The environmental impact of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) largely depends on the environmental profile of the national electric power grid that enables their operation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the environmental performance of BEV usage in Korea considering the changes and trajectory of the national power roadmap. We examined the environmental performance using a weighted environmental index, considering eight impact categories. The results showed that the weighted environmental impact of Korea’s national power grid supply would increase overall by 66% from 2015 to 2029 using the plan laid out by the 7th Power Roadmap, and by only 33% from 2017 to 2031 using the 8th Power Roadmap plan. This change reflects the substantial amount of renewables in the more recent power mix plan. In 2016, BEV usage in Korea resulted in emissions reductions of about 37% compared with diesel passenger vehicles, and 41% compared with gasoline vehicles per kilometer driven (100 g CO₂e/km versus 158 g and 170 g CO₂e/km, respectively) related to transportation sector. By 2030, BEV usage in Korea is expected to achieve a greater emissions reduction of about 53% compared with diesel vehicles and 56% compared with gasoline vehicles. However, trade-offs are also expected because of increased particulate matter (PM) pollution, which we anticipate to increase by 84% compared with 2016 conditions. Despite these projected increases in PM emissions, increased BEV usage in Korea is expected to result in important global and local benefits through reductions of climate-changing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In South Korea, there is an awareness of the risks of regional shrinkage and depopulation due to demographic changes and unbalanced population distribution. With concerns about the extinction of local cities and the hollowing out of rural communities, scholars have increasingly called for new population indices or indicators to evaluate the current state of the local population. The purpose of this study was to develop a vulnerability index to effectively analyze the age structure and population changes associated with regional shrinkage (i.e., hollowing out). This study applied ranking and correlation analysis results using data for population density and the population structure by age to develop a new index to assess a region’s vulnerability to the regional shrinkage effect. The new vulnerability index identified vulnerable regions by evaluating regional vulnerability using 2019 data. We also conducted a correlation analysis to validate the new index and found that the proposed index was significantly correlated with population growth and all other demographic indicators. The index developed in this study can be used to assess and compare the vulnerability of areas to regional shrinkage following population changes.

Rural areas have been faced with various problems such as aging and population decline, and in these circumstances, the activation of local communities is suggested as a solution. Agricultural producer organizations are a powerful means of maintaining rural society. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of agricultural community activities by region by comparing the status of organization and activities and analyzing Location Quotient(LQ) based on the regional survey data in the 2015 census of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. As the results of the analysis, it was found that 38.35% of villages participated in economic organizations and 32.22% of villages were having urban-rural exchange activities. The crop clubs were actively operated in the Gyeongsangbuk province, and other economic organizations were organized in Jeju, Haenam-gun, and Dangjin-si more than other regions. And the urban-rural exchange activities were found in Chungcheongnam province mainly. The results of detailed LQ analysis by organization and activity showed that specialized regions for each community or activity were different. These results could be used for regional planning or the establishment of strategies for community activation.