Provinces In South Korea Research Articles

The protective effect of perceived social support on psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Gyeonggi province in South Korea

The protective effect of perceived social support on psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Gyeonggi province in South Korea

Teacher experience and students' mental well-being.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between homeroom teachers' experience and students' mental well-being, in addition to examining the underlying mechanisms that can explain the relationship. Secondary data from the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study was used. The analysis included 3002 fourth graders and 3090 first-year middle school students in Gyeonggi province in South Korea, and the quasi-random assignment of students into classrooms in South Korea was used. The level of students' mental well-being was used as an outcome, and homeroom teachers' experience was used as an independent variable. Students' perception of their homeroom teachers' teaching skills and teachers' self-perceived capacity for understanding students' behaviors were used for mechanism analyses. Students assigned to homeroom teachers with less than 5 years of experience had lower mental well-being than those assigned to more experienced homeroom teachers. Mechanism analyses revealed that teachers who had more than 5 years of experience were more confident about understanding their students than those who had less than 5 years of experience. Homeroom teachers' experience is highly associated with students' mental well-being. To promote students' mental well-being, deeper understanding of the relationship between teachers' experience and students' mental well-being is necessary.

Regional differences in health screening participation between before and during COVID-19 pandemic.

Health screening is a preventive and cost-effective public health strategy for early detection of diseases. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased health screening participation. The aim of this study was to examine regional differences in health screening participation between before and during COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerabilities of health screening participation in the regional context. Administrative data from 229 districts consisting of 16 provinces in South Korea and health screening participation rate of each district collected in 2019 and 2020 were included in the study. Data were then analyzed via descriptive statistics and geographically weighted regression (GWR). This study revealed that health screening participation rates decreased in all districts during COVID-19. Regional vulnerabilities contributing to a further reduction in health screening participation rate included COVID-19 concerns, the population of those aged 65+ years and the disabled, lower education level, lower access to healthcare, and the prevalence of chronic disease. GWR analysis showed that different vulnerable factors had different degrees of influence on differences in health screening participation rate. These findings could enhance our understanding of decreased health screening participation due to COVID-19 and suggest that regional vulnerabilities should be considered stringent public health strategies after COVID-19.

Acetabular, Femoral, and Combined Anteversion in a Province in South Korea: Computed Tomography-Based Study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the femoral, acetabular, and combined anteversion of the hip joint in South Koreans using computed tomography (CT). We measured anteversion using CT venograms taken from 2016 to 2020. Of the total 1,073 patients, 952 patients were included in the study except for those with pelvic fractures, previous femoral fractures, childhood hip joint disease, osteoarthritis, or hip dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle, < 20), foreigners, and hip and knee replacement patients. Measurements were taken twice by two orthopedic surgeons. The femoral anteversion in women was 10.64° ± 10.26° (≤ 49 years), 15.75° ± 9.40° (50-59 years), 10.81° ± 9.14° (60-69 years), 12.38° ± 8.55° (70-79 years), and 11.23° ± 8.44° (≥ 80 years). The femoral anteversion in men was 12.02° ± 11.38° (≤ 49 years), 10.62° ± 9.11° (50-59 years), 6.09° ± 9.95° (60-69 years), 6.57° ± 9.51° (70-79 years), and 5.53° ± 9.29° (≥ 80 years). The acetabular anteversion in women was 17.65° ± 6.58° (≤ 49 years), 19.24° ± 6.42° (50-59 years), 20.30° ± 6.25° (60-69 years), 22.38° ± 7.36° (70-79 years), and 23.34° ± 6.98° (≥ 80 years). The acetabular anteversion in men was 15.21° ± 8.14° (≤ 49 years), 17.68° ± 6.00° (50-59 years), 17.54° ± 5.93° (60-69 years), 18.68° ± 6.62° (70-79 years), and 18.19° ± 6.94° (≥ 80 years). The combined anteversion in women was 28.29° ± 14.30° (≤ 49 years), 34.99° ± 10.62° (50-59 years), 31.11° ± 11.52° (60-69 years), 34.76° ± 10.86° (70-79 years), and 34.57° ± 11.45° (≥ 80 years). The combined anteversion in men was 27.23° ± 15.11° (≤ 49 years), 28.30° ± 11.23° (50-59 years), 23.63° ± 11.77° (60-69 years), 25.25° ± 12.02° (70-79 years), and 23.72° ± 11.88° (≥ 80 years). Femoral anteversion tended to decrease with age in men and acetabular anteversion tended to increase in both men and women. Combined anteversion showed a tendency to increase slightly in women.

