Korean Life Research Articles

The comparison of the survival outcome between robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer in men over 70years: Korean Nationwide Observational Study.

This study aimed to investigate the survival after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in comparison with radiation therapy (RT) in elderly patients (≥ 70years) with non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), given the contemporary Korean life span of 80years. From the National Health Insurance Sharing Service data, men aged ≥ 70years diagnosed with PCa from 2006 through 2016 undergoing RARP or RT without systemic chemotherapy or prolonged androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) were identified, then the mortality was compared after adjusting host factors. Data revealed 13,952 patients with RARP (N = 7535) or RT (N = 6417). Patients who underwent RARP were younger (73.81 ± 3.58 vs. 75.05 ± 3.83years) and had a higher income. While the majority of the RARP group (94.1%) received no additional therapy, 57.4% of the RT group combined ADT. The adjusted mortality rate for total patients was lower in the RARP group (HR = 0.767, 95% CI 0.072-0.818, p < 0.0001). From the age of 75years, more patients underwent RT (n = 3239) than RARP (n = 2478). When dividing patients by this age cut-off, the adjusted mortality for the younger patient (70-74years) was lower in the RARP group than the RT group (HR = 0.580, p < 0.0001). In contrast, the adjusted mortality rate for men older than 75years was similar (HR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.897-1.07, p = 0.649). This study demonstrates that even the patient over 75years old who could afford to undergo robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy for non-metastatic PCa had a similar survival in comparison with RT, which had long been a standard of care for this particular age group.

조선 미술에 내재한 음양합덕과 태극: 대순사상을 중심으로

This study analyzes the principles of the ‘Earthly Paradise’ (仙境, the realm of immortals), ‘Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang’ (陰陽合德), and the ‘Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth’ (天地公事) while combining them with Joseon art. Therefore, this study aims to discover the context wherein the concept of Taiji in ‘Daesoon Truth,’ deeply penetrates into Joseon art. Doing so reveals how ‘Daesoon Thought’ is embedded in the lives and customs of the Korean people. In addition, this study follows a review of the sentiments and intellectual traditions of the Korean people based on ‘Daesoon Thought’ and creative works. Moreover, ‘Daesoon Thought’ brings all of this to the forefront in academics and art at the cosmological level. The purpose of this research is to vividly reveal the core of ‘Daesoon Thought’ as a visual image. Through this, the combination of ‘Daesoon Thought’ and Joseon art will secure both data and reality at the same time. As part of this, this study deals with the world of ‘Daesoon Thought’ as a cosmological Taiji principle. This concept is revealed in Joseon art, which is analyzed and examined from the viewpoint of art philosophy. First, as a way to make use of ‘Daesoon Thought,’ ‘Daesoon Truth’ was developed and directly applied to Joseon art. In this way, reflections on Korean life within ‘Daesoon Thought’ can be revealed. In this regard, the selection of Joseon art used in this study highlights creative works that have been deeply ingrained into people’s lives. For example, as ‘Daesoon Thought’ appears to focus on the genre painting, folk painting, and landscape painting of the Joseon Dynasty, attention is given to verifying these cases. This study analyzes ‘Daesoon Thought,’ which borrows from Joseon art, from the perspective of art philosophy. Accordingly, attempts are made to find examples of the ‘Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang’ and Tai-Ji in Joseon art which became a basis by which ‘Daesoon Thought’ was communicated to people. In addition, appreciating ‘Daesoon Thought’ in Joseon art is an opportunity to vividly examine not only the Joseon art style but also the life, consciousness, and mental world of the Korean people. As part of this, Chapter 2 made several findings related to the formation of ‘Daesoon Thought.’ In Chapter 3, the structures of the ideas of ‘Earthly Paradise’ and ‘Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang’ were likewise found to have support. And ‘The Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth’ and Tai-Ji were found in depictions of metaphysical laws. To this end, the laws of ‘The Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth’ and the structure of Tai-Ji were combined. In chapter 4, we analyzed the ‘Daesoon Thought’ in the life and work of the Korean people at the level of the convergence of ‘Daeesoon Thought’ and Joseon art. The analysis of works provides a glimpse into the precise identity of ‘Daesoon Thought’ as observable in Joseon art, as doing so is useful for generating empirical data. For example, works such as Tai-Jido, Ssanggeum Daemu, Jusachaebujeokdo, Hwajogi Myeonghwabundo, and Gyeongdodo are objects that inspired descriptions of ‘Earthly Paradise’, ‘Virtuous Concordance of Yin and Yang,’ and ‘The Reordering Works of Heaven and Earth.’ As a result, Tai-Ji which appears in ‘Daesoon Thought’, proved the status of people in Joseon art. Given all of these statements, the Tai-Ji idea pursued by Daesoon Thought is a providence that follows change as all things are mutually created. In other words, it was derived that Tai-Ji ideology sits profoundly in the lives of the Korean people and responds mutually to the providence that converges with ‘Mutual Beneficence.’

