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This study empirically examines the effects of COVID-19 resilience policy instruments on public health recovery capacity and the moderating roles of government transparency and communication. Collaborative instruments—especially inter-ministerial cooperation—consistently demonstrated the strongest positive effects on both capacity types, while government-business cooperation also showed significant positive effects on health system response capacity. Fiscal instruments exhibited differential effects by policy target, with support for vulnerable employment groups showing positive effects exclusively on health service recovery capacity. Government transparency and communication demonstrated strong positive direct effects on both capacity types, with moderating effects emerging selectively: infrastructure expansion strengthened recovery capacity when combined with both moderators, whereas small business support interacted negatively with both moderators on service recovery capacity. These findings recommend prioritizing multi-level collaborative networks, selectively applying fiscal instruments with performance monitoring, and institutionalizing transparency and communication throughout the policy process.

The purpose of this study is to examine the public sphere functions of local media in reporting social disasters and to identify the constraints that arise in their practical implementation, focusing on the 2023 flooding at the Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong, Cheongju. Drawing on Habermas’s theory of the public sphere, this study analyzes the role of local media through in-depth interviews with local journalists who reported on the Osong disaster. The findings show that the journalists perceived the event not as a simple natural disaster but as a social disaster caused by administrative failures and structural weaknesses in disaster management systems. They attempted to highlight the structural causes of the disaster and issues of responsibility. However, critical reporting was constrained by several structural conditions, including dependence on local governments, limited access to information, and editorial restrictions within media organizations. These results suggest that structural conditions and journalistic practices often limit the full realization of these functions. This study contributes to expanding theoretical discussions on the relationship between social disaster reporting and the formation of local public discourse.

In response to growing public concern over industrial safety, South Korea enacted the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA) in January 2022, elevating occupational safety to a national priority. Nevertheless, chemical-related incidents such as fires, explosions, and toxic releases continue to occur, revealing persistent vulnerabilities in high-risk industrial settings. National statistics indicate that many chemical accidents are associated with facility-related failures and unsafe human behavior, highlighting the limitations of purely technical safety measures. Because the effectiveness of safety management systems depends heavily on workers’ compliance and engagement, organizational factors—particularly leadership—are expected to play a critical role in accident prevention. Drawing on safety culture research, this study examines the relationships among perceived safety leadership, occupational burnout, and safety behavior using survey data from 327 workers at chemical-handling manufacturing sites in South Korea. The results show that safety leadership is positively associated with safety behavior and negatively associated with occupational burnout, underscoring the importance of leadership-focused interventions for preventive safety management.

Sesame dregs pose a potential fire hazard due to their tendency to self-heat under specific conditions. This study investigates the self-heating characteristics of sesame dregs at 100℃, 120℃, 140℃, 160℃, 180℃, and 200℃ using a custom-built simulation apparatus. Self-heating refers to the process in which a material produces heat on its own, without any external heat sources. This phenomenon affects the thermal behavior of biomass residues such as sesame dregs, particularly under elevated temperatures and confined storage conditions. While inconsequential thermal activity was observed at lower temperatures, significant self-heating behavior characterized by internal temperature rise, swelling, darkening, and thermal degradation was observed at the temperature of 160℃, 180℃, and 200℃. Results highlight that environmental factors such as moisture, compaction, and limited airflow can substantially affect self-heating behavior. Furthermore, the findings suggest that standard UNRTG may not comprehensively represent the self-heating potential of sesame dregs. These findings emphasize the need for more comprehensive assessment approaches to improve the accuracy of fire risk assessments and develop efficient mitigation strategies.

Risk assessment is a key instrument for establishing a self-regulatory occupational safety and health system. In Korea, recent policy reforms have emphasized voluntary prevention; however, previous studies consistently indicate that the practical implementation of risk assessment remains weak in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study critically reviews the structural conditions that constrain risk assessment implementation rather than empirically identifying causal factors. Based on a synthesis of prior Korean studies and a comparative analysis with Germany, the study examines how institutional operating principles shape implementation outcomes. The analysis shows that effectiveness depends less on simplified techniques or incentives than on who conducts risk assessment, how supervision is organized, and how support tools are integrated with administrative systems. Drawing on the German case, the study proposes policy implications for strengthening employer-led implementation, action-oriented execution, and prevention-focused incentive structures in Korean SMEs.