The Effects of Climate Change on Heading Type Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekinensis) Economic Production in South Korea

Since Chinese cabbage is consumed fresh, its wholesale price varies with the total amount supplied on the market. However, in these days, climate variability presents a large threat to sustainable Chinese cabbage production in South Korea. To manage Chinese cabbage production well under unexpected weather conditions, it is important to study the impacts of climate variability on Chinese cabbage economic yields in South Korea. In this study, 2-year field trials were conducted in multiple locations across seven provinces in South Korea. The collected morphological data from 24 different varieties were used to develop a yield prediction model using a machine learning technique. Three Chinese cabbage groups were carried out through the clustering analysis, and a yield model was developed for each cluster group. The developed model was used to predict the cabbage economic yields under different combinations of climate change and cropping management plans. According to simulation results, Group 1 had the shortest growing degree days and produced higher yields than the other two groups. However, the overproduction of Group 1 led to a price reduction in the market of (USD(0.04–0.08) per kg), which suggested that producing Group 2 of (USD(0.31–0.96) per kg) is more beneficial to farmers. Based on the production results of the groups, their revenue varied by location and cropping management. The results of this study provide farmers with a better understanding of the relationship between production and economic benefits in future climate change scenarios.

Analysis of the effect of an artificial intelligence chatbot educational program on non-face-to-face classes: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundEducation and training are needed for nursing students using artificial intelligence-based educational programs. However, few studies have assessed the effect of using chatbots in nursing education.ObjectivesThis study aimed to develop and examine the effect of an artificial intelligence chatbot educational program for promoting nursing skills related to electronic fetal monitoring in nursing college students during non-face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignThis quasi-experimental study used a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized pretest–posttest design.MethodsThe participants were 61 junior students from a nursing college located in G province of South Korea. Data were collected between November 3 and 16, 2021, and analyzed using independent t-tests.ResultsThe experimental group—in which the artificial intelligence chatbot program was applied—did not show statistically significant differences in knowledge (t = -0.58, p = .567), clinical reasoning competency (t = 0.75, p = .455), confidence (t = 1.13, p = .264), and feedback satisfaction (t = 1.72, p = .090), compared with the control group; however, its participants’ interest in education (t = 2.38, p = .020) and self-directed learning (t = 2.72, p = .006) were significantly higher than those in the control group.ConclusionThe findings of our study highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence chatbot programs as an educational assistance tool to promote nursing college students’ interest in education and self-directed learning. Moreover, such programs can be effective in enhancing nursing students’ skills in non-face-to face-situations caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived barriers to the process of COVID-19 control among frontline healthcare workers in South Korea: a qualitative study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore barriers to disease control perceived by frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) working in community settings during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.DesignA qualitative study was conducted...

An Interactive Live and Online Cooking Program for Children in Vulnerable Families-An Exploratory Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of technology for communication and social interactions. Especially for children in low-income families-a vulnerable population suffering from health and digital disparities-the situation worsened during the pandemic. Earlier studies in times of COVID-19 suggested that the children in Korea who usually do homework and dine at community childcare centers (CCCCs, free after-school care places) need to learn more about how to eat healthily and how to interact with others using digital technology. Therefore, to reduce these children's health and digital inequalities, an interactive live and online cooking program was developed and provided to 313 children and 95 staff members at the 29 CCCCs located in the southern provinces in South Korea. The aim of the current study was to explore the experiences of children and staff with the program. After surveying their experiences, a high degree of satisfaction was found (children: 3.60 ± 0.10; staff: 3.63 ± 0.08 points out of 4.00). Aspects that needed improvement in the program were related to (in)experience in online technology, the frequency and timing of the cooking classes, and the communication between the centers and (online) chefs. In addition, in a word cloud analysis, terms such as 'fun', 'delicious', and 'want' were highlighted for children, and terms such as 'participating' and 'preparation' dominantly appeared for the staff. In the analysis of negative experiences, terms related to environmental factors such as 'sound', 'hear', and 'voice' were highlighted. This novel but preliminary approach for children from low-income families, by integrating cooking with digital technology, indicates that with enough digital support, the CCCCs are a promising platform to promote healthy eating and digital literacy. Optimizing and disseminating these strategies during this pandemic period, and future pandemics, could be beneficial to keep children in their communities healthy, and ultimately reduce socioeconomic health disparities.

