deranged individuals. The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games provided a major stimulus for South Korea to develop a national emergency response system for terrorism-related events based on the participation of multiple ministries. The 11 September 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks and the 2001 United States of America (US) anthrax letter attacks prompted South Korea to organize a new national system of emergency response for terrorism-related events. The system is based on five divisions for the response to specific types of terrorist events, involving conventional terrorism, bioterrorism, chemical terrorism, radiological terrorism, and cyber-terrorism. No terrorism-related events occurred during the 2002 World Cup and Asian Games held in South Korea. The emergency management of terrorism-related events in South Korea is adapting to the changing risk of terrorism in the new century.

Health-care data collecting, sharing, and using in Thailand, China mainland, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia.

PubMed

Aljunid, Syed Mohamed; Srithamrongsawat, Samrit; Chen, Wen; Bae, Seung Jin; Pwu, Raoh-Fang; Ikeda, Shunya; Xu, Ling

2012-01-01

This article sought to describe the health-care data situation in six selected economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Authors from Thailand, China mainland, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia present their analyses in three parts. The first part of the article describes the data-collection process and the sources of data. The second part of the article presents issues around policies of data sharing with the stakeholders. The third and final part of the article focuses on the extent of health-care data use for policy reform in these different economies. Even though these economies differ in their economic structure and population size, they share some similarities on issues related to health-care data. There are two main institutions that collect and manage the health-care data in these economies. In Thailand, China mainland, Taiwan, and Malaysia, the Ministry of Health is responsible through its various agencies for collecting and managing the health-care data. On the other hand, health insurance is the main institution that collects and stores health-care data in South Korea and Japan. In all economies, sharing of and access to data is an issue. The reasons for limited access to some data are privacy protection, fragmented health-care system, poor quality of routinely collected data, unclear policies and procedures to access the data, and control on the freedom on publication. The primary objective of collecting health-care data in these economies is to aid the policymakers and researchers in policy decision making as well as create an awareness on health-care issues for the general public. The usage of data in monitoring the performance of the heath system is still in the process of development. In conclusion, for the region under discussion, health-care data collection is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and health insurance agencies. Data are collected from health-care providers mainly from the public sector. Routinely collected data are

78 FR 73562 - Non-Oriented Electrical Steel From China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan; Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-06

... (Preliminary)] Non-Oriented Electrical Steel From China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan... industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from China, Germany, Japan, Korea... Taiwan and LTFV imports of non-oriented electrical steel from China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and...

75 FR 76025 - Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 731-TA-376 and 563-564 (Third Review)] Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International... steel butt-weld pipe fittings from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or...

Clinical neuropsychology in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Myung-Sun; Chey, Jeanyung

2016-11-01

Clinical neuropsychology in South Korea, albeit its relatively short history, has advanced dramatically. We review a brief history and current status of clinical neuropsychology in South Korea. The history, the educational pathway, the training pathway, the certification process, and careers in clinical neuropsychology in South Korea are reviewed. We have reviewed the neuropsychological services, including assessment and treatment, research on neurological and psychiatric populations, and neuropsychology education and the requirements related to education, training, and board examinations of those providing neuropsychological services in South Korea. We also describe how the Korean Society for Neuropsychology Research, the first and only meeting for neuropsychologists in the country established in 1999, has played a major role in how clinical neuropsychology is practiced and developed as a professional field in South Korea. Clinical neuropsychology in South Korea has achieved major progress over just a quarter of a century, and its future is promising in light of the increasing demand for neuropsychological services and advances in neuroscience in the country. Challenges that the community of clinical neuropsychologists are currently facing in South Korea, including formalizing neuropsychological curriculum and training programs and developing advanced credentialing procedures, are discussed.

Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chee-Ruey; Löfgren, Hans

2009-05-01

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.

76 FR 46323 - Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-02

...)] Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan Determination On the... antidumping duty orders on stainless steel sheet and strip from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan \\3\\ would be likely... Commissioner Daniel R. Pearson dissenting with respect to stainless steel sheet and strip from Japan, Korea...

77 FR 39736 - Certain Circular Welded Pipe and Tube From Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-05

..., Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject five... circular welded pipe and tube from Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey would be... Pipe and Tube from Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey: Investigation Nos. 701...

75 FR 34424 - Stainless Steel Wire Rod from Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Taiwan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

...-807, A-583-828] Stainless Steel Wire Rod from Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Taiwan... stainless steel wire rod (SSWR) from Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea (Korea), Spain, and Taiwan would... magnitude of the margins likely to prevail should the orders be revoked. See Stainless Steel Wire Rod From...

78 FR 52213 - Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From India, Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-22

..., Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam: Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... reason of imports from India, Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine..., Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. Accordingly...

Transnational Corporations as Educational Institutions for National Development: The Contrasting Cases of Mexico and South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Mark

2006-01-01

Economic development in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Ireland has accelerated dramatically since the 1960s, as it has in China more recently. These areas share a common element in their development strategies--the aggressive pursuit, acquisition, and incorporation of knowledge from industrialized nations. In this article, the…

76 FR 37830 - Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan; Scheduling of Expedited Five-Year Reviews...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 731-TA-825 and 826 (Second Review)] Polyester... Duty Orders on Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade... determine whether revocation of the antidumping duty orders on polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan...

Value-based approaches to healthcare systems and pharmacoeconomics requirements in Asia: South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan.

PubMed

Kamae, Isao

2010-01-01

Asian healthcare systems are very diverse, representing cultures, political systems and economies from more than 30 countries with varying histories. Despite the diversity in the region, there has been enormous growth in health economics and outcomes research since the beginning of the 21st century. Whilst Japan has seen very limited use of health technology assessment (HTA), South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have had remarkable success in establishing government agencies for HTA, employing HTA concepts from the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). These three countries are driven by the following common factors: (i) a desire to establish universal healthcare insurance coverage in their respective nations; (ii) the need for rational allocation of scarce resources; (iii) a desire for government to provide leadership in HTA; and (iv) availability of HTA professionals and faculties through international networks. The HTA models introduced by these three countries are both similar to and different from those of HTA agencies in Europe, but might work well as examples for other countries in the region.

[A comparative study on Koii (public doctor) system and its effect on public health in colonial Taiwan and Korea].

PubMed

Moon, Myungki

2014-08-01

Koii(Public Doctor) System introduced into Taiwan in 1896 for the purpose of filling up medical vacuum of rural area and therefore spreading modern medical system all over Taiwan, was transplanted in 1913 into Colonial Korea for the same purpose. In terms of system itself Koii system in both areas were almost the same, but quite different in practices. First, Koiis in Taiwan was forced to write concrete medical report every month on the medical situation in the area under jurisdiction, whereas to those in Korea writing monthly report was not so compulsory. This difference resulted in some gaps in the quality of medical statistics of the two areas. Second, Unlike their counterparts in Korea, Koiis in Taiwan organized their own associations both locally and nationally and it helped to build up their own networks and share informations on medical situation including informations on infectious diseases. Third, Koiis in Taiwan formed more harmonious relationship between Taiwanese Police than their counterparts in Korea, which helped them to execute various medical activities in more comfortable environment. Taiwanese People went to medical institutions a lot more frequently than Korean People, and this difference was basically derived from the quite different density of Koii assignment in both areas. Korean People had to spend more time and money to utilize modern medical institutions than Taiwanese People did. The different density of Koii assignment also affected the results of prevention and eradication of infectious diseases; in Taiwan plague and small-pox has been successfully controled, whereas Chosun Government general was not so successful in controling infectious diseases including small-pox. Small-pox infected in Korea was about 6 times to Taiwan, and the number of death by small-pox was 9 times to Taiwan. One of the keys to this difference is the different role of Koiis. In Korea, Koiis could do little thing about infectious diseases mainly because of

[Adaptation experiences in South Korea of men defecting from North Korea].

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung Mi; Kim, Miyoung

2013-06-01

The study was done to explore meanings and essence of the experience in South Korea of men defectors from North Korea. Data were collected from March, 2011 to May, 2012, through in-depth interviews with ten men defectors. Data analysis was conducted using the process of hermeneutic phenomenological reflection. Eight essential themes were extracted; 'buoyant expectation for a new life', 'feeling guilty about family left behind in North Korea', 'inability to become acclimatized due to communication difficulties', 'inability to socialize with South Koreans due to different lifestyles', 'finding strength through trustworthy acquaintances', 'continuing reconciliation with oneself while trying to assimilate into South Korean culture', 'self-realization of one's original self', and 'continuing to feel out the possibility of a future in South Korea'. The findings indicate that North Korean men who defect to South Korea shape their identity through three phases: forming self-image during escape from North Korea, trying to become accustomed to South Korean society, and finding their own identity by self-realization of their original self. Eventually, the whole process enables them to recover their identity, to feel a sense of belonging, and to discover possibilities for a better future.

Special Education in South Korea: Daegu University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Byung Ha; Rhee, Kun Yong; Burns, Carol; Lerner, Janet W.

2009-01-01

Daegu University has enjoyed a long and remarkable history of special education. Daegu University is large University located in Daegu, South Korea, a large city in South Korea that is south of Seoul. Since the 1970's, South Korea has achieved unusual and comprehensive growth in its economy, and the field of special education continued to thrive…

75 FR 32503 - Stainless Steel Wire Rod From Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Taiwan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

...)] Stainless Steel Wire Rod From Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Taiwan Determinations On the basis of the... revocation of the antidumping duty orders on stainless steel wire rod from Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, and... USITC Publication 4154 (May 2010), entitled Stainless Steel Wire Rod from Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain...

Importance-satisfaction analysis of street food sanitation and choice factor in Korea and Taiwan.

PubMed

Joo, Nami; Park, Sanghyun; Lee, Bohee; Yoon, Jiyoung

2015-06-01

The present study investigated Korean and Taiwan adults on the importance of and the satisfaction with street food sanitation and street food choice factor, in order to present management and improvement measures for street foods. The present study conducted a survey on 400 randomly chosen adults (200 Korean, 200 Taiwanese). General characteristics, eating habits, street food intake frequency, and preference by type of street food of respondents were checked. Respondents' importance and satisfaction of street food hygiene and selection attributes were also measured. In order to test for the difference between groups, χ(2)-test and t-test were performed. ISA was also performed to analyze importance and satisfaction. Results showed that the importance of sanitation was significantly higher than satisfaction on all items in both Korea and Taiwan, and the satisfaction with sanitation was higher in Taiwan than in Korea. According to ISA results with street food sanitation, satisfaction was low while importance was high in both Korea and Taiwan. In terms of street food choice factor, importance scores were significantly higher than satisfaction scores on all items. In addition, satisfaction scores on all items except 'taste' were significantly higher in Taiwan than in Korea. A manual on sanitation management of street foods should be developed to change the knowledge and attitude toward sanitation by putting into practice a regularly conducted education. Considering the popularity of street foods and its potential as a tourism resource to easily publicize our food culture, thorough management measures should be prepared on sanitation so that safe street food culture should be created.

78 FR 42041 - Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan, and Korea

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to... Foreign Commercial Service is amending notice for the Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan... executive lead the Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan and Korea, March 10-14, 2014, published...

U.S.-South Korea Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-26

reprocessed to make new fuel using a type of reprocessing called pyroprocessing .66 The United States and South Korea are jointly researching pyroprocessing ...solutions to spent fuel disposal. Spent fuel disposal is a key policy issue for South Korean officials, and some see pyroprocessing as a potential solution...proponents of pyroprocessing see it as a way to advance energy independence for South Korea. 66

Comparative Study on the Education System of Traditional Medicine in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

PubMed

Park, Yu Lee; Huang, Ching Wen; Sasaki, Yui; Ko, Youme; Park, Sunju; Ko, Seong-Gyu

2016-01-01

China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have developed modernized education systems in traditional medicine. This study aims to provide an overview of the education systems in these countries and compare them. Data were collected through the websites of government agencies, universities, and relevant organizations. These countries have systemically developed basic medical education (BME), postgraduate medical education (PGME), and continuing medical education (CME) in traditional medicine. BME is provided at colleges of traditional medicine at the undergraduate level and graduate levels. The length of education at the undergraduate level is five, six, and seven years in China, Korea, and Taiwan, respectively; the length at the graduate level is four years in Korea and five years in Taiwan. A seven- or eight-year program combining undergraduate and graduate courses is unique to China. In Japan, unlike in other countries, there are two distinct education systems-one is comprised of courses on traditional medicine included in the curriculum for Western medical doctors, and the other is a three- or four-year undergraduate program for practitioners including acupuncturists and moxibustionists. PGME in Korea consists of one-year internship and three-year residency programs which are optional; however, in China and Taiwan, internship is required for the national licensing examination and further training is in the process of standardization. The required credits for maintenance of CME are eight per year in Korea, 25 per year in China, and 180 over six years in Taiwan. The design of the educational systems in these countries can provide useful information for the development of education in traditional medicine around the world. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Viral Hepatitis in South Korea

PubMed Central

Alastal, Yaseen; Khan, Zubair; Darr, Umar

2017-01-01

In South Korea (S. Korea), viral hepatitis is a major public health burden. Advances in healthcare policy, evidence-based medicine, and therapeutic strategies in S. Korea have brought a rapid change in the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of viral hepatitis. This review discusses the innovative approaches that S. Korea has taken to curb the epidemic of viral hepatitis. In addition, the efficacy of various preventive and therapeutic modalities is discussed. This review aims to provide a brief overview to guide future research direction and healthcare policy changes. How to cite this article: Pak SC, Alastal Y, Khan Z, Darr U. Viral Hepatitis in South Korea. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(2):163-165. PMID:29201801

Essays on the IT Industry in Korea and Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Wen-Chieh

2012-01-01

This dissertation consists of three studies on the development of information technology (IT) industry in Korea and Taiwan. Using industry-level data from those countries, I would like to investigate why similar economies would take different paths toward developing their industries. The first chapter, "Span of Control and Production…

Distribution of lichen flora on South Korea.

PubMed

Hur, Jae-Seoun; Harada, Hiroshi; Oh, Soon-Ok; Lim, Kwang-Mi; Kang, Eui-Sung; Lee, Seung Mi; Kahng, Hyung-Yeel; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Jung, Jae-Sung; Koh, Young Jin

2004-06-01

After an overview on the temporary situation of the lichenology in South Korea, localities of 95 macrolichen taxa are reported for South Korea. In this revised lichen flora of South Korea, 16 species are apparently new to the territory. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Korean Lichen Research Institute (KoLRI) at Sunchon National University in Korea, and duplicates have also been donated to the National History Museum and Institute, in Chiba, (CBM) Japan.

Importance-satisfaction analysis of street food sanitation and choice factor in Korea and Taiwan

PubMed Central

Joo, Nami; Park, Sanghyun; Lee, Bohee

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The present study investigated Korean and Taiwan adults on the importance of and the satisfaction with street food sanitation and street food choice factor, in order to present management and improvement measures for street foods. SUBJECTS/METHODS The present study conducted a survey on 400 randomly chosen adults (200 Korean, 200 Taiwanese). General characteristics, eating habits, street food intake frequency, and preference by type of street food of respondents were checked. Respondents' importance and satisfaction of street food hygiene and selection attributes were also measured. In order to test for the difference between groups, χ2-test and t-test were performed. ISA was also performed to analyze importance and satisfaction. RESULTS Results showed that the importance of sanitation was significantly higher than satisfaction on all items in both Korea and Taiwan, and the satisfaction with sanitation was higher in Taiwan than in Korea. According to ISA results with street food sanitation, satisfaction was low while importance was high in both Korea and Taiwan. In terms of street food choice factor, importance scores were significantly higher than satisfaction scores on all items. In addition, satisfaction scores on all items except 'taste' were significantly higher in Taiwan than in Korea. CONCLUSIONS A manual on sanitation management of street foods should be developed to change the knowledge and attitude toward sanitation by putting into practice a regularly conducted education. Considering the popularity of street foods and its potential as a tourism resource to easily publicize our food culture, thorough management measures should be prepared on sanitation so that safe street food culture should be created. PMID:26060542

Impact of macro-level socio-economic factors on rising suicide rates in South Korea: panel-data analysis in East Asia.

PubMed

Hong, Jihyung; Knapp, Martin

2014-12-01

The rapid increase in suicide rates in South Korea, particularly in the aftermath of the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s, compares with the declining suicide rates observed in most other OECD countries over the same period. This study aimed to examine an array of macro-level societal factors that might have contributed to the rising suicide trend in South Korea. We first investigated whether this trend was unique to South Korea, or ubiquitous across five Asian countries/areas that are geographically and culturally similar (South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan), using WHO mortality data and national statistics (1980-2009). Age-standardised suicide rates (per 100,000 population) were calculated for each gender and age group (15-24, 25-44, 45-64, and 65+) for each country. Both panel data and country-specific time-series analyses were employed to investigate the impact of economic change and social integration/regulation on suicide. Despite similarities in geography and culture, the rising trend of suicide rates was unique to South Korea. This atypical trend was most apparent for people aged 65 and over, which was in sharp contrast to the decreasing suicide trends observed in the other four Asian countries. The results of the panel data analyses generally pointed to a negative relationship between economic growth and suicide rates, particularly for working-aged people. The results of the time-series analyses further suggested that low levels of social integration, as indicated by rising divorce rates, may also have a role in rising suicide rates in South Korea, particularly for older people. Furthermore, the association between suicide rates and economic adversity (unemployment and economic downturn) was most salient among middle-aged men in South Korea. Compared to four other East Asian countries/areas (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan), South Korea has uniquely experienced a rising trend of suicide rates over the past three decades

Health development experience in North and South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, H J; Ahn, Y S; Lee, S G

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the difference in health status between South Koreans and North Koreans and to identify factors responsible for the remarkable improvements in the health status of South Koreans. In order to examine the causes of the difference in health level, the health indices and their determinants of two Koreas were analyzed in time order. As of the year 2000, the average life expectancy at birth is 71.0 years for men and 78.6 years for women in South Korea, which is longer than that of North Korea by 8.1 for men and 11.2 for women. Infant mortality rate in 1998 was 9.0 per 1,000 live births in South Korea and 54.0 in North Korea. Since being liberated from Japanese ruling in 1945, South Korea has achieved remarkable economic growth under democracy and a market economy system. On the other hand, North Korea has maintained a socialistic system. North Korea has suffered from economic crisis since the 1990s. From this point it could be said that economic status is the major factor for the differences in health level between the two Koreas. Economic status not only directly influences health level but also indirectly affects it through influences on nutrition, hygiene, health resources, and other intervening factors. The South Korean government has concentrated its limited resources on public health activities such as tuberculosis control, family planning (FP), and maternal and child health (MCH) programmes whereas the private sector has taken charge of constructing the health delivery system including health facilities and human resources. In order to solve the problem, which might occur in the private-oriented medical care system, the South Korean government has introduced the national health insurance programme and enforced regulation policies. Many developing countries which are suffering from poverty and disease, can learn from the experience of Korea that had suffered from similar problems up to the early 1970s.

South Korea Powers Ahead with Globalization Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, David

2009-01-01

For government officials in South Korea, it's a vision worth savoring: Within the next decade, South Korea becomes Southeast Asia's top higher-education destination, poaching thousands of Chinese, Indian, and Japanese students from American universities and overtaking rivals Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. The higher-education system's…

Achievements in and Challenges of Tuberculosis Control in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Ji Han; Yim, Jae-Joon

2015-11-01

After the Korean War (1950-1953), nearly 6.5% of South Korea's population had active tuberculosis (TB). In response, South Korea implemented the National Tuberculosis Program in 1962. From 1965 to 1995, the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB in South Korea decreased from 940 to 219 cases per 100,000 population. Astounding economic growth might have contributed to this result; however, TB incidence in South Korea remains the highest among high-income countries. The rate of decrease in TB incidence seems to have slowed over the past 15 years. A demographic shift toward an older population, many of whom have latent TB and various concurrent conditions, is challenging TB control efforts in South Korea. The increasing number of immigrants also plays a part in the prolonged battle against TB. A historical review of TB in South Korea provides an opportunity to understand national TB control efforts that are applicable to other parts of the world.

Was the economic crisis 1997-1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time-trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand.

PubMed

Chang, Shu-Sen; Gunnell, David; Sterne, Jonathan A C; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Cheng, Andrew T A

2009-04-01

In 1997-1998 a widespread economic crisis hit the economies of many East/Southeast Asian countries; its impact on suicide rates across the region has not been systematically documented. We investigated the impact of the Asian economic crisis (1997-1998) on suicide in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. Suicide and population data for the period 1985-2006 were extracted from the World Health Organisation's mortality database and Taiwanese mortality statistics. Sex-specific age-standardised suicide rates for people aged 15years or above were analysed using joinpoint regression. Trends in divorce, marriage, unemployment, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and alcohol consumption were compared with trends in suicide rates graphically and using time-series analysis. Suicide mortality decreased in the late 1980s and early 1990s but subsequently increased markedly in all countries except Singapore, which had steadily declining suicide rates throughout the study period. Compared to 1997, male rates in 1998 rose by 39% in Japan, 44% in Hong Kong and 45% in Korea; rises in female rates were less marked. Male rates also rose in Thailand, but accurate data were incomplete. The economic crisis was associated with 10,400 more suicides in 1998 compared to 1997 in Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. Similar increases in suicide rates were not seen in Taiwan and Singapore, the two countries where the economic crisis had a smaller impact on GDP and unemployment. Time-series analyses indicated that some of the crisis's impact on male suicides was attributable to increases in unemployment. These findings suggest an association of the Asian economic crisis with a sharp increase in suicide mortality in some, but not all, East/Southeast Asian countries, and that these increases were most closely associated with rises in unemployment.

Discrepancies in general surgery medical terminology between South and North Korea.

PubMed

Hur, Keunyoung; Park, Do-Eon; Oh, Heung-Kwon; Yang, Hyun Hui; Ko, Dayoung; Kim, Min-Hyun; Kim, Myung Jo; Kang, Sung Il; Kim, Duck-Woo; Kang, Sung-Bum

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to categorize surgery-related medical terminologies used in South and North Korea and to compare and analyze discrepancies observed in the terms. This study collected medical terminology used in the North Korean medical book "Surgery" and compared it to medical terminology found in the medical glossary of South Korea. The order of the subtitle was described according to the Instruction to Authors. In total, there were 2,168 individual medical terms, of which only 1,004 words (46.3%) were identical to South Korean medical terms. There were 581 similar terms (26.8%), 265 different terms (12.2%), and 318 terms that are nonexistent in South Korea (14.7%). Less than half of the medical terms used in North Korea match those used in South Korea. It is expected that the prolongation of the current division of South and North Korea will only worsen this discrepancy. Further efforts to bridge the gap through academic exchange between South Korea and North Korea are required in preparation for an era of reunification.

Discrepancies in general surgery medical terminology between South and North Korea

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to categorize surgery-related medical terminologies used in South and North Korea and to compare and analyze discrepancies observed in the terms. Methods This study collected medical terminology used in the North Korean medical book “Surgery” and compared it to medical terminology found in the medical glossary of South Korea. The order of the subtitle was described according to the Instruction to Authors. Results In total, there were 2,168 individual medical terms, of which only 1,004 words (46.3%) were identical to South Korean medical terms. There were 581 similar terms (26.8%), 265 different terms (12.2%), and 318 terms that are nonexistent in South Korea (14.7%). Conclusion Less than half of the medical terms used in North Korea match those used in South Korea. It is expected that the prolongation of the current division of South and North Korea will only worsen this discrepancy. Further efforts to bridge the gap through academic exchange between South Korea and North Korea are required in preparation for an era of reunification. PMID:29510608

South Korea's low fertility raises European-style issues.

PubMed

Haub, C

1991-10-01

A demographic revolution has taken place in South Korea as evidenced by the marked decline in total fertility rate (TFR) from 6 in 1960 to the 1987 level of 1.6. South Korea holds the record for low fertility among developing countries, with women in South Korea averaging fewer children in their lifetimes than do women in Europe. The 1987 TFR for South Korea was even less than that of Sweden, Norway, and France. Emphasizing high initial rates of contraceptive use, family planning (FP) has been a strong component of South Korea's 5-year plans since 1962. Strong governmental support backed the efforts of a large group of FP workers who provided free contraceptives from private physicians. High discontinuation rates resulted, however, and the abortion rate has soared to equal the number of live births. Albeit a developing nation, South Korea now faces the challenges of below replacement fertility more typical of more developed countries. Current fertility levels indicate population increase to approximately 50 million by 2020, followed by a slow decline. While reducing pressure on limited resources, population decline and demographic aging will also demand allocation of a higher proportion of government funds to medical care, and potentially threaten South Korea's competitiveness in the world labor market. Having effected decreases in population growth and fertility, the government reduced the annual sterilization target in 1986 from 300,000 to 60,000 by 1991, and will increasingly turn to the private sector and national health insurance for service provision to all but the poor. A 2-child family norm may be promoted, FP programs expanded to the unmarried and legislation developed to eliminate the preference for sons. Delivery systems may also be reorganized to encourage continued use of contraceptive methods.

Social identity, perceived urban neighborhood quality, and physical inactivity: A comparison study of China, Taiwan, and South Korea.

PubMed

Chen, Duan-Rung; Lin, Yi-Ching

2016-09-01

Asian countries are currently witnessing unprecedented increase in physical inactivity and subsequent negative health outcomes; however, few cross-country studies documenting this trend exist. This paper presents the findings of a nationally representative sample, based on the East Asian Social Survey in 2011. The study sought to examine the association of social identity factors, such as objective socio-economic position, perceived social status and neighborhood quality with physical inactivity, while controlling for psychosocial and physical health. A sample of 5222 adults living in urban areas across China, Taiwan, and South Korea were surveyed. Multivariate nested logistic regressions were constructed. Perceived social status was positively associated with physical activity. Gender difference in physical activity was significant, and this difference widened as educational levels increased. Class division in physical activity was also found. Perceived physical and social features of neighborhood such as suitability for walking and jogging, air quality, and help from neighbors were to different degrees associated with physical inactivity. Gender, marital status, education and perceived social status were common factors associated with physical inactivity in East Asian countries. Perceived urban neighborhood quality is particularly important for Chinese people to stay physically active. Cultural-behavioral norms for physical activity associated with gender and social status call for more studies on cultural perspective for health behaviors in cross-cultural contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achievements in and Challenges of Tuberculosis Control in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Ji Han

2015-01-01

After the Korean War (1950–1953), nearly 6.5% of South Korea’s population had active tuberculosis (TB). In response, South Korea implemented the National Tuberculosis Program in 1962. From 1965 to 1995, the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB in South Korea decreased from 940 to 219 cases per 100,000 population. Astounding economic growth might have contributed to this result; however, TB incidence in South Korea remains the highest among high-income countries. The rate of decrease in TB incidence seems to have slowed over the past 15 years. A demographic shift toward an older population, many of whom have latent TB and various concurrent conditions, is challenging TB control efforts in South Korea. The increasing number of immigrants also plays a part in the prolonged battle against TB. A historical review of TB in South Korea provides an opportunity to understand national TB control efforts that are applicable to other parts of the world. PMID:26485188

Globalization and Higher Education: A South Korea Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jeong-Kyu

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine globalization and higher education from a perspective of South Korea. First, the paper reviews the concepts of globalization and internationalization. Second, the author describes a historical synopsis regarding internationalization and higher education in South Korea. Third, Korean government policies on…

The impact of biomass burning in North Korea to the air quality in Seoul, South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, I.; Lee, J.; Kim, Y.

2011-12-01

South Korea is contiguous to China, Japan and North Koreas, so air pollutants transported from outside South Korea should be investigated. Nevertheless, few researches have dealt with the influences of air pollutants from North Korea to other areas. The objectives of this study are to understand the influences of air pollutants' emission from North Korea to South Korea, especially Seoul, using the chemical mass balance (CMB) model and the backward trajectory analysis. CMB model were applied to analyze the source apportionment of PAHs at Seoul between 2006 and 2007. To understand the transport of air pollutants emitted from North Korea, the backward trajectories in sampling days were classified to four cases depending on which area the trajectories predominantly passed through. Based on the contribution of biomass burning calculated by CMB and the trajectories, the influence of air pollutants from North Korea to Seoul is quantified. In order to strengthen the uncertainty of CMB result, the trend of levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-b-D-glucopyranose) concentration at Seoul is also discussed depending on the classification of trajectories.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus in South Korea and Migratory Bird Routes Between China, South Korea, and Japan.

PubMed

Yun, Yeojun; Heo, Sang Taek; Kim, Gwanghun; Hewson, Roger; Kim, Hyemin; Park, Dahee; Cho, Nam-Hyuk; Oh, Won Sup; Ryu, Seong Yeol; Kwon, Ki Tae; Medlock, Jolyon M; Lee, Keun Hwa

2015-09-01

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne viral disease. The SFTS virus (SFTSV) has been detected in the Haemaphysalis longicornis, which acts as a transmission host between animals and humans. SFTSV was first confirmed in China in 2009 and has also been circulating in Japan and South Korea. However, it is not known if a genetic connection exists between the viruses in these regions and, if so, how SFTSV is transmitted across China, South Korea, and Japan. We therefore hypothesize that the SFTSV in South Korea share common phylogenetic origins with samples from China and Japan. Further, we postulate that migratory birds, well-known carriers of the tick H. longicornis, are a potential source of SFTSV transmission across countries. Our phylogenetic analysis results show that the SFTSV isolates in South Korea were similar to isolates from Japan and China. We connect this with previous work showing that SFTSV-infected H. longicornis were found in China, South Korea, and Japan. In addition, H. longicornis were found on migratory birds. The migratory bird routes and the distribution of H. longicornis are concurrent with the occurrence of SFTSV. Therefore, we suggest that migratory birds play an important role in dispersing H. longicornis-borne SFTSV. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

English Education and Teacher Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jo, Seongja

2008-01-01

The spread of the English language is a global phenomenon, but it has a particular resonance in South Korea, where English is second only to Korean as a common language. The paper examines the current educational context in South Korea and the policy and practice issues that arise within this context regarding teacher education in English as a…

Height and weight differences between North and South Korea.

PubMed

Schwekendiek, Daniel

2009-01-01

This paper investigates height and weight differences between the two Koreas by comparing national anthropometric data published by the South Korean Research Institute of Standard and Science with United Nations survey data collected inside North Korea in 2002. For socioeconomic reasons, pre-school children raised in the developing country of North Korea are up to 13 cm shorter and up to 7 kg lighter than children who were brought up in South Korea--an OECD member. North Korean women were also found to weigh up to 9 kg less than their Southern counterparts.

English Immersion and Educational Inequality in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeon, Mihyon

2012-01-01

This article explores what immersion English education means in South Korea (henceforth Korea) and examines various related educational practices. The proposal for English immersion from the Presidential Transition Committee of the Lee administration in early 2008 has highlighted immersion education in Korea. Ironically, since the committee's…

The emerging problem of physical child abuse in South Korea.

PubMed

Hahm, H C; Guterman, N B

2001-05-01

South Korea has had remarkably high incidence and prevalence rates of physical violence against children, yet the problem has received only limited public and professional attention until very recently. This article represents the first attempt in English to systematically analyze South Korea's recent epidemiological studies on child maltreatment. Discussed are sociocultural factors that have contributed both to delays in child protection laws and a low public awareness of the problem of child abuse. The article highlights methodological issues concerning the definition of physical abuse in South Korea and the complex attitudes toward violence. It also examines the role of the Korean women's movement in the reform of family laws and the recent establishment of new child protection legislation. Suggestions for future directions for the problem of child maltreatment within South Korea are presented.

Variations in Spike Glycoprotein Gene of MERS-CoV, South Korea, 2015.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Won; Kim, You-Jin; Park, Sung Han; Yun, Mi-Ran; Yang, Jeong-Sun; Kang, Hae Ji; Han, Young Woo; Lee, Han Saem; Kim, Heui Man; Kim, Hak; Kim, A-Reum; Heo, Deok Rim; Kim, Su Jin; Jeon, Jun Ho; Park, Deokbum; Kim, Joo Ae; Cheong, Hyang-Min; Nam, Jeong-Gu; Kim, Kisoon; Kim, Sung Soon

2016-01-01

An outbreak of nosocomial infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus occurred in South Korea in May 2015. Spike glycoprotein genes of virus strains from South Korea were closely related to those of strains from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, virus strains from South Korea showed strain-specific variations.

South Korea: Language Policy and Planning in the Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Jae Jung

2012-01-01

This monograph discusses South Korea's language situation in a language policy and planning context. This monograph consists of four parts. Part 1 presents a genetic, typological and sociolinguistic description of South Korea's national language, and an overview of minority languages, including English as well as other languages, recently…

New species of Rhorus Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae) from South Korea.

PubMed

Kasparyan, D R; Choi, Jin-Kyung; Lee, Jong-Wook

2016-08-31

A new ichneumonid-species Rhorus koreensis sp. nov. is described from South Korea. Monoblastus jinjuensis Lee et Cha, 1993 described from South Korea is transferred to Rhorus (new combination). Only Rh. takagii (Uchida, 1931) is recorded previously from South Korea. Rhorus nigritarsis (Hedwig, 1956) is recorded for the first time from South Korea. A key to the four South Korean species are provided.

Seismic noise level variation in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheen, D.; Shin, J.

2008-12-01

The variations of seismic background noise in South Korea have been investigated by means of power spectral analysis. The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) and the Korea Meteorological Administation (KMA) have national wide seismic networks in South Korea, and, in the end of 2007, there are 30 broadband stations which have been operating for more than a year. In this study, we have estimated the power spectral density of seismic noise for 30 broadband stations from 2005 to 2007. Since we estimate PSDs from a large dataset of continuous waveform in this study, a robust PSD estimate of McNamara and Buland (2004) is used. In the frequency range 1-5 Hz, the diurnal variations of noise are observed at most of stations, which are especially larger at coastal stations and at insular than at inland. Some stations shows daily difference of diurnal variations, which represents that cultural activities contribute to the noise level of a station. The variation of number of triggered stations, however, shows that cultural noise has little influence on the detection capability of seismic network in South Korea. Seasonal variations are observed well in the range 0.1-0.5 Hz, while much less found in the frequency range 1-5 Hz. We observed that strong peaks in the range 0.1-0.5 Hz occur at the summer when Pacific typhoons are close to the Korean Peninsula.

Teaching About South Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schisgall, Jane

1983-01-01

Identifies reasons why social studies educators should improve their teaching about South Korea. Included in the list is the increasing numbers of Koreans being educated in the United States, the summer Olympics in 1988, and the use of Korean culture as a case study demonstrating the effects of cultural transmission and society in transition. (JDH)

Incidence and prevalence of uveitis in South Korea: a nationwide cohort study.

PubMed

Rim, Tyler Hyungtaek; Kim, Sung Soo; Ham, Don-Il; Yu, Seung-Young; Chung, Eun Jee; Lee, Sung Chul

2018-01-01

To evaluate the incidence and prevalence of uveitis and associated risk factors in South Korea. For this retrospective national cohort study, approximately 1 000 000 Korean residents were randomly selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Uveitis was defined according to the Korean Classification of Diseases. The uveitis incidence and prevalence were calculated. Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities associated with uveitis were evaluated via Cox proportional regression models. A total of 1 094 440 subjects were evaluated over 7 051 346 person-years (mean follow-up: 6.44 years). Overall, 7447 newly developed uveitis cases were identified during the period of 2007-2013; the average incidence of uveitis was 10.6 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI 10.3 to 10.8). The average incidences of anterior and non-anterior uveitis were 9.0 and 1.5 per 10 000 person-years, respectively. The prevalence rates of uveitis, anterior uveitis and non-anterior uveitis were 17.3, 15.0 and 2.3 per 10 000 persons, respectively, during the period of 2007-2013. Increasing age, male sex, residing in a relatively rural area and high income were associated with uveitis, along with Behçet's disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematous, ulcerative colitis and tuberculosis. The overall incidence of uveitis in Korea was similar to those reported in Taiwan and the USA. Despite a potentially inaccurate disease definition, claims data may be useful for monitoring the substantial uveitis burden in South Korea. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

School Expansion in North Korea and South Korea: Two Systems, Two Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyangkue

2001-01-01

Examines differences in the public-policy objectives and financing of school expansion efforts in North and South Korea. Institutionalizing credentialism and reliance on financing private education dominates South Korean school expansion, while the financing of public schools and greater government control of education dominates North Korean…

Efficiency evaluation of agricultural underground dam in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myoung, W.; Song, S. H.; Yong, H. H.

2017-12-01

Climate change has resulted in severe droughts in a rice-planting season (i.e., April to June) in South Korea since 2012. Therefore, all time high-amount water resources in rice-farming seasons (i.e., April to October) were required against natural crises like droughts. The underground dam, which is able to increase groundwater amounts in the alluvium aquifer, has been considered to be an alternative for securing more groundwater resources. In this study, irrigation efficiencies of five pre-existing agricultural underground dams in South Korea were evaluated during the drought periods. A total amount of groundwater storage capacities in alluvial aquifers of these five ones were estimated approximate 15 × 107 m3: above 4 × 106 m3 for two underground dams (Ian, Namsong), 2 3 × 106 m3, for 2 dams (Oksung, Wooil), below 2 × 106 m3 for 1 dam (Gocheon), respectively. Irrigating amounts of groundwater accounted for three underground dams (Ian, Namsong, Gocheon), supplied in rice-farming season are 8.5 × 105 m3/year, 8.3 × 105 m3/year, 6.3 × 105 m3/year, respectively. The total demand of agricultural water in these underground dams is 2.0 × 106 m3/year, 1.9 × 106 m3/year, 2.2 × 106 m3/year, respectively. Irrigating amounts of groundwater accounted for whole of rice-farming area in South Korea is 4.3 × 108 m3/year whereas total demand of agricultural water is 9.4 × 109 m3/year. Groundwater were pumped from the radial collector wells located in the upstream from the underground dams. Oksung underground dam, one representative underground dam located in Chungnam province in South Korea, irrigated approximate 3 × 105 m3 during a dried rice-planting season (between April to June) in 2017. It was three times more than usual (9 × 104 m3). Groundwater levels during the same period maintained above 5.55 m, which was slightly lower than usual (6.00 m). Results of Oksung underground dam demonstrated that underground dams in South Korea were effectively operated against

Situation Report--China, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data relating to population and family planning in eight foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are China, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Information is provided where appropriate and available, under two topics, general background and family planning…

Seaweed Farms in South Korea

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-30

The dark squares that make up the checkerboard pattern in this image are fields of a sort—fields of seaweed. Along the south coast of South Korea, seaweed is often grown on ropes, which are held near the surface with buoys. This technique ensures that the seaweed stays close enough to the surface to get enough light during high tide but doesn’t scrape against the bottom during low tide. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this image of seaweed cultivation in the shallow waters around Sisan Island on January 31, 2014. Home to a thriving aquaculture industry, the south coast of South Korea produces about 90 percent of the country’s seaweed crop. The waters around Sisan are not the only place where aquaculture is common. View the large image to see how ubiquitous seaweed aquaculture is along the coast in Jeollanam-do, the southernmost province on the Korean peninsula. Two main types of seaweed are cultivated in South Korea: Undaria (known as miyeok in Korean, wakame in Japanese) and Pyropia (gim in Korean, nori in Japanese). Both types are used generously in traditional Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food. Since 1970, farmed seaweed production has increased by approximately 8 percent per year. Today, about 90 percent of all the seaweed that humans consume globally is farmed. That may be good for the environment. In comparison to other types of food production, seaweed farming has a light environmental footprint because it does not require fresh water or fertilizer. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Adam Voiland. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission

Atmospheric short-chain chlorinated paraffins in China, Japan, and South Korea.

PubMed

Li, Qilu; Li, Jun; Wang, Yan; Xu, Yue; Pan, Xiaohui; Zhang, Gan; Luo, Chunling; Kobara, Yuso; Nam, Jae-Jak; Jones, Kevin C

2012-11-06

This study presents the first investigation of concentrations and congener group patterns of atmospheric short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) throughout East Asia. Based on an absorption rate calibration experiment, a spatial survey of SCCPs was performed using passive air samplers in China, Japan, and South Korea during two separate periods in 2008. The atmospheric concentrations of SCCPs in China were clearly greater than those in Japan and South Korea, both of which exceed the levels determined for other regions of the world. C(10) components were the most abundant type of SCCPs in China, whereas C(11) components were dominant in Japan and South Korea. With respect to the total chlorine content, Cl(6) and Cl(5) were the predominant compounds in China and Japan; however, Cl(6) and Cl(7) were predominant in South Korea. A similar pattern was also found for remote sites within China, Japan, and South Korea, respectively. Together with the back-trajectories calculated for the remote sites, the results indicate that the SCCPs in the air of East Asia were mainly influenced by local sources due to their relatively low long-range atmospheric transport potential compared to other POPs.

The characteristics of drought occurrence in North Korea and its comparison with drought in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Bo-Ra; Oh, Su-Bin; Byun, Hi-Ryong

2015-07-01

The characteristics of the drought occurrence in North Korea over a period of 56 years (1952-2007) were analyzed by region, compared with those of South Korea, and graphed as a drought map for easy detection of the drought's history. To assess them, the Effective Drought Index (EDI), which was calculated from the daily precipitation data for 109 grids of the Korean Peninsula, was used. The daily precipitation data were extracted from the Asian Precipitation Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE). The characteristics of the drought occurrence in North Korea were summed up in the following five points. First, North Korea was divided into four drought sub-regions: the Northeastern region (G1), the Northern region (G2), the Central region (G3), and the Southern region (G4). Second, droughts occurred most frequently in G1 (28) and G4 (28 events) and least frequently in G3 (15 events). Third, in all sub-regions, short-term droughts lasting less than 100 days were the most frequent (53 % or higher) and the longest drought lasted 2,911 days (June 30, 1973 to June 20, 1981), which occurred in G3. Fourth, short-term droughts occurred mainly in spring, mid-term droughts (100-500 days) in spring and summer, and long-term droughts (over 500 days) in summer. Fifth, a dry period (monthly mean EDI <0) appeared in all sub-regions between 1973 and 1981 and between 1990 and 1993, and a strong negative precipitation anomaly appeared during each of these periods. When compared to the droughts in South Korea, those in North Korea were less frequent, but the mean duration was longer. Until 1979, droughts occurred almost at the same time in North Korea as South Korea, but beginning in 1980, the time differences between two regions became larger. Thus, the characteristics of the drought occurrence in North and South Korea differ.

High resolution mapping of flood hazard for South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Sourima; Nzerem, Kechi; Zovi, Francesco; Li, Shuangcai; Mei, Yi; Assteerawatt, Anongnart; Hilberts, Arno; Tillmanns, Stephan; Mitas, Christos

2015-04-01

Floods are one of primary natural hazards that affect South Korea. During the past 15 years, catastrophic flood events which mainly have occurred during the rainy and typhoon seasons - especially under condition where soils are already saturated, have triggered substantial property damage with an average annual loss of around US1.2 billion (determined from WAter Management Information System's flood damage database for years 2002-2011) in South Korea. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government, over 16,000 households in the capital city Seoul were inundated during 2010 flood events. More than 10,000 households in Seoul were apparently flooded during one major flood event due to torrential rain in July 2011. Recently in August 2014, a serious flood event due to heavy rainfall hit the Busan region in the south east of South Korea. Addressing the growing needs, RMS has recently released country-wide high resolution combined flood return period maps for post-drainage local "pluvial" inundation and undefended large-scale "fluvial" inundation to aid the government and the insurance industry in the evaluation of comprehensive flood risk. RMS has developed a flood hazard model for South Korea to generate inundation depths and extents for a range of flood return periods. The model is initiated with 30 years of historical meteorological forcing data and calibrated to daily observations at over 100 river gauges across the country. Simulations of hydrologic processes are subsequently performed based on a 2000 year set of stochastic forcing. Floodplain inundation processes are modelled by numerically solving the shallow water equations using finite volume method on GPUs. Taking into account the existing stormwater drainage standards, economic exposure densities, etc., reasonable flood maps are created from inundation model output. Final hazard maps at one arcsec grid resolution can be the basis for both evaluating and managing flood risk, its economic impacts, and insured flood

Sexual Violence among Men in the Military in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Insook; Lee, Dong-Ok; Kim, Elli; Kim, Hyun-Young

2007-01-01

This research is about sexual violence among men in the military in South Korea. The authors investigated the frequencies, causes, and circumstances surrounding sexual violence and looked for characteristic features of sexual violence among men in the military in South Korea. They found a high frequency of physical sexual violence and a high level…

Life in South Korea Today.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lew, Seok-Choon

1988-01-01

Characterizes the past 40 years in South Korea as a time of modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and internationalization. Discusses Korean religion and social values; family, kinship, and social life; education; housing, food, and clothing; leisure and sports; and the maintenance of national identity. Examines the Korean synthesis of…

Incidence and Characteristics of Scarlet Fever, South Korea, 2008-2015.

PubMed

Park, Duck Woong; Kim, Sun-Hee; Park, Jung Wook; Kim, Min-Ji; Cho, Sun Ju; Park, Hye Jung; Jung, So Hyang; Seo, Mi Hee; Lee, Yong Seok; Kim, Byung Hee; Min, Hyeran; Lee, Su Ya; Ha, Dong Ryong; Kim, Eun Sun; Hong, Yeongjin; Chung, Jae Keun

2017-04-01

The incidence rate for scarlet fever in South Korea is rising. During 2008-2015, we collected group A Streptococcus isolates and performed emm and exotoxin genotyping and disk-diffusion antimicrobial tests. Scarlet fever in South Korea was most closely associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3. In 2015, tetracycline resistance started increasing.

Academic and Research Programs in Exercise Science, South Korea

PubMed Central

PARK, KYUNG-SHIN; SONG, WOOK

2009-01-01

We appreciate the opportunity to review academic curriculum and current research focus of Exercise Science programs in South Korea. The information of this paper was collected by several different methods, including e-mail and phone interviews, and a discussion with Korean professors who attended the 2009 ACSM annual conference. It was agreed that exercise science programming in South Korea has improved over the last 60 years since being implemented. One of distinguishable achievement is that exercise science programs after the 1980’s has been expanded to several different directions. It does not only produce physical education teachers but also attributes more to research, sports medicine, sports, leisure and recreation. Therefore, it has produced various jobs in exercise-related fields. Some of exercise science departments do not require teacher preparation course work in their curriculum which allows students to focus more on their specialty. Secondly, we believe we South Korea has caught up with advanced countries in terms of research quality. Many Korean researchers have recently published and presented their investigations in international journals and conferences. The quality and quantity of these studies introduced to international societies indicate that Exercise Science programs in South Korea is continuing to develop and plays an important part in the world. PMID:27182314

Intelsat two-way time transfer experiments between Japan, Korea and Taiwan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engelkemier, B.; Imamura, K.; Takahashi, F.