Trajectory of smoking and early bladder cancer risk among Korean young adult men

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the risk of bladder cancer according to the trajectory pattern of amount of smoking among Korean young adult men.MethodsSmoking status was assessed with a standardized questionnaire in the Korean Life Course Health Study (KLCHS). Trajectory analyses were performed among young adult men using seven repeated surveys of cigarette per day (CPD) every two years from 1992 to 2005. The occurrence of bladder cancer was tracked from 2006 to 2016. The Cox proportional models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval) of smoking patterns on bladder cancer.ResultsThe mean (standard deviation) age of the 161,069 participants was 34.0 (3.9) years, and 2,280,143 person-years (PY) were examined during the follow-up period of 14.2 (median 14.3) years. During this period, 263 new cases of bladder cancer occurred (11.5/100,000 PY). Among the six trajectory groups (low steady, lowering, rise and fall, high steady, rise and sharp fall, and very high steady), there was a higher risk of developing bladder cancer in the all the other groups compared to the low steady group. The highest risk group was the very high steady group, with HR 2.83 (95% CI 1.79–4.49). In addition, the risk of bladder cancer was 2.61 (95% CI 1.50–4.54) in the rise and sharp fall group.ConclusionThe risk of bladder cancer did not show much difference according to trajectories, except for low steady group. Thus quitting smoking should be the priority to lower the risk of bladder cancer in smokers.

Life after hospital discharge for people with long-term mental disorders in South Korea: Focusing on the "revolving door phenomenon".

The purpose of this study was to explore the lives of Koreans with long-term mental disorders who had experienced multiple readmissions after hospital discharges. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants and thematic analysis was used to examine their data. Four themes emerged from the data, describing their lives: they suffered in the aspects of social maladjustment, loneliness, causing shame to their families, and managing mental illnesses. After patients with mental disorders are discharged from the hospital, they need transitional care before systematic community-based care to enhance their autonomy and reduce the burden on their families.

한국인의 삶, 늙음, 그리고 죽음: 최치원, 이규보, 서경덕, 신흠을 거론하며

한국인의 삶, 늙음, 그리고 죽음: 최치원, 이규보, 서경덕, 신흠을 거론하며

재한 조선족의 사회적 삶과 경계 재생산

본 연구에서는 한국인 및 한국사회와의 일상적 상호작용 속에서 드러나는 조선족들의 행위지향의 특성에 대한 고찰을 통해 민족적 소속감 (재)구성의 내재적 체계를 파악하고자 하였다. 상호작용에서 가장 중요하게 드러나는 내용이 바로 집단 간 차이이며, 본 연구에서는 그러한 차이를 문화적, 사회적, 국가적, 개인적 차원으로 분류하여 분석하였다. 결과 한국인 집단과 조선족 집단 간의 차이는 차별화되면서 집단 간 경계를 형성하고 있으며, 그러한 경계는 조선족들의 자아·타자의 구분 짓기에 의한 집단 간 분리 및 ’민족적 소속감’을 바탕으로 한 집단적 귀속을 통해 (재)구축될 뿐만 아니라, 그것은 반대로 한국인 집단이 조선족에게 부과하는 공동체성이 되면서 집단 간 경계를 재생산시키고 있다.