Assessment of spatial interactions in farmland abandonment: A case study of Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do Province, South Korea

Globally, countries have experienced substantial increases in farmland abandonment and concomitant consequences, such as reduced agricultural productions, deteriorated local communities, and increased probabilities of wildfire and landslides. For better understanding of the phenomenon, previous studies have focused on finding individual factors leading to farmland abandonment, while the spatial relationships, including influences exchanged among parcels themselves, have been much less examined. In this study, we investigate the factors inducing farmland abandonment in Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do Province in South Korea, with a specific focus on the spatial interactions. We analyzed the level of spatial autocorrelation of abandoned farmlands using Moran's I and conducted a spatial autoregressive probit regression analysis to assess the factors that explain farmland abandonments, including their spatial dependence and spillover effects. We found that the global Moran's I was 0.42 for locations of abandoned farmland, justifying the use of a spatial model. The results of spatial autoregressive probit model confirmed the spatial interactions among the spatial units and spillover effects, meaning that farmland abandonment can be affected by abandonment of neighboring agricultural parcels, and that an individual parcel simultaneously receives influences of factors within itself and from factors of other parcels, respectively. Our new dispersion index confirmed that disconnection or fragmentation of farmland is associated with farmland abandonments. The finding of this research will help in establishing rural policies, focusing on the community-level cooperation system to prevent future occurrence of the farmland abandonments.

First Report of Cotton Leafroll Dwarf Virus Infecting Hibiscus syriacus in South Korea.

Three cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV; genus Polerovirus, family Solemoviridae) genotypes have recently been identified (Tabassum et al., 2021; Ramos-Sobrinho et al., 2021). This virus is widespread in the United States (Thiessen et al., 2020; Aboughanem-Sabanadzovic et al., 2019; Tabassum et al., 2020) and has also been reported to infect chickpea (Cicer arietinum) in Uzbekistan (Kumari et al., 2020). As well, CLRDV was detected from 23 weed species (16 families), including Hibiscus sabdariffa (Sedhain et al., 2021, Hagan et al., 2019). From June to September 2019, virus-like symptoms, including mild leaf stunting, crinkling, and deformation, were observed in multiple plants (n=14) in several provinces of South Korea (e-Xtra Table. 1). To characterize the associated viruses, pooled leaf tissues from all 14 samples were used for total RNA isolation, followed by paired-end high-throughput sequencing (HTS) on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform (Macrogen, South Korea). A total of 614,424,952 trimmed and high-quality reads were assembled into 506,024 contigs using Trinity de novo transcriptome assembly. The resulting contigs were compared with viral sequences in the GenBank database using BLASTx analysis. Several viral contigs were identified, including cucumber mosaic virus, apple stem pitting virus, apple stem grooving virus, cherry virus A, and CLRDV. The CLRDV contig of 5,800 nucleotides (nt) with an average coverage of 307x shared 92.1% identity (query coverage: 99%) with the CLRDV isolate CN-S5 (KX588248). To confirm CLRDV infection and to obtain its complete genome sequence, total RNA was extracted from each of the 14 samples and used for reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with six overlapping sets of primers designed from the HTS contig (e-Xtra Table. 2). The expected product sizes were obtained only for the Hibiscus syriacus L. (family: Malvaceae) sample showing foliar mild vein clearing symptoms on the leaves (e-Xtra Fig.1). All RT-PCR products were cloned using the RBC TA Cloning vector (Taipei, Taiwan) and at least five positive clones per cloned DNA fragment were sequenced. The 5 and 3 termini sequences were determined as described previously (Zhao et al. 2016). The complete genome of CLRDV isolate SK (OK073299) was determined to be 5,862 nt and it shared 89-91% complete genome identity with 12 other CLRDV isolates based on pairwise comparisons (e-Xtra Table. 3). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome and P3-CP aa sequences showed that CLRDV-SK is more closely related CN-S5 (e-Xtra Fig. 2). In the fall of 2021, additional H. syriacus samples (n=18) with mild chlorosis, blistering and crinkling symptoms were collected from 2 provinces of South Korea and tested by RT-PCR using the primers: CLRDV-SK-101-120 For & CLRDV-SK-1021-1040 Rev targeting a region of the ORF0. Two of 18 samples (11.1%) tested positive for CLRDV. The 16 negative samples only showed symptoms of mild yellowing. The RT-PCR products were cloned and sequenced. In pairwise comparisons, the obtained sequences (OM339522-23) were 95.85% and 96.06% identical to the corresponding sequences of CLRDV isolate SK. This is the first report of CLRDV occurrence in H. syriacus in South Korea to the best of our knowledge. Our findings will assist further studies on the epidemiology and sustainable management of diseases caused by CLRDV. Acknowledgments This work was supported by IPET (Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Project No. AGC1762111), Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea. References Tabassum, A., et al., 2021. PloS One. 16: e0252523 Ramos-Sobrinho, R., et al., 2021. Viruses. 13:2230 Thiessen, L.D., et al. 2020. Plant Dis. 104:3275 Aboughanem-Sabanadzovic, N., et al. 2019. Plant Dis. 103:1798 Tabassum, A., et al. 2020. Microbiol. Res. Announce. 9:e00812-20 Kumari, S.G., et al. 2021. Plant Dis. 104:2532 Sedhain, N.P., et al. 2021. Crop protection 144:105604 Hagan, A., er al. 2019. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ANR:2539 Zhao, F., et al. 2016. Arch. Virol. 161:2047 Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