This paper describes the first two-way time transfer experiments using Intelsat Ku-band satellites in eastern Asia performed by Communications Research Laboratory (CRL: Japan), Korea Research Institute of Standard and Science (KRISS: Korea) and Telecommunication Laboratory (TL: Taiwan) in 1992. The experiments are based on the recommendation of Conference Generale des Poids et Mesures (CGPM) in 1987. Also they are based on the international cooperation program between CRL and KRISS, and institute-level cooperation between CRL and TL. The experiments attained the short-term precision better than 1 ns, which is much better than conventional GPS time transfer. Long-term precision was not somore » good as short-term one. We discuss the reasons of the long-term instabilities. We can also established the procedures to use Intelsat satellites under the support of Intelsat Headquarters and each countries` common carrier agents.« less

LONGEVITY IN NORTH KOREA AND SOUTH KOREA: PREVALENCE OF CENTENARIANS IN ONE THE POOREST AND ONE OF THE RICHEST NATIONS.

PubMed

Schwekendiek, Daniel

2018-03-01

Over recent decades, economic living conditions have dramatically improved in South Korea, which now represents one of the most developed nations. At the same time, its twin in the North remains one of the poorest countries on earth. Thus, the Korean peninsula represents a unique historical experiment that allows for study of the effects of environment on human development under a variety of ceteris paribus cultural, genetic and climatic conditions. Previous studies comparing the biosocial performances of the two Koreas have focused on indicators such as weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference and age at menarche. The purpose of the present study was to investigate longevity based on the number of centenarians living in the two Koreas by drawing on censuses implemented around 1925 and 2010. The study found that North Korea had some 0.7 centenarians per one million persons in 1925, and this rate moderately improved to 2.7 around 2010. Conversely, rates skyrocketed in South Korea from 2.7 in 1925 to 38.2 around 2010. This suggests that the rate of centenarians in North Korea around 2010 corresponds to that of South Korea in 1925, suggesting a chronological lag in delayed human development of some 85 years. The prevalence of centenarians is fourteen times higher in contemporary South Korea compared with the North - broadly confirming previous biosocial studies on the two Koreas and two Germanies reporting improved human development in market-oriented systems compared with socialist ones.

Comparison study of postdischarge care provided to suicide patients by family members in East and South Taiwan.

PubMed

Sun, Fan-Ko; Ko, Chen-Ju; Chang, Shing-Ling; Chiang, Chun-Ying

2012-03-01

Care provided by the families of those who have attempted suicide affects their healing and recovery process. Data on care provided by families to suicidal individuals in different areas of Taiwan are extremely limited. This study explored care provided by families living in eastern and southern Taiwan to relatives admitted to hospitals and subsequently discharged after a suicide attempt. The study used a grounded theory approach. Interviews were conducted in two distinct geographical areas in 3 years and included two sample groups. Group 1 comprised suicidal participants (n = 15) and family caregivers (n = 15) in East Taiwan. Group 2 comprised suicidal participants (n = 15) and family caregivers (n = 15) in South Taiwan. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. The East Taiwan group was less prosperous than the South Taiwan group. Suicide attempt methods were more lethal in eastern than in southern Taiwan. Alcohol and family violence were more important factors in suicides in eastern than in southern Taiwan. Consequently, families in East Taiwan focused less on protecting the safety of suicidal family members than families in South Taiwan. Participants in East Taiwan received less support from their families than those in South Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: Suicidal participants in East Taiwan received less care from family caregivers than did participants in South Taiwan. However, all families require education to provide optimal care for suicidal relatives. Study results may help promote more appropriate education for clinical nursing professionals with a responsibility to care for suicidal patients.

The Development of Astronomy in Korea and the Emergence of Astrophysics in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nha, Il-Seong; L. Nha, Sarah; Orchiston, Wayne

There are two books and one review paper that have been written about the history of astronomy in Korea. Chronologically, they are the review paper "Astronomy in Korea" (Rufus, Transactions of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, XXVI, 1-69, 1936), and the books The Hall of Heavenly Records, Korean Astronomical Instruments and Clocks 1380-1780 (Needham et al., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986a) and History of Astronomy in Korea (Nha, Seoul National University Press, Seoul, 2000). In order to overview the emergence and development of modern astronomy and astrophysics in South Korea, much of the present chapter is based on these three references, along with various papers published by the present authors and other astronomers.

Lumbar hernia in South Korea: different from that in foreign literature?

PubMed

Park, S H; Chung, H S; Song, S H

2015-10-01

This study aimed to analyze the clinical features of lumbar hernia reported in South Korea and compare these features with those reported in foreign literature. From January 1968 through December 2013, 13 cases reported in South Korea were included in the study. The variables compared were age, sex, main symptoms at hospital visit, etiology, location, herniated contents, lateralization, defect size, diagnostic methods, surgical methods, surgical opinions, and recurrence. In the South Korean cases, women outnumbered men (3.3:1) and no significant differences were found in the herniated side (left:right, 1.1:1). In contrast, in the foreign cases, men outnumbered women (3:1) and left-sided hernia was dominant (2:1). Moreover, in most of the foreign cases, patients were aged 50-70 years, whereas in the South Korean cases, none of the patients were in their 50 s. However, no substantial differences were found in etiology, anatomical locations, symptoms, and herniated contents. This research revealed that few clinical features of lumbar hernias in South Korea differ from those reported in foreign literature. Thirteen cases were analyzed in the present study, and results obtained from such a small sample size cannot be generalized with certainty. Therefore, more cases should be collected for a definitive analysis. Despite this limitation, this study is important because it is the first attempt to collect and analyze the clinical features of lumbar hernia in South Korea. This study will serve as a basis for future studies investigating the clinical features of lumbar hernia cases in South Korea.

Missile defense and strategic stability: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea

DOE PAGES

Sankaran, Jaganath; Fearey, Bryan L.

2017-02-06

South Korea is threatened by its troubled relationship with North Korea. North Korea possesses a large cache of missiles as well as chemical and biological weapons, and the future potential to mount nuclear weapons on its missiles. The United States is also challenged because of its defense commitments to Seoul. As a countermeasure, the United States and South Korea decided to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defenses in South Korea. However, China has objected. Chinese scholars believe the THAAD radar would be able to track Chinese inter-continental ballistic missiles, thereby weakening their deterrent. A technical analysis doesmore » not support this assertion. But, it is vital for South Korea, given its proximity and economic interdependence, to reassure China. The United States Forces Korea will deploy THAD and that is not a commitment by Seoul to become part of U.S.-led missile defenses in the Asia-Pacific.« less

Missile defense and strategic stability: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sankaran, Jaganath; Fearey, Bryan L.

South Korea is threatened by its troubled relationship with North Korea. North Korea possesses a large cache of missiles as well as chemical and biological weapons, and the future potential to mount nuclear weapons on its missiles. The United States is also challenged because of its defense commitments to Seoul. As a countermeasure, the United States and South Korea decided to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defenses in South Korea. However, China has objected. Chinese scholars believe the THAAD radar would be able to track Chinese inter-continental ballistic missiles, thereby weakening their deterrent. A technical analysis doesmore » not support this assertion. But, it is vital for South Korea, given its proximity and economic interdependence, to reassure China. The United States Forces Korea will deploy THAD and that is not a commitment by Seoul to become part of U.S.-led missile defenses in the Asia-Pacific.« less

Inclusive Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yong-Wook

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current implementation of inclusive education in South Korea and discuss its challenges. The history of special education is first described followed by an introduction to policies relevant to special and inclusive education. Next, a critical discussion of the state of inclusive education follows built…

Political Authoritarianism and Economic Success in Indonesia and South Korea

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

ECONOMIC SUCCESS IN INDONESIA AND SOUTH KOREA by Marcus A. Johnson June 2017 Thesis Advisor: Naazneen Barma Second Reader: Robert Weiner THIS PAGE...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE POLITICAL AUTHORITARIANISM AND ECONOMIC SUCCESS IN INDONESIA AND SOUTH KOREA 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Marcus A...CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This thesis researches the features of political authoritarianism that might contribute to economic success

Susceptibility of South Korea to hydrologic extremes affecting the global food system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puma, M. J.; Chon, S. Y.

2015-12-01

Food security in South Korea is closely linked to trade in the global food system. The country's production of major grains declined from 5.8 million metric tons (mmt) in 1998 to 4.8 mmt in 2014, which coincided with a shift in grain self sufficiency from 43% down to 24% over this same period. Many factors led to these changes, including reductions in domestic agricultural land, governmental policies supporting industry over agriculture, and a push towards trade liberalization. South Korea's self sufficiency is now one of the lowest among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, leaving it vulnerable to disruptions in the global food system. Here we explore this vulnerability by assessing how global trade disruptions would affect Korea's food security. We impose historical extreme drought and flood events that would possibly affect today's major food producing regions concurrently. Next we compute food supply deficits in South Korea that might result from these events. Our analyses provide a framework for formulating domestic food policies to enhance South Korea's food security in the increasingly fragile global food system.

Prospect for future South-Korea arms control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Y.

1992-04-22

This study deals with the Hot issues of the first five Prime Ministers (PM) meetings, which encompassed 15 months of negotiations and have resulted in the completion of the Agreement on South-North Reconciliation/Non-aggression and Cooperation after 46 years of division. After the signing of the agreement, detailed worker level progress has culminated in North Korea signing the nuclear safety treaty of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Acceptance of International Inspection of Nuclear Facilities South-North civil economic progress is on the way and at the 6th meeting, a head of state meeting was discussed. Taking all this into consideration,more » it is safe to say that an affirmative direction is being taken towards South-North relations. In this arena, a critical element for better South-North relations is arms control. If meetings on arms control between South-North make good progress, the solution for the Korean peninsula's reunification, as well as detente, will be achieved more quickly. Therefore, arms control on the Korean peninsula should be considered as an important point for improvement of the future South-North Korean relationship. The important fact that we should remember is that arms control is a common issue. Arms control should be solved by South-North Korea because a phased arms control can develop prior to conditions for reunification.« less

The factors affecting the development of national identity as South korean in north korean refugees living in South Korea.

PubMed

Yu, Shi-Eun; Eom, Jin-Sup; Jeon, Woo-Taek

2012-09-01

This study aims to observe the factors that influence the development of national identity of North Korean refugees who have resettled in South Korea. The study population was comprised of 500 North Korean refugees who immigrated to South Korea in 2007. The variables measured national identity as South Korean, a scale for discrimination perceived during daily life, a social for supporting social network, a for childhood trauma experience, traumatic experiences in North Korea, and traumatic experiences during the escape process. Factor analysis was conducted on the result from the scale for national identity as South Korean which produced 4 factors including national consciousness, positive emotions, positive values, and negative values. Multiple regression was done to identify how variables such as demographic data, discrimination, social network, and past trauma had influenced each of 4 factors. National identity was negatively related by traumatic experience during childhood, perceived discrimination, and positively influenced by social networks. Positive emotion was related negatively to education level in North Korea and perceived discrimination, but positively related to traumatic experiences in North Korea. Negative value was related positively age and perceived discrimination but negatively related to supporting social network. The results of this study suggests that promoting social networks, decreasing discrimination and healing past traumas were important factors for North Korean refugees in South Korea to facilitate a new national identity as a South Korean.

The life expectancy gap between North and South Korea from 1993 to 2008.

PubMed

Bahk, Jinwook; Ezzati, Majid; Khang, Young-Ho

2018-03-12

Comparative research on health outcomes in North and South Korea offers a unique opportunity to explore political and social determinants of health. We examined the age- and cause-specific contributions to the life expectancy (LE) gap between the two Koreas. We calculated the LE at birth in 1993 and 2008 among North and South Koreans, and cause-specific contributions to the LE discrepancy between the two Koreas in 2008. The cause-specific mortality data from South Korea were used as proxies for the cause-specific mortality data in North Korea in 2008. The LE gap between the two Koreas was approximately 1 year in 1993, but grew to approximately 10 years in 2008. This discrepancy was attributable to increased gaps in mortality among children younger than 1 year and adults 55 years of age or older. The major causes of the increased LE gap were circulatory diseases, digestive diseases, infant mortality, external causes, cancers and infectious diseases. This study underscores the urgency of South Korean and international humanitarian aid programs to reduce the mortality rate of the North Korean people.

History, Current Status, and Future Prospects of Counseling in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sang Min; Suh, Suhyun; Yang, Eunjoo; Jang, Yoo Jin

2012-01-01

Although the counseling profession was introduced to South Korea in the 1950s by American delegates of education, counseling has been only lately recognized as a specialized field that requires distinctive knowledge and skills. In this article, the authors describe the history and the current status of counseling in South Korea and then discuss…

Seaweed Farms in South Korea [detail

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-30

The dark squares that make up the checkerboard pattern in this image are fields of a sort—fields of seaweed. Along the south coast of South Korea, seaweed is often grown on ropes, which are held near the surface with buoys. This technique ensures that the seaweed stays close enough to the surface to get enough light during high tide but doesn’t scrape against the bottom during low tide. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this image of seaweed cultivation in the shallow waters around Sisan Island on January 31, 2014. Home to a thriving aquaculture industry, the south coast of South Korea produces about 90 percent of the country’s seaweed crop. The waters around Sisan are not the only place where aquaculture is common. View the large image to see how ubiquitous seaweed aquaculture is along the coast in Jeollanam-do, the southernmost province on the Korean peninsula. Two main types of seaweed are cultivated in South Korea: Undaria (known as miyeok in Korean, wakame in Japanese) and Pyropia (gim in Korean, nori in Japanese). Both types are used generously in traditional Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food. Since 1970, farmed seaweed production has increased by approximately 8 percent per year. Today, about 90 percent of all the seaweed that humans consume globally is farmed. That may be good for the environment. In comparison to other types of food production, seaweed farming has a light environmental footprint because it does not require fresh water or fertilizer. NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Adam Voiland. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission

Science, state, and spirituality: Stories of four creationists in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Hyung Wook; Cho, Kyuhoon

2018-03-01

This paper presents an analysis of the birth and growth of scientific creationism in South Korea by focusing on the lives of four major contributors. After creationism arrived in Korea in 1980 through the global campaign of leading American creationists, including Henry Morris and Duane Gish, it steadily grew in the country, reflecting its historical and social conditions, and especially its developmental state with its structured mode of managing science and appropriating religion. We argue that while South Korea's creationism started with the state-centered conservative Christianity under the government that also vigilantly managed scientists, it subsequently constituted some technical experts' efforts to move away from the state and its religion and science through their negotiation of a new identity as Christian intellectuals ( chisigin). Our historical study will thus explain why South Korea became what Ronald Numbers has called "the creationist capital of the world."

Impact of regional ventilation changes on surface particulate matter concentrations in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H. C.; Stein, A. F.; Chai, T.; Ngan, F.; Kim, B. U.; Jin, C. S.; Hong, S. Y.; Park, R.; Son, S. W.; Bae, C.; Bae, M.; Song, C. K.; Kim, S.

2017-12-01

The recent increase in surface particulate matter (PM) concentrations in South Korea is intriguing due to its disagreement with current intensive emission reduction efforts. The long-term trend of surface PM concentrations in South Korea declined in the 2000s, but since 2012 its concentrations have tended to increase, resulting in frequent severe haze events in the region. This study demonstrates that the interannual variation of surface PM concentrations in South Korea is not only affected by changes in local or regional emission sources, but also closely linked with the interannual variations in regional ventilation. Using EPA Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system, a 12-year (2004-2015) regional air quality simulation was conducted to assess the impact of the meteorological conditions under constant anthropogenic emissions. In addition, NOAA HYSPLIT dispersion model was utilized to estimate the strength of regional ventilation that dissipates local pollutions. Simulated PM concentrations show a strong negative correlation (i.e. R=-0.86) with regional wind speed, implying that reduced regional ventilation is likely associated with more stagnant conditions that cause severe pollutant episodes in South Korea. We conclude that the current PM concentration trend in South Korea is a combination of long-term decline by emission control efforts and short-term fluctuations in regional wind speed interannual variability. When the meteorology-driven variations are removed, PM concentrations in South Korea have declined continuously even after 2012, with -1.45±0.12, -1.41±0.16, and -1.09±0.16 mg/m3 per year in Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and South Korea, respectively.

Relationships between suicide and three economic factors in South Korea.

PubMed

Inoue, Ken; Nishimura, Yukika; Nishida, Atsushi; Fukunaga, Tatsushige; Masaki, Mina; Fujita, Yoshitsugu; Nata, Masayuki; Okazaki, Yuji; Ono, Yuichiro

2010-03-01

The number of suicides in South Korea totaled 4840 in 1995 and 8569 in 1998; in Japan, suicides totaled 21,420 in 1995 and 31,755 in 1998. Suicide prevention is an important issue for both South Korea and Japan. In South Korea, factors related to the increase in suicides must be clarified, and specific suicide prevention measures must be promptly discussed in order to decrease the number of suicides. Therefore, this report examined suicide and unemployment rates and increased rates of mining and industrial production and of money supply in South Korea from 1990 to 2002. This report also discusses the relationships between suicide and unemployment rates and increased rates of mining and industrial production and increased rates of money supply during the same period. During the period studied, annual suicide rates ranged from 7.1 to 18.3 per 100,000 populations. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the suicide rate was clearly related to the unemployment rate, but the suicide rate was not related to increased rates of mining and industrial production and increased rates of money supply. Thus, when unemployment rates increase, relevant organizations and the community should pay close attention to the increase in suicide rates. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disaster Vulnerability in South Korea under a Gender Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Gunhui

2017-04-01

The most affected natural disaster has been flooding in South Korea, however, many unexpected natural disasters cause by snow or drought have become severe due to the climate change. Therefore it is very important to analyze disaster vulnerability under the unexpected climate condition. When the natural disaster happens, in many cases, female was more damaged than male because of the cultural and physical limitations. Disaster is never gender neutral. For example, four times as many female as male died in Indonesia tsunami. Therefore, it is very important to consider gender sensitivity in the disaster vulnerability to mitigate effects on the female. In this study, the current disaster management guideline in South Korea is investigated in the gender perspective and compared to the other countries. As a result, gender analysis in the disaster preparedness and response is not implemented in South Korea. Thus, the gender balanced disaster management guideline is newly proposed. Also, the disaster vulnerability considering gendered factors are evaluated and analyzed in the urban area. Acknowledgement This research was supported by Support Program for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and future Planning(No. 2016H1C3A1903202)

76 FR 65748 - Certain Pipe and Tube From Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey; Commission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-24

...-534, and 536 (Third Review)] Certain Pipe and Tube From Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand... Turkey, the antidumping duty orders on welded carbon steel pipe and tube from India, Thailand, and Turkey... group responses with respect to Mexico, Thailand, and Turkey were adequate, and decided to conduct full...

The Factors Affecting the Development of National Identity as South Korean in North Korean Refugees Living in South Korea

PubMed Central

Yu, Shi-Eun; Eom, Jin-Sup

2012-01-01

Objective This study aims to observe the factors that influence the development of national identity of North Korean refugees who have resettled in South Korea. Methods The study population was comprised of 500 North Korean refugees who immigrated to South Korea in 2007. The variables measured national identity as South Korean, a scale for discrimination perceived during daily life, a social for supporting social network, a for childhood trauma experience, traumatic experiences in North Korea, and traumatic experiences during the escape process. Factor analysis was conducted on the result from the scale for national identity as South Korean which produced 4 factors including national consciousness, positive emotions, positive values, and negative values. Multiple regression was done to identify how variables such as demographic data, discrimination, social network, and past trauma had influenced each of 4 factors. Results National identity was negatively related by traumatic experience during childhood, perceived discrimination, and positively influenced by social networks. Positive emotion was related negatively to education level in North Korea and perceived discrimination, but positively related to traumatic experiences in North Korea. Negative value was related positively age and perceived discrimination but negatively related to supporting social network. Conclusion The results of this study suggests that promoting social networks, decreasing discrimination and healing past traumas were important factors for North Korean refugees in South Korea to facilitate a new national identity as a South Korean. PMID:22993518

Incidence and Characteristics of Scarlet Fever, South Korea, 2008–2015

PubMed Central

Park, Duck Woong; Kim, Sun-Hee; Park, Jung Wook; Kim, Min-Ji; Cho, Sun Ju; Park, Hye Jung; Jung, So Hyang; Seo, Mi Hee; Lee, Yong Seok; Kim, Byung Hee; Min, Hyeran; Lee, Su Ya; Ha, Dong Ryong; Kim, Eun Sun

2017-01-01

The incidence rate for scarlet fever in South Korea is rising. During 2008–2015, we collected group A Streptococcus isolates and performed emm and exotoxin genotyping and disk-diffusion antimicrobial tests. Scarlet fever in South Korea was most closely associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3. In 2015, tetracycline resistance started increasing. PMID:28322696

Depression and subjective economy among elderly people in Asian communities: Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.

PubMed

Imai, Hissei; Chen, Wen-ling; Fukutomi, Eriko; Okumiya, Kiyohito; Wada, Taizo; Sakamoto, Ryota; Fujisawa, Michiko; Ishimoto, Yasuko; Kimura, Yumi; Chang, Chia-Ming; Matsubayashi, Kozo

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the cross-cultural relationship between depressive state and subjective economic status, as well as subjective quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL) among elderly people in communities in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. We studied 595 subjects aged 65 years or older in three Asian communities (261 subjects in T town in Japan, 164 in D town in Taiwan, and 170 in H town in Korea). The Geriatric Depression Scale-15, a self-rating questionnaire assessing ADL, subjective QOL, social situations, and past and current medical status, was used. Depression of the elderly was associated with dependence in basic ADL, subjective QOL, and subjective sense of low economic status. After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, and basic ADL, subjective sense of low economic status was closely associated with depression in community-living elderly people in all three communities in Asia. In conclusion, absolute and objective economic status is an important contributing factor to depressive state or psychosocial deterioration, however, we should pay more attention to the roles of perception of low economic status in determining depressive state in community-dwelling elderly people. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Ecological Understanding of Youth Suicide in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Seung-yeon; Hong, Jun Sung; Espelage, Dorothy L.

2010-01-01

This article reviews risk factors for youth suicide in South Korea (hereafter referred to as Korea), based on the ecological systems theory. Although youth suicide is a major concern for Korean society, understanding of this phenomenon has been limited since most of the empirical studies address personal characteristics without much consideration…

Hemorrhagic Fever With Renal Syndrome in 4 US Soldiers, South Korea, 2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

John S. Lee, Michael J. Turell, and Terry A. Klein Author affiliations: Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (J.-W. Song, S.-S. Moon, S.H. Gu, K.-J...HFRS), accounts for ≈70% of all HFRS cases in South Korea and is the most severe of the 4 rodent-borne hantaviruses (Seoul virus, Soochong virus, and...Muju virus) found there (1–3). Recently, a shrew-borne hantavirus , Imjin virus, was isolated from Ussuri white toothed shrews (Crocidura lasiura

Emission Sectoral Contributions of Foreign Emissions to Particulate Matter Concentrations over South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, E.; Kim, S.; Kim, H. C.; Kim, B. U.; Cho, J. H.; Woo, J. H.

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigated the contributions of major emission source categories located upwind of South Korea to Particulate Matter (PM) in South Korea. In general, air quality in South Korea is affected by anthropogenic air pollutants emitted from foreign countries including China. Some studies reported that foreign emissions contributed 50 % of annual surface PM total mass concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea in 2014. Previous studies examined PM contributions of foreign emissions from all sectors considering meteorological variations. However, little studies conducted to assess contributions of specific foreign source categories. Therefore, we attempted to estimate sectoral contributions of foreign emissions from China to South Korea PM using our air quality forecasting system. We used Model Inter-Comparison Study in Asia 2010 for foreign emissions and Clean Air Policy Support System 2010 emission inventories for domestic emissions. To quantify contributions of major emission sectors to South Korea PM, we applied the Community Multi-scale Air Quality system with brute force method by perturbing emissions from industrial, residential, fossil-fuel power plants, transportation, and agriculture sectors in China. We noted that industrial sector was pre-dominant over the region except during cold season for primary PMs when residential emissions drastically increase due to heating demand. This study will benefit ensemble air quality forecasting and refined control strategy design by providing quantitative assessment on seasonal contributions of foreign emissions from major source categories.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in South Korea, 2013-2015.

PubMed

Choi, Seong Jin; Park, Sang-Won; Bae, In-Gyu; Kim, Sung-Han; Ryu, Seong Yeol; Kim, Hyun Ah; Jang, Hee-Chang; Hur, Jian; Jun, Jae-Bum; Jung, Younghee; Chang, Hyun-Ha; Kim, Young Keun; Yi, Jongyoun; Kim, Kye-Hyung; Hwang, Jeong-Hwan; Kim, Yeon-Sook; Jeong, Hye Won; Song, Kyoung-Ho; Park, Wan Beom; Kim, Eu Suk; Oh, Myoung-Don

2016-12-01

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that was recently identified in China, South Korea and Japan. The objective of the study was to evaluate the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of SFTS in South Korea. SFTS is a reportable disease in South Korea. We included all SFTS cases reported to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) from January 2013 to December 2015. Clinical information was gathered by reviewing medical records, and epidemiologic characteristics were analyzed using both KCDC surveillance data and patient medical records. Risk factors for mortality in patients with SFTS were assessed. A total of 172 SFTS cases were reported during the study period. SFTS occurred throughout the country, except in urban areas. Hilly areas in the eastern and southeastern regions and Jeju island (incidence, 1.26 cases /105 person-years) were the main endemic areas. The yearly incidence increased from 36 cases in 2013 to 81 cases in 2015. Most cases occurred from May to October. The overall case fatality ratio was 32.6%. The clinical progression was similar to the 3 phases reported in China: fever, multi-organ dysfunction, and convalescence. Confusion, elevated C-reactive protein, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin times were associated with mortality in patients with SFTS. Two outbreaks of nosocomial SFTS transmission were observed. SFTS is an endemic disease in South Korea, with a nationwide distribution and a high case-fatality ratio. Confusion, elevated levels of C-reactive protein, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin times were associated with mortality in patients with SFTS.

Suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea: 2006-2012.

PubMed

Choi, Young-Rim; Cha, Eun Shil; Chang, Shu-Sen; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Won Jin

2014-01-01

Suicide from carbon monoxide poisoning by burning coal briquette or barbecue charcoal increased rapidly in some East Asian countries in the recent decade. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in suicides from carbon monoxide poisoning in South Korea and their epidemiologic characteristics. We presented age-standardized mortality rates of carbon monoxide suicide and compared them with those of suicide by other methods using registered death data from Statistics Korea (South Korea) from 2006 to 2012. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate odds ratios of carbon monoxide suicide by socio-demographic characteristics before and after the marked increase in carbon monoxide suicide in September 2008. The number of carbon monoxide suicides in South Korea was only 34 in 2006 but rapidly increased to 267 in 2008 and was 1125 in 2012, with the age-standardized rates of 0.06 (2006), 0.48 (2008), and 1.97 (2012) per 100,000 population respectively (a striking 3,183% increase in 2006-2012). Suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning showed greater odds ratios among men, younger age groups, single or the divorced, and those with high education and non-manual jobs compared with suicides by other methods. This study only used data for fatal self-poisoning by carbon monoxide (non-fatal cases not included) and had no information on the sources of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide suicides substantially increased in South Korea over the relatively short study period and showed some distinct socio-demographic characteristics compared with suicides by other methods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Teaching about South Korea in the Global Economy. Suggestions for Secondary School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Priest, Quinton

1994-01-01

Asserts that South Korea can be an excellent subject for an effective unit on history, economic development, critical thinking skills, and cross-cultural understanding. Provides background information and a list of teacher resources for planning a unit on South Korea. (CFR)

Estimating the burden of foodborne disease, South Korea, 2008-2012.

PubMed

Park, Myoung Su; Kim, Yong Soo; Lee, Soon Ho; Kim, Soon Han; Park, Ki Hwan; Bahk, Gyung Jin

2015-03-01

Estimating the actual occurrence of foodborne illness is challenging because only a small proportion of foodborne illnesses are confirmed and reported. Many studies have attempted to accurately estimate the overall number of cases of foodborne illness, but none have attempted to estimate the burden of foodborne disease in South Korea. This study used data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), a public health surveillance system in South Korea, to calculate the number of cases and hospitalizations due to 18 specific pathogens and unspecified agents commonly transmitted through contaminated food between 2008 and 2012 in South Korea while accounting for uncertainty in the estimate. The estimated annual occurrences of foodborne illness were 336,138 (90% credible interval [CrI]: 258,379-430,740), with inpatient stays (hospitalizations), outpatient visits (foodborne disease infections), and patients' experiences (without visiting physicians) accounting for 2.3% (n=7809 [90% CrI: 7016-8616]), 14.4% (n=48,267 [90% CrI: 45,883-50,695]) and 83.3% (n=280,062 [90% CrI: 201,795-374,091]), respectively. Escherichia coli, including enterohemorrhagic E. coli, caused most illnesses, followed by nontyphoidal Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis A virus, and norovirus. These results will be useful to food safety policymakers for the prevention and control of foodborne pathogens in South Korea.

Revision of a local magnitude relation for South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheen, D. H.; Seo, K. J.; Oh, J.; Kim, S.; Kang, T. S.; Rhie, J.

2017-12-01

A local magnitude relation in South Korea is revised using synthetic Wood-Anderson seismograms from local earthquakes in the distance range of 10-600 km recorded by broadband seismic networks, operated by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) and the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) between 2001 and 2016. The magnitudes of the earthquakes ranged from ML 2.0 to 5.8 based on the catalog of the KMA. Total numbers of events and seismic records are about 500 and 10,000, respectively. In order to minimize the location error, inland earthquakes were relocated based on manual picks of P and S arrivals using 1-D velocity model for South Korea developed by a trans-dimensional hierarchical Bayesian inversion. Wood-Anderson peak amplitudes measured on the records whose signal-to-noise ratios are greater than 3.0 and were inverted for the attenuation curve by parametric and non-parametric least-squares inversion methods. The discussion on the comparison of the resulting local magnitude relationships will also be addressed.

Paraquat prohibition and change in the suicide rate and methods in South Korea.

PubMed

Myung, Woojae; Lee, Geung-Hee; Won, Hong-Hee; Fava, Maurizio; Mischoulon, David; Nyer, Maren; Kim, Doh Kwan; Heo, Jung-Yoon; Jeon, Hong Jin

2015-01-01

The annual suicide rate in South Korea is the highest among the developed countries. Paraquat is a highly lethal herbicide, commonly used in South Korea as a means for suicide. We have studied the effect of the 2011 paraquat prohibition on the national suicide rate and method of suicide in South Korea. We obtained the monthly suicide rate from 2005 to 2013 in South Korea. In our analyses, we adjusted for the effects of celebrity suicides, and economic, meteorological, and seasonal factors on suicide rate. We employed change point analysis to determine the effect of paraquat prohibition on suicide rate over time, and the results were verified by structural change analysis, an alternative statistical method. After the paraquat prohibition period in South Korea, there was a significant reduction in the total suicide rate and suicide rate by poisoning with herbicides or fungicides in all age groups and in both genders. The estimated suicide rates during this period decreased by 10.0% and 46.1% for total suicides and suicides by poisoning of herbicides or fungicides, respectively. In addition, method substitution effect of paraquat prohibition was found in suicide by poisoning by carbon monoxide, which did not exceed the reduction in the suicide rate of poisoning with herbicides or fungicides. In South Korea, paraquat prohibition led to a lower rate of suicide by paraquat poisoning, as well as a reduction in the overall suicide rate. Paraquat prohibition should be considered as a national suicide prevention strategy in developing and developed countries alongside careful observation for method substitution effects.

Dynamic changes of Plasmodium vivax population structure in South Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Jung-Mi; Lee, Jinyoung; Cho, Pyo-Yun; Kim, Tae Im; Sohn, Woon-Mok; Park, Jae-Won; Kim, Tong-Soo; Na, Byoung-Kuk

2016-11-01

The vivax malaria epidemic has persisted in South Korea since its reemergence in 1993. Although there has been a significant decrease in the number of malaria cases in recent years, vivax malaria is still a major public health concern. To gain in-depth insight into the genetic makeup of Korean Plasmodium vivax, we analyzed polymorphic patterns of two major antigens, merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) and MSP-3α, in 255 Korean P. vivax isolates collected over an extended period from 1998 to 2013. Combinational genetic analysis of polymorphic patterns of MSP-1 and MSP-3α in the isolates suggests that the P. vivax population in South Korea has been diversifying rapidly, with the appearance of parasites with new genotypes, despite the recent reduction of disease incidence. These results highlight the importance of molecular epidemiological investigations to supervise the genetic variation of the parasite in South Korea. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Analysis of Air Quality Monitor Data in China, Japan, and South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohde, Robert

2016-04-01

In 2015, Berkeley Earth published a widely-reported study concluding that air pollution contributes to 1.6 million deaths per year in China. This presentation will provide an update on that work with additional data for China and new analysis for South Korea and Japan. In China, two years of data from more than 1500 monitoring stations allows local trends to be estimated. Preliminary review indicates a trend towards improving air quality across most of China with decreasing emissions at most major population centers. Such improvements are consistent with tightening emissions standards and the decreasing usage of coal. In addition, new spatial analysis has been applied to ~900 monitoring sites in Japan and ~120 sites in South Korea. This new analysis provides information on air quality, pollutant source distributions, and implied mortality in these countries. Finally, boundary crossing fluxes in South Korea and Japan have been used to estimate the fraction of air pollution in Japan and South Korea that has being imported from sources in China.

Impact of paraquat regulation on suicide in South Korea.

PubMed

Cha, Eun Shil; Chang, Shu-Sen; Gunnell, David; Eddleston, Michael; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Won Jin

2016-04-01

Ingestion of pesticides (mainly paraquat) accounted for one-fifth of suicides in South Korea in 2006-10. We investigated the effect on suicide mortality of regulatory action, culminating in a ban on paraquat in South Korea in 2011-12. We calculated age-standardized method-specific suicide mortality rates among people aged ≥15 in South Korea (1983-2013) using registered death data. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate changes in the rate and number of pesticide suicides in 2013, compared with those expected based on previous trends (2003-11). Pesticide suicide mortality halved from 5.26 to 2.67 per 100 000 population between 2011 and 2013. Compared with the number expected based on previous trends, the regulations were followed by an estimated 847 [95% confidence interval (CI) -1180 to -533] fewer pesticide suicides, a 37% reduction in rates (rate ratio = 0.63, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.73) in 2013. The decline in pesticide suicides after the regulations was seen in all age/sex/geographical groups. The absolute reduction in the number of suicides was greatest among men, the elderly and in rural areas. The reduction in pesticide suicides contributed to 56% of the decline in overall suicides that occurred between 2011 and 2013. There was no impact of the regulations on crop yield. The regulation of paraquat in South Korea in 2011-12 was associated with a reduction in pesticide suicide. Further legislative interventions to prevent the easy availability of highly lethal suicide methods are recommended for reducing the number of suicides worldwide. © The Author 2015; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

The psychological problems of north korean adolescent refugees living in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Young Mun; Shin, Ok Ja; Lim, Myung Ho

2012-09-01

As the number of North Korean adolescent refugees drastically increased in South Korea, there is a growing interest in them. Our study was conducted to evaluate the mental health of the North Korean adolescent refugees residing in South Korea. The subjects of this study were 102 North Korean adolescent refugees in Hangyeore middle and high School, the public educational institution for the North Korean adolescent refugees residing in South Korea, and 766 general adolescents in the same region. The Korean version of Child Behavior Check List (K-CBCL) standardized in South Korea was employed as the mental health evaluation tool. The adolescent refugees group showed a significantly different score with that of the normal control group in the K-CBCL subscales for sociality (t=29.67, p=0.000), academic performance (t=17.79, p=0.000), total social function (t=35.52, p=0.000), social withdrawal (t=18.01, p=0.000), somatic symptoms (t=28.85, p=0.000), depression/anxiety (t=13.08, p=0.000), thought problems (t=6.24, p=0.013), attention problems (t=4.14, p=0.042), internalized problems (t=26.54, p=0.000) and total problems (t=5.23, p=0.022). The mental health of the North Korean adolescent refugees was severe particularly in internalized problems when compared with that of the general adolescents in South Korea. This result indicates the need for interest in not only the behavior of the North Korean adolescent refugees but also their emotional problem.

Factor affecting happiness among nursing students in South Korea.

PubMed

Jun, W H; Jo, M J

2016-08-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Despite the increased interest in nursing students' happiness in South Korea, few studies have attempted to identify factors influencing their happiness. Therefore, nursing educators should consistently investigate the factors influencing happiness and develop strategies to improve happiness among Korean nursing students. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study confirmed that there were positive correlations between grateful disposition, social support and happiness. In addition, grateful disposition and support from intimate people were identified as predictors of happiness in Korean nursing students. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Development of intervention programmes to help nursing students increase grateful disposition and support from intimate people may be helpful for improving happiness. These programmes can include activity, such as writing a gratitude journal, and extracurricular programmes, such as mentoring programmes between seniors and juniors and/or professor and student. Introduction Happiness is very important in the training and development of nursing students as future nurses. However, nursing students experience a high level of stress and low level of happiness in South Korea. Aim This study aimed to investigate factors that affect happiness among nursing students in South Korea. Method Data were collected from a total of 241 nursing enrolled in two 4-year baccalaureate nursing programmes in South Korea, using a self-administrated questionnaire. To identify predictors of happiness, stepwise regression analysis was conducted. Results The results indicated that grateful disposition and support from intimate people significantly predict happiness among Korean nursing students. These two factors accounted for 38.0% of the variance in happiness. Discussion This study indicated grateful disposition and support from intimate people as factors promoting happiness in nursing students. The findings

Prophylaxis of Human Hydrophobia in South Korea

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Domestic human hydrophobia has not been reported since the one case of 2004 in South Korea, but still a few animal rabies occur persistently since the reemerging stage of rabies from 1993. The government has made efforts to control animal rabies in many aspects, but whether prophylactic strategy for human hydrophobia is performed adequately is in question. The rate of proper post-exposure prophylaxis for animal bite case in 'high-risk region' of rabies is very low with 20% between 2011 and 2013. The National Animal Bite Patient Surveillance targeting 'high-risk region' is missing out animal bite cases who visit directly to hospitals in 'suspect-risk region' of rabies. Little data seems to exist for pre-exposure prophylaxis of domestic hydrophobia. Danger of reoccurrence of human hydrophobia always remain in South Korea. The medical personnel needs to have greater interest on the matter and the government strengthen the management system. PMID:25298903

Reclassification of Borrelia spp. isolated in South Korea using Multilocus Sequence Typing.

PubMed

Park, Kyung-Hee; Choi, Yeon-Joo; Kim, Jeoungyeon; Park, Hye-Jin; Song, Dayoung; Jang, Won-Jong

2018-05-31

Using Borrelia isolated from South Korea, we evaluated by MLST and three intergenic genes (16S rRNA, ospA, and 5S-23S IGS) typing to analyze the relationship between host and vector and molecular background. Using the MLST analysis, we identified B. afzelii, B. yangtzensis, B. garinii, and B. bavariensis. This study was first report of the identification of B. yangtzensis using the MLST in South Korea.

76 FR 53882 - Continuation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders: Stainless Steel Plate in Coils From...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-30

... Coils From Belgium, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: Import Administration... steel plate in coils (SSPC) from Belgium, the Republic of Korea (Korea), South Africa, and Taiwan would...) order on SSPC from South Africa would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of a countervailable...

Childhood Maltreatment in South Korea: Retrospective Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yanghee; Kim, Sangwon

2011-01-01

Objective: This study explored the prevalence of childhood maltreatment in South Korea using the retrospective version of ICAST and the associations between perceptions of abuse experienced during childhood and recent interpersonal problems and depression. Methods: 539 young persons, aged 18-24 years, from various universities, work places, and…

Factors associated with self-rated health among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea.

PubMed

Wang, Bo-Ram; Yu, Shieun; Noh, Jin-Won; Kwon, Young Dae

2014-09-26

The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea has increased recently. The health status of refugees is a significant factor in determining their success in resettlement; therefore, this study examined both the self-rated health status of North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korea and the factors associated with their self-rated health status. This study utilized data gained from face-to-face interviews with 500 North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea in 2007. The interviews were structured and conducted by 'Yonsei University Research Team for North Korean defectors'. A stepwise multivariable linear regression was performed to determine the factors associated with their self-rated health status. North Korean defectors who were female, elderly, or had low annual household income, disability or chronic diseases reported lower health status. However, self-rated health status was higher among those who had settled in South Korea for 18 months or more, who were satisfied with government support or their current life, and who had experienced more traumatic events in North Korea. Government policies and refugee assistance programs should consider and reflect the factors relevant to the health status of North Korean defectors.

75 FR 67346 - Stainless Steel Plate in Coils from South Korea: Correction to Final Results of the Expedited...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

... Coils from South Korea: Correction to Final Results of the Expedited Sunset Review of the Antidumping... respondent Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (POSCO), as well as the ``all others'' rate for South Korea. Specifically, the weighted-average margin for POSCO and the ``all others'' rate for South Korea, listed as 16...

Gender Differences in Suicidal Ideation and Related Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea

PubMed Central

Noh, Jin-Won; Park, Hyunchun; Kwon, Young Dae; Kim, In Hye; Lee, Yo Han; Kim, Yoon Jung

2017-01-01

Objective According to previous social survey, a high number of North Korean refugees (NKRs) in South Korea had suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study is to examine the related factors for suicidal ideation among NKRs by gender in South Korea. Methods We examined the sample of NKRs, 701 subjects (men=160, women=-541) residing in South Korea, the participants were enrolled from October 2008 to May 2014. The related factors with suicidal ideation in NKRs were analyzed via a logistic regression analysis. Results Refugee women were more likely to have suicidal ideation than men were. Although thoughts of suicide do not necessarily mean that they will follow through, however, there is an association that the higher rate of suicide also results in a higher rate of attempted suicide. In both genders, they tended to think more frequently about suicide who had stayed in South Korea for more than 5 years. In addition, higher frequencies of suicidal ideation also associated with higher level of perceived stress in both genders. Conclusion The gender difference should be addressed when designing suicide prevention interventions among the North Korean population in South Korea. PMID:29209379

Gender Differences in Suicidal Ideation and Related Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea.

PubMed

Noh, Jin-Won; Park, Hyunchun; Kwon, Young Dae; Kim, In Hye; Lee, Yo Han; Kim, Yoon Jung; Kim, Sin Gon

2017-11-01

According to previous social survey, a high number of North Korean refugees (NKRs) in South Korea had suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study is to examine the related factors for suicidal ideation among NKRs by gender in South Korea. We examined the sample of NKRs, 701 subjects (men=160, women=-541) residing in South Korea, the participants were enrolled from October 2008 to May 2014. The related factors with suicidal ideation in NKRs were analyzed via a logistic regression analysis. Refugee women were more likely to have suicidal ideation than men were. Although thoughts of suicide do not necessarily mean that they will follow through, however, there is an association that the higher rate of suicide also results in a higher rate of attempted suicide. In both genders, they tended to think more frequently about suicide who had stayed in South Korea for more than 5 years. In addition, higher frequencies of suicidal ideation also associated with higher level of perceived stress in both genders. The gender difference should be addressed when designing suicide prevention interventions among the North Korean population in South Korea.

Religion and Public Perceptions of Gays and Lesbians in South Korea.

PubMed

Rich, Timothy S

2017-01-01

Public support for gay and lesbian rights has increased in Western democracies, yet less is known regarding views in South Korea, or East Asia more broadly. Rather than broad cultural claims, this analysis asks to what extent religious identification explains perceptions of gays and lesbians. Public opinion survey data from South Korea finds that Protestants were consistently less supportive of homosexual issues compared to Catholics, Buddhists, and those without a religious identification. Furthermore, after controlling for religion, identification with the largest conservative party associated with less support.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its related factors among North Korean refugees in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Kim, Yoon Jung; Lee, Yo Han; Lee, Yun Jeong; Kim, Kyeong Jin; An, Jee Hyun; Kim, Nam Hoon; Kim, Hee Young; Choi, Dong Seop; Kim, Sin Gon

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its related factors among North Korean refugees (NKR) in South Korea. Design Cross-sectional study conducted using a questionnaire and anthropometric and biochemical data on NKR in South Korea. Setting Seoul, South Korea. Participants A sample of NKR who voluntarily underwent medical examinations in Anam Hospital of Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (N=708, consisting of 161 males and 547 females). To compare the prevalence of MetS, 1416 age- and gender-matched individuals from the South Korean population (SKP, at a ratio of 1:2 to NKR) were randomly selected from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Main outcome measures The prevalence of MetS and its related factors among NKR in South Korea and comparison with its prevalence among the general SKP. Results The prevalence of MetS among male and female NKR in South Korea was 19.7% and 17.2%, respectively. Although obesity is more prevalent in South than in North Korea, we found no difference in the prevalence of MetS between the female NKR and SKP groups (17.2% vs 16.6%, respectively; p=0.830). As regards the males, the small sample size of the NKR group yielded insufficient evidence of any difference in MetS prevalence between the NKR and SKP groups (19.7% vs 26.2%, respectively; p=0.134). We found that excess weight gain (≥5%) in South Korea was significantly associated with MetS among NKR. Conclusions The prevalence of MetS among NKR did not differ from that in the SKP group despite the lower prevalence of obesity in NKR than in the general SKP. The fact that excess weight gain in South Korea was associated with the risk of MetS suggests that public health policy makers should focus on preventing excess weight gain in NKR during resettlement in South Korea. PMID:27251685

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its related factors among North Korean refugees in South Korea: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kim, Yoon Jung; Lee, Yo Han; Lee, Yun Jeong; Kim, Kyeong Jin; An, Jee Hyun; Kim, Nam Hoon; Kim, Hee Young; Choi, Dong Seop; Kim, Sin Gon

2016-06-01

To determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its related factors among North Korean refugees (NKR) in South Korea. Cross-sectional study conducted using a questionnaire and anthropometric and biochemical data on NKR in South Korea. Seoul, South Korea. A sample of NKR who voluntarily underwent medical examinations in Anam Hospital of Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (N=708, consisting of 161 males and 547 females). To compare the prevalence of MetS, 1416 age- and gender-matched individuals from the South Korean population (SKP, at a ratio of 1:2 to NKR) were randomly selected from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of MetS and its related factors among NKR in South Korea and comparison with its prevalence among the general SKP. The prevalence of MetS among male and female NKR in South Korea was 19.7% and 17.2%, respectively. Although obesity is more prevalent in South than in North Korea, we found no difference in the prevalence of MetS between the female NKR and SKP groups (17.2% vs 16.6%, respectively; p=0.830). As regards the males, the small sample size of the NKR group yielded insufficient evidence of any difference in MetS prevalence between the NKR and SKP groups (19.7% vs 26.2%, respectively; p=0.134). We found that excess weight gain (≥5%) in South Korea was significantly associated with MetS among NKR. The prevalence of MetS among NKR did not differ from that in the SKP group despite the lower prevalence of obesity in NKR than in the general SKP. The fact that excess weight gain in South Korea was associated with the risk of MetS suggests that public health policy makers should focus on preventing excess weight gain in NKR during resettlement in South Korea. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Revisiting the Role of Cultural Capital in East Asian Educational Systems: The Case of South Korea

PubMed Central

Byun, Soo-yong; Schofer, Evan; Kim, Kyung-keun

2013-01-01

The concept of cultural capital has proved invaluable in understanding educational systems in Western countries, and recent work seeks to extend those insights to the diverse educational systems of other geographic regions. We explored cultural capital in South Korea by investigating the relationships among family socioeconomic status (SES), cultural capital, and children's academic achievement using data from the 2000 Programme for International Student Assessment. South Korea was compared with Japan, France, and the United States to understand how institutional features of South Korean education shape the role of cultural capital in academic success. Results showed that family SES had a positive effect on both parental objectified cultural capital and children's embodied cultural capital in South Korea, consistent with evidence from the other countries. Moreover, parental objectified cultural capital had a positive effect on children's academic achievement in South Korea. In contrast to other countries, however, children's embodied cultural capital had a negative effect on academic achievement in South Korea controlling for the other variables. We highlighted several institutional features of South Korean education including a standardized curriculum, extreme focus on test preparation, and extensive shadow education, which may combine to suppress the effect of children's embodied cultural capital on academic achievement. PMID:24285909

Revisiting the Role of Cultural Capital in East Asian Educational Systems: The Case of South Korea.