A Study on the Korean Culture Education Using legal Holiday

언어와 문화는 불가분의 관계로서 외국어를 학습하는 과정은 목표어에 대한 습득과정일 뿐만 아니라 목표어 공동체 구성원이 기본으로 공유하는 문화 지식과 배경에 대한 학습 과정이기도 하다. 외국인 학습자가 한국인이 상식적으로 알고 있는 기본 문화 배경 지식에 대한 결여는 의사소통 단절로 이어질 수가 있다. 한국의 공휴일은 한국의 역사, 민족의 기념일 및 정책 제정 등과 긴밀히 연관이 있는 문화적 내용을 포괄하고 있을 뿐만 아니라 달력에 표기되어 한국인의 일상생활, 학습과 업무 배치에도 상당한 영향을 미치게 된다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 공휴일의 개념, 분류, 공휴일의 각 요소에 관련된 연혁, 배경 지식 문화 등을 살펴보고 이로부터 배경의 일관성, 통시적 연속성, 민족적 계승성과 조건적 변이성 등 공휴일의 4가지 특성을 도출하여 이를 활용한 한국 문화 교육 방안을 제안하였다. 이는 외국인 한국어 학습자, 비원어민 교사의 한국 문화 교수·학습에 실효성 있는 도움을 주고 교재의 공휴일 관련 문화 내용 편찬에도 일조할 것으로 기대된다.Language and culture are inseparable; learning a foreign language is not only about acquiring the target language but also about learning the cultural background of the community and the people who use the language. A lack of elementary knowledge of the cultural background by foreign learners of the Korean language, considered common sense by native Koreans, may lead to communication breakdown. Korean legal holidays represent culturally significant events, closely related to the history, anniversaries, or policy-making of the nation, besides they are noted on the calendar, influencing the everyday lives of Koreans, not to mention study and work schedules. Subsequent to defining and categorizing legal holidays, this study examined the history and knowledge of the cultural background of legal holidays. Next, four characteristics of legal holidays-consistency of the background, diachronic continuity, ethnic inheritance, and conditional variability were extracted from the results and effective measures to teach Korean culture to foreign learners of Korean was suggested. The results of this study are expected to help non-native teachers as well as foreign learners of the Korean language to teach and learn Korean culture and pave the way for writing the content related to legal holidays in textbooks.

Sex-Based Differences in the Quality of Life of Elderly Koreans with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

In this study, we constructed a structural equation model (SEM) for predicting the quality of life (QOL) in elderly Koreans with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) and examined the differences between sexes. Data were earlier collected in a prior study of 307 participants (101 men and 206 women) with CMP, aged 65 years and above, who used geriatric welfare centers located in two cities. The effects of pain, functional limitation, perceived health status, pain coping, and social support on the QOL were estimated with a multigroup SEM. For both men and women, the results show sequential causality from pain to functional limitation, perceived health status, and QOL. However, the relationships among pain, pain coping, functional limitation, and QOL differ between men and women. The multigroup SEM provides a better understanding of the sex differences in the QOL of elderly with CMP. The results suggest that in order to improve QOL among the elderly with CMP, a customized strategy should be applied that takes into account differences between the sexes.