The Control Efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite against Violet Root Rot Caused by Helicobasidium mompa in Apple.

Our study was carried out to determine the control efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for violet root rot caused by Helicobasidium mompa in apple. The experiment was conducted in the farm located at Chungbuk province in South Korea from 2014 to 2016. When infected apple trees were treated at least two or three times with 31.25 and 62.5 ml/l available chlorine content in NaOCl, it greatly increased the rooting of rootstock, and restored the tree crown density by 44.4–60.5%. In addition, the number of commercial fruit setting was increased by 54.3–64.5%, and the total starch content in shoots was significantly higher than other non-treated apple trees. However, the untreated disease control and thiophanate-methyl WP treated trees showed the symptom of dieback. Therefore, our results indicate that the drenching treatment of NaOCl with 31.25–62.5 ml/l available chlorine content more than two times from late fall to early spring could effectively control the violet root rot and recover tree vigor up to 60%.

Non-Gaussian multivariate statistical monitoring of spatio-temporal wind speed frequencies to improve wind power quality in South Korea.

The spatial and temporal variability of renewable energy resources, particularly wind energy, should be statistically evaluated to achieve sustainable economic development to mitigate climate change. In this study, a non-Gaussian multivariate statistical monitoring approach is proposed to investigate the wind speed frequencies across different regions of South Korea. Anemometer data were first collected in 11 different provinces of South Korea with hourly resolution for one year. The best-of-fit for the corresponding distribution function was identified to characterize the behavior of the wind speed frequency at each region among more than 60 candidate functions using the chi-squared test. Furthermore, a non-Gaussian multivariate statistical monitoring method based on the Hotelling T2 chart was developed to spatially and temporally analyze the physical patterns of the wind speed frequencies using the estimated distribution parameters. Then determination rule of cut-in and cut-out speeds of wind turbine was suggested to improve the wind power quality across the regions. The results indicated that Weibull and Gamma distributions are best-of-fit functions of each province in South Korea; the physical patterns of wind including the average wind speed and gale can be identified by distribution parameters. Furthermore, the proposed non-Gaussian multivariate monitoring approach can elucidate the spatial and temporal variability of the regional wind speed frequencies, including the average wind speeds and extreme wind events across South Korea. Based on the statistically identified variability of wind behavior, the wind power quality of wind turbines can be improved by 12% on average by adjusting the cut-in and cut-off speed. Thus, the proposed non-Gaussian multivariate monitoring approach can provide practical guidelines for manufacturers to achieve reliable wind energy generation by considering the spatial and temporal wind behavior.