PubMed

Byun, Soo-Yong; Schofer, Evan; Kim, Kyung-Keun

2012-07-01

The concept of cultural capital has proved invaluable in understanding educational systems in Western countries, and recent work seeks to extend those insights to the diverse educational systems of other geographic regions. We explored cultural capital in South Korea by investigating the relationships among family socioeconomic status (SES), cultural capital, and children's academic achievement using data from the 2000 Programme for International Student Assessment. South Korea was compared with Japan, France, and the United States to understand how institutional features of South Korean education shape the role of cultural capital in academic success. Results showed that family SES had a positive effect on both parental objectified cultural capital and children's embodied cultural capital in South Korea, consistent with evidence from the other countries. Moreover, parental objectified cultural capital had a positive effect on children's academic achievement in South Korea. In contrast to other countries, however, children's embodied cultural capital had a negative effect on academic achievement in South Korea controlling for the other variables. We highlighted several institutional features of South Korean education including a standardized curriculum, extreme focus on test preparation, and extensive shadow education, which may combine to suppress the effect of children's embodied cultural capital on academic achievement.

Incidence of acute occupational pesticide poisoning among male farmers in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil; Park, Jinwoo; Ko, Yousun; Kim, Hyun Joong; Kim, Jaeyoung

2012-09-01

Pesticide poisoning from agricultural labor has been recognized as a major public health problem among farmers worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of acute occupational pesticide poisoning among male farmers in South Korea. A nationwide sampling survey of male farmers was conducted in South Korea. This survey used a stratified multistage probability sampling design and adopted the face-to-face interview method. A total of 1,958 male farmers were interviewed in order to estimate the incidence of acute occupational pesticide poisoning in rural areas in 2010. Based on a self-reported definition, the incidence rate in 2010 and the lifetime hospitalization rate due to acute occupational pesticide poisoning among male farmers were estimated. The incidence rate of acute occupational pesticide poisoning was 24.7 (95% CI 22.1-27.2) per 100 male farmers, which corresponds to 209,512 cases across South Korea in 2010. About 12% of the pesticide poisoning cases included either visiting a medical doctor or hospitalization. The lifetime rate of hospitalization due to occupational pesticide poisoning was 6.1 (95% CI 4.9-7.3) among male farmers. Poisoning occurred mainly when farmers were applying pesticides during summer. Our nationwide sampling survey demonstrated that acute occupational pesticide poisonings are highly prevalent among male South Korean farmers. Intensive intervention efforts to reduce occupational pesticide poisoning are urgently needed in South Korea. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pork Preference for Consumers in China, Japan and South Korea

PubMed Central

Oh, S.-H.; See, M. T.

2012-01-01

Competition in global pork markets has increased as trade barriers have opened as a result of free trade agreements. Japanese prefer both loin and Boston butt, while Chinese prefer pork offal. Frozen pork has increased in terms of imports into China. Japanese consumers consider pork meat origin along with pork price when making purchase decisions. While the Chinese prefer a strong tasting pork product, South Korean consumers show very strong preferences to pork that is higher in fat. Therefore, South Korean consumers have a higher demand for pork belly and Boston butt. Consequently, the supply and demand of pork in Korea is hardly met, which means that importation of high fat parts is inevitable. In Korea there is lower preference toward low fat parts such as loin, picnic shoulder, and ham. During the economic depression in South Korea there have been observable changes in consumer preferences. There remains steep competition among the pork exporting countries in terms of gaining share in the international pork market. If specific consumer preferences would be considered carefully, there is the possibility to increase the amount of pork exported to these countries. PMID:25049488

Saturnia jonasii Butler, 1877 on Jejudo Island, a new saturnid moth of South Korea with DNA data and morphology (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae).

PubMed

Kim, Min Jee; Choi, Sei-Woong; Kim, Iksoo

2015-04-10

Saturnia (Rinaca) jonasii Butler, 1877 is distributed in Japan, including Tsushima Island and Taiwan, whereas S. boisduvalii Eversmann, 1846 is distributed in northern areas, such as China, Russia, and South Korea. In the present study we found that the specimens from Mt. Hallasan on Jejudo, a southern remote offshore island, were S. jonasii, rather than S. boisduvalii based on morphology, DNA barcode, and nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α) sequences. The major morphological differences between the two species included the shape of wing pattern elements of fore- and hindwings and male and female genitalia. A DNA barcode analysis of the sequences of the Jejudo specimens and S. boisduvalii, along with those of Saturnia species obtained from a public database showed a minimum sequence divergence of 4.26% (28 bp). A phylogenetic analysis also showed clustering of the Jejudo specimens with S. jonasii, separating S. boisduvalii (Bayesian posterior probability = 0.99). The EF-1α-based sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the two species from Jejudo Island and the Korean mainland showed the uniqueness of the Jejudo specimens from S. boisduvalii collected on the Korean mainland, indicating distribution of S. jonasii on Jejudo Island in South Korea, instead of S. boisduvalii.

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Caption: President Park Geun-hye of South Korea operates a robotic arm as Brian Roberts, Robotic Operations Manager at NASA Goddard describes the operations that take place in the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office’s robotic lab. GODDARD VISIT BY SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT – 14-OCT-2015 As part of her visit to the United States, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. On Oct. 14, 2015. The visit offered an opportunity to celebrate past collaborative efforts between the American and South Korean space programs along with presentations on current projects and programs underway at Goddard. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Educational Administration as National Capacity Building: Towards South Korea Becoming a Creative Learning State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macpherson, Reynold; Sun Hyung, Park

2015-01-01

This philosophy paper proposes that a primary purpose of Educational Administration, as a field of study, research and practice in South Korea, becomes national capacity building. It does this by evaluating the current scope of Educational Administration against the need for a new national education policy to help South Korea make the transition…

Designing a Community-Based Dance Programme for North Korean Female Refugees in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Na, Kyung-Ah; Park, Hyun-Jung; Han, Seok Jin

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose a community-based dance programme designed for North Korean female defectors in South Korea, with the aim of promoting their physical, psychological, and interpersonal aspects. We set up four research objectives: to look into social contexts of North Korean female refugees in South Korea, to identify the women's desire…

Risks for depression among ostomates in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Seungmi; Jang, In Sun; Kim, Yeon S

2017-12-20

This study explored the factors that are associated with the depressive status among older adult ostomates in South Korea. The study was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study with 217 ostomates who were aged ≥55 years from September 2, 2013 to October 30, 2013. The general characteristics, daily routines, and depressive status were assessed in order to identify the factors that were contributing to a depressed mood among the older adult ostomates in South Korea. The general characteristics included their sex, age group, educational level, financial status, employment, outing hours, perceived social isolation, leisure activity, and perceived health status. The daily routines included living environment inconvenience, leisure activity satisfaction, body image satisfaction, sleep satisfaction, exercise involvement, intimacy with a spouse, sexual satisfaction, and satisfaction with quality of life. The prevalence of depressive status in older adult ostomates was 50.7%, but 40.8% in the same-age population without an ostomy. The factors that were associated with a depressed mood among the older adult ostomates in South Korea were social isolation, perceived poor health status, perceived low quality of life, dissatisfaction with leisure activities, and poor financial status. The participants' sex, age, and educational level were not associated with depression. Nurses need to encourage older adults with an ostomy to reduce their social isolation and to increase leisure activities by helping them to use resources, such as support groups and psychological support, in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members. © 2017 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Sex preferences and fertility in South Korea during the year of the Horse.

PubMed

Lee, Jungmin; Paik, Myungho

2006-05-01

Since antiquity, people in several East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, have believed that a person is destined to possess specific characteristics according to the sign of the zodiac under which he or she was born. South Koreans, in particular, have traditionally considered that the year of the Horse bears inauspicious implications for the birth of daughters. Using monthly longitudinal data at the region level in South Korea between 1970 and 2003, we found that in the year of the Horse, the sex ratio at birth significantly increased while fertility decreased.

Music Practices and Teachers' Needs for Teaching Music in Public Preschools of South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Youngae

2009-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the current music practices and teachers' needs for teaching music in public preschools of South Korea. The data were obtained from the public preschools in South Korea, where 66.7 percent (n = 606) of the total sample (N = 908) responded. The online survey consisted of 42 questions: Likert-type scales,…

The dual Green Revolutions in South Korea: reforestation and agricultural revolution under the authoritarian regime.

PubMed

Moon, Manyong

2012-01-01

In South Korea, the Green Revolution has been commonly understood as the development and dissemination of new rice varieties ('Tongil' rice) and the rapid increase of rice yield in the 1970s. However, revolutionary success in agriculture was not the only green revolution South Korea experienced; another green revolution lay in the success of reforestation projects. In the 1970s, South Korea's forest greening was closely related to its agricultural revolution in several ways. Therefore, South Korea's Green Revolution was an intrinsically linked double feature of agriculture and forestry. This two-pronged revolution was initiated by scientific research - yet accomplished by the strong administrative mobilization of President Park Chung Hee's regime. The process of setting goals and meeting them through a military-like strategy in a short time was made possible under the authoritarian regime, known as 'Yushin', though the administration failed to fully acknowledge scientific expertise in the process of pushing to achieve goals.

Black Teachers of English in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, Quanisha D.

2017-01-01

This study used narrative inquiry as a methodological tool and Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a lens to examine how the term native English speaker (NES) is socially constructed when subscribed by Black teachers of English (BTE) in South Korea. In addition to examining how Black teachers of English interpret the term native English speaker, this…

Development of Source-Receptor matrix over South Korea in support of GAINS-Korea model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, K. C.; Woo, J. H.; Kim, H. K.; Lee, Y. M.; Kim, Y.; Heyes, C.; Lee, J. B.; Song, C. K.; Han, J.

2014-12-01

A comprehensive and combined analysis of air pollution and climate change could reveal important synergies of emission control measures, which could be of high policy relevance. IIASA's GAINS model (The Greenhouse gas - Air pollution Interactions and Synergies) has been developed as a tool to identify emission control strategies that achieve given targets on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions at least costs. The GAINS-Korea Model, which is being jointly developed by Konkuk University and IIASA, should play an important role in understanding the impact of air quality improvements across the regions in Korea. Source-Receptor relationships (S-R) is an useful methodology in air pollution studies to determine the areas of origin of chemical compounds at receptor point, and thus be able to target actions to reduce pollutions. The GAINS model can assess the impact of emission reductions of sources on air quality in receptor regions based on S-R matrix, derived from chemical transport model. In order to develop S-R matrix for GAINS-Korea, the CAMx model with PSAT/OSAT tools was applied in this study. The coarse domain covers East Asia, and a nesting domain as main research area was used for Korea peninsula. To evaluate of S-R relationships, a modeling domain is divided into sixteen regions over South Korea with three outside of S. Korea countries (China, N. Korea and Japan) for estimating transboundary contributions. The results of our analysis will be presented at the conference.

Feasibility study of EEW application in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, H.; Park, J.; Sheen, D.

2008-12-01

At present, it seems almost impossible to predict where and how much strong a earthquake will happen within very limited time such as two or three days before it occurs. However, the advantage of modern electronic techniques can support us very fast communication tools around nation-wide area so that we can receive P- waves arrival information from seismic stations through communication lines before S-waves strike our living site. This is the key of EEW(Earthquake Early Warning) concept that is under development around world especially including Japan, United State of America, and Taiwan. In this pilot study we proposed the direction for developing Korean Earthquake Early Warning System. Considering the state of the art techniques used in Japan, USA and Taiwan, ElarmS would be more adaptable to Korea since ElarmS can work from the low limit of moderate earthquakes around magnitude 3.5, which would annually happen in Korea. We investigate empirical magnitude scaling relationship for South Korea using 27 events ranging in magnitude from 2.2 to 4.9 recorded by the Korea Institute of Geoscience And Mineral Resources (KIGAM) and the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) for 2007. We measure the maximum predominant period and the peak displacement or velocity amplitude from the first 4 seconds of P wave arrivals to derive period-magnitude and amplitude-magnitude scaling relationship, respectively. For the period-magnitude relationship, we find that 10 Hz low-pass filter yields better estimate than 3 Hz. This is because the magnitudes of most events used in this study are too small (<3.0). It is also shown that peak displacement for velocity instruments and peak velocity for accelerometers have their own magnitude scaling relationships, respectively. Thus, for the amplitude-magnitude relationship, like the relationships in northern California, two individual amplitude scaling relationships would be necessary.

Copycat Suicide Induced by Entertainment Celebrity Suicides in South Korea

PubMed Central

Jang, Soo Ah; Sung, Ji Min; Park, Jin Young

2016-01-01

Objective Throughout the past several years, there have been a number of entertainment celebrity suicides in South Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the clustering of suicides following celebrities' suicides in South Korea from 2005 to 2008, particularly according to certain characteristics. Methods Seven celebrity suicides were examined and defined using the Korean Integrated Newspaper Database System (KINDS) and from these, we considered four affected periods occurring 28 days after each celebrity's suicide. A Poisson time-series autoregression model was used to estimate the relative risk of the total suicide number for each affected period from 2005 to 2008. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether there were specific increases in the numbers of suicides in subgroups matching each celebrity. Results There were significant increases in the risk of suicide during the affected periods. Remarkable increases were found in the subgroups matching each celebrity, especially in the group in which all factors (sex, age, and method) were similar. Conclusion This study provides confirmation that a significant copycat effect was induced by these celebrities' suicides, especially among people who identified more with the celebrities. This implies that countermeasures for upright media coverage of celebrity suicides should be discussed and practiced properly in South Korea. PMID:26766949

Symptoms experienced during menopausal transition: Korean women in South Korea and the United States.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok

2003-10-01

This article reports on cultural influences on symptoms experienced during menopausal transition of Korean women in South Korea and Korean immigrant women in the United States. Data from independent studies of two groups of Korean women were triangulated and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis indicated that Korean women in South Korea tended to report more symptoms than Korean immigrant women in the United States. Types and severity of prevalent symptoms were also found to be different between the two groups. The findings suggest that recent introduction of menopausal industries in South Korea and contextual influences on Korean women's work and immigration in the United States would be the reason for differences. Based on the findings, implications for future research are proposed.

Language Policies in North and South Korea: Divergence and Convergence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Jae Jung

1994-01-01

Argues that the language policies in North and South Korea are in some respects divergent and in others convergent. The North uses more nativized words, while the South retains Sino-Korean words. Awareness of each other's policies and their implications in the event of reunification is evident in the regressive measures taken. (23 references) (CK)

Social inclusion and length of stay as determinants of health among North Korean refugees in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Kunhee; Cho, Youngtae; Yoon, In-Jin

2009-01-01

Although the number of North Koreans seeking asylum in South Korea has increased notably in recent years, studies on the health of North Koreans residing in South Korea are rare. This study examined the roles of social inclusion and the length of stay on refugees' self-rated health. Employing a data set (n = 1,111) created by the South Korean government, we conduct multivariate logistic regression analyses. We found that degree of familiarity with South Koreans, employed as an indicator of social inclusion, was significantly associated with North Korean refugees' self-rated health status. Further, self-rated health seemed to be poorest when the duration of stay in South Korea reached about 2-4 years. Self-rated health outcomes improved after this time period. Social inclusion through close contacts with South Koreans and overcoming an arduous adaptation period, as well as addressing economic deprivation, are important in promoting the health of North Korean refugees in South Korea. These findings should be considered in crafting better resettlement and training programs for this population.

On the Seismic Safety of Nuclear Power Plant Sites in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, H.; Park, S.; Yang, J.; Shim, T.; Im, C. B.

2016-12-01

The Korean Peninsula is located at the far eastern part of Eurasian Plate, and within the intra-plate region several hundred km away from the nearest plate boundary. The earthquakes around the Korean Peninsula show the typical characteristics of intra-plate earthquakes. So to speak, those are low seismicity, relatively smaller magnitude than that of inter-plate earthquakes, and spatially irregular epicenters. There are 24 nuclear power plants (NPPs) in operation, 4 NPPs in completion of construction, and 4 NPPs in preparation of construction in South Korea. Even though the seismicity of the Korean Peninsula is known as relatively low, but because there are more than 30 NPPs within not so large territory, thorough the preparedness of NPPs' safety against earthquakes is required. The earthquake preparedness of NPPs in South Korea is composed of 4 stages: site election, design, construction and operation. Since regulatory codes and standards are strictly applied in each stage, the NPPs in South Korea are believed to be safe enough against the maximum potential earthquake ground motion. Through data analysis on geological and seismological characteristics of the region within a radius of 320 km from the site and the detailed geological survey of the area within a radius of 8 km from the site, the design earthquake ground motion of NPPs in South Korea is determined to be 0.2g (in case of newly constructed NPPs is 0.3g) considering the maximum potential earthquake ground motion and some safety margin. The ground motions and surface deformation caused by capable faults are also considered in the seismic design of NPPs. In addition, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety as a regulatory technical expert organization, has been operating independent real time earthquake monitoring network as a part of securing the seismic safety of NPP sites in South Korea since late 1990's. If earthquakes with more than magnitude 3.0 are occurred in the Korean Peninsula or the peak ground

An assessment of forest cover trends in South and North Korea, from 1980 to 2010.

PubMed

Engler, Robin; Teplyakov, Victor; Adams, Jonathan M

2014-01-01

It is generally believed that forest cover in North Korea has undergone a substantial decrease since 1980, while in South Korea, forest cover has remained relatively static during that same period of time. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Forest Resources Assessments--based on the reported forest inventories from North and South Korea--suggest a major forest cover decrease in North Korea, but only a slight decrease in South Korea during the last 30 years. In this study, we seek to check and validate those assessments by comparing them to independently derived forest cover maps compiled for three time intervals between 1990 and 2010, as well as to provide a spatially explicit view of forest cover change in the Korean Peninsula since the 1990s. We extracted tree cover data for the Korean Peninsula from existing global datasets derived from satellite imagery. Our estimates, while qualitatively supporting the FAO results, show that North Korea has lost a large number of densely forested areas, and thus in this sense has suffered heavier forest loss than the FAO assessment suggests. Given the limited time interval studied in our assessment, the overall forest loss from North Korea during the whole span of time since 1980 may have been even heavier than in our estimate. For South Korea, our results indicate that the forest cover has remained relatively stable at the national level, but that important variability in forest cover evolution exists at the regional level: While the northern and western provinces show an overall decrease in forested areas, large areas in the southeastern part of the country have increased their forest cover.

The Developmental History of Labor Education in South Korea from a Sociopolitical and Economic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Yangyi

2011-01-01

Although there is a considerable body of research regarding the relationships between the sociopolitical and economic transition and its implications for the education system in South Korea, there is little known about how sociopolitical and economic factors affect labor education practice in South Korea. The premise of the study is that the…

Study on the change and acculturation of dietary pattern of Southeast Asian workers living in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Eun Jung; Lee, Kyung-Ran; Lee, Seung-Joo

2017-10-01

This study analyzed the dietary pattern of Southeast Asian workers (Vietnamese, Thais, Cambodians and Myanmar) living in South Korea in order to recognize the dietary changes after they moved to South Korea. Questionnaires were completed by 251 Southeast Asian workers living in South Korea. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we assessed the diets before and after living in the hometown and in South Korea. Significant changes observed in the Southeast Asian workers were decreased in consumption frequency of fresh fruits, cooked vegetables, rice noodles, green tea and glutinous rice, and increase in consumption of Kimchi, seaweed, milk, coffee and pizza. These changes were attributed to rapid dietary acculturation. The frequencies of eating homemade food were significantly decreased after they came to Korea except for Thais. Thais showed the highest frequencies of eating homemade food daily among others. 28.2% of respondents said their health condition had deteriorated after living in South Korea due to difficulties to adapt Korean food, increased frequencies of eating instant food, and lacking exercises. By providing understanding of the dietary patterns of Southeast Asian workers, these results can be used for preliminary data to develop a program for their Korean food adaptation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Educating Citizens in a Multicultural Society: The Case of South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jungsoon

2010-01-01

South Korean society is in transition toward a multicultural society. Integrating multicultural education into current citizenship education is challenging for the society. Historically, many national tragedies have created the unique characteristics of what being Korean means. South Korean social studies curriculum emphasized that Korea is a…

Economic burden of acute pesticide poisoning in South Korea.

PubMed

Choi, Yeongchull; Kim, Younhee; Ko, Yousun; Cha, Eun S; Kim, Jaeyoung; Lee, Won J

2012-12-01

To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of the economic burden resulting from acute pesticide poisoning (APP) in South Korea. The total costs of APP from a societal perspective were estimated by summing the direct medical and non-medical costs together with the indirect costs. Direct medical costs for patients assigned a disease code of pesticide poisoning were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Reimbursement Data. Direct non-medical costs were estimated using the average transportation and caregiving costs from the Korea Health Panel Survey. Indirect costs, incurred by pre-mature deaths and work loss, were obtained using 2009 Life Tables for Korea and other relevant literature. In 2009, a total of 11,453 patients were treated for APP and 1311 died, corresponding to an incidence of 23.1 per 100,000 population and a mortality rate of 2.6 per 100,000 population in South Korea. The total costs of APP were estimated at approximately US$ 150 million, 0.3% of the costs of total diseases. Costs due to pre-mature mortality accounted for 90.6% of the total costs, whereas the contribution of direct medical costs was relatively small. Costs from APP demonstrate a unique characteristic of a large proportion of the indirect costs originating from pre-mature mortality. This finding suggests policy implications for restrictions on lethal pesticides and safe storage to reduce fatality and cost due to APP. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

School Choice and Educational Inequality in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byun, Soo-Yong; Kim, Kyung-Keun; Park, Hyunjoon

2012-01-01

Using a nationally representative sample of eleventh grade students in South Korea, we investigated how the residentially based school assignment policy called the High School Equalization Policy (HSEP) shaped the separation of low and high socioeconomic status (SES) students between schools. We found that there was a smaller between-school…

Education with ICT in South Korea and Chile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Jaime; Salinas, Alvaro; Harris, Jordan

2011-01-01

This article presents a linear-analytical case study on the development of ICT within the educational systems of Chile and South Korea. Through a comprehensive meta-data analysis and bibliographic review, we collected information on both educational systems and their ICT adoption policies. Key differences necessary to understand how both countries…

Susceptibility of South Korea to Extremes Affecting the Global Food System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chon, So Young; Puma, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Food security in South Korea is tightly linked to the global food system. The country's production of major grains declined from 5.8 million metric tons (mmt) in 1998 to 4.8 mmt in 2014, which caused the country's grain self suciency to decline from 31.4% to 24%. This decline is a consequence of several factors including reductions in domestic agricultural land, governmental policies supporting industry over agriculture, and a push towards trade liberalization. South Korea's self suciency is now one of the lowest among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, leaving it vulnerable to disruptions in the global food system.

The trend in suicide methods in South Korea in 1997-2015.

PubMed

Sohn, Kitae

2017-01-01

South Korea exhibited the highest crude suicide rate in the world. To better understand this phenomenon, the author analyzed all suicides in South Korea from 1997 to 2015 and charted the trend in suicide methods by gender. Over time, both genders rapidly chose hanging for suicide at the expense of drug/pesticide poisoning. Gassing was hardly used in the beginning, but its recent gain in use is noteworthy. Including undetermined deaths did not change the main results. The author regressed hanging on demographics and found that hanging was particularly chosen by ever-married men of prime working age with a respectable level of education.

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea and Center Director Christopher Scolese are greeted by Frank Cepollina, Associate Director of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office, and Benjamin Reed, Deputy Project Manager of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office. As part of her visit to the United States, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. On Oct. 14, 2015. The visit offered an opportunity to celebrate past collaborative efforts between the American and South Korean space programs along with presentations on current projects and programs underway at Goddard. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Bill Hrybyk NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Low Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Is Prevalent among North Korean Refugees in South Korea

PubMed Central

Song, Young-Soo

2018-01-01

Background The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea is rising. Few studies have investigated the risk of non-communicable disease in North Korean refugees. Moreover, kidney insufficiency, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, has not been studied in this population. We compared the prevalence of non-communicable disease and kidney function in North Korean refugees and South Koreans. Methods Our study was conducted using a case-control design. We enrolled 118 North Korean refugees from the Hana Center and selected 472 randomly sampled South Korean individuals as controls, who were age- and sex-matched with the North Korean refugees in a ratio of 1:4, from the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. Results The prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ significantly between the groups; however, a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; <90 mL/min per 1.73 m2) was more prevalent in the North Korean refugees than in the South Korean population (52.1% vs. 29.9%, P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates and weight gain after escape, the prevalence of a low eGFR was associated with the length of residence in South Korea (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–7.89). Conclusion The prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ between North Korean refugees and the South Korean population, while a low eGFR was more prevalent in North Korean refugees than in South Koreans. Moreover, after adjusting for other covariates, the prevalence of a low eGFR in North Korean refugees was associated with the length of residence in South Korea. PMID:29788704

Low Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Is Prevalent among North Korean Refugees in South Korea.

PubMed

Song, Young-Soo; Choi, Seong-Woo

2018-05-01

The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea is rising. Few studies have investigated the risk of non-communicable disease in North Korean refugees. Moreover, kidney insufficiency, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, has not been studied in this population. We compared the prevalence of non-communicable disease and kidney function in North Korean refugees and South Koreans. Our study was conducted using a case-control design. We enrolled 118 North Korean refugees from the Hana Center and selected 472 randomly sampled South Korean individuals as controls, who were age- and sex-matched with the North Korean refugees in a ratio of 1:4, from the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. The prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ significantly between the groups; however, a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; <90 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 ) was more prevalent in the North Korean refugees than in the South Korean population (52.1% vs. 29.9%, P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates and weight gain after escape, the prevalence of a low eGFR was associated with the length of residence in South Korea (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-7.89). The prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ between North Korean refugees and the South Korean population, while a low eGFR was more prevalent in North Korean refugees than in South Koreans. Moreover, after adjusting for other covariates, the prevalence of a low eGFR in North Korean refugees was associated with the length of residence in South Korea.

Deaths from pesticide poisoning in South Korea: trends over 10 years.

PubMed

Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil; Park, Eun Sook; Kong, Kyoung Ae; Yi, Jun Hyeok; Son, Mia

2009-02-01

Pesticide poisoning is a major cause of death in the world. The objective of this study was to examine the trends of pesticide poisoning deaths and their epidemiologic characteristics in South Korea. We evaluated the age-standardized mortality rates from pesticide-related deaths (intentional self-poisoning, accidental poisoning, assault, undetermined intent poisoning) in South Korea from 1996 through 2005, using registered death data obtained from the Korea National Statistical Office. The regional rurality index was calculated and correlation analyses were used to estimate the association with pesticide poisoning mortality. The number of pesticide poisoning deaths from 1996 through 2005 was 25,360, which accounted for 58.3% of the total poisoning fatalities. The age-standardized mortality rates by pesticide poisoning significantly increased from 4.42 to 6.42 per 100,000 population, whereas the total death rate was decreased in the same period. Intentional self-poisoning was the majority cause of death from pesticides (84.8% of total pesticide poisoning deaths). The majority of the pesticide poisoning deaths were men, over 50 years old, with education less than middle school, and residing in rural areas. The rate of pesticide poisoning deaths was the highest in the farming period and was significantly correlated with the rurality index of each region. Pesticide poisoning deaths substantially increased during the 10-year study period, and showed demographic, seasonal and regional variations. More intensive intervention efforts to reduce pesticide mortality should become a public health priority in South Korea.

Results from the Survey of Antibiotic Resistance (SOAR) 2012-14 in Thailand, India, South Korea and Singapore.

PubMed

Torumkuney, D; Chaiwarith, R; Reechaipichitkul, W; Malatham, K; Chareonphaibul, V; Rodrigues, C; Chitins, D S; Dias, M; Anandan, S; Kanakapura, S; Park, Y J; Lee, K; Lee, H; Kim, J Y; Lee, Y; Lee, H K; Kim, J H; Tan, T Y; Heng, Y X; Mukherjee, P; Morrissey, I

2016-05-01

To provide susceptibility data for community-acquired respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis collected in 2012-14 from four Asian countries. MICs were determined using Etest(®) for all antibiotics except erythromycin, which was evaluated by disc diffusion. Susceptibility was assessed using CLSI, EUCAST and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) breakpoints. For macrolide/clindamycin interpretation, breakpoints were adjusted for incubation in CO2 where available. Susceptibility of S. pneumoniae was generally lower in South Korea than in other countries. Penicillin susceptibility assessed using CLSI oral or EUCAST breakpoints ranged from 21.2% in South Korea to 63.8% in Singapore. In contrast, susceptibility using CLSI intravenous breakpoints was much higher, at 79% in South Korea and ∼95% or higher elsewhere. Macrolide susceptibility was ∼20% in South Korea and ∼50%-60% elsewhere. Among S. pyogenes isolates (India only), erythromycin susceptibility (∼20%) was lowest of the antibiotics tested. In H. influenzae antibiotic susceptibility was high except for ampicillin, where susceptibility ranged from 16.7% in South Korea to 91.1% in India. South Korea also had a high percentage (18.1%) of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant isolates. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid susceptibility for each pathogen (PK/PD high dose) was between 93% and 100% in all countries except for H. influenzae in South Korea (62.5%). Use of EUCAST versus CLSI breakpoints had profound differences for cefaclor, cefuroxime and ofloxacin, with EUCAST showing lower susceptibility. There was considerable variability in susceptibility among countries in the same region. Thus, continued surveillance is necessary to track future changes in antibiotic resistance. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved

Baseline study on essential and trace elements in polished rice from South Korea.

PubMed

Jung, Myung Chae; Yun, Seong-Taek; Lee, Jin-Soo; Lee, Jong-Un

2005-09-01

In 2000, 63 (polished) white rice samples were collected in eight administrative areas all over South Korea and analyzed for 16 elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Potassium had the highest content, next to Mg, Ca, Si, Zn, Na, Al and Fe. Most of the samples contained worldwide average concentrations of essential and trace elements in rice grains reported by various researches. For inter-area differences in those elements in the rice, the statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) among the eight administrative areas, suggesting that inter-area differences were not substantial in most cases. Thus, the present data can be used as national background levels of elements in rice produced in South Korea. Using the published data on daily consumption of rice in South Korea, it was possible to estimate the daily intake of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn via rice. The results showed that a regular consumption of rice produced in Korea plays an important role in accumulation of essential and trace elements in Korean, especially for farm-households consuming relatively large amounts of rice.

Teaching Psychometrics in South Korea through a Reunification Attitude Scale Class Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Sandra K.

The introduction of a team term project into a Korean psychometrics class is described. Students developed an item pool of attitude statements regarding the reunification of South Korea and North Korea. Then teams of students used the item pool to develop attitude questionnaires, survey other students, analyze the results, and recommend which…

Results from the Survey of Antibiotic Resistance (SOAR) 2012–14 in Thailand, India, South Korea and Singapore

PubMed Central

Torumkuney, D.; Chaiwarith, R.; Reechaipichitkul, W.; Malatham, K.; Chareonphaibul, V.; Rodrigues, C.; Chitins, D. S.; Dias, M.; Anandan, S.; Kanakapura, S.; Park, Y. J.; Lee, K.; Lee, H.; Kim, J. Y.; Lee, Y.; Lee, H. K.; Kim, J. H.; Tan, T. Y.; Heng, Y. X.; Mukherjee, P.; Morrissey, I.

2016-01-01

Objectives To provide susceptibility data for community-acquired respiratory tract isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis collected in 2012–14 from four Asian countries. Methods MICs were determined using Etest® for all antibiotics except erythromycin, which was evaluated by disc diffusion. Susceptibility was assessed using CLSI, EUCAST and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) breakpoints. For macrolide/clindamycin interpretation, breakpoints were adjusted for incubation in CO2 where available. Results Susceptibility of S. pneumoniae was generally lower in South Korea than in other countries. Penicillin susceptibility assessed using CLSI oral or EUCAST breakpoints ranged from 21.2% in South Korea to 63.8% in Singapore. In contrast, susceptibility using CLSI intravenous breakpoints was much higher, at 79% in South Korea and ∼95% or higher elsewhere. Macrolide susceptibility was ∼20% in South Korea and ∼50%–60% elsewhere. Among S. pyogenes isolates (India only), erythromycin susceptibility (∼20%) was lowest of the antibiotics tested. In H. influenzae antibiotic susceptibility was high except for ampicillin, where susceptibility ranged from 16.7% in South Korea to 91.1% in India. South Korea also had a high percentage (18.1%) of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant isolates. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid susceptibility for each pathogen (PK/PD high dose) was between 93% and 100% in all countries except for H. influenzae in South Korea (62.5%). Conclusions Use of EUCAST versus CLSI breakpoints had profound differences for cefaclor, cefuroxime and ofloxacin, with EUCAST showing lower susceptibility. There was considerable variability in susceptibility among countries in the same region. Thus, continued surveillance is necessary to track future changes in antibiotic resistance. PMID:27048580

Rising rates, changing relationships: caesarean section and its correlates in South Korea, 1988-2000.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Il; Khang, Young-Ho; Yun, Sungcheol; Jo, Min-Woo

2005-06-01

To examine the trends in the relationship between caesarean section rates in South Korea and its correlates. Five rounds (1988, 1991, 1994, 1997 and 2000) of population-based National Fertility and Family Health Survey of South Korea. South Korea. Sample Mothers (N= 9184) aged 15-44 years. Caesarean rates were calculated according to correlates and then directly adjusted to five-year age and parity groups. Distribution of all samples (9184 mothers) was standard, producing age- and parity-adjusted caesarean rates. Linear trends of correlates with caesarean rates were examined for ordinal variables such as education, income, urbanisation level (area of residence) and level of prenatal visits. Age- and parity-adjusted caesarean section rates. As caesarean rates rose by year, the relationship of caesarean section with education, occupation and area of residence has been reversed. Associations between caesarean rates, income level, place of delivery and level of prenatal visit were found in 1988 but disappeared by 2000. In 2000, relatively low caesarean rates were found in variables that will be more prevalent in the future, such as higher maternal education, higher maternal occupation and residence in big cities. Caesarean rates may have reached a plateau in South Korea. No maternal or health service factors were detected to further increase the proportion of caesarean deliveries.

Stakeholders' Views of South Korea's Higher Education Internationalization Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Young Ha; Palmer, John D.

2013-01-01

The study investigated the stakeholders' perceptions of South Korea's higher education internationalization policy. Based on the research framework that defines four policy values--propriety, effectiveness, diversity, and engagement, the convergence model was employed with a concurrent mixed method sampling strategy to analyze the stakeholders'…

Issues in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation in South Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Eunhye Park

1996-01-01

Describes early childhood teacher preparation in South Korea, including types of available child care facilities; teacher training programs at two- and four-year colleges; three types of inservice education available (certificate renewal, supervisory, and general knowledge updates); and emerging issues in teacher education (problems with…

Prevalence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Sun-Whan; Song, Bong Gu; Shin, E-Hyun; Yun, Seok-Min; Han, Myung-Guk; Park, Mi Yeoun; Park, Chan; Ryou, Jungsang

2014-10-01

Haemaphysalis longicornis a vector that harbors severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a major species of tick in South Korea. To investigate the existence and prevalence of SFTSV in Korea, we collected ticks from nine provinces in South Korea for detecting SFTSV. In all, we collected 13,053 ticks, and H. longicornis (90.8%, 11,856/13,053) was the most abundant among them. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of SFTSV in H. longicornis was 0.46% (55 pools). SFTSV was detected in ticks during all the developmental stages, showing MIR in larvae (2/350, 0.57%), nymphs (38/10,436, 0.36%), males (2/221, 0.90%), and females (13/849, 1.53%), respectively. Viruses were detected in ticks collected between April and September. A higher MIR was detected in ticks from the southern part of the country. We amplified the M and S segment partial genes from a sample and analyzed the nucleotide sequence. The results showed a 93-98% homology to Chinese and Japanese strains registered in Genbank. In this study, we confirmed the existence of SFTSV for the first time in South Korea. The SFTSV prevalence data from the studies are essential for raising the awareness of SFTS in South Korea. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Globalisation, Social Class and South Korea's International Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Jae Jung

2013-01-01

This article discusses how in South Korea, English-medium international schools, initially established to educate foreign residents, have recently transformed themselves into private providers of global education for South Koreans. The article explains the social, economic and political circumstances under which the South Korean government has…

Dead wood inventory and assessment in South Korea

Treesearch

Jong-Su Yim; Rae Hyun Kim; Sun-Jeong Lee; Yeongmo Son

2015-01-01

Dead wood (DW) plays a critical role not only in maintaining biodiversity but also in stocking carbon under UNFCCC. From the 5th national forest inventory (NFI5; 2006-2010) in South Korea, field data relevant to the DW including standing and downed dead trees by four decay class, etc. were collected. Based on the NFI5 data,...

A Study of Mental Health Literacy Among North Korean Refugees in South Korea

PubMed Central

Noh, Jin-Won; Kwon, Young Dae; Yu, Sieun; Park, Hyunchun; Woo, Jong-Min

2015-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate North Korean refugees’ knowledge of mental illnesses and treatments and analyze the factors affecting this knowledge. Methods: Subjects were selected via a snowball sampling method, and the survey outcomes of 152 North Korean refugee participants were analyzed. The factors affecting knowledge of mental illnesses were analyzed via a regression analysis by constructing a multivariate model with mental illness knowledge score as the dependent variable. Results: The North Korean refugees’ mental illness scores ranged from 3 to 24 points, with an average score of 13.0. Regarding the factors that influence mental illness knowledge, the subjects with South Korean spouses and those who had spent more time in South Korea had higher knowledge scores. Furthermore, the subjects who considered the mental health of North Korean refugees to be a serious issue revealed lower knowledge scores than those who did not believe it was a serious issue. The subjects who visit psychiatric clinics showed higher knowledge scores than those who do not. The South Korean subjects who had at least a college education exhibited higher scores than did those without advanced education. The subjects who are satisfied with life in South Korea manifested a higher mental illness knowledge score than those who are not. Conclusions: This study is significant as being the first study to ever measure and evaluate the level of North Korean refugees’ knowledge of mental illnesses. In addition, the evaluations of North Korean refugees’ mental illness knowledge and influencing factors while residing in South Korea created basic data that formed the foundation of an effort to enhance mental health literacy and provide proper mental health services. The results of this study can be utilized to solve mental health problems that might frequently occur during the unification process of North and South Korea in the future. PMID:25652712

A study of mental health literacy among North Korean refugees in South Korea.

PubMed

Noh, Jin-Won; Kwon, Young Dae; Yu, Sieun; Park, Hyunchun; Woo, Jong-Min

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses and treatments and analyze the factors affecting this knowledge. Subjects were selected via a snowball sampling method, and the survey outcomes of 152 North Korean refugee participants were analyzed. The factors affecting knowledge of mental illnesses were analyzed via a regression analysis by constructing a multivariate model with mental illness knowledge score as the dependent variable. The North Korean refugees' mental illness scores ranged from 3 to 24 points, with an average score of 13.0. Regarding the factors that influence mental illness knowledge, the subjects with South Korean spouses and those who had spent more time in South Korea had higher knowledge scores. Furthermore, the subjects who considered the mental health of North Korean refugees to be a serious issue revealed lower knowledge scores than those who did not believe it was a serious issue. The subjects who visit psychiatric clinics showed higher knowledge scores than those who do not. The South Korean subjects who had at least a college education exhibited higher scores than did those without advanced education. The subjects who are satisfied with life in South Korea manifested a higher mental illness knowledge score than those who are not. This study is significant as being the first study to ever measure and evaluate the level of North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses. In addition, the evaluations of North Korean refugees' mental illness knowledge and influencing factors while residing in South Korea created basic data that formed the foundation of an effort to enhance mental health literacy and provide proper mental health services. The results of this study can be utilized to solve mental health problems that might frequently occur during the unification process of North and South Korea in the future.

[The effect of catastrophic health expenditure on the transition to poverty and the persistence of poverty in South Korea].

PubMed

Song, Eun Cheol; Shin, Young Jeon

2010-09-01

The low benefit coverage rate of South Korea's health security system has been continually pointed out. A low benefit coverage rate inevitably causes catastrophic health expenditure, which can be the cause of the transition to poverty and the persistence of poverty. This study was conducted to ascertain the effect of catastrophic health expenditure on the transition to poverty and the persistence of poverty in South Korea. To determine the degree of social mobility, this study was conducted among the 6311 households that participated in the South Korea Welfare Panel Study in both 2006 and 2008. The effect of catastrophic health expenditure on the transition to poverty and the persistence of poverty in South Korea was assessed via multiple logistic regression analysis. The poverty rate in South Korea was 21.6% in 2006 and 20.0% in 2008. 25.1 - 7.3% of the households are facing catastrophic health expenditure. Catastrophic health expenditure was found to affect the transition to poverty even after adjusting for the characteristics of the household and the head of the household, at the threshold of 28% or above. 25.1% of the households in this study were found to be currently facing catastrophic health expenditure, and it was determined that catastrophic health expenditure is a cause of transition to poverty. This result shows that South Korea's health security system is not an effective social safety net. As such, to prevent catastrophic health expenditure and transition to poverty, the benefit coverage of South Korea's health security system needs to the strengthened.

Effect of Latitude and Seasonal Variation on Scrub Typhus, South Korea, 2001–2013

PubMed Central

Jeung, Ye Sul; Kim, Choon-Mee; Yun, Na Ra; Kim, Seok-Won; Han, Mi Ah; Kim, Dong-Min

2016-01-01

In South Korea, scrub typhus is one of the most common rickettsial diseases. The number of scrub typhus patients has increased in South Korea, a total of 69,210 cases were reported from 2001 to 2013. The seasonality and relation of scrub typhus cases to latitude were analyzed in this article using data obtained from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System website of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence of scrub typhus tended to increase in the later months of the year, especially in October–December. In general, lower latitudes were associated with a later peak incidence. Our results suggest for the first time that the monthly observed incidence tended to increase in the later months of the year as the latitude decreased, and on a yearly basis in Korea. PMID:26503283

Prevalence, complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of porcine deltacoronavirus in South Korea, 2014-2016.

PubMed

Jang, G; Lee, K-K; Kim, S-H; Lee, C

2017-10-01

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly emerged enterotropic swine coronavirus that causes enteritis and diarrhoea in piglets. Here, a nested reverse transcription (RT)-PCR approach for the detection of PDCoV was developed to identify and characterize aetiologic agent(s) associated with diarrhoeal diseases in piglets in South Korea. A PCR-based method was applied to investigate the presence of PDCoV in 683 diarrhoeic samples collected from 449 commercial pig farms in South Korea from January 2014 to December 2016. The molecular-based survey indicated a relatively high prevalence of PDCoV (19.03%) in South Korea. Among those, the monoinfection of PDCoV (9.66%) and co-infection of PDCoV (6.30%) with porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PEDV) were predominant in diarrhoeal samples. The full-length genomes or the complete spike genes of the most recent strains identified in 2016 (KNU16-07, KNU16-08 and KNU16-11) were sequenced and analysed to characterize PDCoV currently prevalent in South Korea. We found a single insertion-deletion signature and dozens of genetic changes in the spike (S) genes of the KNU16 isolates. Phylogenetic analysis based on the entire genome and spike protein sequences of these strains indicated that they are most closely related to other Korean isolates grouped with the US strains. However, Korean PDCoV strains formed different branches within the same cluster, implying continuous evolution in the field. Our data will advance the understanding of the molecular epidemiology and evolutionary characteristics of PDCoV circulating in South Korea. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Acute pesticide poisoning among children in South Korea: findings from National Health Insurance claims data, 2006-2009.

PubMed

Lee, Won Jin; Ko, Yousun; Cha, Eun Shil

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of acute pesticide poisoning among children in South Korea and describe the related epidemiologic characteristics. We evaluated the age-standardized rates of incidence of pesticide poisoning among children in South Korea from 2006 through 2009 using National Health Insurance claims data. A total of 1232 children aged 0-14 years were identified from the acute pesticide poisoning cases reported across South Korea during the study period. The annual average age-standardized rate of incidence from acute pesticide poisoning was 3.6 per 100 000. The majority of the cases were identified in the categories of the 1-4-year-old age-group (56.5%), outpatients (80.0%), single-day visit to a hospital (70.4%) and summer occurrence (43.3%). Acute pesticide poisoning is prevalent among children in South Korea; therefore, intervention efforts are needed to reduce the cases of pesticide poisoning among children.