Embodied Subjects of Victimization: The Year in Korea

Embodied Subjects of VictimizationThe Year in Korea Heui-Yung Park (bio) On December 5, 2014, right before takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Korean Air Flight 86 suddenly taxied back to its gate. Leaving chief crewmember Pak Ch'ang-jin1 behind, it then departed for the Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Commonly referred to in Korea as the "ttangk'ong hoehang sakŏn" [nut-fly-back incident], it resulted from a temper tantrum by Cho Hyŏn-a (Heather Cho), vice president of Korean Air and the oldest daughter of its CEO, Cho Yang-ho. Because macadamia nuts were served to her in a bag instead of on a plate, she became furious with the flight attendant, accusing her of not following the in-flight service manual correctly. Though she soon learned that she had been wrong about how the nuts should be served, Cho blamed Pak—the team leader for the entire crew—for not providing her immediately with the manual and therefore causing her trouble. She then ordered Pak off the plane. In early 2009, five years before the Korean Air incident, actor Chang Cha-yeŏn committed suicide at the age of twenty-seven. She had been suffering from severe depression for some time, largely because of abuse by Kim Chong-sŭng (also known as Kim Sŏng-hun or Jason Kim), the CEO of her entertainment management agency. Kim often had Chang entertain his male acquaintances or business partners, ordered her to have sexual relations with some of them, and beat her when she rejected his requests or for other unknown reasons. At Kim's birthday party in August 2008, Chang was also reportedly sexually harassed by Chosŏn ilbo journalist Cho Hŭi-ch'an. Despite the horrific crimes by Kim, journalist Cho, and several other men, which in all probability led to Chang's suicide, Kim was sentenced to only four months in prison and one year of probation. Cho and the remaining suspects were released, due to insufficient evidence. Pak's forced removal from the flight and Chang's suicide resulted from kapchil culture in South Korea, which stems from the unequal relationship between the privileged and the "other." Borrowed from a contractual term, kap indicates an individual or group who has the upper hand over the disadvantaged ŭl in society, and [End Page 114] chil is a derogatory word for bad conduct. Kapchil therefore refers to the offensive behavior of those with economic, social, and/or political power toward the less privileged. As an employee, and as a lesser-known actor, Pak and Chang were the ŭl, and therefore vulnerable due to their unequal relationship with their superiors. As a woman, Chang was especially susceptible to Kim's abuse in Korea's male-dominant culture. Though occurring less frequently in recent years, women are often treated as objects in workplaces and can be ordered to entertain their male associates, superiors, or business partners. Life writing published in South Korea from 2018 to 2019 displays the varying ways that people present their own stories and/or those of others. Chosain ŭiro salda: Pak Mu-ik hoegorok (2018), Irŏk'e sarado twae (2019), and Usŏn Kim Myŏng-jun chasŏjŏn (2019) record the writers' personal and/or professional achievements during their careers. In Yi Myŏng-ok hoegorok: Nae ga kiŏk hanŭn abŏji wa na (2018), Yi weaves together stories of her father and herself, foregrounding their father-daughter relationship. Pak Mang-nye, idaero chukŭl sun ŏptta (2019) is a collaborative work, in which Pak Mang-nye2—who was diagnosed with dementia—and her granddaughter document their adventures when visiting several parts of the world, including Australia, Japan, France, and the US. All of these works testify to the wide range of Korean life narratives operating on a personal level. Works such as Pak Ch'ang-jin's P'ŭllai paek: kapchil ro ŏgŭnnan sam ŭi kwedo rŭl paro chapta (2019) and Yun Chi-o's 13-bŏntchae chŭngŏn: 2009-nyŏn 3-wŏl 7-il (2019), however, not only...

Ethnic identity of Koreans in the CIS region through marriage culture

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of diaspora life of Koreans who have maintained their national identity for 150 years in the CIS region. Marriage is an encounter between individuals, but it is also a system of family and family meetings, and ultimately a system of maintaining national identity. In other words, any nation continues its generation through marriage, and on the one hand, it functions as a means of inheriting the individual s biological genes, but at the same time it is a unique function of maintaining the identity of the nation. Therefore, marriage can be a very useful measure in not only grasping a person s free will but also in identifying a nation s identity. To this end, the purpose of this study is to identify the causes of such changes by tracking the process of changing the perception of marriage among Koreans based on the socio-cultural background.

Distribution Systems and Efficiency of Life Insurers in Korea

This study investigates technical efficiencies of all life insurance companies in Korea using data environment analysis (DEA) for the sample of 2006 – 2017. During the sample period studied, new life policy sales by cyber marketing and traditional face-to-face sales have significantly increased and sales by other distribution methods have parred or decreased. The estimates of average technical efficiency measures of Korean life insurers are about 18 percentage higher than those of foreign life insurers. Among competing regression models, a random effects model is found to be an appropriate model and shows that cyber marketing and tele-marketing have statistically significantly positive impact on insurers’ efficiency, while there is a statistically significantly negative relationship between the capital input and the efficiency. The findings of this suggests insurers should strive to increase their operational efficiency by reevaluating and restructuring their distribution channels.