관광지 소기업의 사회적 자본이 경영성과에 미치는 직접효과와 경영자의 자기효능감이 가지는 매개효과 분석 : 강원도 정선지역 상권을 중심으로

Development of tourism destinations is a critical driver of regional and national economic growth. The performance of micro-firms in tourism destinations is deeply associated with service quality perceived by tourists, strongly influencing the competitiveness of tourism destination and promoting tourist loyalty to the destination. To understand the performance of micro-firms, exiting literature in tourism and hospitality has adopted various business and management perspectives, such as personal characteristics of managers, organizational resources and capabilities, and business environment. Despite the theoretical diversity, the previous studies have relied heavily on theories in business and management studies. To overcome the limitation, this study adopts sociological perspective to predict the performance of micro-firms in tourism destination. This study proposes a structural equation model in which micro-firms’ social capital has a positive effect on performance and the managers’ self-efficacy mediates the relationship between social capital and performance. For an empirical analysis, this study performed a survey of 205 micro-firms in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do Province in South Korea and carried out hypothesis tests. The analysis results found that the social capital has a positive and significant impact on the performance. Furthermore, this research shows that the self-efficacy of managers has a full mediation effect on the relationship, suggesting that the managers’ self-efficacy is the critical path that connects micro-firms’ social capital and performance.

Morphological and molecular data support the separate species status of Syringa fauriei in Korea

Syringa fauriei is an unresolved lilac taxon (Oleaceae) native to specific geographical areas and present in the rivers and valleys of Gangwon province in South Korea. It was first identified on Mt Geumgang by Faurie in 1906 and recognized as an independent species. Nevertheless, S. fauriei has been controversial as a synonymous species for S. reticulata subsp. amurensis without clear evidence. Therefore, we conducted this study on the taxonomic position of S. fauriei by examining the morphological and molecular differences between S. fauriei and its related taxa, the S. reticulata complex. Phylogenetic relationships were also inferred using molecular markers of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2; ITS) and external transcribed spacer regions. Consequently, S. fauriei and its related taxa were classified into two distinct clades: S. fauriei and the S. reticulata complex. Morphological and molecular data revealed that S. fauriei was endemic to Korea. The species characteristics of S. fauriei were further described for taxonomic re‐establishment.

Measurement of family-centered services: Validation of the Korean translation of the measure of processes of care for service providers

The Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers (MPOC-SP) is a valid and reliable instrument to measure the professionals' perception of the extent to which they apply the principles of family-centered services in care for children with disabilities. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean translation of the MPOC-SP (Korean MPOC-SP). The Korean MPOC-SP was completed by 132 rehabilitation service providers in 5 provinces in South Korea. Analyses for internal consistency, construct validity, and test-retest reliability were performed. The estimates of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the four scales of the Korean MPOC-SP ranged from 0.67 to 0.92. All the scales correlated highly with the other scales (r ranging from 0.61 to 0.77). In addition, all the items exhibited high item-total correlations (rs ranging from 0.40 to 0.83). Three scales had moderate to good reliability with ICCs ranging from 0.57 to 0.78; the 'providing general information (PGI)' scale showed low reliability (ICC 0.22). The Korean MPOC-SP can be considered a valid instrument for group-level research purposes with acceptable internal consistency, but caution is warranted regarding the low test-retest reliability of the PGI scale.

Detecting common allergens in dogs with atopic dermatitis in South Korean Provinces using a serological immunoglobulin E-specific allergen test.

Background and Aim:Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a hereditary susceptibility to the development of allergic symptoms in response to repeated exposure to generally innocuous substances known as “allergens.” Allergens can be plants, animals, mold, mites, or milk. At present, serological enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) kits are used for immunoglobulin E (IgE)-specific allergen detection due to their simplicity and accuracy. This study aimed to detect allergens in dogs with CAD and determine how they differ according to season, breed, age, and sex using a serological test in six provinces in South Korea for 12 months. This will allow practitioners to easily understand the risk factors related to CAD.Materials and Methods:In this study, IgE allergen-specific ELISA kits were used. The allergens were detected in serum samples collected from different regions considering season, sex, breed, and age. Allergens were divided into the following Ten categories: 1. Dairy, yeast, and egg, 2. grains, 3. vegetables, 4. meat, 5. seafood, 6. animals, 7. mold, 8. insects, 9. mites, and 10. trees.Results:The percentage of allergens detected in males (54.8%) was higher than that of females (45.2%); 54.2% of allergens occurred in 3-year-old dogs or older. Moreover, regarding frequency, 65.6% of overall allergens occur during autumn; Chungcheongnam-do and Jeollabuk-do showed 20.7% and 20.9%, respectively. Additionally, among allergens categories, notable allergen occurrence was as follows: 38.3% corn; 28.7% potatoes; 22.7% duck; 24.4%,codfish; 31.2% animal wool; 95.6% Aspergillus fumigatus; 31.9% flea; 41.8% oak; and 25.0% sheep’s sorrel grass.Conclusion:This study showcases the frequency of 60 allergens in six provinces detected in dogs with CAD; most likely from food or the environment using serological ELISA kits. Environmental sensitizer results can be considered for humans suffering from allergies to avoid a similar environment. A large-scale study can be performed to evaluate the allergens in the state. However, neither a skin test nor feed analysis was conducted, which is a limitation of this study.