The nexus of oil consumption, CO2 emissions and economic growth in China, Japan and South Korea.

PubMed

Saboori, Behnaz; Rasoulinezhad, Ehsan; Sung, Jinsok

2017-03-01

This article attempts to explore the nexus between oil consumption, economic growth and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in three East Asian oil importing countries (i.e. China, South Korea and Japan) over the period 1980-2013, by using the Granger causality, Johansen cointegration test, Generalised Impulse Response functions (GIRF) and variance decompositions. The empirical findings provide evidence for the existence of a long-run relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in China and Japan. The results also point to a uni-directional causality from running from oil consumption to economic growth in China and Japan, and from oil consumption to CO 2 emissions in South Korea. The overall results of GIRF reveal that while economic growth in China and South Korea shows a positive response to oil consumption, this variable responses negatively to the same shock in Japan. In addition, oil consumption spikes cause a negative response of CO 2 emissions in Japan and China, as well as a U-shape response in South Korea.

The role of Confucianism in South Korea's emergency management system.

PubMed

Ha, Kyoo-Man

2018-03-26

Numerous Western researchers have examined the influence of Confucianism on development in Asia, but almost no South Korean researchers have studied the topic in regard to emergency management in their own country. This study begins by considering Confucianism as a social culture. Next, it goes on to evaluate its role in South Korea's emergency management system, contributing, ultimately, to efficiencies in emergency management. Drawing on a literature review and a case study, the paper assesses the double- and single-faced approaches, using four major Confucian components: destiny; family; ritual; and relation. The double-faced approach includes the positive and negative aspects of emergency management, whereas the single-faced approach incorporates only its positive aspects. This paper provides, for the first time, a systematic analysis of the relationship between Confucianism and emergency management in South Korea. Its key finding is that the double-faced approach needs to be transformed into a single-faced approach through active facilitation of behavioural change. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Assessing shortfalls and complementary conservation areas for national plant biodiversity in South Korea.

PubMed

Choe, Hyeyeong; Thorne, James H; Huber, Patrick R; Lee, Dongkun; Quinn, James F

2018-01-01

Protected areas (PAs) are often considered the most important biodiversity conservation areas in national plans, but PAs often do not represent national-scale biodiversity. We evaluate the current conservation status of plant biodiversity within current existing PAs, and identify potential additional PAs for South Korea. We modeled species ranges for 2,297 plant species using Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines and compared the level of mean range representation in South Korea's existing PAs, which comprise 5.7% of the country's mainland area, with an equal-area alternative PA strategy selected with the reserve algorithm Marxan. We also used Marxan to model two additional conservation scenarios that add lands to approach the Aichi Biodiversity Target objectives (17% of the country). Existing PAs in South Korea contain an average of 6.3% of each plant species' range, compared to 5.9% in the modeled equal-area alternative. However, existing PAs primarily represent a high percentage of the ranges for high-elevation and small range size species. The additional PAs scenario that adds lands to the existing PAs covers 14,587.55 km2, and would improve overall plant range representation to a mean of 16.8% of every species' range. The other additional PAs scenario, which selects new PAs from all lands and covers 13,197.35 km2, would improve overall plant range representation to a mean of 13.5%. Even though the additional PAs that includes existing PAs represents higher percentages of species' ranges, it is missing many biodiversity hotspots in non-mountainous areas and the additional PAs without locking in the existing PAs represent almost all species' ranges evenly, including low-elevation ones with larger ranges. Some priority conservation areas we identified are expansions of, or near, existing PAs, especially in northeastern and southern South Korea. However, lowland coastal areas and areas surrounding the capital city, Seoul, are also critical for biodiversity

South Korea Builds a Global University, with Help from the U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, David

2009-01-01

Built on 1,500 acres of land reclaimed from the Yellow Sea off Incheon, about 35 miles from South Korea's capital, New Songdo City is billed as the largest private real-estate development in history. It is Korea's answer to Shanghai and Dubai. Estimates put the cost of the Songdo project, which is barely five years old, at up to $60-billion. The…

Prospective Validation of Objective Prognostic Score for Advanced Cancer Inpatients in South Korea: A Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Yoon, Seok Joon; Suh, Sang-Yeon; Lee, Yong Joo; Park, Jeanno; Hwang, Sunwook; Lee, Sanghee Shiny; Ahn, Hong Yup; Koh, Su-Jin; Park, Keon Uk

2017-01-01

Objective Prognostic Score (OPS) was developed as an easy and simple prognosticating tool in South Korea. It has been validated retrospectively in a single center in South Korea. We aimed to validate the OPS prospectively for advanced cancer inpatients in South Korea using a multicenter study. This was a prospective cohort study. We enrolled 243 advanced cancer patients admitted in five palliative care units in South Korea from May 2013 till March 2015. Seven members of the Korean Palliative Medicine Research Network who are experts of palliative care led the study. Clinical variables (dyspnea/anorexia/performance status) and laboratory variables (total leukocyte counts/serum total bilirubin/serum creatinine/lactate dehydrogenase) were collected at the enrollment. Survival time was calculated as days from enrollment to death during admission. A total of 217 patients were included in the final analysis (feasibility: 89.3%). Survival time of the higher OPS group (OPS ≥3) and the lower OPS group (OPS <3) was 10.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.72-12.28) days and 32.0 (95% CI 25.44-38.56) days, respectively. There were significant differences between the 2 groups (p < 0.001). Overall accuracy of OPS ≥3 for predicting survival less than three weeks was 71.0%. OPS was successfully validated using a prospective multicenter study in South Korea. It is a useful method to predict three-week survival of Korean inpatients with advanced cancer.

Risk and Outbreak Communication: Lessons from Taiwan's Experiences in the Post-SARS Era.

PubMed

Hsu, Yu-Chen; Chen, Yu-Ling; Wei, Han-Ning; Yang, Yu-Wen; Chen, Ying-Hwei

In addition to the impact of a disease itself, public reaction could be considered another outbreak to be controlled during an epidemic. Taiwan's experience with SARS in 2003 highlighted the critical role played by the media during crisis communication. After the SARS outbreak, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) followed the WHO outbreak communication guidelines on trust, early announcements, transparency, informing the public, and planning, in order to reform its risk communication systems. This article describes the risk communication framework in Taiwan, which has been used to respond to the 2009-2016 influenza epidemics, Ebola in West Africa (2014-16), and MERS-CoV in South Korea (2015) during the post-SARS era. Many communication strategies, ranging from traditional media to social and new media, have been implemented to improve transparency in public communication and promote civic engagement. Taiwan CDC will continue to maintain the strengths of its risk communication systems and resolve challenges as they emerge through active evaluation and monitoring of public opinion to advance Taiwan's capacity in outbreak communication and control. Moreover, Taiwan CDC will continue to implement the IHR (2005) and to promote a global community working together to fight shared risks and to reach the goal of "One World, One Health."

Risk and Outbreak Communication: Lessons from Taiwan's Experiences in the Post-SARS Era

PubMed Central

Chen, Yu-Ling; Wei, Han-Ning; Yang, Yu-Wen; Chen, Ying-Hwei

2017-01-01

In addition to the impact of a disease itself, public reaction could be considered another outbreak to be controlled during an epidemic. Taiwan's experience with SARS in 2003 highlighted the critical role played by the media during crisis communication. After the SARS outbreak, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) followed the WHO outbreak communication guidelines on trust, early announcements, transparency, informing the public, and planning, in order to reform its risk communication systems. This article describes the risk communication framework in Taiwan, which has been used to respond to the 2009-2016 influenza epidemics, Ebola in West Africa (2014-16), and MERS-CoV in South Korea (2015) during the post-SARS era. Many communication strategies, ranging from traditional media to social and new media, have been implemented to improve transparency in public communication and promote civic engagement. Taiwan CDC will continue to maintain the strengths of its risk communication systems and resolve challenges as they emerge through active evaluation and monitoring of public opinion to advance Taiwan's capacity in outbreak communication and control. Moreover, Taiwan CDC will continue to implement the IHR (2005) and to promote a global community working together to fight shared risks and to reach the goal of “One World, One Health.” PMID:28418746

Historical Analysis of the Policy on the College Entrance System in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Hee Jun; Park, Ji-Hye

2013-01-01

The national college admission system has quite frequently been altered in South Korea since Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Nonetheless, there are still many ways in which the national college entrance system can be improved. This article initially analysed and synthesized the issues associated with the Korean college…

The prevalence and nature of gambling and problem gambling in South Korea.

PubMed

Williams, Robert J; Lee, Choong-Ki; Back, Ki Joon

2013-05-01

To establish the current prevalence of gambling and problem gambling in South Korea and to determine the associated demographic and game play patterns. Administration of a gambling survey over the phone to 4,000 randomly selected South Korean adults (19+), supplemented by an online survey of 4,330 members of a South Korean online panel. The past year prevalence of gambling among South Korean adults was 41.8 %. The past year engagement in individual forms of gambling was 36.2 % for lotteries and instant lotteries; 12.0 % for social gambling; 2.3 % for sports betting; 1.5 % for casino gambling; 1.5 % for internet gambling; and 1.1 % for horse, bicycle, or motor boat betting. The past year prevalence of problem gambling was 0.5 %. Logistic regression identified the best predictors of problem gambling to be: having a greater number of gambling fallacies; gambling on the internet; betting on horses, bicycling, or motor boat racing; social gambling; male gender; mental health problems; sports betting; motivation for gambling (gambling to escape); casino gambling; and lower income. The past year prevalence of gambling (41.8 %) and problem gambling (0.5 %) in South Korea is low compared to other countries, especially relative to other Asian jurisdictions. This relatively low prevalence of gambling is likely related to the very strong negative attitudes toward it, the low participation by females, and restricted access. The low prevalence of problem gambling is likely related to the relatively low prevalence of gambling and restricted access to continuous forms of gambling. The variables that are predictive of problem gambling in South Korea are quite similar to those found in other countries with a couple of important differences.

Complaining Behavior of Academic Library Users in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oh, Dong-Geun

2004-01-01

This study investigates the influences of the antecedent factors on the complaints and resulting behaviors of 582 university library users in South Korea. There were statistically significant relationships between personal norms and negative word of mouth and indirect voice behaviors, between service importance and negative word-of-mouth behavior,…

Rapid Emergence and Clonal Dissemination of CTX-M-15-Producing Salmonella enterica Serotype Virchow, South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Seok; Yun, Young-Sun; Kim, Soo Jin; Jeon, Se-Eun; Lee, Deog-Yong; Chung, Gyung Tae; Yoo, Cheon-Kwon; Kim, Junyoung

2016-01-01

The prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Virchow has dramatically increased in South Korea since the first isolation in 2011. Of 68 isolates collected over 10 years, 28 cefotaxime-resistant isolates harbored the bla(CTX-M-15) extended-spectrum β-lactamase gene and were closely related genetically, demonstrating the clonal dissemination of CTX-M-15-producing Salmonella Virchow in South Korea.

Job and life satisfaction of nonstandard workers in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Bokim

2013-08-01

Since the South Korean financial crisis of the late 1990s, the number of nonstandard workers in South Korea has increased rapidly. With such a drastic change, it has been difficult to establish national welfare systems (e.g., accident insurance or support for families with dependent children) for nonstandard workers and identify critical aspects of their health. To evaluate job and life satisfaction among nonstandard workers, this study used a representative sample of South Koreans. Using data from the 2008 Korean Labor and Income Panel Study, the sample size totaled 4,340 observations, of which 1,344 (31.0%) involved nonstandard workers. Significant differences in job and life satisfaction between nonstandard workers and standard workers were found. The results also indicate discrimination in the welfare and fringe benefit systems in South Korea. Occupational health nurses must address the physical and psychological health issues, personal problems, and everyday life concerns of nonstandard workers. Given that the employment status of nonstandard workers in companies is generally unstable, it is difficult for these workers to report poor working conditions to employers or other authorities. Accordingly, occupational health nurses should advocate for nonstandard workers by notifying employers of the many problems they face. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Isolation of Mycobacterium bovis from Free-Ranging Wildlife in South Korea.

PubMed

Jang, Yunho; Ryoo, Soyoon; Lee, Hyunkyoung; Kim, Narae; Lee, Hang; Park, So-Young; Song, Woong-Seog; Kim, Jong-Taek; Lee, Hee Soo; Myung Kim, Jae

2017-01-01

We demonstrate Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) in South Korea. During 2012-15, we attempted to isolate M. bovis from 847 wild animals, mainly Korean water deer ( Hydropotes inermis argyropus), raccoon dogs ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ), and wild boar, from 11 regions in South Korea. We isolated M. bovis from three of 118 wild boar (2.5%) captured in Gyeonggi Province, where bovine tuberculosis (bTB) outbreaks have also occurred in livestock. Spoligotypes and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number tandem repeats types of these M. bovis isolates (SB0140 and SB1040, 4-2-3-3-7-5-5-4-4-3-4-3 and 5-2-3-3-7-5-5-4-3-10-5-2; MIRU4, MIRU16, MIRU27, MIRU31, ETR-A, ETR-B, ETR-C, QUB11b, QUB26, QUB3336, VNTR2401, and VNTR3171) have also been identified from farmed livestock such as cattle ( Bos taurus coreanae), Formosan sika deer ( Cervus nippon taiouanus), and American elk ( Cervus canadensis ) in the country. In South Korea, bTB appears to be endemic in livestock, and there are numerous opportunities for contact between wild boar and livestock due to high population densities and broad activity ranges. Our results support the hypothesis that M. bovis is transmitted between domestic and wild animals.

[Attitudes towards psychotherapy in South Korea and Germany : A cross-cultural comparative study].

PubMed

Schulz, W; Shin, M A; Schmid-Ott, G

2018-01-01

Due to the relatively recent introduction of psychotherapy in South Korea and against the background of collectivist and Confucian values, it has been suggested that South Koreans harbor more negative attitudes towards psychotherapy compared to Germans and that the social acceptance of psychotherapy is lower. We compared the attitudes of 99 women from South Korea with 98 German women using the questionnaire on attitudes towards psychotherapeutic treatment (FEP). For the study of the South Korean women we translated the questionnaire into the Korean language. The results of the psychometric analysis suggest that the Korean version of the FEP is of acceptable quality. South Korean women reported a significantly more negative attitude towards psychotherapy compared to German women. Furthermore, South Korean women anticipated a more skeptical social attitude towards psychotherapy compared to Germans. The presented results suggest the relevance of cultural imprinting in psychotherapy. They are discussed with respect to culture-specific self-concepts, concepts of disease and healing expectations and the increase of individualistic values in the Korean society.

Multiculturalism in South Korea: Examining Government Aspirations through the Second Basic Plan for Immigration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghazarian, Peter G.

2018-01-01

South Korea (henceforth, Korea) has grown into a significant regional destination in global migration networks via central government policies aimed at reaping the benefits of transnational human resources. However, the meaning and vision for multiculturalism remain fluid and unclear. This study applies Banks' multicultural paradigms as a…

The Impact of Improving Suicide Death Classification in South Korea: A Comparison with Japan and Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Chan, Chee Hon; Caine, Eric D.; Chang, Shu Sen; Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil; Yip, Paul Siu Fai

2015-01-01

Introduction The suicide rate of South Korea has increased dramatically during the past decades, as opposed to steadily decreasing trends in Japan and Hong Kong. Although the recent increase of suicide in South Korea may be related to changing socioeconomic conditions and other contextual factors, it may also reflect, in part, a reduction of misidentified suicide cases due to improving classification of manner of death. Method We compared the annual proportional change of suicide, undetermined death, and accidental death from South Korea with those of Japan and Hong Kong from 1992 to 2011; a greater proportional change of the manner-of-death categories during the period is indicative of a relatively less stable registration and hence a greater potential for misclassification bias on reported suicide trends. Subgroup analyses stratifying the deaths by methods were also conducted. To estimate the impact, the age-standardized rates of these three death categories in each site were calculated. Results We found that, during the 20-year observation period, the proportional change of suicide, undetermined death, and accidental death in South Korea was significantly greater than Japan and Hong Kong. Similar observations were made in subgroup analyses. While death rates of the three manners in Japan and Hong Kong generally moved in a parallel fashion, the increase of suicide in South Korea occurred concomitantly with a significant reduction of its accidental death rate. 43% of the increase in suicides could be attributed to the decrease in accidental deaths, while 57% of the increase could be due to fundamental causes. Conclusion Our data suggest that, during the mid-1990s and after, the increasing burden of suicide in South Korea initially was masked, in part, by misclassification. Thus, the later apparently rapid increase of suicides reflected steadily improving classification of manner of death, as well as a more fundamental increase in the suicide rate. PMID:25992879

The impact of improving suicide death classification in South Korea: a comparison with Japan and Hong Kong.

PubMed

Chan, Chee Hon; Caine, Eric D; Chang, Shu Sen; Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil; Yip, Paul Siu Fai

2015-01-01

The suicide rate of South Korea has increased dramatically during the past decades, as opposed to steadily decreasing trends in Japan and Hong Kong. Although the recent increase of suicide in South Korea may be related to changing socioeconomic conditions and other contextual factors, it may also reflect, in part, a reduction of misidentified suicide cases due to improving classification of manner of death. We compared the annual proportional change of suicide, undetermined death, and accidental death from South Korea with those of Japan and Hong Kong from 1992 to 2011; a greater proportional change of the manner-of-death categories during the period is indicative of a relatively less stable registration and hence a greater potential for misclassification bias on reported suicide trends. Subgroup analyses stratifying the deaths by methods were also conducted. To estimate the impact, the age-standardized rates of these three death categories in each site were calculated. We found that, during the 20-year observation period, the proportional change of suicide, undetermined death, and accidental death in South Korea was significantly greater than Japan and Hong Kong. Similar observations were made in subgroup analyses. While death rates of the three manners in Japan and Hong Kong generally moved in a parallel fashion, the increase of suicide in South Korea occurred concomitantly with a significant reduction of its accidental death rate. 43% of the increase in suicides could be attributed to the decrease in accidental deaths, while 57% of the increase could be due to fundamental causes. Our data suggest that, during the mid-1990s and after, the increasing burden of suicide in South Korea initially was masked, in part, by misclassification. Thus, the later apparently rapid increase of suicides reflected steadily improving classification of manner of death, as well as a more fundamental increase in the suicide rate.

Pn tomography of South China Sea, Taiwan Island, Philippine archipelago, and adjacent regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xibing; Song, Xiaodong; Li, Jiangtao

2017-02-01

The South China Sea (SCS) and its surrounding areas are geologically highly heterogeneous from the interactions of multiple plates in Southeast Asia (Eurasian plate, Indian-Australian plate, Philippine Sea plate, and Pacific plate). To understand the tectonics at depth, here we combined bulletin and handpicked data to conduct Pn tomography of the region. The results show distinct features that are correlated with the complex geology at surface, suggesting a lithosphere-scale tectonics of the region. Low Pn velocities are found along a belt of the western Pacific transpressional system from the Okinawa Trough and eastern East China Sea, across central and eastern Taiwan orogeny, to the island arcs of the Luzon Strait and the entire Philippine Islands, as well as under the Palawan Island and part of the continental margin north of the Pearl River Basin. High velocities are found under Ryukyu subduction zone, part of the Philippine subduction zone, part of the Eurasian subduction beneath the southwestern Taiwan, and the continent-ocean boundary between the south China and the SCS basin. The Taiwan Strait, the Mainland SE coast, and the main SCS basin sea are relatively uniform with average Pn values. Crustal thicknesses show large variations in the study region but also coherency with tectonic elements. The Pn pattern in Taiwan shows linear trends of surface geology and suggests strongly lithosphere-scale deformation of the young Taiwan orogenic belt marked by the deformation boundary under the Western Foothill and the Western Coastal Plain at depth, and the crustal thickness shows a complex pattern from the transpressional collision. Our observations are consistent with rifting and extension in the northern margin of the SCS but are not consistent with mantle upwelling as a mechanism for the opening and the subsequent closing of the SCS. The Philippine island arc is affected by volcanisms from both the Asian and Philippine Sea subductions in the south but mainly from

Mathematical modeling of HIV prevention measures including pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV incidence in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sun Bean; Yoon, Myoungho; Ku, Nam Su; Kim, Min Hyung; Song, Je Eun; Ahn, Jin Young; Jeong, Su Jin; Kim, Changsoo; Kwon, Hee-Dae; Lee, Jeehyun; Smith, Davey M; Choi, Jun Yong

2014-01-01

Multiple prevention measures have the possibility of impacting HIV incidence in South Korea, including early diagnosis, early treatment, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We investigated how each of these interventions could impact the local HIV epidemic, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM), who have become the major risk group in South Korea. A mathematical model was used to estimate the effects of each these interventions on the HIV epidemic in South Korea over the next 40 years, as compared to the current situation. We constructed a mathematical model of HIV infection among MSM in South Korea, dividing the MSM population into seven groups, and simulated the effects of early antiretroviral therapy (ART), early diagnosis, PrEP, and combination interventions on the incidence and prevalence of HIV infection, as compared to the current situation that would be expected without any new prevention measures. Overall, the model suggested that the most effective prevention measure would be PrEP. Even though PrEP effectiveness could be lessened by increased unsafe sex behavior, PrEP use was still more beneficial than the current situation. In the model, early diagnosis of HIV infection was also effectively decreased HIV incidence. However, early ART did not show considerable effectiveness. As expected, it would be most effective if all interventions (PrEP, early diagnosis and early treatment) were implemented together. This model suggests that PrEP and early diagnosis could be a very effective way to reduce HIV incidence in South Korea among MSM.

Mathematical Modeling of HIV Prevention Measures Including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis on HIV Incidence in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Sun Bean; Yoon, Myoungho; Ku, Nam Su; Kim, Min Hyung; Song, Je Eun; Ahn, Jin Young; Jeong, Su Jin; Kim, Changsoo; Kwon, Hee-Dae; Lee, Jeehyun; Smith, Davey M.; Choi, Jun Yong

2014-01-01

Background Multiple prevention measures have the possibility of impacting HIV incidence in South Korea, including early diagnosis, early treatment, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We investigated how each of these interventions could impact the local HIV epidemic, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM), who have become the major risk group in South Korea. A mathematical model was used to estimate the effects of each these interventions on the HIV epidemic in South Korea over the next 40 years, as compared to the current situation. Methods We constructed a mathematical model of HIV infection among MSM in South Korea, dividing the MSM population into seven groups, and simulated the effects of early antiretroviral therapy (ART), early diagnosis, PrEP, and combination interventions on the incidence and prevalence of HIV infection, as compared to the current situation that would be expected without any new prevention measures. Results Overall, the model suggested that the most effective prevention measure would be PrEP. Even though PrEP effectiveness could be lessened by increased unsafe sex behavior, PrEP use was still more beneficial than the current situation. In the model, early diagnosis of HIV infection was also effectively decreased HIV incidence. However, early ART did not show considerable effectiveness. As expected, it would be most effective if all interventions (PrEP, early diagnosis and early treatment) were implemented together. Conclusions This model suggests that PrEP and early diagnosis could be a very effective way to reduce HIV incidence in South Korea among MSM. PMID:24662776

A cross-cultural comparison of clinical supervision in South Korea and the United States.

PubMed

Son, Eunjung; Ellis, Michael V

2013-06-01

We investigated similarities and differences in clinical supervision in two cultures: South Korea and the United States The study had two parts: (1) a test of the cross-cultural equivalence of four supervision measures; and (2) a test of two competing models of cultural differences in the relations among supervisory style, role difficulties, supervisory working alliance, and satisfaction with supervision. Participants were 191 South Korean and 187 U.S. supervisees currently engaged in clinical supervision. The U.S. measures demonstrated sufficient measurement equivalence for use in South Korea. Cultural differences moderated the relations among supervisory styles, role difficulties, supervisory working alliance, and supervision satisfaction. Specifically, the relations among these variables were significantly stronger for U.S. than for South Korean supervisees. Implications for theory, research, and practice were discussed.

Exploring Differential Science Performance in Korea and South Africa: A Multilevel Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Mee-Ok; Scherman, Vanessa; Gaigher, Estelle

2014-01-01

This paper reports on secondary analysis of TIMSS 2003 data with the aim of explaining the difference in science achievement of Korean and South African learners. The question asked by this research, i.e. which factors at various educational levels influence science achievement in Korea and South Africa respectively, is addressed from the…

North Korean refugee health in South Korea (NORNS) study: study design and methods

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Understanding the health status of North Korean refugees (NKRs), and changes in health during the resettlement process, is important from both the humanitarian standpoint and the scientific perspective. The NOrth Korean Refugee health iN South Korea (NORNS) study aims to document the health status and health determinants of North Korean refugees, to observe various health outcomes as they occur while adapting to the westernized lifestyle of South Korea, and to explain the mechanisms of how health of migrants and refugees changes in the context of new environmental risks and opportunities. Methods The NORNS study was composed of an initial survey and a follow-up survey 3.5 years apart. Participants were recruited voluntarily among those aged 30 or more living in Seoul. The survey consists of a health questionnaire and medical examination. The health questionnaire comprises the following six domains: 1) demographic and migration information 2) disease history, 3) mental health, 4) health-related lifestyle, 5) female reproductive health, and 6) sociocultural adaptation. The medical examination comprises anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and atherosclerosis, and various biochemical measurements. Prevalence of several diseases able to be diagnosed from the medical examination, the changes between the two surveys, and the association between the outcome and other measurements, such as length of stay and extent of adaptation in South Korea will be investigated. Furthermore, the outcome will be compared to a South Korean counterpart cohort to evaluate the relative health status of NKRs. Discussion The NORNS study targeting adult NKRs in South Korea is a valuable study because various scales and medical measurements are employed for the first time. The results obtained from this study are expected to be utilized for developing a health policy for NKRs and North Korean people after unification. Additionally, since NKRs are an immigrant group who are the

North Korean refugee health in South Korea (NORNS) study: study design and methods.

PubMed

Lee, Yo Han; Lee, Won Jin; Kim, Yun Jeong; Cho, Myong Jin; Kim, Joo Hyung; Lee, Yun Jeong; Kim, Hee Young; Choi, Dong Seop; Kim, Sin Gon; Robinson, Courtland

2012-03-08

Understanding the health status of North Korean refugees (NKRs), and changes in health during the resettlement process, is important from both the humanitarian standpoint and the scientific perspective. The NOrth Korean Refugee health iN South Korea (NORNS) study aims to document the health status and health determinants of North Korean refugees, to observe various health outcomes as they occur while adapting to the westernized lifestyle of South Korea, and to explain the mechanisms of how health of migrants and refugees changes in the context of new environmental risks and opportunities. The NORNS study was composed of an initial survey and a follow-up survey 3.5 years apart. Participants were recruited voluntarily among those aged 30 or more living in Seoul. The survey consists of a health questionnaire and medical examination. The health questionnaire comprises the following six domains: 1) demographic and migration information 2) disease history, 3) mental health, 4) health-related lifestyle, 5) female reproductive health, and 6) sociocultural adaptation. The medical examination comprises anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and atherosclerosis, and various biochemical measurements. Prevalence of several diseases able to be diagnosed from the medical examination, the changes between the two surveys, and the association between the outcome and other measurements, such as length of stay and extent of adaptation in South Korea will be investigated. Furthermore, the outcome will be compared to a South Korean counterpart cohort to evaluate the relative health status of NKRs. The NORNS study targeting adult NKRs in South Korea is a valuable study because various scales and medical measurements are employed for the first time. The results obtained from this study are expected to be utilized for developing a health policy for NKRs and North Korean people after unification. Additionally, since NKRs are an immigrant group who are the same race and have the same

Cost of chronic hepatitis B infection in South Korea.

PubMed

Yang, Bong-Min; Kim, Cheol-Hwan; Kim, Ji-Yun

2004-01-01

To estimate the direct medical costs of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection and its liver disease sequelae in South Korea. Korea is a hepatitis B-endemic area with 5.79% to 10.87% of males and 1.51% to 4.44% of females over 20 years of age carrying the virus. It is estimated that 25% of carriers will develop serious hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related complications. While vaccination programs have reduced the prevalence of hepatitis B in people younger than 20 years, significant CHB-related morbidity will continue to occur for the next 15 to 30 years until the benefits of the vaccination programs take effect. Direct medical costs for six CHB-related disease states, including hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplant, were estimated for the year 2001. Four data sources were used to gather information: the National Health Insurance Corporation database, patients' medical charts, expert opinion, and patient survey data. In 2001, the total medical costs of six CHB-related diseases were 250 million Korean Won (KRW) (equivalent to U.S. 208.6 million dollars), based on an exchange rate of KRW 1200 = US 1 dollar. Annual treatment costs per patient ranged from KRW297,392 (US 248 dollars) for chronic hepatitis B to KRW 80.6 million (U.S. 67,156 dollars) for liver transplant. The cost of treatment rose continuously with liver disease progression. The main cost driver was inpatient hospitalizations (including surgical costs). CHB-related diseases are a significant cost burden to the South Korean healthcare system. In addition to the obvious clinical benefits, the prevention or delay of chronic hepatitis B liver disease progression in South Korea could result in substantial economic benefits to the whole society.

English, Tracking, and Neoliberalization of Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byean, Hyera

2015-01-01

Drawing upon the experiences and dilemmas of the author, a middle school English teacher in South Korea, this article illuminates the ways in which neoliberal reforms in education intersect with English, and how such links have entailed the class-based polarization of education in Korean society. Given the prominent role that English plays in…

Solar radiation increases suicide rate after adjusting for other climate factors in South Korea.

PubMed

Jee, Hee-Jung; Cho, Chul-Hyun; Lee, Yu Jin; Choi, Nari; An, Hyonggin; Lee, Heon-Jeong

2017-03-01

Previous studies have indicated that suicide rates have significant seasonal variations. There is seasonal discordance between temperature and solar radiation due to the monsoon season in South Korea. We investigated the seasonality of suicide and assessed its association with climate variables in South Korea. Suicide rates were obtained from the National Statistical Office of South Korea, and climatic data were obtained from the Korea Meteorological Administration for the period of 1992-2010. We conducted analyses using a generalized additive model (GAM). First, we explored the seasonality of suicide and climate variables such as mean temperature, daily temperature range, solar radiation, and relative humidity. Next, we identified confounding climate variables associated with suicide rate. To estimate the adjusted effect of solar radiation on the suicide rate, we investigated the confounding variables using a multivariable GAM. Suicide rate showed seasonality with a pattern similar to that of solar radiation. We found that the suicide rate increased 1.008 times when solar radiation increased by 1 MJ/m 2 after adjusting for other confounding climate factors (P < 0.001). Solar radiation has a significant linear relationship with suicide after adjusting for region, other climate variables, and time trends. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A systematic review of genetic diversity of human rotavirus circulating in South Korea.

PubMed

Than, Van Thai; Jeong, Sunyoung; Kim, Wonyong

2014-12-01

Rotavirus infections continue to be the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young Korean children. Rotavirus data acquired from uninterrupted surveillance studies between 1989 and 2009 in South Korea were analyzed to better understand the genetic diversity and evolution. The relationship between rotaviruses and the currently licensed rotavirus vaccine viruses was also examined. The most prevalent rotavirus strains, with genotype G1P[8], followed by G3P[8], G4P[6], and G2P[4], accounted for approximately 76.7% of the total identified strains, and more recently, rotavirus G9P[8] has significance increased to be the fifth most common genotype. Phylogenetic analyses underscored the heterogeneity between viral populations within each genotype, with different lineages and sub-lineages. Although the currently licensed rotavirus vaccines are effective, safe, and economical, additional data from rotavirus monitoring is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these vaccines for their sustained use in South Korea. The present study provides comprehensive and up-to-date information regarding the epidemiology, genetic diversity, and evolution of the circulating rotaviruses in South Korea. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics of depressed patients with a history of suicide attempts: results from the CRESCEND study in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Min-Hyeon; Kim, Tae-Suk; Yim, Hyeon-Woo; Jeong, Seung Hee; Lee, Chul; Lee, Chang-Uk; Kim, Jae-Min; Jung, Sung-Won; Lee, Min-Soo; Jun, Tae-Youn

2010-10-01

South Korea is a country with one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and the suicide rate is still on the rise. The purpose of this study was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of suicide attempts and risk factors related to suicide attempts among depressed patients in South Korea. Among the 1183 participants, 21.4% had a history of a suicide attempt. When the severity of depression was controlled, the risk factors for patients who attempted suicide included younger age, experienced significant life events before 12 years of age, psychotic symptoms, and previous depressive episodes. The characteristics of attempted suicide in depressed patients in South Korea can be summarized as a high suicide attempt rate with no difference in the number of suicide attempts and lethality between males and females. This unique tendency is probably related to the sociodemographic and cultural characteristics of South Korea.

The World Report on Disability and recent developments in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Wan Ho; Park, Yoon Ghil; Shin, Hyung-Ik; Im, Sang Hee

2014-01-01

The latest National Survey on Persons with Disabilities estimated 2,683,400 persons with disabilities in South Korea, of whom 58% were men and 42% were women. People with physical disability represent approximately 50% of the entire population with disability. Disability-related policies and services to improve the participation of persons with disabilities have been expanded in the last decades, guided by 5-yr plans. The number of physiatrists has increased, although it still varies significantly by location. As part of the comprehensive measures to expand rehabilitation services, several regional rehabilitation centers have been established. In addition, a community-based rehabilitation program has been implemented that comprises Strong Point Public Health Centers, which provide local health promotion programs for persons with disabilities, family support programs, and community participation programs. As the aged population increases, it is predicted that the population of persons with disabilities in South Korea will also increase. A long-term and innovative financial model will be required to meet the corresponding needs. A recent milestone of evidence-based practice is the publication of Clinical Practice Guideline for Stroke Rehabilitation in Korea.

Correlation between traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder among North Korean defectors in South Korea.

PubMed

Jeon, WooTaek; Hong, ChangHyung; Lee, ChangHo; Kim, Dong Kee; Han, Mooyoung; Min, SungKil

2005-04-01

The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has been increasing rapidly since 1994. Two hundred North Korean defectors in South Korea were studied to identify their experiences of traumatic events in North Korea and during defection, and the correlation with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews and assisted defectors in performing a self-report assessment of this survey. The study questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, the Traumatic Experiences Scale for North Korean Defectors, and the PTSD part of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Korean version. Prevalence rate of PTSD in defectors was 29.5%, with a higher rate for women. In factor analysis, the 25 items of traumatic events experienced in North Korea were divided into three factors: Physical Trauma, Political-Ideological Trauma, and Family-Related Trauma. In addition, the 19 items of traumatic events during defection were grouped into four factors: Physical Trauma, Detection and Capture-Related Trauma, Family-Related Trauma, and Betrayal-Related Trauma. In multifactorial logistic regression analysis, Family-Related Trauma in North Korea had a significant odds ratio.

Health-seeking experience of North Korean women defectors in South Korea.

PubMed

Chung, Chong-Hee; Kang, Hee-Young; Lake, Pamela K

2018-05-01

The objective of the study was to explore and describe the health-seeking experience of North Korean women defectors settled in South Korea. A qualitative study was conducted using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Participants were 10 North Korean women defectors. Data were collected through in-depth, unstructured interviews with individual participants. A total of 24 themes, eight theme clusters, and four categories emerged. The structure of the health-seeking experience for them was identified as 'having new opportunities to better understand my own body and protecting my own health while adapting to the health care system of the South'. The four categories were: finding out about my own body, confusion regarding the medical treatment, enjoying the health care benefits, and protecting my own health. The findings of this study will help improve the understanding of the health-seeking experience of North Korean women defectors and provide valuable resources to assist in caring for their health needs. This will contribute to preparing the groundwork to enhance the quality of their remaining life in South Korea. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

First childbirth experience of international marriage migrant women in South Korea.

PubMed

Chu, Min Sun; Park, Minna; Kim, Jung A

2017-08-01

Since the mid-1990s, a large number of foreign women have migrated from developing countries to South Korea by means of international marriages. These nulliparous foreign women may experience more difficulties in pregnancy and childbirth than native Koreans. This study aimed to describe the meaning of the first childbirth experiences of international marriage migrant women marrying Korean men in South Korea. This is a descriptive phenomenological study that included 10 participants using the purposive and snowball sampling in one multicultural support center in Seoul, South Korea. Colaizzi's data analysis method was used to inductively determine themes and formulate meanings. The meanings of first childbirth were categorized into four themes-'coming to a crisis,' 'depending on others,' 'searching for solutions,' and 'strengthening family unity.' Inadequate antenatal care is associated with obstacles such as language barriers, social isolation, lack of knowledge, different midwifery practice and dependent lifestyle. Meanwhile, their children were a source of energy for the women to fulfill their emotional needs and improve family relationships. Childbirth is a life-changing event for these women, in which they face challenges as well as opportunities to develop new coping skills and a new role identity in their family. It is important for healthcare providers and policy makers to identify obstacles and unmet needs to improve maternity care in light of the distinctive challenges of immigrant living in multicultural families. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of traditional six-year and new four-year dental curricula in South Korea.

PubMed

Komabayashi, Takashi; Ahn, Chul; Kim, Kang-Ju; Oh, Hyo-Won

2012-01-01

This study aimed to compare the dental curriculum of the traditional six-year system with that of the new four-year (graduate-entry) system in South Korea. There are 11 dental schools in South Korea: six are public and five are private. Eight offer the new four-year program and the other three offer the traditional six-year program. Descriptive analyses were conducted using bibliographic data and local information along with statistical analyses such as chi-square tests. In the six-year programs, clinical dentistry subjects were taught almost equally in practical and didactic courses, while the basic science courses were taught more often as practical courses (P < 0.0001). In the four-year programs, both the basic science and clinical dentistry subjects were taught didactically more often; while more dentistry subjects were taught than basic sciences (P = 0.004). The four-year program model in South Korea is more focused on dentistry than on basic science, while both basic and clinical dentistry subjects were equally taught in the six-year program.

Exploring Regional and Institutional Factors of International Students' Dropout: The South Korea Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Jisun; Kim, Yangson

2018-01-01

With an increasing number of international students in South Korea, the issue of retaining these students and reducing their dropout rates has become important. This study explores the multilevel factors that affect the institutional dropout rate among international students in Korea. The research questions are as follows: (a) to what extent do…

eHealth Literacy Skills Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in the U.S. and South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Hyejin; Park, Hyunmi

2016-01-01

Online health information is a critical resource for health consumers. Nursing professionals need to be eHealth literate to support patients and their families. The purpose of the study was to explore eHealth literacy skills among undergraduate nursing students in the U.S. and South Korea. One hundred and sixty-nine undergraduate nursing students in two universities, one in the southern area of the U.S. and one in the eastern area of South Korea, participated. Participants were asked to complete the eHealth Literacy Scale. The majority of participants perceived that the Internet is a useful or very useful tool in helping them make health-related decisions. The participants either agreed or strongly agreed with the 7 items of the eHealth literacy scale except an item such as they can call high to low quality of online health information. The U.S students have higher mean scores of all eHealth literacy items than students of South Korea.

Analyzing the success of the volume-based waste fee system in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Seejeen; Lah, T J

2015-09-01

For more than a decade, South Korea has been ranked first among the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) members in their municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate. One of the major contributing factors for its outstanding MSW recycling performance is the volume-based waste fee (VWF) system implemented in 1995. Despite the perceived success of VWF, there has been few research conducted that has sought to demonstrate the success of the policy in an empirical manner. Research conducted currently on VWF in South Korea tends to have limitations in empirical approaches and identifying the intervention effect of VWF on recycling performance. This study attempts to empirically test whether the adoption of VWF positively affected recycling performance in Korea over time. The findings suggest that although there was a dramatic increase of the recycling rate with the introduction of VWF in 1995, Korea's MSW recycling performance settled back again and showed the constant pace after the intervention. No significant differences in recycling rate were found between before and after 1995 period. In conclusion, implications and suggestions for both research and practice are proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hidden Transcripts of Teacher Resistance: A Case from South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Tae-Hee

2017-01-01

This paper explores teachers' resistance against pedagogic reform in South Korea, which was instituted in the form of an in-service teacher certification. Ideas for the reform, Teaching English in English (TEE), were borrowed from "native-English-speaking countries" and implemented without systematic localization, therefore, it was not…

Gender-specific differences in risk for intimate partner violence in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Minjee; Stefani, Katherine M; Park, Eun-Cheol

2014-05-01

Various risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) have been found to vary by gender. South Korea has one of the highest prevalences of IPV in the world; however, little is known about potential risk factors of IPV and whether gender influences this relationship. Using data from the 2006 Korea Welfare Panel Study, 8,877 married participants (4,545 men and 4,332 women) aged ≥30 years were included. Reported IPV was categorized as verbal or physical IPV and the association between IPV and related factors was assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Women were significantly more likely than men were to report IPV victimization (verbal 28.2% vs. 24.4%; physical 6.9% vs. 3.4%). Wor odds of physical perpetration than women satisfied with their family. Moreover, alcohol intake was significantly associated with IPV perpetration and victimization in both genders. Significant gender-specific differences were found among factors related to perpetrating violence and being a victim of violence among adults in heterosexual relationships in South Korea.

Social integration and heath policy issues for international marriage migrant women in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Sil

2010-01-01

Until very recently, Korea was largely considered to be a homogenous, racially intolerant country that had little or no experience with large-scale immigration. However, this paradigm is in the process of changing. For the first time in the country's history, large numbers of foreigners are immigrating to work and live in Korea, and many are seeking to become Koreans. In particular, international marriage migrations, especially those of women entering the country through marriages to Korean men, have become common in South Korea. This has given rise to serious challenges within the country. Although conventional ideologies portray Korea as a country of a single race, culture, and language, the growing number of immigrants has disrupted this homogenous monoculture. Indeed, there are signs that Korea has reached a turning point, with an increasingly permanent and visible migrant population challenging the country's national identity. This article explores the statistics and trends related to international marriage migrant women in South Korea, particularly in terms of their social insecurities and health-related problems. In addition, some aspects of Korean governmental policies for the social integration and health promotion of these women are examined, and some suggestions are made for ways in which public health nursing and nursing education may be changed in response to the current trends. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fatality risks for nosocomial outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in the Middle East and South Korea.

PubMed

Sha, Jianping; Li, Yuan; Chen, Xiaowen; Hu, Yan; Ren, Yajin; Geng, Xingyi; Zhang, Zhiruo; Liu, Shelan

2017-01-01

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first isolated in 2012. The largest known outbreak outside the Middle East occurred in South Korea in 2015. As of 29 June 2016, 1769 laboratory-confirmed cases (630 deaths; 35.6 % case fatality rate [CFR]) had been reported from 26 countries, particularly in the Middle East. However, the CFR for hospital outbreaks was higher than that of family clusters in the Middle East and Korea. Here, we compared the mortality rates for 51 nosocomial outbreaks in the Middle East and one outbreak of MERS-CoV in South Korea. Our findings showed the CFR in the Middle East was much higher than that in South Korea (25.9 % [56/216] vs. 13.8 % [24/174], p = 0.003). Infected individuals who died were, on average, older than those who survived in both the Middle East (64 years [25-98] vs. 46 years [2-85], p = 0.000) and South Korea (68 years [49-82] vs. 53.5 years [16-87], p = 0.000). Similarly, the co-morbidity rates for the fatal cases were statistically higher than for the nonfatal cases in both the Middle East (64.3 % [36/56] vs. 28.1 % [45/160], p = 0.000) and South Korea (45.8 % [11/24] vs. 12.0 % [18/150], p = 0.000). The median number of days from onset to confirmation of infection in the fatal cases was longer than that for survivors from the Middle East (8 days [1-47] vs. 4 days [0-14], p = 0.009). Thus, older age, pre-existing concurrent diseases, and delayed confirmation increase the odds of a fatal outcome in nosocomial MERS-CoV outbreaks in the Middle East and South Korea.

Relationship between Staff-Reported Culture Change and Occupancy Rate and Organizational Commitment among Nursing Homes in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Minhong; Choi, Jae-Sung; Lim, Jinseop; Kim, Young Sun

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine culture change in nursing homes in South Korea and to identify the outcomes of culture change implementation. Design and Methods: Data were taken from survey responses from 223 top- or mid-level staff among nursing homes in South Korea that were selected through a proportionate random-stratified sampling method…

Cost of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in South Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Young Ae; Choi, Yong-Jun; Cho, Young-Jae; Lee, Sang Min; Yoo, Chul-Gyu; Kim, Young Whan; Han, Sung Koo; Shim, Young-Soo; Yim, Jae-Joon

2006-11-01

Costs associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are higher than those associated with drug-susceptible TB because of the higher prices of second-line anti-TB drugs, the prolonged duration of treatment, greater productivity loss and higher mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of treatment for MDR-TB according to the treatment strategy and prognosis in South Korea. We estimated the direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect cost for the treatment of MDR-TB according to the treatment strategies and prognosis: in medically treated, surgically treated and deceased patients groups. The same analyses were undertaken for drug-susceptible TB for comparison. The patients with MDR-TB or drug-susceptible TB were randomly selected from the TB cohort of Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Direct costs per person were US$4000 (US$2527-4841) in the medically treated group, US$17,457 (US$10,133-26,418) in the surgically treated group and US$33,362 (US$25 386-40 338) in the deceased group. Total costs per person were US$15,856 (US$10,752-38,421), US$47,159 (US$20,587-77,622) and US$478,357 (US$257,377-777,778), respectively. For the patients with drug-susceptible TB, the total cost ranged from US$1680 to US$7637 (median US$2166). The cost for the treatment of MDR-TB is seven to 22 times that of managing the drug-susceptible TB in South Korea. Considering the high cost, transmissibility and considerable fatality of MDR-TB, there is a need to provide specific separate funding for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Viruses Reintroduced into South Korea by Migratory Waterfowl, 2014-2015.