한국어 학습자를 위한 생활문화교육 세부항목 연구

It is necessary that cultural education in integrated textbooks is implemented for Korean language learners who need to acquire the basic cultural background for adapting to Korean life, as well as functional education of language. The cultural factors are extracted, analyzed, and compared from selected integrated textbooks which are utilized as the main channel of actual cultural education, and the most frequent living culture items are intensively examined and compared with the cultural domain of Internationally Accepted Standard Model . In addition, as conducting a survey and analyzing its results on the preference and demand for cultural items focusing on Korean language learners who are studying at the international exchange centers of three universities, the complement factors are presented which are expected to be reflected in the 'Standard Model' and the integrated Korean textbooks of universities. Also, this study aims to suggest the detailed items of living culture, as designing them to be proper to the needs of international students.

Prediction Model of Suicidal Ideation among Elderly Koreans Living Alone Based on ICF Model

본 연구의 목적은 WHO의 ICF(International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health)모델을 기반으로 독거노인의 자살생각을 통합적으로 설명하고 예측할 수 있는 모형을 구축하여 모형의 적합도를 검증하고, 독거노인의 자살생각에 영향을 미치는 요인 간 직&#8901;간접효과를 파악하고자 함이다. 본 연구를 위해 보건복지부와 한국보건사회연구원에서 실시한 2017년 노인실태조사 데이터를 활용하여 만 65세 이상 독거노인 2,303명을 최종 분석에 사용하였다. 자료분석은 SPSS 21.0과 Amos 22.0 프로그램을 사용하였고, 구조방정식모형을 이용한 경로분석을 실시하였다. 경로분석 결과, 독거노인의 자살생각에 직접적인 영향력이 가장 큰 요인은 우울이었고, 다음으로 경제수준, 연령, 만성질환, 성별 순으로 확인되었다. 자살생각에 간접 영향을 미치는 요인은 사회적 지지 만족도, 주관적 건강상태, 교육수준, 만성질환, 도구적 일상생활수행능력, 연령, 비공식적 지지, 취업여부, 사회참여 순이었다. 본 연구결과를 토대로, 독거노인의 자살을 예방할 수 있는 사회복지 차원의 개입방안들을 제시하였다.The present study aims to establish a model based on the ICF(International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) that can comprehensively explain and predict suicidal ideation among elderly people living alone to test the model’s goodness of fit and examine the direct and indirect effects of factors influencing the suicidal ideation. The present study uses the 2017 Survey on the Living Conditions of Older Persons conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The data of 2,303 elderly people living alone (65 or older) is examined for a final analysis. SPSS 21.0 and Amos 22.0 software programs are used for data analyses, and structural equation modeling is used to conduct a path analysis. The results were as follows. First, the factor that has the biggest direct effect on suicidal ideation among elderly people living alone has been identified as depression, followed by economic level, age, chronic diseases, and gender. Second, factors that have an indirect effect on suicidal ideation were in the order of satisfaction with social support, subjective health state education level, chronic diseases, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), age, informal support, employment, and social participation. Based on the results, this study suggested social welfare interventions to prevent suicide of elderly people living alone.

