Air transparent soundproof window

A soundproof window or wall which is transparent to airflow is presented. The design is based on two wave theories of diffraction and acoustic metamaterials. It consists of a three-dimensional array of strong diffraction-type resonators with many holes centered at each individual resonator. The acoustic performance levels of two soundproof windows with air holes of $20mm$ and $50mm$ diameters were measured. Sound waves of 80dB in the frequency range of $400 - 5,000Hz$ were applied to the windows. It was observed that the sound level was reduced by about $30 - 35$dB in the above frequency range with the $20mm$ window and by about $20 - 35$dB in the frequency range of $700 - 2,200Hz$ with the $50mm$ window. It is an extraordinary acoustic anti-transmission. The geometric factors which produced the effective negative modulus were obtained.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Export-Led Industrialisation and Growth - Korea's Economic Miracle 1962-89

The period 1962-89 witnessed a remarkable transformation of the South Korean economy, from being poverty ridden to the attainment of the status of newly industrialised nation. This transformation was achieved through the adoption of an outward oriented industry led strategy, based, particularly during the period of the 1970s, upon the development of large-scale industrial conglomerates and the attainment of economies of scale and technology to achieve international competitiveness. By the early 1980s this strategy had resulted in major structural imbalances, a weakened financial section, heavy concentration in domestic markets, and a repressed development of small and medium enterprises. By the end of the 1980s, despite attempts at economic reform during this decade, the structural and financial problems remained which were to prove the country’s undoing during the financial and economic crisis of 1997-98. This issue of whether Korea’s performance during this period can be described as an economic miracle is also reviewed. The empirical evidence on this issue is mixed and no conclusive evidence can be drawn. However, despite this, the achievements of the Korean economy during the period under discussion should not be underestimated.TRIPS, legitimacy, World Trade Organization

New Regionalism in East Asia: How Does It Relate to the East Asian Economic Development Model?

In recent years a new regionalism has begun to emerge in East Asia that represents a clear break from the region's strong history of multilateralism. The countries of East Asia have been giving more attention to ways of expanding intra regional trade that include: the establishment of regional trade agreements (RTAs) such as ASEAN+3; plans to establish a free trade area involving the economies of ASEAN and China; as well as moves towards bilateral trade agreements (BTAs). This paper focuses upon the meaning and implications of this new regionalism for the "old" EADM, and explores the key ingredients of an emerging "new" EADM growth and development paradigm, incorporating the new regionalism, that appears to be emerging in the wake of the 1997-98 crisis.new regionalism, East Asia, East Asian economic development model

Korea's Fading Economic Miracle 1990-97

By the late 1980s Korea's interventionist and export-oriented development model had contributed to a number of serious structural weaknesses in the economy. Ongoing government involvement in the banking and corporate sectors, weak prudential supervision of financial institutions, and restricted financial market and corporate competition created moral hazard, as banks and corporates believed they would not be held accountable for their actions due to their close relationship with government. This resulted in financial sector risk mismanagement and highly leveraged growth of the chaebols. After 1988, when the new democratically elected civilian administration removed long-standing restrictions on union activity, rapid wage growth, in excess of productivity gains, eroded profitability. These structural weaknesses, and policy errors and mismanagement, made Korea increasingly vulnerable to external shocks during the 1990s. In mid 1995, a rapid depreciation of the Japanese yen and a world semi-conductor glut and price fall provided the trigger for a rapid slowdown in exports and industrial output, and an unprecedented wave of chaebol bankruptcies that undermined the solvency of financial institutions. Korea's long period of sustained economic growth, low inflation, strong investment and balanced budgets had lulled policy makers into complacency. They failed to act decisively to tackle the growing structural weaknesses. Korea's high exposure to short term foreign debt and loss of foreign exchange reserves through a vain and unsustainable attempt to defend the won further undermined foreign investor and creditor confidence. This paper discusses in some detail these developments and their contribution to the financial and economic crisis experienced by the country during 1997-98. It also identifies key lessons for countries contemplating similar rapid development, and key warning signs that need to be heeded to avoid similar happenings to that which occurred in Korea.South Korea, export-oriented development model, structural weaknesses, financial and economic crisis