PubMed

Kwon, Jung-Hoon; Lee, Dong-Hun; Swayne, David E; Noh, Jin-Yong; Yuk, Seong-Su; Erdene-Ochir, Tseren-Ochir; Hong, Woo-Tack; Jeong, Jei-Hyun; Jeong, Sol; Gwon, Gyeong-Bin; Song, Chang-Seon

2016-03-01

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses were isolated from migratory waterfowl in South Korea during fall 2014-winter 2015, a recurrence after initial introduction in winter 2014. These reappeared viruses were phylogenetically distinct from isolates circulating in poultry farms in South Korea.

Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea.

PubMed

Kamimura, Akiko; Armenta, Bianca; Nourian, Maziar; Assasnik, Nushean; Nourian, Kimiya; Chernenko, Alla

2017-01-01

Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured) environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576). South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries.

Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objectives Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured) environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Methods Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576). Results South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Conclusions Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries. PMID:28605887

Cyber Counselors Working with Children and Adolescents in South Korea: A Qualitative Interview Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sin, Sunghye

2016-01-01

This study was about cyber counselors working with children and adolescents in South Korea. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an understanding of cyber counselors in S. Korea, and their successes and challenges as they work with children and adolescents online. The study helped to develop an understanding about their served…

Strategic Partners: South Korea and the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

rea, the expanding market opportunities being but one. These interests and the pivotal nature of the Korean pen- insula require us to understand...ence in financial management, and preparing to open the Korean stock market to foreign investment. In 1982, however, government investment and...America’s ninth largest trading partner, South Korea ranks sixth as a market for US exports and in the top four for imports of US agricul- tural products

Genetic diversity and population structure of Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, a fungus associated with oak mortality in South Korea

Treesearch

M. -S. Kim; P. A. Hohenlohe; K. -H. Kim; S. -T. Seo; Ned Klopfenstein

2016-01-01

Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae is a fungus associated with oak wilt and deemed to cause extensive oak mortality in South Korea. Since the discovery of this fungus on a dead Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) in 2004, the mortality continued to spread southwards in South Korea. Despite continued expansion of the disease and associated significant impacts on forest...

Situation Report - El Salvador, Republic of Korea, and South Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Planned Parenthood Federation, London (England).

Data relating to population and family planning in three foreign countries are presented in these situation reports. Countries included are El Salvador, Republic of Korea, and South Africa. Information is provided under two topics, general background and family planning situation, where appropriate and if it is available. General background covers…

Increasing Number of Scarlet Fever Cases, South Korea, 2011-2016.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Hun; Cheong, Hae-Kwan

2018-01-01

The increasing number of reported scarlet fever cases during 2011‒2016 in the National Notifiable Infectious Disease database in South Korea occurred because of increased overall reporting and expanded reporting criteria rather than because of increasing scarlet fever incidence. Further increases are anticipated because of other expansions in reporting requirements.

Clinical and microbiological characterization of serotype 6D pneumococcal infections in South Korea.

PubMed

Cheong, Hee Jin; Song, Joon Young; Choi, Min Joo; Jeon, Ji Ho; Kang, Seong Hee; Jeong, Eun Joo; Noh, Ji Yun; Kim, Woo Joo

2016-08-01

The prevalence of Serotype 6D Streptococcus pneumoniae was reported relatively high in South Korea. Since the introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), serotype replacement was observed. This study was designed to better clarify genetic diversity of pneumococcal serotype 6D and its clinical characteristics after introduction of PCV7 in 2000. We performed serotyping analysis with 1298 pneumococcal isolates from clinical specimens in South Korea from 2004 to 2011. Multilocus sequence typing was performed, and minimal inhibitory concentration was determined for the available serotype 6D and nontypeable (NT) pneumococcal isolates during the 2006-2007 period. The proportion of serotype 6D pneumococci increased from 0.8% (2004-2007) to 2.9% (2008-2011) of all clinical pneumococcal isolates, accounting for 14.9% of serogroup 6 pneumococci in South Korea. NT pneumococci markedly increased to 13.3% during 2006-2007 in advance of the increase in serotype 6D. Among the 26 available serotype 6D pneumococcal isolates, ST282 was predominant (23 isolates, 88.5%). The STs of NT pneumococci (26 isolates) were diverse, but clonal complex 271 was the dominant clone. The oral penicillin non-susceptibility rate was 92.3% (24 among 26 isolates) for both serotype 6D and NT pneumococci. The ceftriaxone non-susceptibility rates of serotype 6D and NT pneumococci were 7.7% and 3.8%, respectively. ST228(6D) strain expanded, particularly among old adults with comorbidities in South Korea. Both antibiotic and PCV7 pressure might have contributed to the selective increase of NT and serotype 6D pneumococci. Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of publication trends in dermatology among Japan, South Korea and Mainland China.

PubMed

Man, Huibin; Xin, Shujun; Bi, Weiping; Lv, Chengzhi; Mauro, Theodora M; Elias, Peter M; Man, Mao-Qiang

2014-01-09

We previously showed that the number of publications in dermatology is increasing year by year, and positively correlates with improved economic conditions in mainland China, a still developing Asian country. However, the characteristics of publications in dermatology departments in more developed Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are unknown. In the present study, publications from 2003 through 2012 in dermatology in Japan, South Korea and mainland China were characterized. All data were obtained from http://www.pubmed.com. Dermatology departments in Japan published 4,094 papers, while mainland China and South Korea published 1528 and 1,758 articles, respectively. 48% of articles from dermatology in Japan were original research and 36% were case reports; The number of publications in Japan remained stable over time, but the overall impact factors per paper increased linearly over the last 10 year period (p < 0.05). In mainland China, 67% of articles from dermatology were original research, while 19% were case reports; The number of publications and their impact factors per paper increased markedly. In South Korea, 65% of articles from dermatology were original research and 20% were case reports. The impact factors per paper remained unchanged, despite of the fact that the number of publications increased over the last 10 year period (r2 = 0.6820, p = 0.0032). Only mainland China showed a positive correlation of the number of publications with gross domestic product per capita during this study period. These results suggest that the total number of publications in dermatology correlates with economic conditions only in developing country, but not in more developed countries in Asia. The extent of economic development could determine both the publication quantity and quality.

Comparison of publication trends in dermatology among Japan, South Korea and Mainland China

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background We previously showed that the number of publications in dermatology is increasing year by year, and positively correlates with improved economic conditions in mainland China, a still developing Asian country. However, the characteristics of publications in dermatology departments in more developed Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are unknown. Methods In the present study, publications from 2003 through 2012 in dermatology in Japan, South Korea and mainland China were characterized. All data were obtained from http://www.pubmed.com. Results Dermatology departments in Japan published 4,094 papers, while mainland China and South Korea published 1528 and 1,758 articles, respectively. 48% of articles from dermatology in Japan were original research and 36% were case reports; The number of publications in Japan remained stable over time, but the overall impact factors per paper increased linearly over the last 10 year period (p < 0.05). In mainland China, 67% of articles from dermatology were original research, while 19% were case reports; The number of publications and their impact factors per paper increased markedly. In South Korea, 65% of articles from dermatology were original research and 20% were case reports. The impact factors per paper remained unchanged, despite of the fact that the number of publications increased over the last 10 year period (r2 = 0.6820, p = 0.0032). Only mainland China showed a positive correlation of the number of publications with gross domestic product per capita during this study period. Conclusions These results suggest that the total number of publications in dermatology correlates with economic conditions only in developing country, but not in more developed countries in Asia. The extent of economic development could determine both the publication quantity and quality. PMID:24405832

Netizenship Politics: Youth, Anti-Americanism, and Rhetorical Agency in South Korea's 2002 Candlelight Vigils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Jiyeon

2009-01-01

This study offers a rhetorical analysis of the 2002 South Korean Candlelight Vigils ["ch'otpul siwi"] with a focus on the role of the Internet in public opinion building, the rise in anti-American sentiment in South Korea, and rhetorical agency residing in the collective. In 2002, two South Korean schoolgirls walking along a rural road…

Rate of electronic health record adoption in South Korea: A nation-wide survey.

PubMed

Kim, Young-Gun; Jung, Kyoungwon; Park, Young-Taek; Shin, Dahye; Cho, Soo Yeon; Yoon, Dukyong; Park, Rae Woong

2017-05-01

The adoption rate of electronic health record (EHR) systems in South Korea has continuously increased. However, in contrast to the situation in the United States (US), where there has been a national effort to improve and standardize EHR interoperability, no consensus has been established in South Korea. The goal of this study was to determine the current status of EHR adoption in South Korean hospitals compared to that in the US. All general and tertiary teaching hospitals in South Korea were surveyed regarding their EHR status in 2015 with the same questionnaire as used previously. The survey form estimated the level of adoption of EHR systems according to 24 core functions in four categories (clinical documentation, result view, computerized provider order entry, and decision supports). The adoption level was classified into comprehensive and basic EHR systems according to their functionalities. EHRs and computerized physician order entry systems were used in 58.1% and 86.0% of South Korean hospitals, respectively. Decision support systems and problem list documentation were the functions most frequently missing from comprehensive and basic EHR systems. The main barriers cited to adoption of EHR systems were the cost of purchasing (48%) and the ongoing cost of maintenance (11%). The EHR adoption rate in Korean hospitals (37.2%) was higher than that in US hospitals in 2010 (15.1%), but this trend was reversed in 2015 (58.1% vs. 75.2%). The evidence suggests that these trends were influenced by the level of financial and political support provided to US hospitals after the HITECH Act was passed in 2009. The EHR adoption rate in Korea has increased, albeit more slowly than in the US. It is logical to suggest that increased funding and support tied to the HITECH Act in the US partly explains the difference in the adoption rates of EHRs in both countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing shortfalls and complementary conservation areas for national plant biodiversity in South Korea

PubMed Central

Thorne, James H.; Huber, Patrick R.; Lee, Dongkun; Quinn, James F.

2018-01-01

Protected areas (PAs) are often considered the most important biodiversity conservation areas in national plans, but PAs often do not represent national-scale biodiversity. We evaluate the current conservation status of plant biodiversity within current existing PAs, and identify potential additional PAs for South Korea. We modeled species ranges for 2,297 plant species using Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines and compared the level of mean range representation in South Korea’s existing PAs, which comprise 5.7% of the country’s mainland area, with an equal-area alternative PA strategy selected with the reserve algorithm Marxan. We also used Marxan to model two additional conservation scenarios that add lands to approach the Aichi Biodiversity Target objectives (17% of the country). Existing PAs in South Korea contain an average of 6.3% of each plant species’ range, compared to 5.9% in the modeled equal-area alternative. However, existing PAs primarily represent a high percentage of the ranges for high-elevation and small range size species. The additional PAs scenario that adds lands to the existing PAs covers 14,587.55 km2, and would improve overall plant range representation to a mean of 16.8% of every species’ range. The other additional PAs scenario, which selects new PAs from all lands and covers 13,197.35 km2, would improve overall plant range representation to a mean of 13.5%. Even though the additional PAs that includes existing PAs represents higher percentages of species’ ranges, it is missing many biodiversity hotspots in non-mountainous areas and the additional PAs without locking in the existing PAs represent almost all species’ ranges evenly, including low-elevation ones with larger ranges. Some priority conservation areas we identified are expansions of, or near, existing PAs, especially in northeastern and southern South Korea. However, lowland coastal areas and areas surrounding the capital city, Seoul, are also critical for

Four new species of the genus Mannerheimia Mäklin, 1880 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) from south-western China and Taiwan.

PubMed

Shavrin, Alexey V

2018-04-12

Four new species of the genus Mannerheimia Mäklin, 1880 from south-western China and Taiwan are described and illustrated: M. grandilobata Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Yunnan), M. emeishanensis Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Sichuan), M. maculata Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Yunnan) and M. taiwanica Shavrin, sp.n. (Taiwan: Taichung Hsien, Nantou Hsien), the first records of the genus from China and Taiwan. A key to species known from China and Taiwan and distributional maps for each species are provided.

NASA Child Fitness Promotion Program in Young Children in South Korea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Min, Jungwon; Kim, Gilsook; Lim, Hyunjung; Carvajal, Nubia A.; Lloyd, Charles W.; Wang, Youfa

2015-01-01

Childhood obesity is a serious global public health concern (WHO, 2015; Wang Y & Lobstein T, 2006). Low self-esteem and related mental health problems are common in obese children (Strauss RS, 2000) as well as poor academic performance and career development (Gurley-Calvez T, 2010).Westernized dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles are identified as the major risk factors of current alarming rate of obesity along with genetic susceptibility (Popkin BM, 1999). Children in many countries, including South Korea, have become increasingly sedentary due to urbanization changes in their respective societies (Ng SW, et al. 2009, Salmon J et al. 2011). In particular, South Korea had abundant dissemination of mobile technology, such as tablet and smart phone devices. Children have become reliant on mobile devices and are less likely to perform physical activities (Do, et al, 2013). Effective and sustainable intervention programs are needed to fight the global obesity epidemic (IOM, 2012; Wang Y et al, 2013; Wang Y et al, 2015). Previous studies suggested focus on prevention strategies that begin in early childhood, a period when children establish their life habits. (Salmon J et al. 2011). Recent systematic reviews and meta-analysis including ours found that obesity prevention programs for young children have a greater intervention effect (Waters E, et al, 2011; Wang Y et al, 2013; Wang Y et al, 2015). The NASA Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut (MX) program was developed to promote children's exercise and healthy eating with excitement for training like an astronaut (Lloyd C, 2012).At present, the NASA MX Program covered 28 countries, enrolled children through their teachers in school setting (MX report 2014, 2015). This pilot study adapted the NASA MX intervention program for young children in South Korea. We assessed its feasibility and effectiveness in promoting physical activity (PA) in children and in improving parents' perspectives. We also examined the status of PA

Identifying Vulnerable Populations Using a Social Determinants of Health Framework: Analysis of National Survey Data across Six Asia-Pacific Countries

PubMed Central

Ward, Paul R.; Mamerow, Loreen; Meyer, Samantha B.

2013-01-01

Background In order to improve the health of the most vulnerable groups in society, the WHO called for research on the multiple and inter-linking factors shaping the social determinants of health (SDH). This paper analyses four key SDH (social cohesion, social inclusion, social empowerment and socioeconomic security) across six Asia-Pacific countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Methods Population surveys were undertaken using a validated instrument in 2009-10, with sample sizes around 1000 in each country. The four SDH were analysed using multivariate binomial logistic regression to identify socio-demographic predictors in each country. Results Low socio-economic security was associated with low income in all six study countries and with poor subjective health in Japan, South Korea and Thailand and with being married or cohabiting in Australia and Hong Kong. Low social cohesion was associated with low income in all countries and with undertaking household duties in South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. Low social inclusion was associated with low income in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan and with poor subjective health in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Older people had lower social inclusion in Taiwan (50-59 years) and Hong Kong (retired), younger people in Japan and South Korea (20-29 years in both countries) and younger and middle-aged people in Australia. Low social empowerment was associated with low income in Australia, Thailand and Taiwan, with being aged 60 years or over in Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea, and over 50 years in Thailand. Conclusions This paper provides baseline measures for identifying where and how policy should be altered to improve the SDH. Furthermore, these data can be used for future policy evaluation to identify whether changes in policy have indeed improved the SDH, particularly for marginalised and vulnerable populations. PMID:24349417

Effects of Auricular Acupressure Therapy on Primary Dysmenorrhea for Female High School Students in South Korea.

PubMed

Cha, Nam Hyun; Sok, Sohyune R

2016-09-01

To examine the effect of auricular acupressure therapy on primary dysmenorrhea among female high school students in South Korea. A randomized controlled trial was employed. The study sample consisted of 91 female high school students, with 45 participants in the experimental group and 46 in the control group in two regions of South Korea. The average age of the participants was 16.7 years, and the average age of menarche was 12.2 years. Auricular acupressure therapy including an auricular acupressure needle on skin paper tape was applied on an ear for 3 days during periods of extreme primary dysmenorrhea. The acupoint names were Jagung, Sinmun, Gyogam, and Naebunbi. For the placebo control group, only the skin paper tape without an auricular acupressure needle was applied on the same acupoints. Measures used were the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire to assess primary dysmenorrhea, and the visual analog scale to assess abdominal and back pain of participants. There were significant differences on abdominal pain (t = 24.594, p < .001), back pain (t = 22.661, p < .001), and primary dysmenorrhea (t = 32.187, p < .001) between the two groups. Auricular acupressure therapy decreased abdominal pain, back pain, and primary dysmenorrhea of female high school students in South Korea. Auricular acupressure therapy was an effective intervention for alleviating abdominal pain, back pain, and primary dysmenorrhea of female high school students in South Korea. For feasibility of the auricular acupressure therapy in practice, it is needed to train and learn the exact positions of acupoints in ear. Health providers should consider providing auricular acupressure therapy as an alternative method for reducing abdominal and back pain, and primary dysmenorrhea in female high school students in South Korea. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Middle School Students' Motivation for Learning Technology in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Hyuksoo

2016-01-01

This study aims to develop a feasible instrument for determining middle school students' motivation to learn technology in South Korea. The authors translated Glynn's motivational instrument and modified it to measure Korean middle school students' motivation to learn technology. The instrument was applied to 441 students of grade 8 and 9 from six…

Conflicting Discourses on Content Reduction in South Korea's National Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

So, Kyunghee; Kang, Jiyoung

2014-01-01

This study examines the discourses on content reduction of South Korea's national curriculum shaped by policymakers and subject specialists, as well as compares the two discourses to uncover the differences between the two. For this purpose, the paper collected academic articles that discuss the issue of content reduction from the past thirty…

The Evolution of South Korea's Broadband Convergence Network, 2004-2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon, Siddhartha Shankar

2010-01-01

Broadband holds a critical position in the progress of economic and social indicators by connecting consumers, businesses and governments. South Korea has consistently been the global leader in broadband deployment since 1999. In the last ten years the Korean government has pursued several strategies for its broadband policy. The purpose of this…

Teachers' Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, HyunJu; Byun, Soo-yong; Sim, Jaeho; Han, Hyesook; Baek, Yoon Su

2016-01-01

This study examined teachers' perceptions and practices of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education in South Korea, drawing on a survey of teachers in STEAM model schools. Results showed that the majority of Korean teachers, especially experienced teachers and male teachers, had a positive view on the role of STEAM…

Stigma of Mental Illnesses as Perceived by North Korean Defectors Living in South Korea

PubMed Central

Ahn, Ji-Hoon; Choi, Hye-Jin; Jeon, Jin-Yong; Song, In-Gyu; Bae, Jae-Nam

2015-01-01

Objective This study aims to provide the information of the stigmas of mental illness such as psychosis, alcoholism, attempt suicide, and depression among North Korean defectors. Methods We examined stigma for the mental illnesses of 639 North Korean defectors aged 19 to 65 years who live in the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees. The stigmas of mental illnesses were assessed using the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale We directly compared the stigma level between North Korean defectors and the general population of South Korea. Results North Korean defectors had higher perceived stigmas of psychosis and alcoholism and lower perceived stigmas of depression than South Koreans. Perceived stigma associated with attempted suicide was similar for North Korean defectors and South Koreans. Only marital status in sociodemographic variables had associations with higher perceived stigma of psychosis, alcoholism, and depression in the North Korean defectors. North Korean defectors, who spent more than one year in transit country, had associations with lower perceived stigma of psychosis and alcoholism. North Korean defectors, who had the experience of compulsory repatriation to North Korea or North Korean family in South Korea, had an association with higher perceived stigma of depression. Conclusion North Korean defectors had higher perceived stigmas of psychosis and alcoholism and lower perceived stigmas of depression than South Koreans. Further studies are needed to document serial changes in stigmas for mental illnesses associated with the receipt of education at the Settlement Support Center for North Korean defectors. PMID:25670940

Stigma of mental illnesses as perceived by north korean defectors living in South Korea.

PubMed

Ahn, Ji-Hoon; Kim, Won-Hyoung; Choi, Hye-Jin; Jeon, Jin-Yong; Song, In-Gyu; Bae, Jae-Nam

2015-01-01

This study aims to provide the information of the stigmas of mental illness such as psychosis, alcoholism, attempt suicide, and depression among North Korean defectors. We examined stigma for the mental illnesses of 639 North Korean defectors aged 19 to 65 years who live in the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees. The stigmas of mental illnesses were assessed using the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale We directly compared the stigma level between North Korean defectors and the general population of South Korea. North Korean defectors had higher perceived stigmas of psychosis and alcoholism and lower perceived stigmas of depression than South Koreans. Perceived stigma associated with attempted suicide was similar for North Korean defectors and South Koreans. Only marital status in sociodemographic variables had associations with higher perceived stigma of psychosis, alcoholism, and depression in the North Korean defectors. North Korean defectors, who spent more than one year in transit country, had associations with lower perceived stigma of psychosis and alcoholism. North Korean defectors, who had the experience of compulsory repatriation to North Korea or North Korean family in South Korea, had an association with higher perceived stigma of depression. North Korean defectors had higher perceived stigmas of psychosis and alcoholism and lower perceived stigmas of depression than South Koreans. Further studies are needed to document serial changes in stigmas for mental illnesses associated with the receipt of education at the Settlement Support Center for North Korean defectors.

Investigation of cancer mortality inequalities between rural and urban areas in South Korea.

PubMed

Choi, Kyung-Mee

2016-02-01

Little is known about rural-urban cancer disparities, particularly in South Korea, and this study is to identify cancer-specific mortality inequalities between the rural and urban areas of the country. For 11 specific cancer sites, age-standardised mortality rates were analysed for the rural and urban administrative districts of South Korea during 2006-2011. The Poisson log linear regression models were employed to estimate cancer-specific mortality rates, and Bonferroni comparison method was used to identify rural-urban disparities. There were significant rural-urban disparities observed for all cancer sites except prostate, pancreas and leukaemia. The mortality rates of lung, liver and stomach cancers, the three most common cancers in the country, were observed to be significantly higher in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. In contrast, the reverse relationship was observed for the reproductive system (breast and uterus) and colon cancers. Central nervous system cancer mortality was observed to be significantly higher in rural areas than in non-metro urban areas. For the first time ever, significant rural-urban disparity patterns in cancer mortality rates in South Korea have been identified in this paper. Future investigations on cancer risk factors for the country should address these disparity patterns. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Trends in Scientific Literature on Atypical Antipsychotics in South Korea: A Bibliometric Study

PubMed Central

Shen, Winston W.; Pae, Chi-Un; Moreno, Raquel; Rubio, Gabriel; Molina, Juan D.; Noriega, Concha; Pérez-Nieto, Miguel A.; Huelves, Lorena; Álamo, Cecilio

2013-01-01

Objective We have carried out a bibliometric study on the scientific publications in relation to atypical or second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs) in South Korea. Methods With the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, we selected those publications made in South Korea whose title included the descriptors atypic* (atypical*) antipsychotic*, second-generation antipsychotic*, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, ziprasidone, quetiapine, sertindole, aripiprazole, paliperidone, amisulpride, zotepine, asenapine, iloperidone, lurasidone, perospirone and blonanserin. We applied some bibliometric indicators of paper production and dispersion with Price's law and Bradford's law, respectively. We also calculated the participation index (PI) of the different countries, and correlated the bibliometric data with some social and health data from Korea (such as total per capita expenditure on health and gross domestic expenditure on research and development). Results We collected 326 original papers published between 1993 and 2011. Our results state fulfilment of fulfilled Price's law, with scientific production on SGAs showing exponential growth (correlation coefficient r=0.8978, as against an r=0.8149 after linear adjustment). The most widely studied drugs were risperidone (91 papers), aripiprazole (77), olanzapine (53), and clozapine (43). Division into Bradford zones yielded a nucleus occupied by the Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (36 articles). A total of 86 different journals were published, with 4 of the first 10 used journals having an impact factor being greater than 4. Conclusion The publications on SGAs in South Korea have undergone exponential growth over the studied period, without evidence of reaching a saturation point. PMID:23482954

Acculturation and changes in dietary behavior and anthropometric measures among Chinese international students in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Jounghee; Gao, Ran-Ran; Kim, Jung-Hee

2015-06-01

International students face dissimilar food environments, which could lead to changes in dietary behaviors and anthropometric characteristics between before and after migration. We sought to examine the risk factors, including dietary behaviors, acculturation, and demographic characteristics, related to overweight subjects residing in South Korea. We conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 142 Chinese international students (63 males, 79 females) in 2013. The mean age of the subjects was 25.4 years, and almost half of them immigrated to South Korea to earn a master's degree or doctoral degree (n = 70, 49.3%). Chinese international students showed an increase in skipping meals and eating speed, but a decrease in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea compared to when they lived in China. We found a statistically significant increase in weight (69.4 → 73.9 kg) and BMI (22.4 → 23.8 kg/m(2)) for male subjects (P < 0.001) but no change for female subjects. We also found that overweight subjects were more likely to be highly acculturated and male compared with normal-weight subjects. Among Chinese international students living in South Korea, male and more highly acculturated subjects are more vulnerable to weight gain. This study provides useful information to design tailored nutrition intervention programs for Chinese international students.

Acculturation and changes in dietary behavior and anthropometric measures among Chinese international students in South Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Jounghee; Gao, Ran-Ran

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES International students face dissimilar food environments, which could lead to changes in dietary behaviors and anthropometric characteristics between before and after migration. We sought to examine the risk factors, including dietary behaviors, acculturation, and demographic characteristics, related to overweight subjects residing in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 142 Chinese international students (63 males, 79 females) in 2013. RESULTS The mean age of the subjects was 25.4 years, and almost half of them immigrated to South Korea to earn a master's degree or doctoral degree (n = 70, 49.3%). Chinese international students showed an increase in skipping meals and eating speed, but a decrease in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea compared to when they lived in China. We found a statistically significant increase in weight (69.4 → 73.9 kg) and BMI (22.4 → 23.8 kg/m2) for male subjects (P < 0.001) but no change for female subjects. We also found that overweight subjects were more likely to be highly acculturated and male compared with normal-weight subjects. CONCLUSION Among Chinese international students living in South Korea, male and more highly acculturated subjects are more vulnerable to weight gain. This study provides useful information to design tailored nutrition intervention programs for Chinese international students. PMID:26060543

The strategic targeting of females by transnational tobacco companies in South Korea following trade liberalisation

PubMed Central

Lee, Kelley; Carpenter, Carrie; Challa, Chaitanya; Lee, Sungkyu; Connolly, Gregory N; Koh, Howard K

2009-01-01

Background In 1988 South Korea opened its cigarette market to foreign companies under the threat of US trade sanctions. Despite strong social stigma against female smoking in South Korea, and restrictions on tobacco marketing to women and children, smoking rates among young Korean females increased from 1.6% in 1988 to 13% in 1998. Previous analyses describe how Asian countries have been targeted by transnational tobacco companies for new markets, with Asian females offering substantial future growth potential. An understanding of the strategies used by TTCs to increase smoking among Korean females is critical to public health efforts to adopt a stronger gender perspective in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Methods Internal documents of transnational tobacco corporations were systematically searched using keywords focused on the targeting of the female market since market liberalisation in 1988. Industry documents were analysed alongside primary and secondary data on the tobacco industry in South Korea. Results TTCs have targeted Korean females since the late 1980s, conducting market research to understand consumer preferences, cultural characteristics and social changes affecting women and girls. Brands designed to appeal to females have focused on "slim" and "superslim" cigarettes, "light" and "mild" claims, and marketing which appeals to the growing numbers of young women entering the labour force. Strategies for overcoming legal restrictions on marketing to women and children have included the use of company rather than brand names, retail distribution at venues frequented by females, trademark diversification and sponsorship. Conclusion Given the high male smoking rates in South Korea, tobacco control efforts have given limited attention to girls and women. The limited data available on female smoking behaviour suggests that, despite legal restrictions and social stigma, smoking among females has increased since market opening

The strategic targeting of females by transnational tobacco companies in South Korea following trade liberalization.

PubMed

Lee, Kelley; Carpenter, Carrie; Challa, Chaitanya; Lee, Sungkyu; Connolly, Gregory N; Koh, Howard K

2009-01-30

In 1988 South Korea opened its cigarette market to foreign companies under the threat of US trade sanctions. Despite strong social stigma against female smoking in South Korea, and restrictions on tobacco marketing to women and children, smoking rates among young Korean females increased from 1.6% in 1988 to 13% in 1998. Previous analyses describe how Asian countries have been targeted by transnational tobacco companies for new markets, with Asian females offering substantial future growth potential. An understanding of the strategies used by TTCs to increase smoking among Korean females is critical to public health efforts to adopt a stronger gender perspective in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Internal documents of transnational tobacco corporations were systematically searched using keywords focused on the targeting of the female market since market liberalization in 1988. Industry documents were analysed alongside primary and secondary data on the tobacco industry in South Korea. TTCs have targeted Korean females since the late 1980s, conducting market research to understand consumer preferences, cultural characteristics and social changes affecting women and girls. Brands designed to appeal to females have focused on "slim" and "superslim" cigarettes, "light" and "mild" claims, and marketing which appeals to the growing numbers of young women entering the labour force. Strategies for overcoming legal restrictions on marketing to women and children have included the use of company rather than brand names, retail distribution at venues frequented by females, trademark diversification and sponsorship. Given the high male smoking rates in South Korea, tobacco control efforts have given limited attention to girls and women. The limited data available on female smoking behaviour suggests that, despite legal restrictions and social stigma, smoking among females has increased since market opening, notably within younger age groups. In

Origins of Semisulcospira libertina (gastropoda: semisulcospiridae) in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiu, Yuh-Wen; Bor, Hor; Kuo, Po-Hsun; Hsu, Kui-Ching; Tan, Mian-Shin; Wang, Wei-Kuang; Lin, Hung-Du

2017-07-01

The most accepted hypothesis has suggested that the fauna in Taiwan Island originated from South China, but some studies supported the Japan, Ryukyu Archipelago, and Taiwan Islands as a unique biogeographical district. This study examines whether the populations of freshwater snail Semisulcospira libertina in Taiwan are closer to those in Japan based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Our study shows the populations in North Taiwan originated from Japan and the cyclic glacial caused the migrations among islands and continent repeatedly; the populations in South Taiwan might originate from South China or South Asia. Our results will not only affect the conclusions in phylogeography of freshwater species in Taiwan but also change the sampling plans in the future studies about evolutionary of freshwater species in East Asia.

Examining the extreme 2017 spring drought event in South Korea using a suite of drought indices (SPI, SC-PDSI, SPEI, EDI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, W. H.; Hayes, M. J.; Svoboda, M. D.; Fuchs, B.; Tadesse, T.; Wilhite, D. A.; Hong, E. M.; Kim, T.

2017-12-01

South Korea has experienced extreme droughts in 1994-1995, 2000-2001, 2012, 2015, and 2016-2017. The 2017 spring drought (with especially low winter precipitation recorded in winter 2016) affected a large portion of central and western South Korea, and was one of the most severe droughts in the region since the 2000-2001 drought. The spring drought of 2017 was characterized by exceptionally low precipitation with total precipitation from January to June being 50% lower than the mean normal precipitation record (1981-2010) over most of western South Korea. It was the climatologically driest spring over the 1961-2016 record period. Effective drought monitoring and management depends on which drought indices are selected because each drought index has different drought criteria or levels of drought severity, associated with drought responses. In this study, for the quantitative analysis of the spring 2017 drought event in South Korea, four widely-used drought indices, including the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), the Self-Calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (SC-PDSI), and the Effective Drought Index (EDI) are compared with observed drought damaged areas in the context of agricultural drought impacts. The South Korean government (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC)) has been operating a government-level drought monitoring system since 2016. Results from this study can be used to improve the drought monitoring applications, as well as drought planning and preparedness in South Korea.

Prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis by PCR in men attending a primary care urology clinic in South Korea.

PubMed

Seo, Jun-Hyeok; Yang, Hye-Won; Joo, So-Young; Song, Su-Min; Lee, Yu-Ran; Ryu, Jae-Sook; Yoo, Eun Sang; Lee, Won Kee; Kong, Hyun-Hee; Lee, Sang-Eun; Lee, Won-Ja; Goo, Youn-Kyoung; Chung, Dong-Il; Hong, Yeonchul

2014-10-01

Trichomonas vaginalis, a causative agent of trichomoniasis, may trigger symptomatic or asymptomatic nongonococcal urethritis and chronic prostatitis in men. Despite the availability of highly sensitive diagnostic tests, such as nucleic acid amplification tests, including PCR, few prospective studies present data on male T. vaginalis infection in South Korea. In the present study, the prevalence of T. vaginalis and associated clinical conditions were evaluated in 201 male patients from a primary care urology clinic in South Korea. The prevalence of T. vaginalis infection in our cohort was 4% (8/201) by PCR. T. vaginalis infection was common in men older than 40 years (median age, 52 years). Among the 8 Trichomonas-positive patients, 87.5% (7/8) had prostatic diseases, such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and 25.0% (2/8) and 12.5% (1/8) were coinfected with Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium, respectively. Our results suggest that T. vaginalis infection is not rare in men attending primary care urology clinics in South Korea, especially in those older than 40 years, in whom it may explain the presence of prostatic disease. The possibility of T. vaginalis infection should be routinely considered in older male patients with prostatic diseases in South Korea.

Correlation between national influenza surveillance data and google trends in South Korea.

PubMed

Cho, Sungjin; Sohn, Chang Hwan; Jo, Min Woo; Shin, Soo-Yong; Lee, Jae Ho; Ryoo, Seoung Mok; Kim, Won Young; Seo, Dong-Woo

2013-01-01

In South Korea, there is currently no syndromic surveillance system using internet search data, including Google Flu Trends. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between national influenza surveillance data and Google Trends in South Korea. Our study was based on a publicly available search engine database, Google Trends, using 12 influenza-related queries, from September 9, 2007 to September 8, 2012. National surveillance data were obtained from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) influenza-like illness (ILI) and virologic surveillance system. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to compare the national surveillance and the Google Trends data for the overall period and for 5 influenza seasons. The correlation coefficient between the KCDC ILI and virologic surveillance data was 0.72 (p<0.05). The highest correlation was between the Google Trends query of H1N1 and the ILI data, with a correlation coefficient of 0.53 (p<0.05), for the overall study period. When compared with the KCDC virologic data, the Google Trends query of bird flu had the highest correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.93 (p<0.05) in the 2010-11 season. The following queries showed a statistically significant correlation coefficient compared with ILI data for three consecutive seasons: Tamiflu (r = 0.59, 0.86, 0.90, p<0.05), new flu (r = 0.64, 0.43, 0.70, p<0.05) and flu (r = 0.68, 0.43, 0.77, p<0.05). In our study, we found that the Google Trends for certain queries using the survey on influenza correlated with national surveillance data in South Korea. The results of this study showed that Google Trends in the Korean language can be used as complementary data for influenza surveillance but was insufficient for the use of predictive models, such as Google Flu Trends.

Comparison of incubation period distribution of human infections with MERS-CoV in South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Virlogeux, Victor; Fang, Vicky J; Park, Minah; Wu, Joseph T; Cowling, Benjamin J

2016-10-24

The incubation period is an important epidemiologic distribution, it is often incorporated in case definitions, used to determine appropriate quarantine periods, and is an input to mathematical modeling studies. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) is an emerging infectious disease in the Arabian Peninsula. There was a large outbreak of MERS in South Korea in 2015. We examined the incubation period distribution of MERS coronavirus infection for cases in South Korea and in Saudi Arabia. Using parametric and nonparametric methods, we estimated a mean incubation period of 6.9 days (95% credibility interval: 6.3-7.5) for cases in South Korea and 5.0 days (95% credibility interval: 4.0-6.6) among cases in Saudi Arabia. In a log-linear regression model, the mean incubation period was 1.42 times longer (95% credibility interval: 1.18-1.71) among cases in South Korea compared to Saudi Arabia. The variation that we identified in the incubation period distribution between locations could be associated with differences in ascertainment or reporting of exposure dates and illness onset dates, differences in the source or mode of infection, or environmental differences.

Re-Conceptualization of Scientific Literacy in South Korea for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Kyunghee; Lee, Hyunju; Shin, Namsoo; Kim, Sung-Won; Krajcik, Joseph

2011-01-01

As the context of human life expands from personal to global, a new vision of scientific literacy is needed. Based on a synthesis of the literature and the findings of an online survey of South Korean and US secondary science teachers, we developed a framework for scientific literacy for South Korea that includes five dimensions: content…

Emergency department visits due to pesticide poisoning in South Korea, 2006-2009.

PubMed

Ko, Yousun; Kim, Hyun Joong; Cha, Eun Shil; Kim, Jaeyoung; Lee, Won Jin

2012-02-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the numbers and rate of emergency department visits in South Korea that are the result of pesticide poisoning and to describe their epidemiologic characteristics. Data collected from the National Emergency Department Information System were used to estimate the number of emergency department visits due to pesticide poisoning in South Korea for the period spanning 2006 through 2009. Emergency department visits for pesticide poisoning were defined by ICD-10 codes (T60.0-T60.9). National estimates and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated per 100 000 population. Among the 65 877 total poisoning-related emergency department visits in the data, 11 985 (18.2%) were emergency department visits resulting from pesticide poisoning. During the study period, the annual average rate of emergency department visits for pesticide poisoning was 26.8 per 100 000 population. Intentional pesticide poisoning (51.4%) was more frequent than unintentional. The fatality rate from intentional pesticide poisoning was also higher than that from unintentional or cases where the intention was unknown. In terms of age-specific rates of emergency department visits for pesticide poisoning, they increased with age, as did the gap between men and women. This study provide estimates for emergency department visits due to pesticide poisoning at the national level and suggests that pesticide poisonings, both intentional and unintentional, require significant public health interventions in South Korea.

Genetic analysis of duck circovirus in Pekin ducks from South Korea.

PubMed

Cha, S-Y; Kang, M; Cho, J-G; Jang, H-K

2013-11-01

The genetic organization of the 24 duck circovirus (DuCV) strains detected in commercial Pekin ducks from South Korea between 2011 and 2012 is described in this study. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses were performed on the 24 viral genome sequences as well as on 45 genome sequences available from the GenBank database. Phylogenetic analyses based on the genomic and open reading frame 2/cap sequences demonstrated that all DuCV strains belonged to genotype 1 and were designated in a subcluster under genotype 1. Analysis of the capsid protein amino acid sequences of the 24 Korean DuCV strains showed 10 substitutions compared with that of other genotype 1 strains. Our analysis showed that genotype 1 is predominant and circulating in South Korea. These present results serve as incentive to add more data to the DuCV database and provide insight to conduct further intensive study on the geographic relationships among these virus strains.

Heterogeneity in TV fast food advertisement exposure in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Tae Hyun; Han, Euna; Jang, Sunmee

2014-03-01

To assess TV fast food ad exposure in South Korea. We assessed time trends of targeted ratings (licensed from Nielsen Media Research Korea) by household income and education during 2004-2010. Lower income groups saw more fast food TV ads during the study period. Exposure decreased in all income groups with a bigger income gap in 2010 than in 2004. The relative exposure to local fried chicken franchise TV ads surged from one fifth in 2004 to half of all TV fast food ads seen in 2010 in all socioeconomic status (SES). Future studies should assess the link between TV fast ood ad exposure, an important contextual factor for individual food choices, and actual consumption.

Ethnic Variations in Factors Contributing to the Life Satisfaction of Migrant Wives in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Miai; Chin, Meejung; Lee, Jaerim; Lee, Soyoung

2013-01-01

Using data from the 2009 National Survey on Multicultural Families, we examined the factors associated with the level of life satisfaction among migrant wives in South Korea. Separate analyses were conducted for the four major ethnic and national groups of migrant wives in Korea: Chosun-jok (Korean Chinese), Han Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipinas.…

Overview of the Epidemiology of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction in South Korea

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This review assessed the epidemiology of voiding dysfunctions in South Korea. Comprehensive understanding of this epidemiology is crucial because the senior population and the social burden are increasing because of voiding dysfunctions is growing. We searched the medical records using several terms related to voiding dysfunction: benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract symptoms, overactive bladder, and nocturia. We then estimated the prevalence of voiding dysfunctions in South Korea; our data were comparable with those from other countries, with slight differences. The ranges of incidences varied widely between studies, mostly because investigators defined disorders differently. Voiding dysfunction greatly affects healthcare costs and individual quality of life; therefore, more proper and valuable epidemiologic data are needed. In addition, efforts to unify the definitions of various voiding dysfunctions and progress in investigational methodologies using multimedia are warranted. PMID:27377940

Teaching about South Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schisgall, Jane; Farmer, Rod

1984-01-01

Learning activities will help secondary students become aware of Korea as a separate entity in Asia, see Korea as a developing area of the modern world, and gain an appreciation for Korean traditions. (RM)

Geographical inequalities in suicide rates and area deprivation in South Korea.

PubMed

Hong, Jihyung; Knapp, Martin

2013-09-01

Recent years have witnessed growing interest in determinants of suicide in South Korea. While much of the research has paid attention to the role of individual factors in explaining suicide mortality, another potentially important dimension of health inequality is geography. To describe the geographical distribution of suicide rates in South Korea, and to examine to what extent the distribution is shaped by area deprivation. Using 2004-2006 mortality data and 2005 population census data, the study first described the spatial mapping of age-standardised suicide rates and level of area deprivation across 250 districts in South Korea. A spatial lag model was also employed to examine the association between the two, taking into account the spatial dependence and interactions between neighbouring districts, as indicated by Moran's I and Geary' C statistics. In addition to level of area deprivation, population density, welfare spending, and rates of divorce, marriage and fertility at district-level were added to the model. The spatial mapping of suicide rates across 250 districts exhibited a different pattern between males and females. While the highest suicide rates tended to cluster in the north-east region of South Korea for males, no clear pattern was observed for females. On the other hand, the lowest suicide rates for both males and females were found in most districts of the capital city. The results of the spatial lag model revealed a significant association between suicide rates and area deprivation, particularly for male suicide. Compared to the least deprived area, there were about 12-13 more male suicide cases (per 100,000 males) in highly deprived areas. The association with area deprivation was less clear for females. Population density was negatively associated with suicide rates for both males and females. While suicide rates were in general positively associated with divorce rates and negatively associated with fertility rates, the coefficients of both

Sediment characteristics and provenance of the Taiwan Shoal in the southern Taiwan Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, W. S.; Lin, A. T.; Kuo, L. W.; Lee, Y. H.

2016-12-01

The Taiwan Shoal in the southern Taiwan Strait exhibits a lobe-shaped shallow water area, with a depth less than around 40 m and an area approximately of 13,000 km2. The Shoal consists of relict sediments remnant from deltaic deposits during the last glacial period and associated with the paleo-Min River. We collected seafloor sediments in and around the Taiwan Shoal to study the sediment characteristics and provenance of the Shoal as well as Taiwanese river sediments to characterize sediment sourced from southern Taiwan. Our results help to understand possible sediment delivery pathways in a source-to-sink context from the southern Taiwan Strait to the northern South China Sea. The method of X-ray diffraction is used to identify mineral compositions for muds and mineral compositions are examined under polarized microscope for sands. Zircon grains are separated from heavy minerals for U-Pb dating in order to understand the sediment source terranes. Sediments of the Taiwan Shoal are mostly tawny-colored, medium to coarse-grained sands with abundant shell fragments and shallow-water benthic foraminifera. Sediments to the south of the Taiwan Shoal and in the outer shelf consist of dark brown-colored and fine-grained sands with rare shell fragments. Siliciclastic compositions of the Taiwan Shoal sediments are mostly quartz. The second abundant composition is rock fragments with more occurrences near the Chinese coastline and the Penghu archipelago. Slate fragments are found to occur near Taiwan, especially in the Penghu Channel area. Clay minerals from the Penghu Channels and south of the Taiwan Shoal are dominated by illite and chlorite with minor smectite and kaolinite. The sediment colors and mineral species are very different for the sediments of the Taiwan Shoal and outer shelf, revealing that these two areas featuring different oceanographic processes and sediment provenance.

Performance of universal health insurance: lessons from South Korea.

PubMed

Moon, Sangho; Shin, Jaeun

2007-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess the maturity of the South Korean healthcare system in comparison with those of the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and to provide a foundation to evaluate the performance of the South Korean healthcare system. Using OECD Health Data 2005, we evaluated the performance of the healthcare system of the 30 industrialized countries. The evaluation focused on three dimensions that have remained central to healthcare debates internationally for years: access, cost and outcomes. Although South Korea has successfully implemented its universal health insurance scheme in a very short period of time and possesses highly advanced medical technologies, we found that South Koreans incurred more out-of-pocket expenditures on healthcare. Health outcomes were of relatively low quality compared with those of other OECD countries, but compared relatively well with the four countries (Greece, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) with similar per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

Performance of universal health insurance: lessons from South Korea.

PubMed

Moon, Sangho; Shin, Jaeun

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the maturity of the South Korean healthcare system in comparison with those of the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and to provide a foundation to evaluate the performance of the South Korean healthcare system. Using OECD Health Data 2005, we evaluated the performance of the healthcare system of the 30 industrialized countries. The evaluation focused on three dimensions that have remained central to healthcare debates internationally for years: access, cost and outcomes. Although South Korea has successfully implemented its universal health insurance scheme in a very short period of time and possesses highly advanced medical technologies, we found that South Koreans incurred more out-of-pocket expenditures on healthcare. Health outcomes were of relatively low quality compared with those of other OECD countries, but compared relatively well with the four countries (Greece, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) with similar per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

International trends in health science librarianship part 11: Japan and Korea.

PubMed

Sakai, Yukiko; Sato, Kuniko; Suwabe, Naoko; Gemba, Hiroko; Nozoe, Atsutake; Seo, Jeong-Wook; Kim, Hye Yang

2014-09-01

This is the 11th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship. The previous article in this series looked at the Far East (Greater China, Hong Kong and Taiwan). The current issue surveys developments in Japan and Korea. The next issue will explore trends in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). Next year all four issues will be devoted to trends in four regions in Africa (Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and North Africa. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Journal.

Colorectal cancer among Koreans living in South Korea versus California: incidence, mortality, and screening rates.