Evaluating the Effect of Initial Adjustment Support Programs for Immigrants

본 연구의 목적은 이민자 대상의 조기적응프로그램에 대한 순수 효과를 실증적으로 평가하여 문제점과 개선방안을 도출하는 것이다. 이를 위해 “이민자 맞춤형 사회통합교육 및 사회정착지원을 위한 연구”의 원자료를 활용하여 역확률가중치(Inverse-probability weighted) 분석을 시행하였다. 본 연구에서 조기적응프로그램의 효과를 생활만족도, 한국생활에서의 어려움, 필수 생활 정보 교육, 기초 법질서와 문화 교육, 출입국 및 체류 관련 제도 교육 도움 정도로 간주하였다. 분석결과로써, 한국생활에서의 어려움을 제외한 효과 지표들은 참여자가 비참여자에 비해 높은 수준의 효과를 도출하지 못했으며, 통계적으로 유의미하지 않았다. 또한, 한국생활에서의 어려움은 통계적으로 유의미하였지만, 참여자가 비참여자에 비해 어려움을 더 많이 경험하고 있었다. 이러한 결과는 5가지 효과 지표 모두 비효과적이라고 설명할 수 있다. 즉, 조기적응프로그램이 이민자의 초기정착 단계에서 적응을 증진하지 못하고 있다고 볼 수 있다. 본 연구는 조기적응프로그램의 비효과적인 측면을 상쇄할 수 있는 정책적 대안을 모색하였다. 정책적 대안으로 조기적응프로그램을 사회통합프로그램의 0단계로 통합 운영되어야 함을 제시하였다. 또한, 통합적 운영과 동시에 사례관리 기법을 적용한 맞춤형 서비스 제공을 정책 방안으로 제시하였다.The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the net effect of Initial Adjustment Support Program for immigrants (IASP). To achieve the purpose, this study performed Inverse-probability weighted analysis using secondary data, Survey on the Experience of Immigrant Integration Education and Korean Society. In this study, the net effect of IASP was evaluated with five outcomes; (1) psychological adaptation (i.e. life satisfaction), (2) sociocultural adaptation (i.e. difficulty in Korean life), (3) the education of basic life information, (4) the education of basic law and culture, and (5) the education of basic immigration and sojourn. The findings showed that the levels of life satisfaction, the education of basic life information, the education of basic law and culture, and the education of basic immigration and sojourn are not significantly different between participants and non-participants. In addition, participants significantly scored higher on the extent of difficult in Korean daily life than non-participants. This indicates that IASP may be failing to improve immigrants’ adaptation in Korea. As an alternative policy to enhance its effect, this research suggests that IASP is delivered by integrating into the 0 level class of Korea Immigration & Integration Program and then, case management is conducted at the same time.

Neoliberalism Meets “Gangnam Style”: Vernacular Private Sector and Large Urban Developments in Seoul

Globalised neoliberalism does not unify urbanisation processes but rather varies according to local contexts. This article explores the unique neoliberalisation process in large urban developments that have contributed to Seoul becoming a global city. Not only has the formal process of privatisation been important but also the vernacular practice of the ordinary people has informally grown during the process. By establishing a matured market of the mass production and consumption of high-rise apartments since the 1970s, more than half of the housing stock is now composed of high-rise apartments in South Korea. Gangnam represents the wealthiest district shifting from rural sites to highly dense urban areas due to their large-scale high-rise developments. Not only have societal changes made way for super-high-density apartment complexes as a rational response to population and economic growth, high-rise developments have also allowed Seoul to grow its population and expand its spatial footprint. Because of the dominance of universal western knowledge, this phenomenon has not been fully understood. While neoliberalism has been broadly adopted, the actual development process in Korea is distinctive not only from the West but also the East. The article argues that ‘vernacular neoliberalism’ has evolved not just by the formality of the ideological market system but also by the informality of survival practices of Korean lives largely under the colonial period and the aftermath of the Korean War. It particularly shows how large urban developments have been widespread by integrating a vernacular private rental system called chonsei into the formal structure.