Exploring the Regional Determinants of the Emergence of Social Enterprises in South Korea: An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Perspective

South Korea has experienced a rapid increase in the emergence of social enterprises that aim to address various social problems. However, little is known about the conditions that can affect the emergence of social enterprises at the regional level. This study examined the regional factors that influence the establishment of social enterprises using a panel dataset of observations on 17 metropolitan cities and provinces in South Korea from 2012 to 2019. The appearance of social enterprises in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems was found to be associated with the market, government, networks, financial resources, and human capital. We also found that the determinants of their emergence within South Korea’s social enterprise ecosystem vary based on their level of development and purpose. Based on the results, we suggested several policy implications and suggestions.

A Case Study on the Social Education of Young North Korean Refugees for Social Integration - Focusing on the HAESOL CAREER PREPARATION SCHOOL -

This qualitative case study aimed at describing and understanding of establishment context, educational goal setting and practice, characteristic as social education program and challenge to social integration of an alternative vocational technical school for the immigrant youth from North Korea (NK) “Heasol Chickup Sagwanhakgyo”in Choonchoen, Gang-Won Province in South Korea(SK). Used resources were literatures, written materials, direct observation, participated observation, interview, questionnair and others. Gathered resources were analized and synthesized through transcribing, memorizing, coding, grouping. We found that the case school was established in 2014 in order to assist the immigrant youth from NK to settle down in SK. It’s educational goals were open communication between school, student and society, contribution toward society, building healthy citizenship, self initiation for learning. It offered also longtermly comprehensive programs for psychological theraphy & sports activities, basic learning competence, technical education, and follow-up after employment. We explored the case school as‘an outsider’from the public educational system has adventurous spirit and voluntarism. It contributed for social integration of immigrant through strengthening employability, sence of belonging, identity building, social reliability of participants. Staffs of the school hope to contribute participants’inward integration in SK. We reviewed positively the consistansy between intial intention and practice of school management, but sustainability and transferability of the school should continually be cared.

First Report of Dutch Elm Disease Caused by Ophiostoma novo-ulmi in South Korea

During a routine survey conducted in July 2021, several dead and dying Ulmus macrocarpa trees were observed in an urban forest located in the Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. The trees had symptoms of wilt with yellowing and browning of leaves, and, in most cases, the trunks of dying trees were infested by bark beetles. Isolations were made from small pieces of wood taken from dying trees, and beetles were collected from the infested stems. Fungal isolates and the beetles were identified using DNA sequence-based phylogenies and morphology, respectively. The results revealed that the fungus was Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, the causal agent of Dutch elm disease, and the associated bark beetle was Scolytus jacobsoni. This study provides the first record of Dutch elm disease in South Korea and suggests that a nationwide survey for the disease should be undertaken.

Risk Assessment of Soil Erosion Using a GIS-Based SEMMA in Post-Fire and Managed Watershed

A large wildfire occurred due to strong winds and dry climates in the Gangwon province of South Korea. Thereafter, floods and sediment damage were caused by Typhoon Mitag in the burned areas. This study was an attempt to quantitatively evaluate the risk of soil erosion in wildfire areas using the Soil Erosion Model for Mountain Areas (SEMMA) based on GIS, which was developed in South Korea. The model required the integration of maps of the main factors involved, i.e., rainfall erosivity, vegetation index, soil erodibility, and slope length and steepness. According to the model simulation results, high erosion rates of over 100 t/ha were concentrated within the wildfire areas. Sediment yields from the study watershed, including the wildfire areas, were estimated to be 40.33 t/ha for the 30-year frequency of rainfall, which is similar to those of the typhoon. The high risk of erosion was predominantly observed in the upper mountains, which are characterized by steep slopes, silt loam, and shallow soil depths within the wildfire areas. Urgent and excessive logging of burned trees further increased the risk of erosion. However, various treatment strategies were implemented to control soil erosion and sediment transport from the post-fire watershed. This study confirmed that temporal and spatial BMPs should be selected and enforced to reduce sediment disasters in wildfire areas.