Recent aviation accidents, including the Jeju Air Flight 2216 disaster, have highlighted the importance of airline safety resource management and passenger safety behavior. Based on safety climate theory proposed by Griffin and Neal (2000), this study examines factors influencing passengers’ safety behavior intentions and compares safety perceptions between full-service carriers (FSCs) and low-cost carriers (LCCs). A literature review examined safety culture, in-flight safety information, passenger safety behavior, and structural differences between FSCs and LCCs. The findings indicate that an airline’s safety culture and organizational climate significantly influence passengers’ safety motivation and compliance behavior. In addition, awareness and clarity of in-flight safety information significantly enhance passengers’ safety behavior intentions. Passengers using FSCs tend to have higher expectations for safety reliability and service quality, whereas LCC users show greater price sensitivity and relatively lower safety awareness. This study extends safety climate theory to passengers and provides implications for improving safety information delivery, developing differentiated safety communication strategies for FSCs and LCCs, and strengthening data-driven airline safety resource management.

This study aims to analyze policy approaches for improving food accessibility and quality of life for persons with disabilities from an international comparative perspective and to derive implications for Seoul's food policies. To achieve this, Japan and the United States were selected as case studies, and Maximum Similarity System Development (MSSD) was applied to establish an analytical framework focusing on policy perception and direction, policy instruments and strategies, and quality of life linkage. Analysis revealed that Japan prioritized the qualitative experience of meals and social participation through Universal Design Food and the integration of technology and services. In contrast, the United States focused on ensuring economic stability and choice through food safety and enhanced institutional accessibility. The study's findings suggest that policies for food accessibility for persons with disabilities require a multi-layered approach rather than a single model. It further proposes that Seoul Metropolitan Government establish an integrated food policy linking customized meal support for persons with disabilities, enhanced digital accessibility, and health, care, and social participation.

This qualitative case study conducted an in-depth exploration of the resettlement experiences of married North Korean female defectors in South Korea.Data collection was conducted from October 2024 to January 2025. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with three married women selected through purposive snowball sampling, and the data were analyzed following a procedure of case conceptualization, categorization of similar patterns, and interpretation of categories. The participants escaped from crises where their right to survival was deprived, having experienced human rights violations such as human trafficking and forced marriage during the defection process. Furthermore, they manifested psychological distress during their resettlement in South Korea due to prejudice, disdain, and dire economic conditions. Accordingly, this study suggests that gender-sensitive long-term resettlement support, stigma mitigation, and the expansion of tailored employment and educational opportunities are essential for the social integration and improvement of the quality of life of female migrants.

Background: This study examined the impact of psychiatric hospital nurses' awareness of patient safety culture and attitudes toward falls on fall prevention activities. Method: This study is a descriptive research study to investigate the patient safety culture awareness and attitude toward falls of psychiatric hospital nurses and to determine the influence of these variables on fall prevention activities. This study collected data from nurses working at four psychiatric hospitals. Results: The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the distribution of residuals satisfied normality. The derived regression model was statistically significant (F=8.560, p<.001), and the adjusted coefficient of determination (Adjusted R2) was .236, which gave an explanatory power of 23.6%. As a result of multiple regression analysis, factors influencing the subjects' fall prevention activities were 1-3 years of work experience (β=-.166 p=.030), 4-9 years (β=-.212, p=.007), and awareness of patient safety culture (β=.349 p<. 001). Conclusions: It is necessary to enhance nurses' awareness of patient safety culture to prevent falls among psychiatric hospital patients.

Aim: We aimed to compare anxiety reactions to COVID-19 2019 between nursing students who recently underwent hospital standing and on-campus replacement practices. Design: This study is a descriptive survey conducted to confirm comparative differences in anxiety about COVID-19 among nursing college students who participated in hospital standing practice or on-campus replacement practice during the epidemic. Methods:We recruited nursing students in their 20s (70 men and 326 women) from a university in South Korea from September 04, 2023 to November 30, 2023. We used the Korean version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventoryto assess their anxiety levels. Results:We observed a significant difference in anxiety between the hospital standing practice (52.47±9.68) and on-campus replacement practice (37.70±9.68) groups (t=12.11, p<.001). Anxiety levels were more obvious in the high anxiety group (54.45±7.24) than in the low anxiety group (30.00±3.58) (t=23.44, p<.001) among students who underwent hospital standing practice. Conclusion: Nursing students need to consider the practice methods implemented within the university to improve their academic achievement without anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.