고대 한국인의 사생관 - 『삼국사기』와 『삼국유사』를 중심으로-

고대 한국인의 사생관 - 『삼국사기』와 『삼국유사』를 중심으로-

고대 한국인의 사생관 - 『삼국사기』와 『삼국유사』를 중심으로-

본 연구는 고대 한국인의 사서에 나타난 고대 한국인의 死生觀 분석을 통해 현대인 한국인이 어떻게 죽음을 받아들이고 인식을 전환해야 하는지에 대한 방법을 찾고자 하였다. 고대 한국의 역사서인 이들 『三國史記』와 『三國遺事』에 나타난 사생관을 비교 분석하고, 방법론으로는 삶과 죽음의 용어인 ‘생사’와 ‘사생’의 용례 비교, 죽은 후의 상태를 인식하는 영혼의 관념과 영혼이 거처하는 사후세계의 공간을 의미하는 他界觀이나 來世觀에 대해 검토하였다. 그 결과, 한국 고대에서는 ‘사생’ 의 용어가 ‘생사’ 보다 많이 사용되고, 시대적으로도 선행하였다. 사후 영혼의 관념도, ‘靈’, ‘魂’, ‘鬼’, ‘神’으로 구분하는 관념을 가지고 있었음을 알 수 있다. 내세관의 경우, 무교의 저승이나 도교의 선계와 같은 관념보다 유교적, 불교적 사후세계관이 주류를 이루었다. 즉, 『삼국사기』는 유학자의 합리적 역사관이 반영되어 있기에 충효를 강요하는 현세적 사생관이 강조되었고, 『삼국유사』에는 불교사관의 영향으로 윤회와 극락이란 연기설 중심의 사생관과 더불어 유교적 사생관이 함께 반영되어 있다. 따라서 고대한국인의 사생관과 타계관 혹은 내세관 역시 한국의 고대가 불교국가였다는 막연한 관념에 의해 접근하는 방식은 재고를 요한다고 본다. 유교를 숭상하는 지식계층이나 불교를 신앙하는 집단 등과 같이 영혼관과 사후세계관의 인식의 차이에 의해 계층화, 중층화 되는 복합적인 측면이 존재하고 있다는 것을 알 수 있다.

Transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41).

The aim of this study was to translate the QUALEFFO-41 for Korean patients and then validate the Korean version of QUALEFFO-41. Translation and transcultural adaptation of the QUALEFFO-41 was conducted according to the international recommendations. Ninety-seven patients (mean age, 73.6years) with osteoporosis were participated in validating the Korean version of QUALEFFO-41. To test reliability, internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To test validity, convergent validity was assessed using correlation with the SF-12 and EQ-5D and discriminant validity was assessed using ROC curve analysis. The English version of QUALEFFO-41 was translated and adapted to Korean without notable discrepancies. The Korean QUALEFFO-41 had good reliability with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.733 to 0.942. QUALEFFO-41 had good correlations to SF-12 and EQ-5D. Compared with subjects without history of vertebral fracture (VF), those with history of VF showed significantly worse scores according to QUALEFFO-41, but not according to SF-12 or EQ-5D. ROC curve analysis revealed that the physical function domain of QUALEFFO-41 had significant ability to discriminate between subjects with and without history of VF, while SF-12 or EQ-5D did not. The Korean version of QUALEFFO-41 demonstrated relevant internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, which can be recommended to evaluate quality of life in Koreans.

Acculturation Attitudes among Zainichi Koreans Living in Japan

Acculturation Attitudes among Zainichi Koreans Living in Japan

Unpacking ‘Koreatown’ in Chinese Metropolis: urban governance, variations in ethnic incorporation and Consequences

ABSTRACT This study examines the various forms of ethnic incorporation present in the daily lives of ethnic Koreans living in Beijing, including the conditions of their integration into Chinese society. On the basis of an ethnographic research (2014–2015) in Wangjing area, an alleged ‘Koreatown’ in Beijing, this study involves three ethnic categories, namely, South Koreans, Korean Chinese and Han Chinese. The study suggests that Koreatown in Beijing is not a full-fledged ethnic community but a patchwork of ethnic categories, networks and associations. Ethnic cohesion is implicitly disaggregated by the Chinese urban governance over the foreign population embedded in the unfolding trend of internationalisation in Chinese metropolises. As a consequence, Korean cultural elements are incorporated into the increasingly cosmopolitan culture in Chinese metropolises, with ethnic categories maintained. However, Korean integration into the Chinese circumstance still has a substantially long way to go.