PubMed

Ryu, So Yeon; Crespi, Catherine M; Maxwell, Annette E

2014-08-01

This study compared trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates among Koreans in South Korea and Korean Americans and non-Hispanic whites in California between 1999 and 2009, and examined CRC screening rates and socio-demographic correlates of CRC screening in the two Korean populations. Age-standardized CRC incidence and mortality rates of Koreans in South Korea and Korean Americans and non-Hispanic whites in California for the years 1999-2009 were obtained from annual reports of cancer statistics and modeled using joinpoint regression. Using 2009 data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the California Health Interview Survey, we estimated and compared CRC screening rates and test modalities. We used multiple logistic regression to examine socio-demographic correlates of completion of CRC screening according to the guidelines among the two Korean populations. CRC incidence and mortality rates among South Koreans increased during 1999-2009 but more slowly during the late 2000s. In California, CRC incidence increased among Korean American females but decreased among non-Hispanic whites. About 37% of South Koreans and 60% of Korean Americans reported completion of CRC screening according to guidelines in 2009. Among South Koreans, married status, higher income, and private health insurance were associated with CRC screening, adjusting for other factors. Among Korean Americans, having health insurance was associated with CRC screening. Despite almost identical CRC screening guidelines in South Korea and the USA and substantially higher screening rates among Korean Americans as compared to South Koreans, disparities remain in both populations with respect to CRC statistics. Thus, efforts to promote primary and secondary prevention of CRC in both Korean populations are critically important in both countries.

Radioactive impact in South Korea from the damaged nuclear reactors in Fukushima: evidence of long and short range transport.

PubMed

Hong, G H; Hernández-Ceballos, M A; Lozano, R L; Kim, Y I; Lee, H M; Kim, S H; Yeh, S-W; Bolívar, J P; Baskaran, M

2012-12-01

Traces of long-lived fallout-derived radioisotopes ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) were found in wet and dry deposition samples collected from the west and east coasts of South Korea from March to May 2011 following the release of radionuclides from the damaged nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Japan. The analysis of air mass back trajectory and atmospheric pressure systems indicated that the Fukushima-derived radiocaesium had predominantly reached South Korea from the west by surface westerlies from 11 March to 5 April; however, after 6 April, air masses arrived from Japan directly due to a high pressure system that developed to the east of Japan. Spatial variation of deposition fluxes of radiocaesium in South Korea was partly attributed to the presence of local longitudinal orography.

The Diffusion of Disability Rights Policy: A Focus on Special Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoo, Joan P.; Palley, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This article examines the development of South Korean special education policy and suggests that different strategies of policy diffusion influenced the design of the policy at different times. Historically, South Korea relied on external pressures and influences, particularly US law and UN guidelines, to develop much of its human rights law,…

A population-based analysis of increasing rates of suicide mortality in Japan and South Korea, 1985-2010.

PubMed

Jeon, Sun Y; Reither, Eric N; Masters, Ryan K

2016-04-23

In the past two decades, rates of suicide mortality have declined among most OECD member states. Two notable exceptions are Japan and South Korea, where suicide mortality has increased by 20 % and 280 %, respectively. Population and suicide mortality data were collected through national statistics organizations in Japan and South Korea for the period 1985 to 2010. Age, period of observation, and birth cohort membership were divided into five-year increments. We fitted a series of intrinsic estimator age-period-cohort models to estimate the effects of age-related processes, secular changes, and birth cohort dynamics on the rising rates of suicide mortality in the two neighboring countries. In Japan, elevated suicide rates are primarily driven by period effects, initiated during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. In South Korea, multiple factors appear to be responsible for the stark increase in suicide mortality, including recent secular changes, elevated suicide risks at older ages in the context of an aging society, and strong cohort effects for those born between the Great Depression and the aftermath of the Korean War. In spite of cultural, demographic and geographic similarities in Japan and South Korea, the underlying causes of increased suicide mortality differ across these societies-suggesting that public health responses should be tailored to fit each country's unique situation.

77 FR 25141 - Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Germany and South Korea: Extension of Time...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-428-815, A-580-816] Corrosion...) orders on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Germany and South Korea (Korea..., regarding ``Sunset Reviews of the Antidumping Duty Orders on Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products...

Relative Importance of Human Resource Practices on Affective Commitment and Turnover Intention in South Korea and United States

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaeyoon; Sohn, Young Woo; Kim, Minhee; Kwon, Seungwoo; Park, In-Jo

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of perceived HR practices on affective commitment and turnover intention. This study explored which HR practices were relatively more important in predicting affective commitment and turnover intention. A total of 302 employees from the United States and 317 from South Korea completed the same questionnaires for assessing the aforementioned relationships. The results illustrated that among perceived HR practices, internal mobility had the most significant association with turnover intention in both the United States and South Korea. While internal mobility was a stronger predictor of affective commitment for the United States sample, training was the most important variable for predicting affective commitment in South Korea. The second purpose of the study was to examine whether individuals’ positive affect influences the relationship between perceived HR practices and affective commitment and turnover intention. In the United States, positive affect moderated the relationship between perceived HR practices and affective commitment and turnover intention such that the relationships were stronger for individuals reporting high positive affect relative to those reporting low positive affect. However, these relationships were not significant in South Korea. We discuss the implications of these results, study limitations, and practical suggestions for future research. PMID:29867647

Epidemiology of Trichomoniasis in South Korea and Increasing Trend in Incidence, Health Insurance Review and Assessment 2009-2014.

PubMed

Joo, So-Young; Goo, Youn-Kyoung; Ryu, Jae-Sook; Lee, Sang-Eun; Lee, Won Kee; Chung, Dong-Il; Hong, Yeonchul

2016-01-01

Trichomoniasis, which is caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, is one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infections; however, limited population-based data are available that describe patterns and trends of the disease. We summarized insurance claims of trichomoniasis cases reported during 2009-2014 to South Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The average annual incidence in South Korea was 276.8 persons per 100,000 population, and a substantial sex-associated variation was observed. The incidence rate among female subjects trended upward over 6 years, that is, it increased from 501 in 2009 to 625.8 in 2014 per 100,000 female population, which indicates a 25% overall increase. This trend was sharpest in the ≥60 years group of female population. However, a 66% decrease in incidence rates was observed among male subjects (23.7 in 2009 to 15.7 in 2014 per 100,000 male population). Further, substantial decrease was observed in the ≥40 years groups of male population. The incidence of trichomoniasis varied across regions and was the highest in Jeju province of South Korea. Overall, as the incidence of trichomoniasis appears to have increased in South Korea during 2009-2014, the disease burden is increasing; hence, there is a need to better understand the disease transmission.

Health professional-patient communication practices in East Asia: An integrative review of an emerging field of research and practice in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Mainland China.

PubMed

Pun, Jack K H; Chan, E Angela; Wang, Sophie; Slade, Diana

2018-07-01

To provide an integrative review of literature on health communication in East Asia and detail culturally-specific influences. Using PRISMA model, search of PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Knowledge, ERIC and CINAHL databases were conducted for studies between January 2000 and March 2017, using the terms 'clinician/health professional-patient', 'nurse/doctor-patient, 'communication' and 'Asia'. 38 studies were included: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The existing body of research on clinician patient communication in East Asia can be classified: 1) understanding the roles and expectations of the nurse, clinician, patient, and family in clinician-patient consultations: a) nurse-patient communication; b) doctor-patient communication; c) the role of family member; and 2) factors affecting quality of care: d) cultural attitudes towards death and terminal illnesses; e) communication preferences affecting trust, decision-making and patient satisfaction; f) the extent to which patient centred care is being implemented in practice; and g) communication practices in multilingual/multi-disciplinary environments. The review detailed the complexity and heterogeneity of clinician-patient communication across East Asia. The studies reviewed indicate that research in East Asia is starting to move beyond a preference for Western-based communication practices. There is a need to consider local culture in understanding and interpreting medical encounters in East Asia. The paper highlights the need for a specific culturally-appropriate model of health communication in East Asia which may significantly improve relationships between clinicians and patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender, Power and Emotion: Towards Holistic Understanding of Mature Women Students in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sunghoe

2013-01-01

This study investigates the life experiences of six mature undergraduate women at a traditional 4-year university in South Korea. It explores women's construction of their university lives in the context of their wider socio-cultural experiences, both past and present, which are shaped by the socio-historical context of South Korean society. The…

Sexual behavior survey and screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in university students in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Ju; Cho, Yong-Hyun; Ha, U-Syn; Kim, Sae Woong; Yoon, Moon Soo; Bae, Kyunghee

2005-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to define the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections and status of sexual risk behavior among university students (18-25 years old) in the capital region of South Korea. Participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire related to sexuality. First-void urine was analyzed for chlamydial and gonococcal infection by strand displacement amplification (BDProbTecET, BD Diagnostic Systems, MD). A total of 622 students from 15 colleges in three universities took part in the study. The median age was 21 and 39.1% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. The prevalence of C. trachomatis among sexually active men and women was 8.4% and 10.6%, respectively. Gonococcal infection was noted in one symptomatic male. Factors significantly associated with infection were the number of sexual partners during past year and lifetime and condom use. This is the first sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening in university students in South Korea. Urine-based STI screening was both feasible and acceptable in university students in South Korea. It should be considered a routine part of programs to control STI nationally.

Evaluation of WRF model-derived direct irradiance for solar thermal resource assessment over South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jin-Young; Yun, Chang-Yeol; Kim, Chang Ki; Kang, Yong-Heack; Kim, Hyun-Goo; Lee, Sang-Nam; Kim, Shin-Young

2017-06-01

The South Korean government has been started monitoring and reassessment for new and renewable resource under greenhouse reduction related with the climate agreement in Paris. This study investigated characteristics of the model-derived direct normal irradiance(DNI) using ten-minute data of the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model with 1 km grid spacing. First, ground horizontal irradiance(GHI) and direct normal irradiance(DNI) from the model was compared with those of ground stations throughout South Korea to evaluate the uncertainty of the GHI-derived DNI. Then solar thermal resource potential was assessed using a DNI map. Uncertainty of irradiances appeared highly dependent on sky conditions. Root mean square errors in DNI(GHI) was 45.39%(18.06%) for all sky with the range of 9.92˜51.93%(14.49˜51.47%) for clear to overcast sky. These indicate DNI is further sensitive to cloud condition in Korea which is around 72% of cloud days during a whole year. Finally DNI maps showed high value over most areas except southeastern areas and Jeju island which is humid regions in South Korea.

Nutritional quality and patterns of lunch menus at child care centers in South Korea and Japan.

PubMed

Kwon, Sooyoun; Yeoh, Yoonjae; Abe, Satoko

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the nutritional quality and patterns of lunch menus provided by child care centers in South Korea and Japan. The weekly lunch menus from Monday to Saturday that child care centers provided in November 2014 in South Korea and Japan were analyzed. For Korea, a total of 72 meals provided by 12 centers in Seoul were analyzed by referring to the homepage of the Center for Children's Foodservice Management, which serviced menus for child care centers. For Japan, a total of 30 meals provided by 5 child care centers in Tokyo were analyzed. Nutrient content and pattern in lunch menus were evaluated. The lunch menus in Korea and Japan provided 359.5 kcal (25.7% of the estimated energy requirement) and 376.3 kcal (29.5% of the estimated energy requirement), respectively. 'Rice + Soup + Main dish + Side dish I + Side dish II' were provided in 66.7% of meals in Korea, while various patterns with rice and soup as their bases were provided in Japan. The lunch menus of child care centers in Korea and Japan provide similar amounts of energy, protein, carbohydrate, vitamin A, calcium, and other nutrients. However, there were significant differences in the lunch menu patterns in Korea and Japan. This study provides information about the nutritional content and pattern of lunch menus at child care centers in Asian countries with rice as a staple food.

Andragogical Methods for TESOL Trainers from Action Research in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richter, Jesse Jones

2013-01-01

This qualitative study uses action research methodology to investigate the thematic components of English language teacher training programs in the drive to develop a universal model framework. A two-part professional development in-service program in South Korea is used as a platform for the model. Similarities and differences between real and…

Enlightenment of Development of Higher Education in South Korea to China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Che, Zhenghong; Che, Zhengmei

2012-01-01

China and South Korea are two neighboring countries and are both developing countries. Furthermore, the modern and contemporary higher education of these two countries originates from the middle and late 19th Century, so there are a lot of similarities between the two countries. However, although the origination period of modern and contemporary…

Increasing Number of Scarlet Fever Cases, South Korea, 2011–2016

PubMed Central

Kim, Jong-Hun

2018-01-01

The increasing number of reported scarlet fever cases during 2011‒2016 in the National Notifiable Infectious Disease database in South Korea occurred because of increased overall reporting and expanded reporting criteria rather than because of increasing scarlet fever incidence. Further increases are anticipated because of other expansions in reporting requirements. PMID:29260684

Health-Promoting Behavior and Influencing Factors in Young North Korean Refugees (NKRs) Living in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Jumin; Kwon, Young Dae; Park, Hyunchun; Yu, Shi Eun; Noh, Jin-Won

2018-02-02

The number of young North Korean refugees (NKRs) entering South Korea to escape famine and poverty and improve their quality of life is drastically increasing. The aims of this study were to identify and compare health promoting lifestyle behaviors (HPLBs) of young NKRs, compared to South Koreans, and to investigate influencing factors related to HPLBs in young NKRs. Data were obtained from 150 NKRs residing in South Korea and 161 South Koreans. Respondents provided their psychological status (depression, stress, and life satisfaction) and HPLBs. The NKRs reported lower interpersonal relations scores and higher spiritual growth scores compared to the control group. Attendance in religious services, stress, and life satisfaction were significantly associated with HPLBs in young NKRs. Health education and/or promotion programs focusing interpersonal relations and spiritual growth may be beneficial. In addition, regular psychological health screening is proposed as part of health-checkup programs, potentially improving adjustment to South Korean society.

Correlates of Domestic Violence Victimization Among North Korean Refugee Women in South Korea.

PubMed

Um, Mee Young; Kim, Hee Jin; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2018-07-01

Although many North Korean (NK) refugee women are victims of domestic violence (DV) in North Korea, face sexual exploitation during migration, and remain at risk of DV while adapting to life in South Korea, there is no empirical evidence about risk factors for DV in this population. To fill this gap, this study examined whether gender role beliefs, child abuse history, and sociocultural adaptation were associated with past-year physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, and whether they were associated with multiple forms of abuse. We also explored whether these associations were similar or different across different types of DV among NK refugee women. A sample of 180 ever-married NK refugee women in South Korea from the 2010 National Survey on Family Violence was used for analysis. Physical abuse was associated with more traditional gender role beliefs; emotional abuse and multiple forms of abuse were associated with lower levels of sociocultural adaptation; and sexual and economic abuse were associated with an increased likelihood of childhood abuse and poor sociocultural adaptation. Our study findings underscore the importance of assisting NK refugee women to be better adapted to the new culture in a practical way, because better sociocultural adaptation might protect them from experiencing various types of abuse. At the same time, findings of this study highlight the need for empowering NK refugee women who report physical abuse by educating their rights and altering their traditional beliefs of gender roles, and screening of childhood abuse and providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy to those who report sexual or economic abuse. Moreover, we suggest future studies to examine correlates of different forms of abuse separately because they can inform culturally tailored interventions for abused NK refugee women. To prevent further victimization, educational programs should be provided to NK refugee women at an early stage of resettlement in South Korea.

Predicting Alcohol Misuse Among College Students in the US and South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Yeon; Ahn, Seokhoon; Lim, Tae-Seop

2015-01-01

This study examines contributing factors of alcohol misuse among college students in South Korea and the U.S. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) on measurements of alcohol expectancy, alcohol efficacy, and accommodation resulted in social and personal causes for alcohol misuse. Social causes alone predicted alcohol misuse for both countries. Social factors constituted a much stronger predictor of alcohol misuse among South Korean students than among American students. Practical implications for effective deterrence of student binge drinking are discussed.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in South Korea: Current Status and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Joungmin; Kim, Kyeong-hwa

2016-01-01

In South Korea, there is no consensus on the definition of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This column focuses on how the definition has affected the prevalence rates and services available for students with EBDs. Of the legal, clinical, and educational definitions, the legal definition of EBDs is currently in common use, which raises…

Correlation between National Influenza Surveillance Data and Google Trends in South Korea

PubMed Central

Jo, Min Woo; Shin, Soo-Yong; Lee, Jae Ho; Ryoo, Seoung Mok; Kim, Won Young; Seo, Dong-Woo

2013-01-01

Background In South Korea, there is currently no syndromic surveillance system using internet search data, including Google Flu Trends. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between national influenza surveillance data and Google Trends in South Korea. Methods Our study was based on a publicly available search engine database, Google Trends, using 12 influenza-related queries, from September 9, 2007 to September 8, 2012. National surveillance data were obtained from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) influenza-like illness (ILI) and virologic surveillance system. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to compare the national surveillance and the Google Trends data for the overall period and for 5 influenza seasons. Results The correlation coefficient between the KCDC ILI and virologic surveillance data was 0.72 (p<0.05). The highest correlation was between the Google Trends query of H1N1 and the ILI data, with a correlation coefficient of 0.53 (p<0.05), for the overall study period. When compared with the KCDC virologic data, the Google Trends query of bird flu had the highest correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.93 (p<0.05) in the 2010-11 season. The following queries showed a statistically significant correlation coefficient compared with ILI data for three consecutive seasons: Tamiflu (r = 0.59, 0.86, 0.90, p<0.05), new flu (r = 0.64, 0.43, 0.70, p<0.05) and flu (r = 0.68, 0.43, 0.77, p<0.05). Conclusions In our study, we found that the Google Trends for certain queries using the survey on influenza correlated with national surveillance data in South Korea. The results of this study showed that Google Trends in the Korean language can be used as complementary data for influenza surveillance but was insufficient for the use of predictive models, such as Google Flu Trends. PMID:24339927

Characteristics and Factors Associated with Death among Patients Hospitalized for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, South Korea, 2013.

PubMed

Shin, Jaeseung; Kwon, Donghyok; Youn, Seung-Ki; Park, Ji-Hyuk

2015-10-01

In South Korea, nationwide surveillance for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) began during 2013. Among 301 surveillance cases, 35 hospitalized case-patients in 25 areas were confirmed by using virologic testing, and 16 (46%) case-patients subsequently died. The SFTS cases occurred during May-November and peaked during June (9 cases, 26%). The incidence of SFTS was higher in the southern regions of South Korea. Age and neurologic symptoms, including decreased level of consciousness and slurred speech, were heavily associated with death; neurologic symptoms during the first week after disease onset were also associated with death. Although melena was common among patients who died, no other hemorrhagic manifestations were substantively more common among those who died. No effective treatments, including ribavirin, were identified. Expansion of SFTS surveillance to include the outpatient sector and development of an antibody test would enhance completeness of SFTS detection in South Korea.

Health Behavior and Factors Associated with Depression in North Korean Adolescent Defectors in South Korea: The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, 2011-2014.

PubMed

Kim, Min Joung; Yu, Seon Yeong; Kim, Sunyoung; Won, Chang Won; Choi, Hyunrim; Kim, Byung Sung

2017-09-01

The number of North Korean adolescent defectors entering South Korea has been increasing. The health behavior, including mental health-related behavior, and factors associated with depression in North Korean adolescent defectors residing in South Korea were investigated. Data obtained from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2011-2014) dataset were utilized. In total, 206 North Korean adolescent defectors were selected, and for the control group, 618 matched South Korean adolescents were selected. Frequency analysis was used to determine the place of birth and nationality of the parents, chi-square tests were used to compare the general characteristics of the North and South Korean subjects, and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to compare the health behavior of the two sets of subjects. To determine the factors associated with depression in the North Korean subjects, a logistic regression was performed. The North Korean adolescents reported higher current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 4.35), current drinking (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.99), and drug use rates (aOR, 10.99; 95% CI, 4.04 to 29.88) than did the South Korean adolescents. The factors associated with depression in the North Korean adolescents were current smoking (aOR, 6.99; 95% CI, 1.62 to 30.06), lifetime drinking experience (aOR, 5.32; 95% CI, 1.51 to 18.75), and perceived stress (aOR, 4.74; 95% CI, 1.74 to 12.90). There were differences in health behavior between the North and South Korean adolescents. A specialized approach for North Korean adolescent defectors is required to promote proper health behavior and adaptation to South Korean society.

New emergence pattern with variant porcine epidemic diarrhea viruses, South Korea, 2012-2015.

PubMed

Chung, Hee-Chun; Lee, Jee-Hoon; Nguyen, Van Giap; Huynh, Thi My Le; Lee, Ga-Eun; Moon, Hyoung-Joon; Park, Seong-Jun; Kim, Hye-Kwon; Park, Bong Kyun

2016-12-02

Since outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in the United States in 2013, explosive outbreaks of PED in South Korea have infected all age groups of pigs in 2014-2015year. This study analyzed a large collection of the Spike protein coding gene to infer the spatial-temporal diffusion history of PEDV. The studying results suggested that PEDVs in Korea belonged to different genogroups. While classical G1 was continuingly circulating between provinces of Korea, the pandemic G2a were recently introduced from China and USA. By the application of Bayesian phylogeographical analysis, this study demonstrated the spatial-temporal transmission of PEDVs within Korea. Of the recent emerged G2a viruses, J3142 strains showed potential recombination breakpoint (376-2,143nt) of S1 gene between KNU1303_Korea strain_G2a (KJ451046) and 45RWVCF0712_Thailand strain_G2b (KF724935). The pandemic G2a virus was partial neutralized by the antibodies invoked by the G1- based PED vaccine virus. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Glocalisation or Globalisation? Travelling Discourses of Child Poverty Policy in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jahng, Kyung Eun

2011-01-01

This article examines the interplay between globalising and localising forces occurring in a child welfare reform project in South Korea. Focusing especially on care and education services for children and families provided by the Korean "Dream Start" programme, which provides comprehensive health, parental involvement and welfare…

A Study on the Horizontal Stratification of Higher Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Hwanbo

2015-01-01

This study analyzed university and college graduates' income gap in South Korea to investigate factors influencing such disparities. Specifically, this study focused on types of higher education institutions and academic disciplines among the many factors affecting post-graduation income differences, using a hierarchical linear model. According to…

Health of International Marriage Immigrant Women in South Korea: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ahn, Jeong-Ah; Kim, Tiffany; Roh, Eun Ha; Song, Ju-Eun

2018-06-01

International marriage migration is now one of the most prominent forms of migration in Asia, and the number of women migrating to South Korea for marriage has increased dramatically in the last two decades. In this article, we provide a systematic review regarding the health status and health-related issues of international marriage immigrant women. The literature search identified 620 articles, of which 53 studies are presented in the article. Three overarching categories including six subcategories were identified according to the research focus; 'Environmental factors of health' including social support and barriers, 'Health status' including physical, psychological and social health, and quality of life as 'Outcome of health'. Overall women immigrants by marriage showed relatively poor health outcomes. Social support was an important factor affecting the health status and quality of life in this population. We offer recommendations to develop and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate health promoting programs for international marriage immigrant women in South Korea.

English or Perish: How Contemporary South Korea Received, Accommodated, and Internalized English and American Modernity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, JongHwa; Han, Min Wha; McKerrow, Raymie E.

2010-01-01

This paper discusses the positionality of English in South Korea as a form of symbolic capital that represents the discursive power of Americanism and East Asian Social Darwinism. By employing Bourdieu's and Foucault's theoretical orientations, this paper traces how South Korean linguistic policies to incorporate English loan words coincide with…

Developmental State Policy, Educational Development, and Economic Development: Policy Processes in South Korea (1961-1979)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Ki Su

2012-01-01

This paper explores two inter-connected issues--the state's role in educational development and educational contribution to economic development--in the policy processes entailed by the South Korean state's pursuit of economic development during the Park Chung Hi era, 1961-1979. It disputes the statist view that South Korea's economic development…

Successful IT Start-Ups' HRD Practices: Four Cases in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Yonjoo; McLean, Gary N.

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify South Korea's successful IT start-ups' HRD practices to determine whether there are steps that must be taken to maintain their HRD expertise for continued growth. Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach employing four fast-growing IT start-up cases was undertaken based on semi-structured…

South Korea Seeks a New Role as a Higher-Education Hub

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, David

2008-01-01

In less than two generations, ambitious technocrats have transformed the southern half of the Korean peninsula from one of Asia's poorest nations into the 11th largest economy in the world. Now they want to turn South Korea into the East Asian capital of higher education. Several American colleges are in talks to set up academic and research…

Epidemiology of Trichomoniasis in South Korea and Increasing Trend in Incidence, Health Insurance Review and Assessment 2009-2014

PubMed Central

Joo, So-Young; Goo, Youn-Kyoung; Ryu, Jae-Sook; Lee, Sang-Eun; Lee, Won Kee; Chung, Dong-Il; Hong, Yeonchul

2016-01-01

Trichomoniasis, which is caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, is one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infections; however, limited population-based data are available that describe patterns and trends of the disease. We summarized insurance claims of trichomoniasis cases reported during 2009–2014 to South Korea Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The average annual incidence in South Korea was 276.8 persons per 100,000 population, and a substantial sex-associated variation was observed. The incidence rate among female subjects trended upward over 6 years, that is, it increased from 501 in 2009 to 625.8 in 2014 per 100,000 female population, which indicates a 25% overall increase. This trend was sharpest in the ≥60 years group of female population. However, a 66% decrease in incidence rates was observed among male subjects (23.7 in 2009 to 15.7 in 2014 per 100,000 male population). Further, substantial decrease was observed in the ≥40 years groups of male population. The incidence of trichomoniasis varied across regions and was the highest in Jeju province of South Korea. Overall, as the incidence of trichomoniasis appears to have increased in South Korea during 2009–2014, the disease burden is increasing; hence, there is a need to better understand the disease transmission. PMID:27936227

Vulnerability assessment of chemical industry facilities in South Korea based on the chemical accident history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, S.; Lee, W. K.; Jong-Ryeul, S.; Kim, M. I.

2016-12-01

The use of chemical compounds are keep increasing because of their use in manufacturing industry. Chemical accident is growing as the consequence of the chemical use increment. Devastating damages from chemical accidents are far enough to aware people's cautious about the risk of the chemical accident. In South Korea, Gumi Hydrofluoric acid leaking accident triggered the importance of risk management and emphasized the preventing the accident over the damage reducing process after the accident occurs. Gumi accident encouraged the government data base construction relate to the chemical accident. As the result of this effort Chemical Safety-Clearing-house (CSC) have started to record the chemical accident information and damages according to the Harmful Chemical Substance Control Act (HCSC). CSC provide details information about the chemical accidents from 2002 to present. The detail informations are including title of company, address, business type, accident dates, accident types, accident chemical compounds, human damages inside of the chemical industry facilities, human damage outside of the chemical industry facilities, financial damages inside of the chemical industry facilities, and financial damages outside of the chemical industry facilities, environmental damages and response to the chemical accident. Collected the chemical accident history of South Korea from 2002 to 2015 and provide the spatial information to the each accident records based on their address. With the spatial information, compute the data on ArcGIS for the spatial-temporal analysis. The spatial-temporal information of chemical accident is organized by the chemical accident types, damages, and damages on environment and conduct the spatial proximity with local community and environmental receptors. Find the chemical accident vulnerable area of South Korea from 2002 to 2015 and add the vulnerable area of total period to examine the historically vulnerable area from the chemical accident in

The impact of rapid economic growth and globalization on zinc nutrition in South Korea.

PubMed

Kwun, In-Sook; Do, Mi-Sook; Chung, Hae-Rang; Kim, Yang Ha; Beattie, John H

2009-08-01

Zn deficiency may be widespread in Asian countries such as South Korea. However, dietary habits have changed in response to rapid economic growth and globalization. Zn nutrition in South Koreans has therefore been assessed during a period (1969-1998) of unprecedented economic growth. Cross-sectional food consumption data from the Korean National Nutrition Survey Reports (KNNSR) of South Korea at four separate time points (1969, 1978, 1988 and 1998) were used to calculate Zn, Ca and phytate intakes using various food composition tables, databases and literature values. Nutrient values in local foods were cited from their analysed values. Average Zn intake was 5.8, 4.8 and 5.3 mg/d for 1969, 1978 and 1988 respectively, increasing to 7.3 mg/d in 1998 (73 % of the Korean Dietary Reference Intake). The phytate:Zn molar ratio decreased from 21 to 8 during the study period. Dietary Zn depletion due to marked decreases in cereal consumption, particularly barley which has a low Zn bioavailability, was counterbalanced by marked increases in the consumption of meat and fish, which are also Zn-rich foods. Reduced phytate consumption coincident with increased Zn intake suggests that Zn bioavailability also improved, particularly by 1998. Although total Zn intake was not greatly affected over the initial period of economic growth in South Korea (1969-1988), Zn contributions from different food sources changed markedly and both Zn intake and potential bioavailability were improved by 1998. The study may have implications for Zn nutrition in other Asian countries currently experiencing rapid economic growth.

GPS-determined Crustal Deformation of South Korea after the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake: Straining Heterogeneity and Seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ree, J. H.; Kim, S.; Yoon, H. S.; Choi, B. K.; Park, P. H.

2017-12-01

The GPS-determined, pre-, co- and post-seismic crustal deformations of the Korean peninsula with respect to the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake (Baek et al., 2012, Terra Nova; Kim et al., 2015, KSCE Jour. of Civil Engineering) are all stretching ones (extensional; horizontal stretching rate larger than horizontal shortening rate). However, focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes indicate that South Korea has been at compressional regime dominated by strike- and reverse-slip faultings. We reevaluated the velocity field of GPS data to see any effect of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake on the Korean crustal deformation and seismicity. To calculate the velocity gradient tensor of GPS sites, we used a gridding method based on least-square collocation (LSC). This LSC method can overcome shortcomings of the segmentation methods including the triangulation method. For example, an undesirable, abrupt change in components of velocity field occurs at segment boundaries in the segmentation methods. It is also known that LSC method is more useful in evaluating deformation patterns in intraplate areas with relatively small displacements. Velocity vectors of South Korea, pointing in general to 113° before the Tohoku-Oki earthquake, instantly changed their direction toward the epicenter (82° on average) during the Tohoku-Oki earthquake, and then gradually returned to the original position about 2 years after the Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Our calculation of velocity gradient tensors after the Tohoku-Oki earthquake shows that the stretching and rotating fields are quite heterogeneous, and that both stretching and shortening areas exist in South Korea. In particular, after the post-seismic relaxation ceased (i.e., from two years after the Tohoku-Oki earthquake), regions with thicker and thinner crusts tend to be shortening and stretching, respectively, in South Korea. Furthermore, the straining rate is larger in the regions with thinner crust. Although there is no meaningful correlation between

Patterns of drugs & poisons in southern area of South Korea in 2014.

PubMed

Kim, Eunmi; Park, Yonghoon; Ha, Hongil; Chung, Heesun

2016-12-01

The southern area of South Korea consists of three parts; Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnam-do. Busan Institute of National Forensic Service (NFS) performed about 50,000 cases throughout the southern area in 2014, occupying over 15% of total cases covered by NFS. In this study, patterns of drugs and poisons in the southern area of South Korea were investigated. The investigation was carried out by the laboratory information management system of NFS between January and December of 2014. As results, a total of 606 autopsy cases were performed by Busan Institute of NFS in 2014. Among them, 15 cases were determined as drug intoxication or poisons as the cause of death, taking up 2.5% of total cases: 5 cases of intoxication by drugs, 5 by agricultural pesticides, 3 by illicit drugs, and 1 each by detergents and chemical substances. A total of 108 drugs in postmortem bloods were detected from the autopsy cases, and the top 5 drugs were chlorpheniramine, tramadol, diazepam, zolpidem and lidocaine. Meanwhile, a total of 1,728 cases were submitted for illicit drug testing in 2014. Among them, hair was the most common type of specimens, and the rate of positive detection of methamphetamine from the hair, urine, and seized materials in the southern area was over 50% in all cases, indicating that this is the most commonly abused drug in South Korea. A total of 12 types of novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) were detected in the southern area in 2014; 10 were identified as synthetic cannabinoids and 2 as alkyl nitrites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Economic Burden of Hepatitis A, B, and C in South Korea.

PubMed

Shon, Changwoo; Choi, Hyung-Yun; Shim, Jae-Jun; Park, So-Youn; Lee, Kyung Suk; Yoon, Seok-Jun; Oh, In-Hwan

2016-01-01

The prevalence of hepatitis in South Korea is relatively high compared to that in other high-income countries. For this reason, viral hepatitis infection not only affects the population's health, but also impacts national healthcare costs. This study was performed in order to estimate the individual economic costs of the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses as well as to determine, using nationally representative data, the trends in South Korea with respect to these viruses during the 2008-2011 period. The study found that the prevalence of hepatitis A had decreased, but those of hepatitis B and C had increased overall. The mortality rate of hepatitis C was higher than that of the other two types. The mortality rate of hepatitis B had changed little, whereas that of hepatitis C had risen. The total cost of hepatitis A had decreased, from US $62.2 million to US $45.7 million, although a notable exception occurred in 2009, when the cost was US $126.6 million. Conversely, the total cost of hepatitis B had increased rapidly during the same period, from US $501.4 million to US $607.8 million. Finally, the total cost of hepatitis C had also increased from US $63.9 million to US $90.7 million. The direct costs of hepatitis A, B, and C were estimated to account for approximately 35.5%, 46.6%, and 58.0% of the total, respectively. These findings demonstrate the economic burden associated with hepatitis A, B, and C, and demonstrate the need to establish an effective prevention and management policy for future planning in South Korea.

Prevalence of fur mites in pet rabbits in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Hun; Jun, Hyung-Kyou; Song, Kun-Ho; Gram, Dunbar; Kim, Duck-Hwan

2008-06-01

The prevalence of fur mites, Cheyletiella parasitovorax and Leporacarus gibbus, in pet rabbits in South Korea was investigated by a diagnostic evaluation of skin surface tape strips and hair coat combings. C. parasitovorax was found in 80 of 140 rabbits (57.1%) and L. gibbus in six of 140 rabbits (4.3%). Clinical signs of pruritus and scaling were observed in 17 of 80 and 76 of 80 infested rabbits, respectively.

Eight-year experience of using HTA in drug reimbursement: South Korea.

PubMed

Bae, Eun-Young; Hong, Ji-Min; Kwon, Hye-Young; Jang, Suhyun; Lee, Hye-Jae; Bae, SeungJin; Yang, Bong-Min

2016-06-01

This study describes the process and results of drug reimbursement decision-making in South Korea and evaluates its performance from the perspectives of the various stakeholders involved. Data were retrieved from the evaluation report posted on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) website. As of 2014, 253 new drugs had been submitted to the HIRA for appraisal. Of these, 175 (69.2%) were recommended in favor of listing and 78 (30.8%) were rejected. Furthermore, 68 of these drugs were deemed clinically improved relative to existing drugs. For those drugs that did not demonstrate clinical superiority (which was most of them), a simple price comparison to the existing drug was utilized as a gate toward listing. On top of the base-line analysis, 104 stakeholders from the industry, academia, public office, and civic society responded to a questionnaire designed to obtain their opinions on the South Korean positive list system (PLS). Stakeholders agreed that the consistency of reimbursement decision-making has improved since 2007, while accessibility to new drugs has apparently decreased. Respondents also indicated a preference toward improved public access to decision-making information. This examination of reimbursement decisions in South Korea will illuminate critical issues for countries that are considering the introduction of similar policies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of scrub typhus and the eschars patterns in South Korea from 2008 to 2012.

PubMed

Park, Ji-Hyuk; Kim, Sun-Ja; Youn, Seung-Ki; Park, Kisoo; Gwack, Jin

2014-01-01

In South Korea, scrub typhus is the most common acute febrile illness in autumn. We analyzed scrub typhus cases reported from 2008 to 2012 to describe the epidemiology of scrub typhus as well as eschar patterns. A total of 30,478 cases were reported from 2008 to 2012; the incidence rates were higher in the southern and western regions of South Korea. The common clinical symptoms of confirmed scrub typhus cases from 2010 to 2012 were fever/chills (95.2%), eschars (78.9%), and myalgia (61.7%). The primary sites of eschars were the lower extremities (19.0%), abdomen/waist (13.4%), and axilla (11.5%) in men and the shoulder/frontal chest (15.1%), lower extremities (14.5%), and abdomen/waist (13.6%) in women. Regardless of gender, eschars tended to be more on the lower extremities among the leisure activities group. Among the occupational farm work group, who usually lived in rural areas, eschars appeared most frequently on the abdomen/waist in men and on the shoulder/frontal chest in women. Eschar patterns were influenced by gender and activities. These results could facilitate the prevention of scrub typhus and clarify the current status of scrub typhus in South Korea.

[A history of malaria in modern Korea 1876-1945].

PubMed

Yeo, Insok

2011-06-30

Although it is not certain when malaria began to appear in Korea, malaria is believed to have been an endemic disease from ancient times. It was Dr. H. N. Allen (1858-1932) who made the first description and diagnosis of malaria in terms of Western medicine. In his first year report (1885) of Korean Government Hospital he mentioned malaria as the most prevalent disease. Very effective anti-malarial drug quinine was imported and it made great contribution in treating malaria. After Japan had annexed Korea in 1910, policies for public health system were fundamentally revised. Japan assumed control of Korean medical institutions and built high-quality Western hospitals for the health care of Japanese residents. The infectious diseases which were under special surveillance were cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, typhus, scarlet fever, smallpox, and paratyphoid fever. Among chronic infectious diseases tuberculosis and leprosy were those under special control. Malaria, however, was not one of these specially controlled infectious diseases although it was widely spread throughout the peninsula. But serious studies on malaria were carried out by Japanese medical scientists. In particular, a Japanese parasitologist Kobayasi Harujiro(1884-1969) carried out extensive studies on human parasites, including malaria, in Korea. According to his study, most of the malaria in Korea turned out to be tertian fever. In spite of its high prevalence, malaria did not draw much attention from the colonial authorities and no serious measure was taken since tertian fever is a mild form of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and is not so much fatal as tropical malaria caused by P. falciparum. And tertian malaria was easily controlled by taking quinine. Although the majority of malaria in Korea was tertian fever, other types were not absent. Quartan fever was not rarely reported in 1930s. The attitude of colonial authorities toward malaria in Korea was contrasted with that in Taiwan. After

Becoming an International Scientist in South Korea: Ho Wang Lee's Research Activity about Epidemic Hemorrhagic Fever.

PubMed

Shin, Miyoung

2017-04-01

In the 1960-70s, South Korea was still in the position of a science latecomer. Although the scientific research environment in South Korea at that time was insufficient, there was a scientist who achieved outcomes that could be recognized internationally while acting in South Korea. He was Ho Wang Lee(1928~ ) who found Hantann Virus that causes epidemic hemorrhagic fever for the first time in the world. It became a clue to identify causative viruses of hemorrhagic diseases that were scattered here and there throughout the world. In addition, these outcomes put Ho Wang Lee on the global center of research into epidemic hemorrhagic fever. This paper examines how a Korean scientist who was in the periphery of virology could go into the central area of virology. Also this article shows the process through which the virus found by Ho Wang Lee was registered with the international academia and he proceeded with follow-up research based on this progress to reach the level at which he generalized epidemic hemorrhagic fever related studies throughout the world. While he was conducting the studies, experimental methods that he had never experienced encountered him as new difficulties. He tried to solve the new difficulties faced in his changed status through devices of cooperation and connection. Ho Wang Lee's growth as a researcher can be seen as well as a view of a researcher that grew from a regional level to an international level and could advance from the area of non-mainstream into the mainstream. This analytic tool is meaningful in that it can be another method of examining the growth process of scientists in South Korea or developing countries.

A systemic analysis of South Korea Sewol ferry accident - Striking a balance between learning and accountability.

PubMed

Kee, Dohyung; Jun, Gyuchan Thomas; Waterson, Patrick; Haslam, Roger

2017-03-01

The South Korea Sewol ferry accident in April 2014 claimed the lives of over 300 passengers and led to criminal charges of 399 personnel concerned including imprisonment of 154 of them as of Oct 2014. Blame and punishment culture can be prevalent in a more hierarchical society like South Korea as shown in the aftermath of this disaster. This study aims to analyse the South Korea ferry accident using Rasmussen's risk management framework and the associated AcciMap technique and to propose recommendations drawn from an AcciMap-based focus group with systems safety experts. The data for the accident analysis were collected mainly from an interim investigation report by the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea and major South Korean and foreign newspapers. The analysis showed that the accident was attributed to many contributing factors arising from front-line operators, management, regulators and government. It also showed how the multiple factors including economic, social and political pressures and individual workload contributed to the accident and how they affected each other. This AcciMap was presented to 27 safety researchers and experts at 'the legacy of Jens Rasmussen' symposium adjunct to ODAM2014. Their recommendations were captured through a focus group. The four main recommendations include forgive (no blame and punishment on individuals), analyse (socio-technical system-based), learn (from why things do not go wrong) and change (bottom-up safety culture and safety system management). The findings offer important insights into how this type of accident should be understood, analysed and the subsequent response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The simulation of Typhoon-induced coastal inundation in Busan, South Korea applying the downscaling technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Dongmin; Park, Junghyun; Yuk, Jin-Hee; Joh, MinSu

2017-04-01

Due to typhoons, the south coastal cities including Busan in South Korea coastal are very vulnerable to a surge, wave and corresponding coastal inundation, and are affected every year. In 2016, South Korea suffered tremendous damage by typhoon 'Chaba', which was developed near east-north of Guam on Sep. 28 and had maximum 10-minute sustained wind speed of about 50 m/s, 1-minute sustained wind speed of 75 m/s and a minimum central pressure of 905 hpa. As 'Chaba', which is the strongest since typhoon 'Maemi' in 2003, hit South Korea on Oct. 5, it caused a massive economic and casualty damage to Ulsan, Gyeongju and Busan in South Korea. In particular, the damage of typhoon-induced coastal inundation in Busan, where many high-rise buildings and residential areas are concentrated near coast, was serious. The coastal inundation could be more affected by strong wind-induced wave than surge. In fact, it was observed that the surge height was about 1 m averagely and a significant wave height was about 8 m at coastal sea nearby Busan on Oct. 5 due to 'Chaba'. Even though the typhoon-induced surge elevated the sea level, the typhoon-induced long period wave with wave period of more than 15s could play more important role in the inundation. The present work simulated the coastal inundation induced by 'Chaba' in Busan, South Korea considering the effects of typhoon-induced surge and wave. For 'Chaba' hindcast, high resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) was applied using a reanalysis data produced by NCEP (FNL 0.25 degree) on the boundary and initial conditions, and was validated by the observation of wind speed, direction and pressure. The typhoon-induced coastal inundation was simulated by an unstructured gird model, Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM), which is fully current-wave coupled model. To simulate the wave-induced inundation, 1-way downscaling technique of multi domain was applied. Firstly, a mother's domain including Korean peninsula was

Employment and weight status: The extreme case of body concern in South Korea.

PubMed

Han, Seung-Yong; Brewis, Alexandra A; SturtzSreetharan, Cindi

2018-05-01

For an industrialized nation, obesity rates in South Korea are extremely low. Yet, reflecting an extremely fat-averse, thin-positive society, efforts to lose weight are now reportedly very common. Since the 1980s, South Korea has experienced an increasingly flexible and insecure labor market which was exacerbated by the 1997 economic recession. In this social and economic setting, body shape and weight status, as human capital, may have gained significant bargaining power in the labor market. Consequently, we propose that Koreans, particularly those who are employed in "stable" jobs (i.e., non-manual and regular jobs), would increasingly engage in intense weight management and reduction activities even when not technically overweight or obese as a means to job security and upward mobility. Using nationally-representative data from the Korean Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (KNHANES), we identify the changing role of weight concerns versus actual body weight in predicting South Korean efforts to lose weight between 2001 (KNHANES-phase 1) and 2007-2009 (phase 4). The patterns were examined by occupation type (manual and non-manual jobs) and status (regular and non-regular jobs). Oaxaca decomposition analysis supported that people's perception of being "fat," rather than actual weight status, was crucial to explaining accelerated weight management efforts in South Korea over the decade (coef. = 0.062 and p-value < .0001 for male with regular work; coef. = 0.031 and p-value = .002 for female with regular work). Occupation status, rather than employment in itself, mattered. Job stability predicted increased effort; the pattern of change through time suggests efforts to invest high levels of effort in appearance positively impacts both employment opportunity and stability. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surveillance of classical swine fever in wild boar in South Korea from 2010-2014.

PubMed

Kim, Yong Kwan; Lim, Seong-In; Kim, Jae-Jo; Cho, Yoon-Young; Song, Jae-Young; Cho, In-Soo; Hyun, Bang-Hun; Choi, Sung-Hyun; Kim, Seung-Hoe; Park, Eun-Hye; An, Dong-Jun

2016-01-01

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious systemic hemorrhagic viral disease of pigs. Wild boar plays a crucial role in the epidemiology of CSF. Between 2010 and 2014, samples were collected nationwide from 6,654 wild boars hunted in South Korea. Anti-CSF antibodies were identified in 0.59% (39 of 6,654) of the wild boar samples using a virus neutralization test and were primarily detected in wild boars living close to the demilitarized zone and the area of the Taebaek Mountains surroundings. The CSF virus (subgroup 2.1b) was isolated from two wild boars captured in a nearby border area. The criteria used to define high-risk areas for targeted CSF surveillance in South Korea should be further expanded to include other regions nationwide.

Measuring Teaching Quality and Student Engagement in South Korea and The Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Grift, Wim J. C. M.; Chun, Seyeoung; Maulana, Ridwan; Lee, Okhwa; Helms-Lorenz, Michelle

2017-01-01

Six observation scales for measuring the skills of teachers and 1 scale for measuring student engagement, assessed in South Korea and The Netherlands, are sufficiently reliable and offer sufficient predictive value for student engagement. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis shows that the factor loadings and intercepts of the scales are the…

The emergence of a health insurance system in a developing country: the case of South Korea.

PubMed

Cho, S

1989-12-01

In an attempt to understand the social forces and the economic and political conditions under which new social policies emerge in developing countries, this study outlines factors affecting the introduction of the health insurance system in South Korea. The emergence of the South Korean health insurance system was influenced by changing labor needs of the industrial sector, increasing social expectations, external and international pressures, increasing medical costs, and class conflict. These pressures compelled the South Korean government to respond to demands for the introduction of new social welfare policies in the 1970s. In the case of South Korea, the new health insurance system resulted from the government's attempts to cope with political, economic, and social pressures rather than from an ideological commitment to the well-being of the population. The resulting insurance system was a way to maintain the social order and legitimacy of the regime, and a means to promote the health of groups important to defense or production.

Health Behavior and Factors Associated with Depression in North Korean Adolescent Defectors in South Korea: The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey, 2011–2014

PubMed Central

Kim, Min Joung; Yu, Seon Yeong; Kim, Sunyoung; Won, Chang Won; Choi, Hyunrim

2017-01-01

Background The number of North Korean adolescent defectors entering South Korea has been increasing. The health behavior, including mental health-related behavior, and factors associated with depression in North Korean adolescent defectors residing in South Korea were investigated. Methods Data obtained from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2011–2014) dataset were utilized. In total, 206 North Korean adolescent defectors were selected, and for the control group, 618 matched South Korean adolescents were selected. Frequency analysis was used to determine the place of birth and nationality of the parents, chi-square tests were used to compare the general characteristics of the North and South Korean subjects, and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to compare the health behavior of the two sets of subjects. To determine the factors associated with depression in the North Korean subjects, a logistic regression was performed. Results The North Korean adolescents reported higher current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 4.35), current drinking (aOR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.99), and drug use rates (aOR, 10.99; 95% CI, 4.04 to 29.88) than did the South Korean adolescents. The factors associated with depression in the North Korean adolescents were current smoking (aOR, 6.99; 95% CI, 1.62 to 30.06), lifetime drinking experience (aOR, 5.32; 95% CI, 1.51 to 18.75), and perceived stress (aOR, 4.74; 95% CI, 1.74 to 12.90). Conclusion There were differences in health behavior between the North and South Korean adolescents. A specialized approach for North Korean adolescent defectors is required to promote proper health behavior and adaptation to South Korean society. PMID:29026485

Private health insurance in South Korea: an international comparison.

PubMed

Shin, Jaeun

2012-11-01

The goal of this study is to present the historical and policy background of the expansion of private health insurance in South Korea in the context of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, and to provide empirical evidence on whether the increased role of private health insurance may counterbalance government financing, social security contributions, out-of-pocket payments, and help stabilize total health care spending. Using OECD Health Data 2011, we used a fixed effects model estimation. In this model, we allow error terms to be serially correlated over time in order to capture the association of private health insurance financing with three other components of health care financing and total health care spending. The descriptive observation of the South Korean health care financing shows that social security contributions are relatively limited in South Korea, implying that high out-of-pocket payments may be alleviated through the enhancement of NHI benefit coverage and an increase in social security contributions. Estimation results confirm that private health insurance financing is unlikely to reduce government spending on health care and social security contributions. We find evidence that out-of-pocket payments may be offset by private health insurance financing, but to a limited degree. Private health insurance financing is found to have a statistically significant positive association with total spending on health care. This indicates that the duplicated coverage effect on service demand may cancel out the potential efficiency gain from market initiatives driven by the active involvement of private health insurance. This study finds little evidence for the benefit of private insurance initiatives in coping with the fiscal challenges of the South Korean NHI program. Further studies on the managerial interplay among public and private insurers and on behavioral responses of providers and patients to a given structure of private-public financing are

Women's attitudes toward mode of delivery in South Korea--a society with high cesarean section rates.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Il; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Moo-Song

2004-06-01

In South Korea, cesarean section rates (i.e., the proportion of all live births delivered by cesarean section) approached 40 percent in 2000. The relative contribution of physicians and women to this high rate has been a source of debate. This study explored attitudes toward mode of delivery among South Korean women. A nationwide cross-sectional telephone survey of 505 Korean women aged 20 to 49 years was conducted using a proportionate quota and systematic random sampling method. The response rate was 57.3 percent. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of 7 questions about vaginal and cesarean delivery. Over 95 percent of women preferred vaginal delivery during pregnancy and were willing to recommend this method to others. Of the women who delivered by cesarean section, 10.6 percent stated that they had requested a cesarean birth. Attitudes toward vaginal or cesarean delivery differed significantly according to a woman's education level. Most study participants showed more favorable attitudes toward vaginal delivery than cesarean delivery. This result does not support the assumption that the upsurge of cesarean section rates in South Korea is associated with women's positive attitudes toward cesarean section. The main cause of the rapid rise of cesarean section rates in South Korea during the past two decades have its origins in health care practitioners and the health care system in which they work.

Suicides around Major Public Holidays in South Korea.

PubMed

Sohn, Kitae

2017-04-01

A dip and peak pattern of suicide around major public holidays has been found in developed countries and explained by the broken promise effect. Focusing on two major holidays in South Korea (New Year's Day and Thanksgiving Day, both on the lunar calendar), replication of the dip and peak pattern was done by analyzing individual information on all suicides from 1997 to 2014. The replicated pattern revealed the most vulnerable group to be married men aged 50+ in nonmetropolitan areas in 2006-2014. Families, friends, and policy makers can use these findings to save the vulnerable. © 2016 The American Association of Suicidology.

Development of magnitude scaling relationship for earthquake early warning system in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheen, D.

2011-12-01

Seismicity in South Korea is low and magnitudes of recent earthquakes are mostly less than 4.0. However, historical earthquakes of South Korea reveal that many damaging earthquakes had occurred in the Korean Peninsula. To mitigate potential seismic hazard in the Korean Peninsula, earthquake early warning (EEW) system is being installed and will be operated in South Korea in the near future. In order to deliver early warnings successfully, it is very important to develop stable magnitude scaling relationships. In this study, two empirical magnitude relationships are developed from 350 events ranging in magnitude from 2.0 to 5.0 recorded by the KMA and the KIGAM. 1606 vertical component seismograms whose epicentral distances are within 100 km are chosen. The peak amplitude and the maximum predominant period of the initial P wave are used for finding magnitude relationships. The peak displacement of seismogram recorded at a broadband seismometer shows less scatter than the peak velocity of that. The scatters of the peak displacement and the peak velocity of accelerogram are similar to each other. The peak displacement of seismogram differs from that of accelerogram, which means that two different magnitude relationships for each type of data should be developed. The maximum predominant period of the initial P wave is estimated after using two low-pass filters, 3 Hz and 10 Hz, and 10 Hz low-pass filter yields better estimate than 3 Hz. It is found that most of the peak amplitude and the maximum predominant period are estimated within 1 sec after triggering.

NESTs, Necessary or Not? Examining the Impact of Native English Speaker Instruction in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schenck, Andrew

2018-01-01

Although Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) are extensively utilized, very little is known about the impact of these teachers on speaking or writing in Asian contexts like South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of NEST instruction on EFL learners' speech in a South Korean context. First, proficiency level of 100…

Hazardous waste characterization among various thermal processes in South Korea: a comparative analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Sun Kyoung; Kim, Woo-Il; Jeon, Tae-Wan; Kang, Young-Yeul; Jeong, Seong-Kyeong; Yeon, Jin-Mo; Somasundaram, Swarnalatha

2013-09-15

Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (South Korea) is in progress of converting its current hazardous waste classification system to harmonize it with the international standard and to set-up the regulatory standards for toxic substances present in the hazardous waste. In the present work, the concentrations along with the trend of 13 heavy metals, F(-), CN(-) and 19 PAH present in the hazardous waste generated among various thermal processes (11 processes) in South Korea were analyzed along with their leaching characteristics. In all thermal processes, the median concentrations of Cu (3.58-209,000 mg/kg), Ni (BDL-1560 mg/kg), Pb (7.22-5132.25mg/kg) and Zn (83.02-31419 mg/kg) were comparatively higher than the other heavy metals. Iron & Steel thermal process showed the highest median value of the heavy metals Cd (14.76 mg/kg), Cr (166.15 mg/kg) and Hg (2.38 mg/kg). Low molecular weight PAH (BDL-37.59 mg/kg) was predominant in sludge & filter cake samples present in most of the thermal processes. Comparatively flue gas dust present in most of the thermal processing units resulted in the higher leaching of the heavy metals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Still life with less: North Korean young adult defectors in South Korea show continued poor nutrition and physique.

PubMed

Choi, Seul Ki; Park, Sang Min; Joung, Hyojee

2010-04-01

North Korean defectors who settle in South Korea have experienced severe food shortage and transition of food environment which could affect their health status. However, little is known about their anthropometric measurements and dietary intake after settlement in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to compare anthropometric measurements and dietary intake between North Korean young adults who defected to South Korea and those of South Koreans. We hypothesized that North Korean young adults' physiques and dietary intake would be poorer than that of South Koreans. We compared anthropometric measurements and dietary intake from 3-day food records in a cross-sectional study of 103 North Korean young adult defectors, aged 12 to 24 and 309 South Korean subjects. North Korean subjects were significantly shorter (4.9 to 10.8 cm) and lighter (6.0 to 12.5 kg) than the control group. Body mass index were significantly different between North and South Korean groups only in men. North Korean young adult defectors had lower mean daily intakes of energy and most nutrients and food groups compared to the control group, while North Korean subjects had higher nutrient density diet than that of South Koreans. The proportion of subjects who had dietary intakes of nutrients of less than the Estimated Average Requirement was higher in North Korean subjects than in controls except for in the cases of vitamin A and vitamin C. In conclusion, we recommend providing nutrition support programs for North Korean young adult defectors to secure adequate nutrient intake.

The Geography of Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Young-Han

1988-01-01

Briefly surveys the geography of both North and South Korea, examining mountain ranges, rivers, soil, and climate. Also discusses the economic activities of South Korea, including industrialization, transportation, population, and the urban system. Provides a map of the Korean peninsula and a table of land area and population by province. (GEA)

Estimated future incidence of malignant mesothelioma in South Korea: Projection from 2014 to 2033.

PubMed

Kwak, Kyeong Min; Paek, Domyung; Hwang, Seung-Sik; Ju, Young-Su

2017-01-01

Malignant mesothelioma is a malignant tumor on the pleura or the peritoneum caused mostly by asbestos. Although asbestos is not currently used in South Korea, the incidence of mesothelioma is increasing due to its long latent period. This study predicted the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in South Korea over the next 20 years using an age-period-cohort (APC) model. Data regarding mesothelioma incidence from 1994-2013 were acquired from the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR). Demographic data, including prospective resident data, were acquired from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) for 1994-2033. An APC model with Møller's power-link function was utilized to predict the incidence of mesothelioma. It was predicted that 2,380 and 1,199 new cases of mesothelioma in men and women, respectively, would occur over the next 20 years. For both sexes, the mesothelioma incidence rate was predicted to be greater in 2029-2033 compared to that in 2009-2013 (men, 0.282 vs 0.563; women, 0.155 vs 0.217). For men, the age-standardized incidence rate was predicted to be slightly greater in 2029-2033 relative to the rate in 2009-2013 (0.228 vs 0.235), while the age-standardized incidence rate in women decreased within the same timeframe (0.113 vs 0.109). The changes in mesothelioma incidence were mostly caused by changes in the population structure due to aging and not by changes in the mesothelioma risk ratio. The results of this study project a continuous increase in mesothelioma incidence in South Korea over the next 20 years. Although the projected increase in mesothelioma incidence was not related to an increase in the mesothelioma risk ratio, continuous preventive efforts are necessary to reduce the exposure to asbestos and prevent the trend from worsening.

Estimation of basic reproduction number of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) during the outbreak in South Korea, 2015.

PubMed

Chang, Hyuk-Jun

2017-06-13

In South Korea, an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) occurred in 2015. It was the second largest MERS outbreak. As a result of the outbreak in South Korea, 186 infections were reported, and 36 patients died. At least 16,693 people were isolated with suspicious symptoms. This paper estimates the basic reproduction number of the MERS coronavirus (CoV), using data on the spread of MERS in South Korea. The basic reproduction number of an epidemic is defined as the average number of secondary cases that an infected subject produces over its infectious period in a susceptible and uninfected population. To estimate the basic reproduction number of the MERS-CoV, we employ data from the 2015 South Korea MERS outbreak and the susceptible-infected-removed (SIR) model, a mathematical model that uses a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). We fit the model to the epidemic data of the South Korea outbreak minimizing the sum of the squared errors to identify model parameters. Also we derive the basic reproductive number as the terms of the parameters of the SIR model. Then we determine the basic reproduction number of the MERS-CoV in South Korea in 2015 as 8.0977. It is worth comparing with the basic reproductive number of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa including Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, which had values of 1.5-2.5. There was no intervention to control the infection in the early phase of the outbreak, thus the data used here provide the best conditions to evaluate the epidemic characteristics of MERS, such as the basic reproduction number. An evaluation of basic reproduction number using epidemic data could be problematic if there are stochastic fluctuations in the early phase of the outbreak, or if the report is not accurate and there is bias in the data. Such problems are not relevant to this study because the data used here were precisely reported and verified by Korea Hospital Association.

Distribution of radon concentrations in child-care facilities in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Cheol-Min; Kwon, Myung-Hee; Kang, Dae-Ryong; Park, Tae-Hyun; Park, Si-Hyun; Kwak, Jung-Eun

2017-02-01

This study was conducted to provide fundamental data on the distribution of radon concentrations in child day-care facilities in South Korea and to help establish radon mitigation strategies. For this study, 230 child-care centers were randomly chosen from all child-care centers nationwide, and alpha track detectors were used to examine cumulative radon exposure concentrations from January to May 2015. The mean radon concentration measured in Korean child-care centers is approximately 52 Bq m -3 , about one-third of the upper limit of 148 Bq m -3 , which is recommended by South Korea's Indoor Air Quality Control in Public Use Facilities, etc. Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Furthermore, this concentration is about 50% lower than 102 Bq m -3 , which is the measured concentration of radon in houses nationwide from December 2013 to February 2014. Our results indicate that the amount of ventilation, as a major determining factor for indoor radon concentrations, is strongly correlated with the fluctuation of indoor radon concentrations in Korean child-care centers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Contemporary Use of Angiography and Revascularization Among Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States Compared With South Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Hyun-Jae; Simon, Dajuanicia; Wang, Tracy Y; Alexander, Karen P; Jeong, Myung Ho; Kim, Hyo-Soo; Bates, Eric R; Henry, Timothy D; Peterson, Eric D; Roe, Matthew T

2015-12-01

Practice guidelines recommend an early invasive strategy for high-risk non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients, but international differences in the use of invasive strategies are unknown. Profiling NSTEMI patient management in the United States (U.S.) and South Korea could provide insight into how patients are triaged for an early invasive strategy in different health care environments and geographical regions. We evaluated the use of angiography and revascularization for NSTEMI patients treated at revascularization-capable hospitals (2007-2010) in both the ACTION Registry-GWTG (U.S.: n = 133,835; 433 hospitals) and KAMIR/KorMI Registry (South Korea: n = 7,901; 72 hospitals). Compared with South Korean patients, U.S. NSTEMI patients more commonly had established cardiovascular risk factors, disease, and prior cardiovascular events and procedures. From 2007-2010, the use of angiography for NSTEMI patients rose steadily in both countries, but the use of revascularization only rose in South Korea. Patients from South Korea more commonly underwent angiography and revascularization. Percutaneous coronary intervention was the most common type of revascularization in both countries, but coronary artery bypass grafting was less common in South Korea. The use of both angiography and revascularization was incrementally lower with a higher predicted mortality risk for patients from both countries, but greater differences between low- and high-risk patients occurred in the U.S. The profile, characteristics, and use of angiography and revascularization for NSTEMI patients in the U.S. vs South Korea differed substantially from 2007-2010, underscoring the heterogeneity of NSTEMI patients and treatment selection among different countries. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Is South Korea a Case of High-Stakes Testing Gone Too Far? Information Capsule. Volume 1107

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazer, Christie

2012-01-01

South Korea's students consistently outperform their counterparts in almost every country in reading and math. Experts have concluded, however, that the South Korean education system has produced students who score well on tests, but fall short on creativity and innovative thinking. They blame these shortcomings on schools' emphasis on rote…

Economic evaluation of the societal costs of hepatitis B in South Korea.

PubMed

Yang, B M; Paik, S W; Hahn, O S; Yi, D H; Choi, M S; Payne, S

2001-03-01

Hepatitis B (HBV) infection remains a major public health problem in South Korea, and accounts for considerable morbidity and mortality. At present, very little is known about the cost of HBV to the South Korean health-care system and society. The present study was therefore conducted to estimate the total annual cost of HBV infection in South Korea for a given year (1997). The study was conducted from the South Korean societal perspective, taking into account the direct and indirect costs of HBV vaccination programs (prevention costs), and those related to the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer (disease costs). Several assumptions were made in arriving to actual cost estimates. The total societal cost of HBV in 1997 was 1078.3 billion Won ($US 959.7 million), 142.3 billion Won or 13.2% being attributable to prevention costs and 225.4 billion Won or 20.9% being attributable to indirect costs of HBV-related diseases. The total cost (direct plus indirect) associated with HBV-related diseases to the South Korean society was 936.1 billion Won ($US 833.1 million), of which 45.3% was attributable to cirrhosis-related costs. In terms of disease-related direct costs alone (710.5 billion Won or $US 632.3 million), the estimated annual spending per patient was 1.37 million Won ($US 1219). The direct costs of the HBV disease (prevention and disease treatment, amounting to 782.2 billion Won or $US 696.2 million) is equivalent to 3.2% of the national health-care expenditure for 1997. This study confirms that HBV is a significant cost burden to the South Korean society, and in the absence of an effective cure reinforces the importance of continued disease prevention via vaccination.

Forty years of economic growth and plummeting mortality: the mortality experience of the poorly educated in South Korea.

PubMed

Bahk, Jinwook; Lynch, John W; Khang, Young-Ho

2017-03-01

South Korea has experienced rapid economic development and a substantial increase in life expectancy in an extremely short period. Whether this rapid development has been able to adequately address inequalities in health in South Korea may have important policy implications. This paper explores long-term trends in inequalities in mortality related to education in South Korea between 1970 and 2010. We used secondary data on population size and deaths in 1970 and 1980 from a previously published study, and census and death certificate data from Statistics Korea from 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. Trends in age-standardised mortality rates for men and women aged 25-64 according to education, as well as the rate ratio (RR), rate difference (RD), relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII), were examined over the period 1970-2010. Despite overall mortality declines of 70-80% in the past 4 decades, educational inequalities have increased or been stagnant. There was minimal decline in mortality since 1970 in South Koreans with only a primary or lower level of education. The RR and RD between tertiary education and primary or lower education increased over the study period, while the RII and the SII in both genders remained stable. The South Korean experience over the past 40 years suggests that plummeting mortality rates and huge advances in education at the population level do not translate into reduced educational inequalities in mortality. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Education, Functional Limitations, and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eun-Kyoung Othelia; Lee, Jungui

2013-01-01

This study examined the associations of educational level with functioning and life satisfaction among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea ("n" = 4,152). The sample was drawn from Wave I of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. To examine educational disparities, separate analyses were run to note predictors in less educated…

Association between work conditions and smoking in South Korea.

PubMed

Cho, Young-Seung; Kim, Hyoung-Ryoul; Myong, Jun-Pyo; Kim, Hyun Wook

2013-12-01

A variety of sociodemographic factors, such as gender, age, household income, and educational level, influence individuals' likelihood of smoking. Work-related factors may also be linked to smoking behavior. We sought to investigate the relationship between smoking and work environment in South Korea. We analyzed data from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to determine whether there was an association between smoking and occupation type (e.g., manual, nonmanual, or service work), night-shift work, and hours worked/week (e.g., <40, 40-48, 49-60, or >60 hours) for 4,685 workers. Regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic variables such as age, recent alcohol consumption, hours slept, educational level, and household income. The prevalence of smoking was 50.1% in men and 7.2% in women. For women, manual workers had 2.34 times [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-5.36] greater odds of smoking compared with nonmanual workers, whereas service workers had 2.37 times greater odds (95% CI: 1.28-4.40). Furthermore, women who worked 49-60 hours had 2.21 times greater odds of smoking (95% CI: 1.10-3.75) as compared with women who worked 40-48 hours. Women who work long hours or who are employed in service or manual positions are more likely to smoke. These results indicate a need in South Korea to target these specific groups when creating nonsmoking policies.

Proposal Guidelines for Standardized Operating Procedures of Brain Autopsy: Brain Bank in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung Hwa; Seo, Sang Won; Lim, Tae Sung; Kim, Eun Joo; Kim, Byeong Chae; Kim, Yeshin; Lee, Ho Won; Jeon, Jae Pil; Shim, Sung Mi; Na, Duk L; Huh, Gi Yeong; Lee, Min Cheol; Suh, Yeon Lim

2017-09-01

To obtain an in-depth understanding of brain diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric illnesses, and neoplasms, scientific approach and verification using postmortem human brain tissue with or without disease are essential. Compared to other countries that have run brain banks for decades, South Korea has limited experience with brain banking; nationwide brain banks started only recently. The goal of this study is to provide provisional guidelines for brain autopsy for hospitals and institutes that have not accumulated sufficient expertise. We hope that these provisional guidelines will serve as a useful reference for pathologists and clinicians who are involved and interested in the brain bank system. Also, we anticipate updating the provisional guidelines in the future based on collected data and further experience with the practice of brain autopsy in South Korea. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017.

Revisiting the extended producer responsibility program for metal packaging in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Soyoung; Mori, Akihisa

2015-05-01

Recently, developed and emerging countries have increasingly adopted the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) to reduce waste. In 2003, South Korea replaced the waste deposit recycling (WDR) program with the EPR program. Previous comparative analyses between the WDR and EPR programs have been qualitative evaluations and have not yet quantitatively shown whether the change has increased benefits. The aim of this paper is to explore which program brings larger net benefits. Because of limited data availability, here we focus on metal packaging exclusively. We find that the recycling rate dropped from 59% in 2000 to 40% in 2011 and recycling volume dropped accordingly. Cost-benefit incidence analysis shows that net social benefits decreased by 2.8 billion won (2.5 million US dollars), while the net benefits to producers increased by 1.9 billion won (1.7 million US dollars) under the EPR program compared with the WDR program. The government of South Korea should set an ambitious recycling target and narrow the scope of the exemption from the mandatory recycling requirement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of Installing Check Dam Using RAMMS Model in Seorak National Park of South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun, K.; Tak, W.; JUN, B. H.; Lee, H. J.; KIM, S. D.

2016-12-01

Design of Installing Check Dam Using RAMMS Model in Seorak National Park of South Korea Kye-Won Jun*, Won-Jun Tak*, Byong-Hee Jun**, Ho-Jin Lee***, Soung-Doug Kim* *Graduate School of Disaster Prevention, Kangwon National University, 346 Joogang-ro, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do, Korea **School of Fire and Disaster Protection, Kangwon National University, 346 Joogang-ro, Samcheok-si, Gangwon-do, Korea ***School of Civil Engineering, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Korea Abstract As more than 64% of the land in South Korea is mountainous area, so many regions in South Korea are exposed to the danger of landslide and debris flow. So it is important to understand the behavior of debris flow in mountainous terrains, the various methods and models are being presented and developed based on the mathematical concept. The purpose of this study is to investigate the regions that experienced the debris flow due to typhoon called Ewiniar and to perform numerical modeling to design and layout of the Check dam for reducing the damage by the debris flow. For the performance of numerical modeling, on-site measurement of the research area was conducted including: topographic investigation, research on bridges in the downstream, and precision LiDAR 3D scanning for composed basic data of numerical modeling. The numerical simulation of this study was performed using RAMMS (Rapid Mass Movements Simulation) model for the analysis of the debris flow. This model applied to the conditions of the Check dam which was installed in the upstream, midstream, and downstream. Considering the reduction effect of debris flow, the expansion of debris flow, and the influence on the bridges in the downstream, proper location of the Check dam was designated. The result of present numerical model showed that when the Check dam was installed in the downstream section, 50 m above the bridge, the reduction effect of the debris flow was higher compared to when the Check dam were

Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence variations and population structure of Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) in Northeastern Asia and population substructure in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Mu-Yeong; Lissovsky, Andrey A; Park, Sun-Kyung; Obolenskaya, Ekaterina V; Dokuchaev, Nikolay E; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Yu, Li; Kim, Young-Jun; Voloshina, Inna; Myslenkov, Alexander; Choi, Tae-Young; Min, Mi-Sook; Lee, Hang

2008-12-31

Twenty-five chipmunk species occur in the world, of which only the Siberian chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus, inhabits Asia. To investigate mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence variations and population structure of the Siberian chipmunk in northeastern Asia, we examined mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences (1140 bp) from 3 countries. Analyses of 41 individuals from South Korea and 33 individuals from Russia and northeast China resulted in 37 haplotypes and 27 haplotypes, respectively. There were no shared haplotypes between South Korea and Russia--northeast China. Phylogenetic trees and network analysis showed 2 major maternal lineages for haplotypes, referred to as the S and R lineages. Haplotype grouping in each cluster was nearly coincident with its geographic affinity. In particular, 3 distinct groups were found that mostly clustered in the northern, central and southern parts of South Korea. Nucleotide diversity of the S lineage was twice that of lineage R. The divergence between S and R lineages was estimated to be 2.98-0.98 Myr. During the ice age, there may have been at least 2 refuges in South Korea and Russia--northeast China. The sequence variation between the S and R lineages was 11.3% (K2P), which is indicative of specific recognition in rodents. These results suggest that T. sibiricus from South Korea could be considered a separate species. However, additional information, such as details of distribution, nuclear genes data or morphology, is required to strengthen this hypothesis.

P and S wave Coda Calibration in Central Asia and South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.; Mayeda, K.; Gok, R.; Barno, J.; Roman-Nieves, J. I.

2017-12-01

Empirically derived coda source spectra provide unbiased, absolute moment magnitude (Mw) estimates for events that are normally too small for accurate long-period waveform modeling. In this study, we obtain coda-derived source spectra using data from Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan networks - KN and KR, and Tajikistan - TJ) and South Korea (Korea Meteorological Administration, KMA). We used a recently developed coda calibration module of Seismic WaveForm Tool (SWFT). Seismic activities during this recording period include the recent Gyeongju earthquake of Mw=5.3 and its aftershocks, two nuclear explosions from 2009 and 2013 in North Korea, and a small number of construction and mining-related explosions. For calibration, we calculated synthetic coda envelopes for both P and S waves based on a simple analytic expression that fits the observed narrowband filtered envelopes using the method outlined in Mayeda et al. (2003). To provide an absolute scale of the resulting source spectra, path and site corrections are applied using independent spectral constraints (e.g., Mw and stress drop) from three Kyrgyzstan events and the largest events of the Gyeongju sequence in Central Asia and South Korea, respectively. In spite of major tectonic differences, stable source spectra were obtained in both regions. We validated the resulting spectra by comparing the ratio of raw envelopes and source spectra from calibrated envelopes. Spectral shapes of earthquakes and explosions show different patterns in both regions. We also find (1) the source spectra derived from S-coda is more robust than that from the P-coda at low frequencies; (2) unlike earthquake events, the source spectra of explosions have a large disagreement between P and S waves; and (3) similarity is observed between 2016 Gyeongju and 2011 Virginia earthquake sequence in the eastern U.S.

Analysis of Hospital Disaster in South Korea from 1990 to 2008

PubMed Central

Back, Min-Ho

2010-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to systematically review and analyze disasters involving South Korean hospitals from 1990 and to introduce a newly developed implement to manage patients' evacuation. Materials and Methods We searched for studies reporting disaster preparedness and hospital injuries in South Korean hospitals from 1990 to 2008, by using the Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS, copyright Korean Studies Information Co, Ltd, Seoul, Korea) and, simultaneously, hospital injuries which were reported and regarded as a disaster. Then, each study and injury were analyzed. Results Five studies (3 on prevention and structure, 1 on implement of new device, and 1 on basic supplement to current methods) and 8 injuries were found within this period. During the evacuations, the mean gait speed of walking patients was 0.82 m/s and the mean time of evacuation of individual patients was 38.39 seconds. Regarding structure evaluation, almost all hospitals had no balconies in patient rooms; hospital elevators were placed peripherally and were insufficient in number. As a new device, Savingsun (evacuation elevator) was introduced and had some merits as a fast and easy tool, regardless of patient status or the height of hospital. Conclusion In South Korea, preparation for hospital disasters was noted to be insufficient but has involved various departments such as architectural, clinical, and building operations. In addition, Savignsun has been shown to effectively evacuate and save patients in a hospital disaster. PMID:20879068

Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea during 2015: Risk-related perceptions and quarantine attitudes.

PubMed

Kim, E Y; Liao, Q; Yu, E S; Kim, J H; Yoon, S W; Lam, W W T; Fielding, R

2016-11-01

A telephone survey involving 200 household members in and around Seoul, South Korea, was completed during the maturity stage of the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Korea during June 2015. The study found that respondents perceived low risk from contracting MERS, had low trust in government in controlling MERS, and generally held unfavorable attitudes toward quarantine. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suitability Analyses of Wind Power Generation Complex in South Korea by Using Environmental & Social Criterias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Y.; Jeon, S. W.; Seong, M.

2017-12-01

In case of wind-power, one of the most economical renewable energy resources, it is highly emerged owing to the strategic aspect of the response of environmental restriction and strong energy security as well as the upcoming motivation for huge industrial growth in the future. According to the fourth Fundamental Renewable Energy Plan, declared in Sep. 2014, the government instituted the scheme to minimize the proportion of previous RDF(Refused Derived Fuel) till 2035, promoting the solar power and wind power as the core energy for the next generation. Especially in South Korea, it is somewhat desperate to suggest the standard for environmentally optimal locations of wind power setup accompanied with the prevention of disasters from the climate changes. This is because that in case of South Korea, most of suitable places for Wind power complex are in the ridge of the mountains, where is highly invaluable sites as the pool of bio-resources and ecosystem conservations. In this research, we are to focus on the analysis of suitable locations for wind farm site which is relevant to the meteorological and geological factors, by utilizing GIS techniques through the whole South Korea. Ultimately, this analyses are to minimize the adverse effect derived from the current development of wind power in mountain ridges and the time for negotiation for wind power advance.

Attitudes toward suicide among college students in South Korea and the United States

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background South Korea (hereafter, Korea) has witnessed a rapid increase in its suicide rate over the past few decades and currently reports the highest rate among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Conversely, the United States has maintained its suicide rate near the OECD average. The present study examines and compares attitudes toward suicide among college students in either country to explain the higher prevalence of suicide in Korea. Findings Non-Korean students in the United States, Korean students in the United States, and Korean students in Korea completed a web-based questionnaire on Attitudes Toward Suicide (ATTS). A series of two-way 3 × 2 between subjects Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests of the participants’ group and gender, as well as post-hoc comparisons, were conducted to examine differences across various attitude domains. As expected, the results revealed group differences in the majority of attitude areas. Most notably, students in Korea reported more permissive attitudes toward suicide and were less likely to believe in the right to prevent others’ suicide. Gender did not have an effect on any attitudes except on the right to prevent suicide and there were no interactions between group and gender. Conclusions The results suggest the importance of addressing public attitudes toward suicide in future suicide prevention efforts in Korea. PMID:24843383

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities -- Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-29

State, and — countries other than the United States, such as Taiwan, Russia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines , the countries of Southeast Asia...operations: (1) to bring Taiwan to its knees and (2) cause the U.S. to be tardy , indecisive, or ineffective in responding.68 Anti-Air Warfare (AAW...Other potential Western Pacific locations, at least in theory, include South Korea (where other U.S. forces have been based for years), the Philippines

The Meaning of Peace and the Role of Education in South Korea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoo, Sung-Sang; Kim, Hyo-Jung

Most people in South Korea expressed deep sympathy for the innocent victims of the September 11th attacks, but, unlike their government's official position that supported U.S. military action, many were opposed to the war the United States began in Afghanistan. The president asked for emphasis on peace and anti-terrorism education. Since the role…

Perceptions of Student Misconduct, Perceived Respect for Teachers, and Support for Corporal Punishment among School Teachers in South Korea: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ben

2009-01-01

This article provides an analysis of survey data on perceptions of student misconduct, perceived respect for teachers, and support for corporal punishment among school teachers in South Korea. The data were gathered from a survey of 110 middle and high school teachers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Descriptive, chi square, logistic regression,…

Incidence of herpes zoster and seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus in young adults of South Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Cheol-In; Choi, Chang-Min; Park, Tae-Sung; Lee, Dong-Jun; Oh, Myoung-don; Choe, Kang-Won

2008-05-01

This study was performed to determine the incidence of herpes zoster and seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in young adults of South Korea, where VZV seroprevalence remains relatively high. In South Korea, military service is compulsory for all healthy young men and hence those in military service might provide a reflection of the general population. The computerized database of the Armed Forces Medical Command was examined to identify the number of reported herpes zoster cases. In order to evaluate VZV seroprevalence, serum samples were obtained from randomly selected subjects among those who had been admitted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital. A total of 705 cases of herpes zoster were reported between June 2004 and May 2005. The annual incidence rate of herpes zoster was 141 (95% CI 131.0-151.8) per 100000 population. A total of 192 subjects were enrolled for the analysis of VZV seroprevalence. All subjects were male and their median age was 21 (range 19-24) years. The overall anti-VZV IgG seropositivity prevalence was 92.7% (178/192, 95% CI 88.0-95.7%). We have described a population-based study of the epidemiology of VZV infections in the military personnel of South Korea.

Climate- and remote sensing-based tools for drought management application in North and South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, W.; Wardlow, B.; Hayes, M. J.; Tadesse, T.; Svoboda, M.; Fuchs, B.; Wilhite, D. A.

2015-12-01

North and South Korea have experienced more frequent and extreme droughts since the late 1990s. In recent years, severe droughts in 2000-2001, 2012, and 2015 have led to widespread agricultural and environmental impacts, and resulted in water shortages and large reductions in crop yields. This has been particularly problematic in the agricultural sector of North Korea, which has a high-level of vulnerability due to variations of climate and this, in turn, results in food security issues. This vulnerability is exacerbated by North Korea's relatively small area of arable land, most of which is not very productive. The objective of this study was to develop a drought management application using climate- and remote sensing-based tools for North and South Korea. These tools are essential for improving drought planning and preparedness in this area. In this study, various drought indicators derived from climate and remote sensing data (SPI, SC-PDSI, SPEI, and VegDRI-Korea) were investigated to monitor the current drought condition and evaluate their ability to characterize agricultural and meteorological drought events and their potential impacts. Results from this study can be used to develop or improve the national-level drought management application for these countries. The goal is to provide improved and more timely information on both the spatial and temporal dimensions of drought conditions and provide a tool to identify both past and present drought events in order to make more informed management decisions and reduce the impacts of current droughts and reduce the risk to future events.

The Economic Value of Career Counseling Services for College Students in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Bo Young; Lee, Ji Hee; Kim, Areum; Kim, Boram; Cho, Daeyeon; Lee, Sang Min

2013-01-01

This study investigated college students' perception of the monetary value of career counseling services by using the contingent valuation method. The results of a multivariate survival analysis based on interviews with a convenience sample of 291 undergraduate students in South Korea indicate that, on average, participants' expressed willingness…

The Securitisation of Refugee Flows and the Schooling of Refugees: Examining the Cases of North Koreans in South Korea and Iraqis in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collet, Bruce A.; Bang, Hyeyoung

2016-01-01

Drawing on data collected in South Korea, Jordan and the USA, this paper examines the degree to which security concerns impact the schooling of North Korean refugees in South Korea and Iraqi refugees in Jordan. Operating from a framework examining the intersection of migration and securitisation, the authors find that accounts of negative images…

The Proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-20

to which household purchasing power is affected by the country’s economic crisis. (See Appendix A for additional details.) Rice South Korean...have restricted U.S. fruit and vegetable exports. This new standing committee potentially could be used as the venue to attempt to resolve future SPS...to open in 2009.32 Falling imports from Korea probably were affected by a general softening of the U.S. market. U.S. exporters, including South

Increasing drought risk in large-dam basins of South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, I. W.; Shin, Y.; Park, J.; Kim, D.

2017-12-01

In 2015, South Korea suffered one of the worst droughts in recent years. Seoul and Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces experienced severe drought conditions, receiving less than 43 percent of the annual precipitation average of the past 30 years. Additionally, the 2015 summer precipitation was less than half of the average. The lack of summer precipitation induced serious shortages in dam storages, which are important supplies for the dry season. K-water, a public company managing South Korea's public water supply system, is fighting to secure public water supply and minimize potential damage that may occur before the subsequent wet season. This study detected significant decreasing trends (95% confidence interval) in dry-seasonal runoff rates (=dam inflow / precipitation) in three dams basins (Soyang, Chungju, and Andong). Changes in potential evapotranspiration (PET) and precipitation indices were examined to investigate potential causes of decreasing runoff rates trends. However, there were no clear relations among changes in runoff rates, PET, and precipitation indices. Runoff rate reduction in the three dams may increase the risk of dam operational management and long-term water resource planning. Therefore, it will be necessary to perform a multilateral analysis to better understand decreasing runoff rates.AcknowledgementsThis research was supported by a grant(2017-MPSS31-001) from Supporting Technology Development Program for Disaster Management funded by Ministry of Public Safety and Security(MPSS) of the Korean government.

Brief Report: Utilization of the First Biosimilar Infliximab Since Its Approval in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Seoyoung C; Choi, Nam-Kyong; Lee, Joongyub; Kwon, Kyoung-Eun; Eddings, Wesley; Sung, Yoon-Kyoung; Ji Song, Hong; Kesselheim, Aaron S; Solomon, Daniel H

2016-05-01

The US Food and Drug Administration is considering an application for a biosimilar version of infliximab, which has been available in South Korea since November 2012. The aim of the present study was to examine the utilization patterns of both branded and biosimilar infliximab and other tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in South Korea before and after the introduction of this biosimilar infliximab. Using claims data from April 2009 to March 2014 from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, which includes the entire South Korean population, the number of claims for biosimilar infliximab was assessed. A segmented linear regression model was used to examine the utilization patterns of infliximab (the branded and biosimilar versions) and other TNF inhibitors (adalimumab and etanercept) before and after the introduction of the biosimilar infliximab. In total, 20,976 TNF inhibitor users were identified from the South Korean claims database, including 983 with a prescription claim for biosimilar infliximab. Among all of the claims for any version of infliximab, the proportion of biosimilar infliximab claims increased to 19% through March 2014. Before November 2012, each month there were 33 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 32, 35) more infliximab claims, 44 (95% CI 40, 48) more etanercept claims, and 50 (95% CI 47, 53) more adalimumab claims. After November 2012, there were significant changes in the slopes for trend in usage, with additional increases in the use of branded and biosimilar infliximab (9 more claims per month, 95% CI 2, 17) and decreases in the use of etanercept (-52 claims per month, 95% CI -66, -38) and adalimumab (-21 claims per month, 95% CI -35, -6). During the first 15 months since its introduction in South Korea, one-fifth of all infliximab claims were for the biosimilar version. Introduction of biosimilar infliximab may affect the use of other TNF inhibitors, and the magnitude of change in usage will likely differ in

Who Cares about One Blood in This Global Society? A Qualitative Study of South Korea's Reunification Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Yoo Jin

2010-01-01

This qualitative study examined South Korean teenagers' views on North Korea and possible reunification. In-depth interviews conducted with fourteen (14) South Korean high school students reported that these teenagers were torn about whether or not they should support reunification. While students acknowledged the lack of dialogue and discussion…

The Reform of National Geography Standards in South Korea--Trends, Challenges and Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jongwon; Butt, Graham

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine recent changes in the geography national curriculum in South Korea through the lenses of three curriculum components that often find themselves in competition--subject content, educational processes and national/social purposes. In recent years, the prevailing national and social aims outlined for the…

A cross-sectional study estimating the burden of illness related to genital warts in South Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Taek Sang; Kothari-Talwar, Smita; Singhal, Puneet K; Yee, Karen; Kulkarni, Amit; Lara, Nuria; Roset, Montserrat; Giuliano, Anna R; Garland, Suzanne M; Ju, Woong

2017-01-01

Objectives Estimate the prevalence of genital warts (GW) and GW-related healthcare resource use and costs among male and female patients seeking treatment in South Korea. Design To estimate GW prevalence, physicians in five major South Korean regions recorded daily logs of patients (n=71 655) seeking care between July 26 and September 27, 2011. Overall prevalence estimates (and 95% CIs) were weighted by the estimated number of physicians in each specialty and the estimated proportion of total patients visiting each specialist type. Healthcare resource use was compared among different specialties. Corresponding p values were calculated using Mann-Whitney U tests. Setting The database covers 5098 clinics and hospitals for five major regions in South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. Participants Primary care physicians (general practice/family medicine), obstetricians/gynaecologists, urologists and dermatologists with 2–30 years’ experience. Results The estimated overall GW prevalence was 0.7% (95% CI 0.7% to 0.8%). Among women, GW prevalence was 0.6% (95% CI 0.6% to 0.7%); among men prevalence was 1.0% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.0%), peaking among patients aged 18–24 years. Median costs for GW diagnosis and treatment for male patients were US$58.2 (South Korean Won (KRW) ₩66 857) and US$66.3 (KRW₩76 113) for female patients. Conclusions The estimated overall GW prevalence in South Korea was 0.7% and was higher for male patients. The overall median costs associated with a GW episode were higher for female patients than for male patients. PMID:28674130

Cancer, Stress, and Ironies of Cancer Understanding in South Korea.

PubMed

Nelson, Laura C

2017-01-01

Cancer incidence has been rising in South Korea, coincident with industrialization and with increased longevity. This has opened the way to a presentation of cancer as a symptom of prosperity and social advancement. Cancer care for older South Koreans is marketed widely as a way of giving back to the older generation, and is often portrayed as an opportunity to mobilize technological achievement alongside family care work to honor aging parents. Because breast cancer tends to affect a younger cohort, however, breast cancer patients seek more specific explanations for their illness in order to prevent recurrence. Many breast cancer patients identify 'stress' as the cause of their cancer, reflecting endemic stress in the lives of ordinary South Korean women. While this implies a critique of society and, specifically, of gender constructs, the emphasis on interpersonal 'stress' situates cancer causality in family relationships rather than in social, political, or environmental contexts. Cancer management and stress explanations together mute inquiry into causality.

Prevalence of General and Central Obesity and Associated Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea by Duration after Defection from North Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Kim, Yoon Jung; Kim, Sin Gon; Lee, Yo Han

2018-01-01

Previous studies on obesity status among North Korean refugees (NKRs) have been limited. We investigated mean body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and general and central obesity prevalence among NKRs in South Korea (SK) by duration after defection from North Korea (NK), using cross-sectional data of the North Korean Refugee Health in South Korea (NORNS) study and compared these data with a sample from the general South Korean population (the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK of less than five years were lower than among South Koreans, except for central obesity among NKR females (obesity prevalence, 19% (12–27%) vs. 39% (34–44%) for NK vs. SK males (p < 0.001) and 19% (14–24%) vs. 27% (24–29%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.076); central obesity prevalence, 13% (6–19%) vs. 24% (20–29%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.011) and 22% (17–28%) vs. 20% (18–22%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.382)). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were comparable to those of South Koreans in both genders (obesity prevalence, 34% (18–50%) vs. 39% (34–44%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.690) and 23% (18–29%) vs. 27% (24–29%) for NK vs. SK females (0.794); central obesity prevalence, 21% (7–34%) vs. 24% (20–29%) for NK vs. SK males (p = 0.642); 22% (17–28%) vs. 20% (18–22%) for NK vs. SK females (p = 0.382)). Male sex, age and longer duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were positively associated with obesity. As for central obesity, age was the only independently associated factor. NKR females with duration after defection from NK of less than five years had comparable central obesity prevalence to South Korean females in spite of a lower BMI, which suggests that we need further monitoring for their metabolic health among NKRs in SK. PMID:29677154

Prevalence of General and Central Obesity and Associated Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea by Duration after Defection from North Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Kim, Yoon Jung; Kim, Sin Gon; Lee, Yo Han

2018-04-20

Previous studies on obesity status among North Korean refugees (NKRs) have been limited. We investigated mean body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and general and central obesity prevalence among NKRs in South Korea (SK) by duration after defection from North Korea (NK), using cross-sectional data of the North Korean Refugee Health in South Korea (NORNS) study and compared these data with a sample from the general South Korean population (the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK of less than five years were lower than among South Koreans, except for central obesity among NKR females (obesity prevalence, 19% (12⁻27%) vs. 39% (34⁻44%) for NK vs. SK males ( p < 0.001) and 19% (14⁻24%) vs. 27% (24⁻29%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.076); central obesity prevalence, 13% (6⁻19%) vs. 24% (20⁻29%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.011) and 22% (17⁻28%) vs. 20% (18⁻22%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.382)). The prevalence of general and central obesity among NKRs with duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were comparable to those of South Koreans in both genders (obesity prevalence, 34% (18⁻50%) vs. 39% (34⁻44%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.690) and 23% (18⁻29%) vs. 27% (24⁻29%) for NK vs. SK females (0.794); central obesity prevalence, 21% (7⁻34%) vs. 24% (20⁻29%) for NK vs. SK males ( p = 0.642); 22% (17⁻28%) vs. 20% (18⁻22%) for NK vs. SK females ( p = 0.382)). Male sex, age and longer duration after defection from NK (≥10 years) were positively associated with obesity. As for central obesity, age was the only independently associated factor. NKR females with duration after defection from NK of less than five years had comparable central obesity prevalence to South Korean females in spite of a lower BMI, which suggests that we need further monitoring for their metabolic health among NKRs in SK.

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities - Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-07

United States, such as Taiwan, Russia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines , the countries of Southeast Asia, Australia, India, and (through issues such as...two major simultaneous operations: (1) to bring Taiwan to its knees and (2) cause the U.S. to be tardy , indecisive, or ineffective in responding.75 CRS...Pacific locations, at least in theory, include South Korea (where other U.S. forces have been based for years), the Philippines (where the U.S. Navy

Examining South Korea's Elementary Physical Education Performance Assessment Using Assessment Literacy Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Yongnam

2017-01-01

This study examines the issues pertaining to South Korea's elementary physical education (PE) performance assessment, using an assessment literacy (Hay & Penney, 2013) perspective to propose future directions. Eight elementary teachers currently teaching PE were selected as participants. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth…

Mammography use and its demographic correlates among women in South Korea.

PubMed

Suh, Eunyoung E; Park, Sunhee

2009-06-01

This study aimed to investigate the mammography rate and its demographic correlates among Korean women in order to provide basic understanding of factors related to the performance of mammography as a method of breast cancer screening. A descriptive secondary analysis was conducted using a national data set from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES III) in South Korea. A total number of 2,602 women over 40 years of age were chosen for the analysis. Main research variables included the use of mammography, monthly income, residential area, age, marriage, education, insurance, smoking habits, drinking habits, job type, current health status, and other cancer screening results. Only 30.59% of women adhered to the national guidelines. Monthly income, age, education, insurance, and smoking habits had statistically significant effects on breast cancer screening performance. The demographic correlates of the performance of mammography highlight the fact that not all Korean women, at this stage, are in a socioeconomic or societal position to undergo biannual mammography screening. Targeted and tailored nursing intervention should be implemented in middle- and senior-aged women who lack the ability to access medical resources in South Korea. This will make it possible for marginalized women to utilize cancer screening tests and in turn promote their health.

Academic Differentiation, School Achievement and School Violence in the USA and South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akiba, Motoko; Han, Seunghee

2007-01-01

Whilst school violence is a major public concern and a focus of educational reforms both in the USA and South Korea, few studies have comparatively examined the rates of school violence and school factors associated with them. Analysing nationally-representative data from eighth graders, their mathematics teachers and principals in 150 South…

Peer Relationships: Comparison of homeless youth in the U.S. and South Korea.

PubMed

Thompson, Sanna J; Kim, Jihye; McManus, Holly; Flynn, Patrick; Kim, Hyangcho

2007-01-01

Youth homelessness is a growing global concern; thus, homeless youth peer relationships in the U.S. and South Korea were examined. Although some aspects of street life transcended culture; individual and group behaviors varied according to perspectives related to individualism versus collectivism. Service delivery approaches are needed to develop culturally-specific interventions.

The Change of First-flowering Date over South Korea Projected from Downscaled IPCC AR5 Simulation: Peach and Pear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, J. B.; Hur, J.

2014-12-01

The variations in the first-flowering date (FFD) of peach (Prunus persica) and pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) under future climate change in South Korea are investigated using simulations obtained from five models of the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. For the study, daily temperature simulations with Historical (1986-2005), and RCP (2071-2090) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios are statistically downscaled to 50 peach and pear FFD (FFDpeach and FFDpear, respectively) observation sites over South Korea. The number of days transformed to standard temperature (DTS) method is selected as the phenological model and applied to simulations for estimating FFDpeach and FFDpear over South Korea, due to its superior performance on the target plants and region compared to the growing degree days (GDD) and chill days (CD) methods. In the analysis, mean temperatures for early spring (February to April) over South Korea in 2090 under RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios are expected to have increased by 1.9K and 3.3K, respectively. Among the early spring months of February to April, February shows the largest temperature increase of 2.1K and 3.7K for RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. The increased temperature during February and March accelerates the plant growth rate and thereby advances FFDpeach by 7.0 and 12.7 days and FFDpear by 6.1 and 10.7 days, respectively. These results imply that the present flowering of peach and pear in the middle of April will have advanced to late March or early April by the end of this century. Acknowledgements This work was carried out with the support of the Rural Development Administration Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development under Grant Project No. PJ009953, Republic of Korea.

Multicenter surveillance of species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of Candida bloodstream isolates in South Korea.

PubMed

Jung, Sook-In; Shin, Jong Hee; Song, Jae-Hoon; Peck, Kyong Ran; Lee, Kyungwon; Kim, Mi-Na; Chang, Hyun Ha; Moon, Chi Sook

2010-06-01

Multicenter data on in vitro susceptibility of Candida bloodstream isolates to echinocandin antifungal agents is still lacking in South Korea. We performed a prospective multicenter study to determine the species distribution of Candida bloodstream isolates and their susceptibility to five antifungal agents, including caspofungin and micafungin. A total of 639 isolates were collected from 20 tertiary hospitals between September 2006 and August 2007. Antifungal susceptibilities were determined through the use of the CLSI broth microdilution method M27-A3. The overall species distribution was as follows; Candida albicans (38%), Candida parapsilosis (26%), Candia tropicalis (20%), Candida glabrata (11%), and miscellaneous Candida species (5%). Although C. parapsilosis and miscellaneous Candida species were less susceptible to both echinocandins, all 639 isolates were susceptible to both caspofungin and micafungin (MIC, South Korea and shows that non-C. albicans Candida species, including C. parapsilosis, constitutes over 60% of all Candida species isolates recovered from the bloodstream. In addition, the rates of resistance to all five antifungals, including two echinocandins, are still low among bloodstream isolates in South Korea.

Middle East respiratory syndrome risk perception among students at a university in South Korea, 2015.

PubMed

Yang, Seongwoo; Cho, Sung-Il

2017-06-01

The 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea was a serious threat to public health, and was exacerbated by the inappropriate responses of major institutions and the public. This study examined the sources of confusion during the MERS outbreak and identified the factors that can affect people's behavior. An online survey of the risk perception of university students in South Korea was performed after the epidemic had peaked. The questionnaire addressed the major social determinants in South Korea during the MERS epidemic. The analysis included data from 1,470 subjects who provided complete answers. The students had 53.5% of the essential knowledge about MERS. Women showed higher risk perception than men, and trust in the media was positively associated with risk perception (P < .001). Additionally, risk perception was positively associated with overreaction by the public (odds ratio, 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 2.17-3.60; P < .001). These findings suggest that media content affected the public's perception of MERS risk and that perception of a high level of risk led to overreaction. Risk perception was associated with most of the social factors examined and overreaction by the public. Therefore, providing accurate information and data to the public, establishing trust, and facilitating the development of an attitude will all be important in future crises. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urbanization of Scrub Typhus Disease in South Korea

PubMed Central

Park, Sang-Won; Ha, Na-Young; Ryu, Boyeong; Bang, Ji Hwan; Song, Hoyeon; Kim, Yuri; Kim, Gwanghun; Oh, Myoung-don; Cho, Nam-Hyuk; Lee, Jong-koo

2015-01-01

Background Scrub typhus is an endemic disease in Asia. It has been a rural disease, but indigenous urban cases have been observed in Seoul, South Korea. Urban scrub typhus may have a significant impact because of the large population. Methods Indigenous urban scrub typhus was epidemiologically identified in Seoul, the largest metropolitan city in South Korea, using national notifiable disease data from 2010 to 2013. For detailed analysis of clinical features, patients from one hospital that reported the majority of cases were selected and compared to a historic control group. Chigger mites were prospectively collected in the city using a direct chigger mite-collecting trap, and identified using both phenotypic and 18S rDNA sequencing analyses. Their infection with Orientia tsutsugamushi was confirmed by sequencing the 56-kDa antigen gene. Results Eighty-eight cases of urban scrub typhus were determined in Seoul. The possible sites of infection were mountainous areas (56.8%), city parks (20.5%), the vicinity of one’s own residence (17.0%), and riversides (5.7%). Eighty-seven chigger mites were collected in Gwanak mountain, one of the suspected infection sites in southern Seoul, and seventy-six (87.4%) of them were identified as Helenicula miyagawai and eight (9.2%) as Leptotrombidium scutellare. Pooled DNA extracted from H. miyagawai mites yielded O. tsutsugamushi Boryong strain. Twenty-six patients from one hospital showed low APACHE II score (3.4 ± 2.7), low complication rate (3.8%), and no hypokalemia. Conclusions We identified the presence of indigenous urban scrub typhus in Seoul, and a subgroup of them had mild clinical features. The chigger mite H. miyagawai infected with O. tsutsugamushi within the city was found. In endemic area, urban scrub typhus needs to be considered as one of the differential febrile diseases and a target for prevention. PMID:26000454

Urbanization of scrub typhus disease in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Won; Ha, Na-Young; Ryu, Boyeong; Bang, Ji Hwan; Song, Hoyeon; Kim, Yuri; Kim, Gwanghun; Oh, Myoung-don; Cho, Nam-Hyuk; Lee, Jong-koo

2015-05-01

Scrub typhus is an endemic disease in Asia. It has been a rural disease, but indigenous urban cases have been observed in Seoul, South Korea. Urban scrub typhus may have a significant impact because of the large population. Indigenous urban scrub typhus was epidemiologically identified in Seoul, the largest metropolitan city in South Korea, using national notifiable disease data from 2010 to 2013. For detailed analysis of clinical features, patients from one hospital that reported the majority of cases were selected and compared to a historic control group. Chigger mites were prospectively collected in the city using a direct chigger mite-collecting trap, and identified using both phenotypic and 18S rDNA sequencing analyses. Their infection with Orientia tsutsugamushi was confirmed by sequencing the 56-kDa antigen gene. Eighty-eight cases of urban scrub typhus were determined in Seoul. The possible sites of infection were mountainous areas (56.8%), city parks (20.5%), the vicinity of one's own residence (17.0%), and riversides (5.7%). Eighty-seven chigger mites were collected in Gwanak mountain, one of the suspected infection sites in southern Seoul, and seventy-six (87.4%) of them were identified as Helenicula miyagawai and eight (9.2%) as Leptotrombidium scutellare. Pooled DNA extracted from H. miyagawai mites yielded O. tsutsugamushi Boryong strain. Twenty-six patients from one hospital showed low APACHE II score (3.4 ± 2.7), low complication rate (3.8%), and no hypokalemia. We identified the presence of indigenous urban scrub typhus in Seoul, and a subgroup of them had mild clinical features. The chigger mite H. miyagawai infected with O. tsutsugamushi within the city was found. In endemic area, urban scrub typhus needs to be considered as one of the differential febrile diseases and a target for prevention.

Notes on Species of the Lichen Genus Canoparmelia Elix & Hale in South Korea

PubMed Central

Jayalal, Udeni; Joshi, Santosh; Oh, Soon-Ok; Park, Jung-Shin

2012-01-01

Detailed descriptions of five species of the lichen genus Canoparmelia Elix & Hale. are presented. Until now, three species of the genus Canoparmelia, including C. apata (Krempelh.) Elix & Hale, C. owariensis (Asah.) Elix, and C. texana (Tuck.) Elix & Hale have been reported in South Korea. Canoparmelia carneopruinata (Zahlbr.) Elix & Hale, C. crozalsiana (de Lesd.) Elix & Hale, and C. ecaperata (Müll. Arg.) Elix & Hale are new to the South Korean lichen flora. An artificial key is provided for all species of Canoparmelia, including the three new records. PMID:23115507

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by lymphoma survivors in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Kisook; Kim, Soo Hyun; Ok, Oh Nam; Kim, Im-Ryung; Lee, Suyeon; Kim, So Hee; Kim, Won Seog; Ryu, Min-Hee; Lee, Moon Hee

2018-04-01

We aimed to examine the experience of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and its association with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in lymphoma survivors in South Korea. The participants were 869 lymphoma survivors from three hospitals in South Korea, all diagnosed with lymphoma at least 24 months prior to participation. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess CAM use. The questionnaire addressed types of CAM used, sources of information about CAM, reason for CAM use, satisfaction with CAM use, discussion of CAM use with doctors, experience of side effects, costs of CAM use, and intentions to continue using CAM. HRQOL was measured with the EORTC QLQ-C30. Of the 869 participants, 42.2% had experience using CAM, and there were statistically significant differences among CAM users and non-users in terms of sex, religion, and time since diagnosis. A special diet (e.g., ginseng, chitosan, mixed cereals) was the most commonly used type of CAM, and most CAM users (82.1%) were satisfied with their CAM use. Most CAM users (77.5%) did not discuss the use of CAM with their doctors, and only 9.2% reported any side effects from CAM. CAM users showed significantly lower HRQOL scores than did non-users. A significant number of lymphoma survivors in Korea have used CAM, and most CAM users are satisfied with their CAM use. Oncology nurses should be aware of the range of CAM use among patients and reflect their responses in their treatment and/or follow-up care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Politics and the Practice of School Change: The Hyukshin School Movement in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Youl-Kwan; Lee, Yoonmi

2018-01-01

In this article, we examine the characteristics of a progressive school-change project in South Korea called the "Hyukshin" School (HS) movement. HSs are public schools that are intended to disseminate progressive and democratic practices. We obtained data from interviews with participating teachers, official documents, reports, and…

Estimation of methylmercury intake doses in the South Korea population using a PBPK model

EPA Science Inventory

Recently, South Korea has measured total mercury (Hg) in blood as part of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (koNEHS) in 6311 subjects representing Korean general population. About 25% of the biomarker measurements were above the Germany HBM1 of 5 µg Hg/L; and about...

Understanding the "Other": Rethinking Multiculturalism in South Korea through Gadamer's Philosophical Hermeneutics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jeong-Hee; So, Kyunghee

2018-01-01

In this paper, we interrogate the current state of multiculturalism and multicultural education in South Korea and offer a possible theoretical framework that is lacking in the field of multicultural education. We provide three principles of multicultural understanding grounded in Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics to inform multiculturalism in…

Seroprevalence of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Antibodies in Rural Areas, South Korea

PubMed Central

Han, Mi Ah; Kim, Choon-Mee; Yun, Na Ra; Park, Sun-Whan; Han, Myung Guk; Lee, Won-Ja

2018-01-01

We investigated 1,228 residents of 3 rural areas in South Korea and determined that 50 (4.1%) were positive for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus antibodies. Fever and gastrointestinal symptoms in the previous 3 years and career duration were associated with virus seropositivity. PMID:29664384

Outdoor Play in Preschools in England and South Korea: Learning from Polyvocal Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nah, Kwi-Ok; Waller, Tim

2015-01-01

This paper discusses a cross-cultural and collaborative project, in preschools in England and South Korea. The aim of the project is to investigate the pedagogy of outdoor play and learning in two different cultural contexts, from the perspectives of the practitioners. Although there has been a growing academic interest in the use of outdoor…

Peer Relationships: Comparison of homeless youth in the U.S. and South Korea

PubMed Central

Thompson, Sanna J.; Kim, Jihye; McManus, Holly; Flynn, Patrick; Kim, Hyangcho

2009-01-01

Youth homelessness is a growing global concern; thus, homeless youth peer relationships in the U.S. and South Korea were examined. Although some aspects of street life transcended culture; individual and group behaviors varied according to perspectives related to individualism versus collectivism. Service delivery approaches are needed to develop culturally-specific interventions. PMID:19920883

Airborne Bacterial Communities in Three East Asian Cities of China, South Korea, and Japan.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Young; Park, Eun Ha; Lee, Sunghee; Ko, GwangPyo; Honda, Yasushi; Hashizume, Masahiro; Deng, Furong; Yi, Seung-Muk; Kim, Ho

2017-07-17

The global diversity of airborne bacteria has not yet been studied, despite its importance in human health and climate change. Here, we focused on the diversity of airborne bacteria and their correlations with meteorological/environmental conditions in China, South Korea, and Japan. Beijing (China) had more diverse airborne bacteria, followed by Seoul (South Korea) and Nagasaki (Japan), and seasonal variations were observed. Beijing and Seoul had more diverse airborne bacteria during the winter, whereas Nagasaki showed greater diversity during the summer. According to principal component analysis and Bray-Curtis similarity, higher similarity was observed between Beijing and Seoul than between Seoul and Nagasaki during all seasons except summer. Among meteorological/environmental variables, temperature and humidity were highly correlated with the diversity of airborne bacteria on the measurement day, whereas wind speeds and the frequency of northwest winds were highly correlated for 2-3-day moving averages. Thus, proximity and resuspension could enhance bacterial diversity in East Asian cities.

Acculturation stress and mental health among the marriage migrant women in Busan, South Korea.

PubMed

Im, Hyuk; Lee, Ki Young; Lee, Hyo Young

2014-05-01

Our study investigated mental health and associated factors, especially acculturation stress and coping resources, among "marriage migrant" women. Cross-sectional data were collected for 501 marriage migrant women, about 10 % of those living in Busan, South Korea. Acculturation stress, coping resources, sociodemographic factors were examined using structured questionnaires, and the General Health Questionnaire-28 was administered as a measure of mental health. Many factors were related to mental health, especially marital satisfaction. Core cultural shock and self-rated economic status, interpersonal stress, and social support were also significantly related to mental health status. This study highlights the importance of marriage migrant women's mental health in South Korea. To improve their mental health, increased marital satisfaction, social support, resettlement funds, and/or educational programs that foster coping are needed. Additionally, we should encourage establishment of and participation in marriage migrant self-help groups, which can facilitate adaptation to marriage and to Korean culture.

Serological surveillance studies confirm the Rift Valley fever virus free status in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Joo; Park, Jee-Yong; Jeoung, Hye-Young; Yeh, Jung-Yong; Cho, Yun-Sang; Choi, Jeong-Soo; Lee, Ji-Youn; Cho, In-Soo; Yoo, Han-Sang

2015-10-01

Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants. This disease causes abortions in pregnant animals, and it has a high mortality rate in newborn animals. Recently, a Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) outbreak in the Arabian Peninsula increased its potential spread to new regions worldwide. In non-endemic or disease-free countries, early detection and surveillance are important for preventing the introduction of RVFV. In this study, a serological surveillance was conducted to detect antibodies against RVFV. A total of 2382 serum samples from goats and cattle were randomly collected from nine areas in South Korea from 2011 to 2013. These samples were tested for antibodies against RVFV, using commercial ELISA kits. None of the goats and cattle were positive for antibodies against RVFV. This finding suggests that this disease is not present in South Korea, and furthermore presents the evidence of the RVFV-free status of this country.

Workplace bullying among Nurses in South Taiwan.

PubMed

Fang, Li; Huang, Su-Hui; Fang, Shu-Hui

2016-09-01

This study was to investigate bullying among hospital nurses and its correlates. Chinese people were unlikely to express their opinions or pursue individual rights. Workplace bullying took place more easily among the educated people within Chinese culture. However, studies related to workplace bullying among hospital nurses in Taiwan were still limited. A cross-sectional design. Two hundred and eighty-five nurses who worked in the regional teaching hospital in south Taiwan were recruited. The significant predictors of workplace bullying were identified by using linear regression analysis. The mean of overall bullying was 1·47, showing that the frequency of the nurses having experienced workplace bullying was between 'never' and 'now and then'. The most frequent bullying item was 'being yelled at or being the target of anger', followed by 'being the objects of untruthful criticism' and 'having views ignored'. Hospital nurses working in the Emergency room would gain 10·888 points more in the overall bullying scale compared with those who worked in operation rooms or haemodialysis rooms. They were more likely to be bullied. Hospital nurses with one year increase in nursing experience were 0·207 points less likely to be bullied. Reducing workplace bullying among hospital nurses was an essential method to provide quality assurance to health care. Nurse managers should build up zero tolerance policy to decrease nurses' exposure to workplace bullying. Training programmes related to bullying prevention are suggested to avoid workplace bullying. The contents of the educational training programmes or workshops should incorporate the characteristics and consequences of the workplace bullying, and the strategies to deal with bullying. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seroepidemiology of spotted fever group and typhus group rickettsioses in humans, South Korea.

PubMed

Jang, Won-Jong; Choi, Yeon-Joo; Kim, Jong-Hyun; Jung, Kwang-Don; Ryu, Ji-Sun; Lee, Seung-Hyun; Yoo, Cheon-Kwon; Paik, Hyung-Suk; Choi, Myung-Sik; Park, Kyung-Hee; Kim, Ik-Sang

2005-01-01

The prevalence of spotted fever group (SFG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsioses was investigated in 3,362 sera by immunofluorescence assay. The serum samples were obtained from patients with acute febrile episodes in South Korea from December 1992 to November 1993. The number of polyvalent positive sera against SFG rickettsial agents at the level of 1: 40 dilution was 269 (8%) in Rickettsia sibirica, 482 (14.34%) in R. conorii, and 546 (16.24%) in R. akari. Many of the positive sera contained immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies rather than IgG antibodies. These results strongly suggest that SFG rickettsioses are prevalent in Korea. For TG rickettsial agents, the number of positive sera was 1,096 (32.60%) in R. typhi and 951 (28.29%) in R. prowazekii. Only a few epidemic typhus positive sera contained IgM antibodies. The result suggests that recent and/or primary infections of epidemic typhus were very rare in Korea during the said period. Among seven patients who had high titers (1:5,120) of IgG antibody to R. prowazekii, six were over 50 years old. The result suggests that Brill-Zinsser disease was prevalent in Korea.

Prevalence of Antibodies Against Coxiella burnetii in Korean Native Cattle, Dairy Cattle, and Dogs in South Korea.

PubMed

Lyoo, Kwang-Soo; Kim, Doo; Jang, Hyung Gwan; Lee, Seung-Joon; Park, Mi Yeoun; Hahn, Tae-Wook

2017-03-01

Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic agent and causes coxiellosis, which is a cause of reproductive failure in a range of animal species, including abortion and stillbirth and Q fever, which is most often characterized by an acute flu-like illness, mild pneumonia, and/or hepatitis in humans. While livestock are well recognized worldwide as a source of infection, the zoonotic risk of C. burnetii infection in companion animals such as dogs may be overlooked. For serological diagnosis, indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are generally considered good methods for prevalence surveys of coxiellosis. In this study, we conducted a nationwide survey of the seroprevalence of previous exposure to C. burnetii in dogs, dairy cattle, and Korean native cattle (a primarily beef breed) in South Korea. Serum samples obtained from 3087 Korean native cattle, 1224 dairy cattle, and 1023 dogs were collected from eight provinces in South Korea, and IFA and ELISA were performed to test for seropositivity. The prevalence of C. burnetii was 1.7% in Korean native cattle, 10.5% in dairy cattle, and 2.9% in dogs. This is the first report identifying previous exposure to C. burnetii in South Korean dogs. Furthermore, the presence of C. burnetii antibodies in companion and feral dogs indicates that dogs can be a potential reservoir species for zoonotic risk of C. burnetii infection in South Korea. Therefore, more detailed studies aiming to clarify epidemiological factors should be performed in the future.

A cross-sectional study estimating the burden of illness related to genital warts in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Taek Sang; Kothari-Talwar, Smita; Singhal, Puneet K; Yee, Karen; Kulkarni, Amit; Lara, Nuria; Roset, Montserrat; Giuliano, Anna R; Garland, Suzanne M; Ju, Woong

2017-07-02

Estimate the prevalence of genital warts (GW) and GW-related healthcare resource use and costs among male and female patients seeking treatment in South Korea. To estimate GW prevalence, physicians in five major South Korean regions recorded daily logs of patients (n=71 655) seeking care between July 26 and September 27, 2011. Overall prevalence estimates (and 95% CIs) were weighted by the estimated number of physicians in each specialty and the estimated proportion of total patients visiting each specialist type. Healthcare resource use was compared among different specialties. Corresponding p values were calculated using Mann-Whitney U tests. The database covers 5098 clinics and hospitals for five major regions in South Korea: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. Primary care physicians (general practice/family medicine), obstetricians/gynaecologists, urologists and dermatologists with 2-30 years' experience. The estimated overall GW prevalence was 0.7% (95% CI 0.7% to 0.8%). Among women, GW prevalence was 0.6% (95% CI 0.6% to 0.7%); among men prevalence was 1.0% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.0%), peaking among patients aged 18-24 years. Median costs for GW diagnosis and treatment for male patients were US$58.2 (South Korean Won (KRW) ₩66 857) and US$66.3 (KRW₩76 113) for female patients. The estimated overall GW prevalence in South Korea was 0.7% and was higher for male patients. The overall median costs associated with a GW episode were higher for female patients than for male patients. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

An Analysis of Infectious Disease Research Trends in Medical Journals From North Korea.

PubMed

Park, Do-Hyeon; Choi, Min-Ho; Lim, Ah-Young; Shin, Hee Young

2018-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the current status of infectious disease research in North Korea by analyzing recent trends in medical journals from North Korea in comparison with research from South Korea. Three medical journals (Preventive Medicine, Basic Medicine, and Chosun Medicine) were analyzed from 2012 to 2016. Articles on tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and parasitic diseases were selected and classified by their subtopics and study areas. Two medical journals published in the South Korea were selected for a comparative analysis of research trends. Of the 2792 articles that were reviewed, 93 were extracted from North Korea journals. TB research in North Korea was largely focused on multi-drug resistant TB and extrapulmonary TB, whereas research in South Korea more frequently investigated non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Research on parasitic diseases in North Korea was focused on protozoan and intestinal nematodes, while the corresponding South Korea research investigated various species of parasites. Additionally, the studies conducted in North Korea were more likely to investigate the application of traditional medicine to diagnosis and treatment than those conducted in South Korea. This study presents an analysis of research trends in preventive medicine in North Korea focusing on infectious diseases, in which clear differences were observed between South and North Korea. Trends in research topics suggest a high prevalence of certain parasitic diseases in North Korea that are no longer widespread in South Korea. The large proportion of studies examining traditional medicine implies a lack of affordable medicine in North Korea.

Organizing III MEF in the Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-04

has ongoing island disputes with Russia (Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan), South Korea (Take-shima/ Tok -do), and Taiwan (Senkaku). Central...shima/ Tok -do and South Korea does not recognize Japan’s claim to an exclusive economic zone, for hydrocarbon prospecting, in the East China Sea

Barriers of Developing Medical Tourism in a Destination: A Case of South Korea.

PubMed

Rokni, Ladan; Avci, Turgay; Park, Sam Hun

2017-07-01

This study aimed to determine the efficient factors that potentially lead to the barriers of developing medical tourism in South Korea. To explore the current medical tourism trend, a qualitative procedure was adopted. Besides analyzing the current situation of medical tourism in Korea through a systematic searching on the available information and publications, in-depth-interviews were conducted to collect data from relevant authorities and representatives of medical tourism associations in this country. The result revealed, although government have supported this industry, that lack of specialty and expertise among the health care practitioners in the scope of cross cultural communication, seems to be the core barrier to development of medical tourism in Korea. Demands for convenient promotional activities, policy making and action regulation are the other effective factors. Several strategies are required in order to address and combat these barriers, such as governmental support for cultural training, cooperative efforts to encourage health practitioners involved to enhance their cultural and linguistic competence in international scale.

Circumcision practice patterns in South Korea: community based survey

PubMed Central

Ku, J; Kim, M; Lee, N; Park, Y

2003-01-01

Methods: Between May and November 2001, this cross sectional survey was performed. Of 27 202 men aged 20 years dwelling in the community of Choong-chung South Province, 2700 were randomly selected at a 10.0% sampling fraction after a sampling process by census district and a total of 1742 (64.5%) agreed to participate in the study. These subjects completed self administered questionnaires and we included 1674 men (a response rate 62.0%) in the study. Results: The overall proportion of circumcised was 1306 (78.0%) and an additional 192 (11.5%) wished to be circumcised later. Circumcision was carried out mostly during their elementary and middle school years. Of men circumcised, the decision whether to circumcise was most often made by their parents. Of the subjects, 75.0% believed that circumcision is necessary, while 2.9% believed it to be unnecessary. Among those who believed circumcision to be necessary, the most common reason was to improve penile hygiene (89.1%). Conclusions: Our results indicate a positive attitude toward circumcision in South Korean men, linking it with hygienic practices. Circumcision in South Korea depends on the perpetuation of cultural beliefs that support it. PMID:12576619

Pesticide residues in leafy vegetables, stalk and stem vegetables from South Korea: a long-term study on safety and health risk assessment.

PubMed

Park, Duck Woong; Kim, Kwang Gon; Choi, Eun Ah; Kang, Gyeong Ri; Kim, Tae Sun; Yang, Yong Shik; Moon, Su Jin; Ha, Dong Ryong; Kim, Eun Sun; Cho, Bae Sik

2016-01-01

South Korea has a unique food culture. South Koreans enjoy wrapping meat and eating or making kimchi (traditionally fermented Korean food) and eating using raw leafy vegetables, stalk and stem vegetables. Therefore, there is a high chance of being exposed to pesticide residues of vegetables. The objective of this study was to investigate pesticide residues in leafy vegetables, stalk and stem vegetables from South Korea. A total of 8496 samples were mainly collected from Gwangju and Jeonnam area (the largest production region of leafy vegetables, stalk and stem vegetables) in South Korea from 2010 to 2014. A total of 230 pesticides were used for multi-residue analysis of pesticides. Among 8496 samples, 61 different pesticides (1029 times) were detected in 890 samples, of which 118 samples (1.4%) exceeded the Korea maximum residue limits (MRLs). Samples exceeding the MRLs were mostly found in leafy vegetables (brassica lee ssp. namai, leafy lettuce, spinach, perilla leaves, crown daisy, marsh mallow, aster scaber, pimpinella brachycarpa) and Chinese chive. Procymidone, dimethomorph and azoxystrobin were the most frequently found pesticides. A risk assessment of pesticides exceeding the MRLs was evaluated by calculating the estimated daily intake (EDI) and the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ratio of EDI to ADI was 0.003-30.4%.

Social and Clinical Characteristics of Immigrants with Tuberculosis in South Korea.

PubMed

Min, Gee Ho; Kim, Young; Lee, Jong Seok; Oh, Jee Youn; Hur, Gyu Young; Lee, Young Seok; Min, Kyung Hoon; Lee, Sung Yong; Kim, Je Hyeong; Shin, Chol; Lee, Seung Heon

2017-05-01

To determine the social and clinical characteristics of immigrants with tuberculosis (TB) in South Korea. The registered adult TB patients who were diagnosed and treated in Korea Medical Centers from January 2013 to December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 105 immigrants with TB were compared to 932 native Korean TB patients. Among these 105 immigrants with TB, 86 (82%) were Korean-Chinese. The rate of drug-susceptible TB were lower in the immigrants group than in the native Korean group [odds ratio (OR): 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22-0.96, p=0.035]. Cure rate was higher in the immigrant group than in the native Korean group (OR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.26-3.28, p=0.003). Treatment completion rate was lower in the immigrant group than in the native Korean group (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.33-0.74, p=0.001). However, treatment success rate showed no significant difference between two groups (p=0.141). Lost to follow up (default) rate was higher in the immigrant group than in the native Korean group after adjusting for age and drug resistance (OR: 3.61; 95% CI: 1.36-9.61, p=0.010). There was no difference between defaulter and non-defaulter in clinical characteristics or types of visa among these immigrants (null p value). However, 43 TB patients with recent immigration were diagnosed as TB even though they had been screened as normal at the time of immigration. Endeavor to reduce the default rate of immigrants with TB and reinforce TB screening during the immigration process must be performed for TB infection control in South Korea. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017

Drug reimbursement decision-making in Thailand, China, and South Korea.

PubMed

Ngorsuraches, Surachat; Meng, Wei; Kim, Bo-Yeon; Kulsomboon, Vithaya

2012-01-01

To provide a comparison of national drug reimbursement decision-making, including an update of economic evaluation roles and barriers, in Thailand, China, and South Korea. Documentary reviews supplemented by experiences of policymakers. National health insurance policy in all the three countries has been developed toward coverage for all. It leads to higher health-care expenditures and requires a good reimbursement system for health-care services, including drugs. Drug reimbursement decision-making in these countries is to develop a reimbursement list with the help of various committees having different roles. Primarily, they assess the clinical and safety evidence. Economic evidence, including budget impact and pharmacoeconomic evaluation, has also been very important for their reimbursement decision-making. This evidence is sometimes used in negotiation mechanism, which allows pharmaceutical companies to lower their drug prices and leads to lower overall drug expenditures. Several common barriers, for example, human capacity and data availability, for obtaining economic evidence in all the three countries, however, still exist. Drug reimbursement decision-making in Thailand, China, and South Korea is in its transition period. It seems to run in the same direction, for example, guideline development and pharmacoeconomic evaluation agency establishment. Pharmacoeconomic evaluation plays important roles in the efficiency of drug reimbursement decision-making, even though there are several barriers to be overcome. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Predictors of Mental Health among Older Adults in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eun-Kyoung Othelia; Lee, Jungui

2011-01-01

As aging is occurring at a rate never before seen in South Korea, the present study examines the predictors of mental health in a nationally representative sample of older adults (n = 4,155), drawn from Wave I of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. Findings show that sociodemographic factors, chronic health conditions, level of cognition, and…

Meditating Gunrunner Speaking, Part I: A Black Male Journey Teaching in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Johnnie

2016-01-01

In this article, I offer my own decolonizing counterstory of teaching as a Black American man in a teacher education program in South Korea, to purport how I was both a colonizer and the colonized, inside and outside of the classroom and the curriculum (Asher, 2010; Baszile, 2008, 2009, 2010). To further complicate matters, my Black male body did…

Brain Gain or Brain Circulation? U.S. Doctoral Recipients Returning to South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jenny J.; Kim, Dongbin

2010-01-01

This study explored the reasons for current reverse mobility patterns in South Korea and how the country benefits from returning U.S. doctoral recipients in the forms of brain gain and brain circulation. Based on interviews of Korean faculty who studied in the U.S., this study found that while the political economy might help to explain why Korean…

Molecular prevalence and genotyping of Chlamydia spp. in wild birds from South Korea.

PubMed

Jeong, Jipseol; An, Injung; Oem, Jae-Ku; Wang, Seung-Jun; Kim, Yongkwan; Shin, Jeong-Hwa; Woo, Chanjin; Kim, Youngsik; Jo, Seong-Deok; Son, Kidong; Lee, Saemi; Jheong, Weonhwa

2017-07-07

Wild birds are reservoirs for Chlamydia spp. Of the total 225 samples from wild birds during January to September 2016 in Korea, 4 (1.8%) and 2 (0.9%) showed positive for Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia gallinacea, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses and comparisons of sequence identities for outer-membrane protein A (ompA) revealed that Korean C. psittaci fall into three previously known genotypes; genotype E, 1V and 6N, whereas the Korean C. gallinacea were classified as new variants of C. gallinacea. Our study demonstrates that wild birds in South Korea carry at least two Chlamydia species: C. psittaci and C. gallinacea, and provides new information on the epidemiology of avian chlamydiosis in wild birds.

A 7-year follow-up study on the mental health of North Korean defectors in South Korea.

PubMed

Jeon, Woo-Taek; Eom, Jin-Sup; Min, Sung Kil

2013-02-01

This study was conducted to describe the relationship of past trauma and current stress on the mental health of North Korean (NK) defectors living in South Korea 7 years after a baseline assessment. Of the 200 who participated in the initial study, 106 participated in follow-up. Previous data regarding past traumatic events experienced in North Korea and during defection, past posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and their current stress levels were correlated with the participants' current mental health status including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The rate of PTSD in the sample and the scores on the PTSD symptom scale decreased significantly from the baseline. The participants' current mental health was negatively related to previous traumatic experiences in North Korea and past symptoms of PTSD, but unrelated to previous trauma experienced during defection. In addition, although current mental health was negatively related to only current culture-related stress, it was unrelated to the level of current ordinary life stress. The results of this study suggest that PTSD symptoms decreased during the 7 years between assessments, and that current culture-related stress is the most important variable related to the mental health of NK defectors living in South Korea. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

South Korea and Its Security Environment (Korea’s Position in the Power Relationship between the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan & China)

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

aamsL us," and are thus obstacles to progress which must be neutralizil. , ,s opposition wea- kened , the tendency has normally developed, for Sfiju o...totally by the South Korean naval engineering team. With Korea’s de- monstrated capability for merchant ships, trawlers, nine warfare ships patrol craft

Pharmaceutical reform in South Korea and the lessons it provides.

PubMed

Kim, Hak-Ju; Ruger, Jennifer Prah

2008-01-01

Through implementation of its 2000 pharmaceutical reform, the South Korean government expected to reduce the cost of medications and improve service levels, medical appropriateness of care, and drug effectiveness. However, despite the reform's lofty goals, unintended consequences have distorted the supply of medical services and spending. These consequences have included increasing the use of uninsured services, prescribing high-price drugs, and a growing market share for multinational drug companies. Further reforms are needed to reduce the measure's adverse effects. This paper examines the Korean mandatory prescription system and offers an analysis of Korea's reforms.

An Analysis of Infectious Disease Research Trends in Medical Journals From North Korea

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the current status of infectious disease research in North Korea by analyzing recent trends in medical journals from North Korea in comparison with research from South Korea. Methods Three medical journals (Preventive Medicine, Basic Medicine, and Chosun Medicine) were analyzed from 2012 to 2016. Articles on tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and parasitic diseases were selected and classified by their subtopics and study areas. Two medical journals published in the South Korea were selected for a comparative analysis of research trends. Results Of the 2792 articles that were reviewed, 93 were extracted from North Korea journals. TB research in North Korea was largely focused on multi-drug resistant TB and extrapulmonary TB, whereas research in South Korea more frequently investigated non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Research on parasitic diseases in North Korea was focused on protozoan and intestinal nematodes, while the corresponding South Korea research investigated various species of parasites. Additionally, the studies conducted in North Korea were more likely to investigate the application of traditional medicine to diagnosis and treatment than those conducted in South Korea. Conclusions This study presents an analysis of research trends in preventive medicine in North Korea focusing on infectious diseases, in which clear differences were observed between South and North Korea. Trends in research topics suggest a high prevalence of certain parasitic diseases in North Korea that are no longer widespread in South Korea. The large proportion of studies examining traditional medicine implies a lack of affordable medicine in North Korea. PMID:29631346

Seroprevalence and disease burden of acute hepatitis A in adult population in South Korea.

PubMed

Yoon, Jin Gu; Choi, Min Joo; Yoon, Jae Won; Noh, Ji Yun; Song, Joon Young; Cheong, Hee Jin; Kim, Woo Joo

2017-01-01

Adult seroprevalence of HAV is decreasing in developed countries including South Korea, due to general sanitation improvement. Although hepatitis A vaccination was introduced in South Korea more than 20 years ago, recent infection rates have not decreased. In this study, we investigate the seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG, and estimate the national disease burden of acute hepatitis A in adult population. Seroprevalence data were collected from health promotion center of Korea University Guro Hospital, in Seoul, Korea from 2010 to 2014. Data from adults (≥20-years) being tested for anti-HAV IgG were included. In addition, epidemiological and clinical data of patients diagnosed with acute hepatitis A from 2009 to 2013, were collected from Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. Data were stratified and compared by age groups. A total of 11,177 subjects were tested for anti-HAV IgG from 2010 to 2014. Age-related seroprevalence showed relatively low seropositivity in young adults. Incidence of acute hepatitis A was highest in 2009 and lowest in 2013. When categorized by age group, adults in their 20s and 30s had more HAV infections and related-admissions than older adults. However, ICU admission rate and average insurance-covered cost was high in older adults. The anti-HAV IgG seropositivity in Korean younger adult population was low while the incidence of acute hepatitis A was high, especially in the 20-39 aged. However, a substantial number of older adults were infected, and required more intensive procedures and incurred higher insurance-covered medical costs.

Seroprevalence and disease burden of acute hepatitis A in adult population in South Korea

PubMed Central

Choi, Min Joo; Yoon, Jae Won; Noh, Ji Yun; Song, Joon Young; Cheong, Hee Jin; Kim, Woo Joo

2017-01-01

Background Adult seroprevalence of HAV is decreasing in developed countries including South Korea, due to general sanitation improvement. Although hepatitis A vaccination was introduced in South Korea more than 20 years ago, recent infection rates have not decreased. In this study, we investigate the seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG, and estimate the national disease burden of acute hepatitis A in adult population. Methods Seroprevalence data were collected from health promotion center of Korea University Guro Hospital, in Seoul, Korea from 2010 to 2014. Data from adults (≥20-years) being tested for anti-HAV IgG were included. In addition, epidemiological and clinical data of patients diagnosed with acute hepatitis A from 2009 to 2013, were collected from Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. Data were stratified and compared by age groups. Results A total of 11,177 subjects were tested for anti-HAV IgG from 2010 to 2014. Age-related seroprevalence showed relatively low seropositivity in young adults. Incidence of acute hepatitis A was highest in 2009 and lowest in 2013. When categorized by age group, adults in their 20s and 30s had more HAV infections and related-admissions than older adults. However, ICU admission rate and average insurance-covered cost was high in older adults. Conclusion The anti-HAV IgG seropositivity in Korean younger adult population was low while the incidence of acute hepatitis A was high, especially in the 20–39 aged. However, a substantial number of older adults were infected, and required more intensive procedures and incurred higher insurance-covered medical costs. PMID:29065115

Development of Ocean-Bottom Seismograph in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, H.; Jang, J. P.; Chen, P.; Lin, C. R.; Kuo, B. Y.; Wang, C. C.; Kim, K. H.; Lin, P. P.

2016-12-01

Yardbird-20s, one type of Ocean-Bottom Seismograph (OBS), is fabricated by Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI), the Institute of Earth Science of Academia Sinica and the Institute of Undersea Technology of the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan. Yardbirds can be deployed up to 5000m deep for up to 15 months. The total weight with anchor in the air is about 170Kg. The rising and sinking rate is about 0.8 m/s. We utilized ultra-low power micro control unit (MCU) and SD card to design a data logger. The sensors are three of 4.5Hz geophones that were extended the lower frequency response to 20 sec. The sensor module also includes the leveling system, which is design by dual-axis DC motor-driven module to level the vertical component to be less than 0.1 degree with respect to the gravity. Yardbirds have been successfully deployed and recovered in several research cruises in Taiwan and Korea. In this study, we'll also display the data quality and power spectral density (PSD) calculations, probability density function (PDF) plots and from the Yardbirds that deployed and recovered in the East Sea near sough-east of Korea.

Eco-Early Childhood Education: A New Paradigm of Early Childhood Education in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eunju; Lim, Jaetack

2007-01-01

In the early 1990s, university faculty members, early childhood educators, and preschool teachers in South Korea created a new paradigm for education. Eco-early childhood education uses an ecological point of view to reform existing child-centered education. This perspective proposes moving from child- to life-centered, individual- to…

Childlessness patterns in Taiwan.

PubMed

Poston Dl

1988-06-01

Taiwan is a newly developed and industrialized area, and along with Korea, Brazil, Argentina, and a few other countries, belongs in a special class of recently industrialized areas. Taiwan has been undergoing large-scale modernization since the 1950s when the Nationalist government 1st began to implement land reform programs and today is 1 of the showcase of newly developed areas of the world. Demographic transition theory shows that fertility is negatively associated with modernization. During the past 3 decades, fertility in Taiwan has followed this pattern in a dramatic manner. Studies of childlessness conducted in Western countries have shown also that as the modernizing influences continue, fertility declines, and childlessness increases as it becomes more and more voluntary. Subregions with the highest levels of modernization and the lowest fertility rates should therefore be characterized by the highest levels of childlessness, particularly among younger women, and vice versa. Given the levels of socioeconomic and demographic development in Taiwan and its subregions circa 1980, as well as its variability among the hsiens and major cities, the author would expect to find higher levels of childlessness in the more developed localities, and lower levels in the less developed subregions. This hypothesis is tested with data from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing: General Report, Taiwan--Fukien Area (Republic of China, 1982) and the 1980 Taiwan--Fukien Demographic Fact Book (Republic of China, 1980).

Poverty Eradication: Lessons from China and South Korea in the 1950s and 1960s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wignaraja, Ponna

1996-01-01

Traces the search for economic development alternatives that go beyond conventional neo-classical and Marxist theory and practice. Outlines case studies of social and economic transformation in South Korea and China and delineates the differences between similar attempts in Latin America and Eastern Europe. (MJP)

Mortality from and Incidence of Pesticide Poisoning in South Korea: Findings from National Death and Health Utilization Data between 2006 and 2010

PubMed Central

Cha, Eun Shil; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Won Jin

2014-01-01

Pesticide poisoning has been recognized as an important public health issue around the world. The objectives of this study were to report nationally representative figures on mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning in South Korea and to describe their epidemiologic characteristics. We calculated the age-standardized rates of mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning in South Korea by gender and region from 2006 through 2010 using registered death data obtained from Statistics Korea and national healthcare utilization data obtained from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of South Korea. During the study period of 2006 through 2010, a total of 16,161 deaths and 45,291 patients related to pesticide poisoning were identified, marking respective mortality and incidence rates of 5.35 and 15.37 per 100,000 population. Intentional self-poisoning was identified as the major cause of death due to pesticides (85.9%) and accounted for 20.8% of all recorded suicides. The rates of mortality due to and incidence of pesticide poisoning were higher in rural than in urban areas, and this rural-urban discrepancy was more pronounced for mortality than for incidence. Both the rate of mortality due to pesticide poisoning and its incidence rate increased with age and were higher among men than women. This study provides the magnitude and epidemiologic characteristics for mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning at the national level, and strongly suggests the need for further efforts to prevent pesticide self-poisonings, especially in rural areas in South Korea. PMID:24743877

Mortality from and incidence of pesticide poisoning in South Korea: findings from National Death and Health Utilization Data between 2006 and 2010.

PubMed

Cha, Eun Shil; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Won Jin

2014-01-01

Pesticide poisoning has been recognized as an important public health issue around the world. The objectives of this study were to report nationally representative figures on mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning in South Korea and to describe their epidemiologic characteristics. We calculated the age-standardized rates of mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning in South Korea by gender and region from 2006 through 2010 using registered death data obtained from Statistics Korea and national healthcare utilization data obtained from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of South Korea. During the study period of 2006 through 2010, a total of 16,161 deaths and 45,291 patients related to pesticide poisoning were identified, marking respective mortality and incidence rates of 5.35 and 15.37 per 100,000 population. Intentional self-poisoning was identified as the major cause of death due to pesticides (85.9%) and accounted for 20.8% of all recorded suicides. The rates of mortality due to and incidence of pesticide poisoning were higher in rural than in urban areas, and this rural-urban discrepancy was more pronounced for mortality than for incidence. Both the rate of mortality due to pesticide poisoning and its incidence rate increased with age and were higher among men than women. This study provides the magnitude and epidemiologic characteristics for mortality from and the incidence of pesticide poisoning at the national level, and strongly suggests the need for further efforts to prevent pesticide self-poisonings, especially in rural areas in South Korea.

Status, Alert System, and Prediction of Cyanobacterial Bloom in South Korea

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Ankita; Ahn, Chi-Yong; Asthana, Ravi Kumar; Lee, Hyung-Gwan; Oh, Hee-Mock

2015-01-01

Bloom-forming freshwater cyanobacterial genera pose a major ecological problem due to their ability to produce toxins and other bioactive compounds, which can have important implications in illnesses of humans and livestock. Cyanobacteria such as Microcystis, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, and Aphanizomenon species producing microcystins and anatoxin-a have been predominantly documented from most South Korean lakes and reservoirs. With the increase in frequency of such blooms, various monitoring approaches, treatment processes, and prediction models have been developed in due course. In this paper we review the field studies and current knowledge on toxin producing cyanobacterial species and ecological variables that regulate toxin production and bloom formation in major rivers (Han, Geum, Nakdong, and Yeongsan) and reservoirs in South Korea. In addition, development of new, fast, and high-throughput techniques for effective monitoring is also discussed with cyanobacterial bloom advisory practices, current management strategies, and their implications in South Korean freshwater bodies. PMID:25705675

Comparing the Experiences and Needs of Postsecondary International Students from China and South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center